Gear carrying tricks wtd from "old timers".

[Daniel Grenier]

As I am now over my mid 50's, I just find my gear difficult to handle. The 8x10 is still somewhat bareable but the 7x17 kills me. This is especially an issue when walking to a scene in the woods, say, or to places not accessible with my truck etc.

How do you "aging" LFers now manage your gear? (No, downsizing is not yet an option).

Thanks for the tips and tricks.

[j.e.simmons]

As a near-geezer at 58, I carry my C-1, Zone VI heavy duty tripod and other assorted junk in a jogging baby stroller. Several other photographers in my area also do this - we've all modified the strollers a bit to meet the needs of our equipment. I was lucky to find one that only required removal of the sunshade. My camera bag drops right into the area where the baby would sit, my bag of film holders, meters, etc. straps to the foot area with a bungee cord, and the tripod lays over the top - again held in place with a bungee cord.

The large wheels make navigating over rough terrain relatively easy, although the tires are narrow and tend to bog down in loose sand and mud. I've hiked up to 10-miles with mine.
juan

[Scott Kathe]

I think there was a thread on this before, maybe someone else can find it. Try something with wheels! When I was 35 I dragged my 60+ lb kayak and 40+ lb of gear 5 miles over hill and dale into a great wilderness lake I had always wanted to paddle. The wheels went under the center of the kayak. Now that I'm turning 45 this year I wouldn't attempt that again. But I have an 18lb pack canoe and the question now is how do I get the pack canoe and large format gear and overnight gear into that lake?

Maybe a four wheel wagon with BIG tires or a golf bag cart would work for you-I'm sure I'll be doing that someday in the far (hopefully) future

Scott

[Jim Rice]

Hi Juan, What is the make and model of your jogger? Also is your camera case the Calumet hard one for the C-1? Thanks, Jim

[Walter Calahan]

Jogging Baby Stroller, now why didn't I think of that? Perhaps because I'm only 50. HA!

Please post the model you're using, and hightlight the modifications. Those who are approaching geezing want to know.

[Greg Lockrey]

An insustrial size (large wheels) dolly. Pulled, not pushed.

[John Kasaian]

A gentle pack mule is nice. Actually its great!

Where pack mules aren't allowed I've had good service from a California Innovations soft sided wheeled cooler. It has a shoulder strap so if things get sideways on the trail I can sling the whole enchilada over one shoulder and P.O.R.

When carrying large cameras one of my biggest issues is the large tripod. I find that strapping it on to my Lowe Trekker is very awkward (it gves me a taste of what it might be like to be a moose---imagine walking through the forest with a huge rack of antlers!) Alternatively you could try a quiver like surveyors use or attach a rifle sling to one of the legs.

Or take along an atheletic son or daughter and let them shoulder the load! That is after all, why you've sprung all that money on basketball camps, little league and ski lessons over the years, right?

[Stephen Willard]

I am 55, and I use llamas. They can carry 85 pounds comfortably, and 100 pounds if they are in good shape. They will go any place you can except across deep snow fields, boulder fields, or between two trees narrower than they are wide with their packs. They can eat anything, and well trained llamas will never tug on the rope. Many times I have had to look over my shoulders to see if they were still there. They are very quite timid creatures.

I have a custom made light weight open trailer with high clearance to haul them around. This allows me to 4WD in as far as possible before I have to start trekking. Many people haul them around in their pickup trucks. There are pens that will attach to the flatbed to prevent the llamas from jumping out. And, this summer I saw two llamas bedded down in the back of a minivan. Go figure.

I have two llamas, Hershey and Vanilla. They have been my buddies for years now and have never damaged any gear. In general, I spend about two months a year in the back country of Colorado with them far from roads and people. They have very keen eyesight, sense of smell, and hearing. Twice, two years ago, they let me know a mountain lion was coming to visit way before the lion arrived, and I was ready with lots of rocks. My llamas have definitely had a huge impact on my photography, and I suspect they would for you as well. 99.99% of the good stuff is never near a road, at least in Colorado.

[Ralph Barker]

I've mentioned this before to similar past threads, but I try to hire several members of the Swedish Bikini Team as assistants - several so none of them have to carry too much.

When they're busy, I use a folding golf cart (~$70, imported) that has 4" wide wheels (good for sandy or soggy ground). It's not as stable as the strollers or deer carts, but it's compact and inexpensive.

[Richard Wasserman]

Daniel,

I had the same problem and now carry my gear in a Sherpa Cart- http://www.sherpacart.com/ It has 16 inch diameter bicycle wheels and balances well. The handle folds for storage and it's well made, much stronger than a golf cart, which I also investigated. The jogging strollers I'm sure work well, but have a much larger footprint and well... they're strollers. Maybe if I had grandchildren I wouldn't mind? Good luck!