Photo Vests While Backpacking...

[Scott Rosenberg]

good day...

my very thoughtful wife, after having observed me trying to cram my light meter and film backs into the lower pockets of my cargo shorts, bought me a photo vest for christmas. i am hesitant to open the vest, as i am yet undecided as to whether i will be keeping it. it seems like a GREAT idea... a vest with pockets everywhere sized for photo gear. however, from the pictures on the tags, it seems like the most useful pockets are all in places that would result in the items stored within being crushed if worn while also donning a backpack... under the shoulder straps, across the chest, across the lower back, etc.

as i can't open the vest, load it up, and put on my back pack, i was wondering if any of you use a vest? is it useful? can it be effectively used while wearing a pack?

thanks in advance for any observations,
scott

[Alan Davenport]

I use one. Works a trick and the only pocket that is a problem with the backpack (Lowe Super Trekker) is the one in back. I normally stuff my darkcloth there, so when I need to carry the pack I just put the darkcloth inside the pack. The vest saves a lot of time searching for common things like loupe, lightmeter, filters etc. Once you get over the idea that you look like a geek you'll love it.

[Dave Moeller]

Scott-

My recommendation is to empty the pockets of the vest back into the backpack before you start hiking. I find the vest a godsend when actually working, but have no interesting in having things like light meters, filters, and lenses bouncing around when I'm walking, let alone when I have a pack on. I find the vest best used as an aid for keeping everything close at hand while actually shooting, but not when moving between locations.

I would strongly recommend keeping the vest, though. You won't believe how handy it is to have all of those pockets while you're actually working...plus your willingness to look like a complete dork by wearing one of these will mark you as someone who's serious about what he's doing. (Even though my "Green Monster" Calumet C1 attracts a lot of attention when I set it up, I find that people generally leave me alone if I've got my vest on. Either they're thinking, "He's a pro so I won't bother him." or "He's a moron so I'm safer leaving him alone."; either way I find I get a lot more peace when I wear mine.)

Be well.

[Michael Kadillak]

Your instincts are right on Scott. Great idea, but with back pack straps and the gear that we need to get access to, it comes in a little short of expectations IMHO.

I find that a hooded jacket with as many large pockets as possible is the best option for me as I can stick a light meter, the lens caps, reach for the pen and stickies, the filters and the laminated cards that contain the reciprocity data and the exposure corrections for n less and n+ in various places to access when needed. And the bigger the better.

The vest looks like it would be the ticket, but the pockets are to many and not large enought for LF gear. I have one for fly fishing and use it all the time.

The hood comes in handy when you get caught waiting for the light to get just right and the cold, rain or wind get you.

I also find that the Gnass Gear cases are fabulous for storing a series of lenses, but the icing on top of the cake are lens pockets that fit insife the Gnass case with cord looped through the end for closing it so you can hand them by the cord off of a tripod for easy access if it is not blowing to hard. Every time I prevent myself from reaching for the ground for "gear" induces more efficiency in my photography and that is a good thing for my back and it keeps me focused on the task at hand.

Good Luck!

[Ralph Barker]

Another option is to leave the light meter, loupe, etc. in the vest, and simply place it inside the backpack, on top of the other gear, when moving between locations.

[Scott Bacon]

Hey Scott,

I've owned a vest for years and rarely use it for just the reasons you stated. I do use it when I know that I'll be shooting from the car, but that doesn't seem to happen very much. I almost always find myself on the trail with backpack. I also use the Gnass Gear (for film) and I've been looking at the tripod aprons as another means to minimize the time spent bending over retrieving items from the pack.

I'd keep the vest. A good one will probably last you forever. And, of course, all this is personal preference and you may figure out a good way to make it work for you.

[Frank Petronio]

The real question is what pipe and tobacco goes best with a photo vest, and if the kakhi matches your Safari jacket, Tingley fedora, and Russel Water Buffalo snake-proof boots.

[Scott Atkinson]

I find the vest overkill, and instead use a smallish fanny pack turned around to the front. It houses spot meter, color meter, loupe, glass filters, step-up rings, and cleaning cloth. The folks I know that use a vest wad it up and put it in the pack, then pull it out when they get where they're going.

[Doug Meek]

Hi Scott.

Ralph's suggestion is on the money. I keep all of my small items (light meter, loupe, filters,exposure sheets,pencil, compass etc..) in my Domke vest. I simply put the vest in my pack when hiking. It's the first thing I take out of the pack when I stop to shoot. It takes about 10 seconds to put on and saves me 2 or 3 minutes in setup time. Nothing to it.

[Gem Singer]

Hi Scott,

Photo vests were designed to be used by photojournalists who use small format cameras, have to shoot quickly while running after a moving target, and need to carry a lot of gear close to their bodies and handy to reach. Not very practical for backpacking with large format equipment. However, I recommend that you don't tell that to Christine. It will break her heart. Just wear the vest as a windbreaker jacket. Get yourself a matching hat to go with the vest. Smile a lot and look cool. That way, you'll make a lot of points with Christine and neither of you will be disappointed.