Transporting 8x10 field equipment.

[TAG]

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[Tori Nelson]

Jogging Strollers, look for them on your local Craigslist. If you have too much money you can buy a new BOB jogging stroller but otherwise look for one with a good hand brake as well as locking wheel brakes. Mine has a nice canvas "basket" area under the seat where I keep film holders.

[Graybeard]

I carry my Deardorff V8 (wrapped in the darkcloth) in an aluminum Zero Halliburton case along with three lenses. The Halliburton case, my tripod, and a canvas bag with the film holders all fit, secured with bungee cord, on a collapsible hand cart of the type ordinarily used for moving suitcases in airports. Used Halliburton cases can be found at (relatively) low cost on eBay. The cart came from Target.

This has worked acceptably several years now for travel on mostly level ground, in dry weather, out to about one half mile from the car. I plan to upgrade to something like a Sherpacart in the future. The cart that I am using has small diameter wheels, ca. six inches, and is a bit of a handful on rough ground or gravel roads.

Wraped in the darkcloth inside the Halliburton case, the camera and lenses are quite well protected.

[John Powers]

see
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=71606

[kev curry]

Its usually managed with lots of huffing and puffing and then some cursing followed by questions like ''wtf......'' All sorted of course with the help of a nice 1/2 hr power nap and the rapid intake of 3 ltrs of luke warm water to recharge the faded batteries for the next 100 yards....no seriously what about mules or llamas or wheeled carts?

Its all here... http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=22725&highlight=carrying+8x10+gear

Not sure how you get the llamas or mules into the car though... stuff for another thread I guess.

[John Brady]

For short distances, less than a quarter mile. I carry two large pelican cases. One for the camera and the other for everything else. Keep in mind that I typically work in very wet environments. I can set my cases down on damp ground and not worry.

For longer distances I use my photo backpack but I can't set it on wet ground, I try to hang it instead.

www.timeandlight.com

[jeroldharter]

Thanks to all who have responded so far. The links given were interesting to say the least. The llamas, baby jogging stroller, and other wheeled contraptions would work great for some circumstances, but has anyone found a suitable backpack type arrangement for carrying an 8x10 camera and a few film holders, dark cloth and a couple of lenses for relatively short diatances - say up to 1/2mile or so? It seems like even the largest camera backpacks that I have seen advertised are really not quite large enough to fit 8x10 cameras with their protruding knobs.

TAG

Hard to be Photobackpacker backpacks for large format gear. That is what I use for a Wehman 8x10 camera plus 4 lenses and gear.

[kev curry]

Do a search here for ''f64 packs'' and you'll find 30 odd threads of stuff to mull over.

[Tori Nelson]

I should have been more specific. All my gear goes into a Lowepro Super Trekker which rides in the jogging stroller, or on my back if I'm hiking somewhere the stroller won't go. I can fit an 8x10 Canham, 3 lenses (don't have any giant brass beauties), Pentex dig spot meter, loupes and more gadgets than I will ever need or use, 2 or 3 film holders and a dark cloth.

[Randy]

TAG, I asked the same question a few weeks ago:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=71606

You will see lots of suggestions there.

I am in the process of making a cart out of a two-wheeled wheelbarrow (minus the tub). I am going to cut slats to mount across from handle to handle, starting down near the tires and going up about half way, so I can strap my camera case, film case, lens case, and tripod).

http://rsphoto.fileave.com/wheelbarrow.jpg

I needed something that could be used off the paved roads and sidewalks and on the rocky hiking trails, so I needed a sturdy platform with wide, soft tires. I am still in the process of construction.

[Drew Bedo]

I think that Edward Weston is supposed to have said, "Anything more than 100 yards away from the car is just not that interesting."

I use a jogging stroller.

[Vaughn]

An MEI travel pack. Has a detachable daypack that holds 5 8x10 holders (tho I rarely detach it).

http://www.meipacks.com/TravelPacks01.html

The Trekker II is the one I have, I think. The side pockets hide away if not needed. I hike all day with it. Just got back from two weeks in the desert -- as always, it worked perfectly.

[Michael Wynd]

I recently bought a Black Wolf Cedar Breaks 90 litre backpack with day pack attached. It takes my 8x10 triple extension Tachihara (with 300mm Nikkor inside), 10 double darks, Gossen Lunalite, filters, loupes x2, cable release and an air release, plus water bottle. The camera and light meter etc are in hard foam protection that I shaped to fit myself, and the film holders are in the daypack.
I went on a ten k round hike in a very muddy and steep part of Victoria Australia, (the Otways), and found that I probably coulod have walked another 10 k without trouble. The next day, I had no aches, no pain. That, to me, is the sign of a good pack. The only thing that doesn't fit, is the tripod, which I carry by hand.
Mike

[grahamcase]

I have a friend who straps a 40-50 pound contraption made from a pelican case and a frame onto his back. But, he's a bit crazy.

[Douglas Henderson]

I'm currently preparing to try again to haul 8x10 gear in the backcountry--at least to some degree. Years ago, I had a Tachihara 8x10 and took it into the local mountains from time to time--with a very heavy Gitzo tripod. Eventually, I determined this was just too much work and bought an old Graphic 5x7 from the printed Shutterbug ads (1994?).

On long reflection, I've come to the conclusion that the main weight issue wasn't really the 8x10 camera, but the 16lb tripod carried on my shoulder. I recently acquired a magnesium Calumet C-1 and a Belerbach 3032 tripod and have experimented with walking this about. It's still no picnic, but looks manageable. The Calumet 8x10 is bigger and heavier than the old Tachihara I sold (a mistake, apparent now), but the tripod is much lighter and quite steady (have it fitted with a Majestic 1200 geared head and 6x7 plate).

I'm planning on using an REI Evening Star pack--a large, two compartment pack just big enough to hold the C-1, a lens and a couple of 8x10 film holders in the zip open upper compartment alone. More film holders can go in a tied-on bag. Also bought a Toyo 810M that is somewhat more compact that may make things even easier to manage.

Anyway, it might also be helpful to buy a light vest to carry all the little things to keep track of--lightmeter, levels, focus loupe, lens filter cases, lens caps, shutter cable, caffeine pills, etc.

Always waiting for holes in the clouds.

[John Kasaian]

A gentle pack mule is nice company on the trail. In view of the economy, I'm considering downsizing to a burro ;)

[David de Gruyl]

(have it fitted with a Majestic 1200 geared head and 6x7 plate).

I swear, that head weighs more than my 4x5...

That being said: I have a similar monsterous setup (with the heavier, non-magnesium C-1) and, likely, a different (but fairly light) tripod. It is certainly man-portable, but not light by any stretch of the imagination.

[Jim Noel]

I use an internal frame backpack meant for hiking campers for my 7x17. Holds camera, 2 lenses, meter, filters 2 holders and costs far less than a pack designed specifically for photography.