What Do You Bring And How Much Does It Weigh?

[Craig Griffiths]

I guess it depends on the destination for me. I have a 90 lt backpack that fits my 8x20 quite nicely. I take a 355 G Claron and 450 Nikkor M, 2 or 3 film holders, Hrrison Change tent (jumbo) and a box of film.

In addition to this are lightmeter, Fuji GW680III, darkcloth, tripod etc and a few litres of water. All up about 22-23kg.

However if I am heading somewhere where I know I am unlikely to return I will also Carry a Tachihara 8x10 and 5 film holders plus film. This all fits quite nicely and isnt too bad to carry although the weight is fairly high ( 30+ kg although I havent weighed it)

My approach is to take it slow and to have a break when I need it. I am also fairly large myself so in terms of being a proportion of my weight it isnt too bad.

Distance wise, the longest so far is about 5km down into a valley and back up. Must admit that I was a little weary after that trip.

[Robert A. Zeichner]

I have a couple of different kits that I use, dependent on whether or not I need to fly to my destination. I have a lightweight kit with an Ikeda 4x5, 5 lenses, Pentax digital spot meter, loupe, filter wallet and focusing cloth that with 4 film holders, fits into a compact Tamrac backpack that weighs 15 lbs. loaded. I carry my series 2 Gitzo CF tripod with Acratech head in a separate case that gets checked in the bottom of my rolling duffel.

For driving trips, I usually take my 5x7 Deardorff with either 4x5 or 5x7 back, 6 lenses and the previously mentioned accessories plus around 6 5x7 holders or 8 4x5 holders in a Photobackpacker modified Kelty pack which loaded, weighs around 25 lbs.

In either case, I have some lightweight padded bags that I use for additional holders which I can carry with a shoulder strap or leave in the car if I'm not hiking too far.

I had lost around 23 lbs. as a result of a self-imposed boycott of hash browns and a lot of cycling last summer, so I can report that on my last trip to New England in Sept., the loaded Kelty pack felt like 2 lbs., not to mention that standing up from a squatting position with this load was a hell of a lot easier than on past trips.

[Doremus Scudder]

The kit I use most weighs in at about 22 pounds. It is divided into a fanny pack, fly-fishing vest and an over the shoulder pouch. I carry:

A Wista DX 4x5 with one lens stored inside.
5 lenses mounted on Technika boards: 90mm f/8 Schneider SA, 135mm Nikkor W, 203mm f/7.7 Ektar, 240mm f/9 Fujinon A, 300mm f/9 Nikkor M
Two sets of 6 filters, 52mm and 67mm in folding cases. A few misc. filters in both sizes.
6-8 filmholders.
Pentax digital 1° spot meter
Homemade Gore-Tex dark cloth
Manfrotto 3025 Tripod w/ a 3205 head.
Misc. accessories.

The camera, lenses and filters fit into the fanny pack, meter and accessories (viewing filter, flashlight, barn doors, etc.) go in the vest pockets, filmholders go in the pouch. The tripod is hand-carried for the most part unless I have to use all fours scrambling, then it gets strapped onto the fanny pack.

The fanny pack has a shoulder strap so I can work out of it like an over-the-shoulder bag. It never touches the ground. The pouch hangs on the tripod for easy access and provides a bit of stability as well. I carry this for day-hikes of up to 15 miles or more. I rarely need more film, but if I think I will, I carry Mido holders and clamshell instead, and can carry 20+ exposures easily.

Link to a photo of the kit in action: http://www.doremusscudder.com/?m=9&s=40

Best,

Doremus Scudder

[TheDeardorffGuy]

When I go out it usually means my 12x20 Deardorff or 11x14 Deardorff. and a walk of no longer than 50 yards. I'm nearly always walking across a freshly plowed field to shoot antique steam powered farm equipment my son owns. The walking is not easy.
The "kit" is:

12x20 Deardorff at 35lbs
13 inch Wollansak WA in Betax #5 With a DeGroff air piston and air hose.
3 Holders at 5lb. ea?
A Crown #5 Tripod at about 7lb.
BIG darkcloth
The holders, Tripod, Darkcloth fit into a surplus Amo case(7lbs)

The BIGGEST issue here is dust. The amo case has a gasket but you remove them from their ziploc bags when the wind stops blowing! The camera gets this fine coating
of wind blown dirt. Being a Deardorff I can wipe it down at the hotel with a damp washcloth.

[Bob McCarthy]

You're leaving out the fly rod!!!

Bob

I have all my equipment in an excel spreadsheet along with the individual weights.
Al the recent multi day journeys were done with (grams):
Toyo 45A-2528
Schneider SA 90f8 mounted on a homemade carbon fiber board-402
Schneider 210mm f5.6 mounted on an aluminum board-580
5 holders-920
Graflex 6x9 back-534
Large plastic container for the camera and the lenses-536
Small container for the holders and filters-130
SUBTOTAL=5630
Canon 5Dmk1-936
Zuiko 28mm-178
Zuiko 200mm+TC2x-674
SUBTOTAL=1788
Filters and holders-100
Manfrotto 190xprob+head-2352
TOTAL-9870
This is the photo kit I carried during the last months for up to 6-10 days on trek.
The camping gear equipment varies a lot, but the main items are pretty much the same:
Tent- 1500
Down sleeping bag-2000
The cooking system, the cloth, etc all depend on the season and route but go from an ultralight tuna can stove and just some simple clothing to a full size MSR stove and full winter gear, the same goes for the food. Usually it sums about 10 to 13 additional kilos.
I pack all this in a 70 lt tubular mountain backpack
Almost forgot, I'm using a series 3 Gitzo now instead of the Xprob.
P.S. I didn't include film and minor stuff like flashlight, knife, etc for the same reason- the volume and weight of all that equipment depend on the route I'm doing.

[Ole Tjugen]

Too much and too much...

Mostly one of three cameras:
4x5" Carbon Infinity and 10 holders, or
7x5" Gandolfi Traditional and 6-10 holders, or
10x8" Gandolfi Precision and 4-6 holders.

And:

Lenses: 47, 58, 65, 72, 90, 120, 150, 165, 180, 210, 240, 300, 355 and 420mm.
I leave everything shorter than the 72 behind when I take a camera larger than 4x5", and swap the 120mm for an 121mm (as the shortest) when I take the 8x10".

And a Stabil Tredel wooden tripod with a hunking great big ballhead on, and a Gossen SBC meter. Maybe the pentax spotmeter too. And usually a 645 folder in a pocket somewhere.

I also tend to bring extra film and a changing bag.

Total weight seems to be fairly constant at around 18kg / 36 lb.

[Ray Van Nes]

I have three rigs:
1. 2x3 Graphic Century, roll film back, 4 lenses, spotmeter and tripod - 15lbs. This has made up several summits.

2. Chamonix 4x5, 3 or 4 lenses including a 400mm Fujinon, Readyloads or Grafmatic, bits and tripod - 18 -20lbs.

3. 8x10 Wehmann - 4 lenses, 165 Anugulon, 210 Graphic Raptar, 300 NikkorM and 19" Red Dot Artar with a shutter, 3 film holders and other stuff - 25lbs in the pack. The killer is the tripod which weighs another 10lbs.

Now if I could convince my wife to carry the tripod..... Actually, I have no complaint as she often will carry the food and extra clothing - and a book to read while I am shaking my fist at the clouds which are always in the wrong place.

[lilmsmaggie]

Chamonix 4 x 5
Lenses: 90mm, 135, 210, 350
Tripod: Manfrotto 055X PRO B
Head: Manfrotto 410jr
dark cloth, loupe, Sekonic L-358 meter

Each lens is in its own Photobackpacker LightGear case with lens board and shutter release. The Chamonix is also in its own LightGear case.

Everything plus about 6 film holders (except the tripod & head) fits in a medium sized National Geographic backpack.

Not sure of the weight, but its not terribly heavy.

[Peter Gomena]

My "light" 4x5 kit is almost exactly the same as the OP's. My "heavy" 4x5 kit carries 3 more lenses and more film holders and is in a big Tamrac padded bag that converts to a bulky backpack. My whole-plate kit is similar to my light 4x5 kit, but the camera weighs more and I add a Zone VI "lightweight" tripod. I don't carry the 4x5 kit more than 2 miles and the whole-plate kit probably half that. I'm getting pretty good at anticipating what size kit I want to take on any particular outing.

Peter Gomena

[Ole Tjugen]

Lightweight kit - Speed Graphic with iris lens mount, two casket sets, one grafmatic, no tripod.