Photobackpacker converted backpacks for cameras.

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

I just got mine today and I wanted to post what a great pack this is. Bruce has come up with a great idea to carry and hike with the camera comofrtably and securely. Also, he worked with me to make a camera enclosure specific for the Arca Swiss Compact with a 15 cm carrying rail. I am attaching a pic so you can see how it all fits.

I packed everything and walked around with it for a while, it is amazing the difference this pack makes. If you like to hike with your camera, I recommend you get one of these, Bruce is very thorough, is making a quality product and will make sure you are happy with his product.

[Ed Richards]

Is that a 4x5 or an 8x10?

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

8x10.

[Pete Roody]

How many film holders can you carry in the backpack?

[roteague]

Is that a 4x5 or an 8x10?

Jorge doesn't mess around with Point and Shoot cameras. :p

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

How many film holders can you carry in the backpack?

4 in the front pocket and if you really wanted to, I guess you could fit a couple of more in the camera enclosure. 4 holders are good enough for me for a 2 or 3 mile hike.

[Eric Leppanen]

Jorge,

I have the same Arca 8x10 that you do, and have a similar Photobackpacker backpack on order (thanks for the camera enclosure, by the way!). Are your lens cases all for 4x4 lensboards? Where did you put your exposure meter, focusing loupe, filters, etc. and how convenient is the access of these items, and how protected are they? I assume you store your darkcloth on top of the camera?

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Jorge,

I have the same Arca 8x10 that you do, and have a similar Photobackpacker backpack on order (thanks for the camera enclosure, by the way!). Are your lens cases all for 4x4 lensboards? Where did you put your exposure meter, focusing loupe, filters, etc. and how convenient is the access of these items, and how protected are they? I assume you store your darkcloth on top of the camera?

Eric, on the front pocket where the holders go, there is plenty of space for the filters, meter etc. All of my cases are for the Linhof Technika boards, the important thing is the width of the lens from front to back. As you can see inside the camera enclosure I put the 450 Nikkor and the 240 G claron. I think Bruce got confused with the size of the 240 and sent me a bigger lens pouch, but we will exchange the pouches. Outside the camera enclosure I have 3 lenses on bigger pouches, a 300 Sironar, a 355 G claron and a 150 SSXL. they fit perfectly. The lens pouches have two ways to close them, a zipper and a velcro latch. The velcro latch is removable so I am planning to remove them all and just use the zippers.

Access is very convenient, the backpack opens from the front (as you can see in the pic) for both the camera lenses as well as the front pocket for the holders. everything is readily available when you unzip the front.

All of the equipment is very well protected. Bruce had a good idea, instead of putting foam all around the bag (which increases the weight a lot, as anybody who has a Lowe pro supper trekker, Tenba of F64 pack will know) he uses a stiff protective material to protect the individual components, camera and lenses. This saves a lot in dead weight and provides full protection.

For my camera he made a pouch on the front lid of the camera enclosure to accomodate the rail, I told him already this pouch is too big if you are using the 15 cm rail to transport the camera. As it was sent to me, you could cary the camera in a 20 cm rail easily if you wanted to. In my case I am going to remove it and have a smaller pouch sawn. This is not Bruce's fault, we were trying to come up with the design by pics and e mail and I expected some corrections to be made after I got it, nothing that cannot be done by a good seamstress.

Oh, I forgot, at the bottom of the pack you have latch loops. If you don't want to carry the tripod on the side, you can use the loops to secure the tripod at the bottom with a couple of belts, I think this is the way I am going to go since it distribuites the weight more evenly than on the side.

[Photobackpacker]

As you are looking at Jorge's pack, it appears that all of the space is completely filled. With traditional camera backpacks, that would be true. With the RPT/Kelty Redwing P1and P2 packs, there is another 4 to 10 inches of space on top of the cases you can use for storing gear. If this is not enough, I sell side pockets which are intended for readiloads or film holders but these are spacious enough to carry a wide assortment of accessories.

I am currently out of stock on the P1 packs until the end of this month (April). I have 20 of the P2 packs (torso length from 15.5 to 20 inches) arriving around the 28th of this month via airfreight. All but 2 of these are already sold. The surface shipment of P2 packs will arrive at the end of May.

I need to explain the custom enclosure Jorge is referring to. This product consists of 4walls that attach to one of my backerboards via velcro. The backerboard becomes the bottom of the enclosure. This enclosure is closed with a hinged top that is held closed either by a web strap and clip arrangement or with a zipper. The entire assembly is made from 10mm closed cell foam to which nylon tricot loop compatible fabric has been flame laminated.

The custom enclosure concept allows me to meet the needs of folks using cameras that fall outside of the standard cases I sell. With this means of construction, I can keep them cost effective.

Bruce
http://www.photobackpacker.com