What Lowepro backpack for my 4x5?

[Steve Bell]

I currently have a Lowepro mini treker AW used for 35mm and MF. I like the bag and want to stick with Lowepro when choosing one for LF. Whatever I choose needs to hold a Toyo 45a, Kodak readyload holder, Gossen meter (later to be replaced with a larger spot meter), 5 film holders, quickload box, 3 lenses on lens boards, loupe, cable release, various Cokin P filers, various screw in filters and collapsable lens hoods, focusing cloth, puffer lens cleaning brush and cleaning cloth and black bin bag for kneeling on, plus tripod fixing. It's hard to determine what bag is suitable, as all the manufacturers pictures show the bags populated with 35mm kit. If you use a Lowepro bag with similar kit, what bag do you use?

[Ralph Barker]

I use a Photo Trekker Classic. It's big enough for my Tachihara 8x10 and one large lens inside, and two or three holders in the outside pocket. Lots of room with different partition configurations for 4x5.

[Huw Evans]

A Pro Trekker AWII for a very similar kit (a couple more lenses, but otherwise much the same). There's room to spare though - you might well manage with the next size down. I usually have room to throw in a 35mm SLR and a couple of lenses too (because I often shoot colour transparency on the 5x4 and mono negative on the 35mm), and that's without using the side pockets.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Man, there are so many bags out there that will work for you that you have to see them and pick them up at a dealer to compare. It is a very personal choice.

I use a Mini Trekker, too, and found I needed a large size for LF. I just got the Pro Trekker II AW. What a pack. LowePro will have a size for you, as well as Tamrac, Tenba, and many others.

[Brian Ellis]

I have, but don't use because I don't like, the size down from the Pro Trekker AWII (sorry I don't remember the model name and it doesn't say on the pack but I know that at the time I bought it it was the next size down from the Pro Trekker AWII). I used it with a 4x5 Linhof Technika, five lenses (2 big, 3 very small), Pentax digital spot meter, BTZS dark cloth, loupe, eight or so round glass filters in a Domke carrying case and maybe eight film holders plus a few little tools. and a pair of reading glasses I could substitute a Readyload holder and a box of Readyloads for the film holders but I couldn't carry both the holders and the Readyload stuff. That was its absolute limit - no room for water, no room for Polaroid holder and film, no room for anything else.

[Robert Skeoch]

I use a nature trekker for my 4x5 and the larger packs for 8x10. Some of the packs hold so much they get quite heavy when full.
Plus it's cheaper to use a smaller pack. You don't spend as much filling it.

[Frank Petronio]

I used to squeeze all that into a Mini Trekker, barely (it was a Technika - about the same as a Toyo), so I'd probably go one size up, whatever Lowe-Pro name that is. But I think anything over a Mini-Trekker isn't airline carry-on legal, so be warned.

Now I use a Compu-Trekker (same as the Mini with a laptop pocket) just to carry film, lenses, and digital gadgets, while carrying the tripod mounted camera over my shoulder - working a short distance from civilization (my car) for the most part. The nice thing is that is is carry on legal, so I can carry film and lenses, while checking the big stuff in a large Lightware trunk case.

[Bob._3483]

You might want to peruse this previous thread if you have not already done so: http://largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/499631.html (http://largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/499631.html)

Pictures of my Photo Trekker AWII with a similar load to what you have is near the bottom of that thread. As suggested by others above, there is not a lot of room left for other things once the camera gear is packed.

Cheers.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Sure depends on the camera your packing. Monorail, folding field, or the wonderfully back-packable Toho.

[Glenn Kroeger]

Steve:

Here is an "alternative" Lowe-Pro route. I have a similar setup to you. I use a Lowe-Pro Nova 2 shoulder bag to hold the camera, filters and loupe. The Toyo 45AX fits perfectly into this bag, filters, loupe and bubble level fit into its front pocket. I use a Lowe-Pro Photo Runner to hold my lenses on boards and associated accessories such as cable releases. I use a Gnass case for my Quickload holders and film. Now I drop all of these into an Osprey Eclipse backpack (I use the Eclipse 42, but others would work as well). When I get to a stopping point, I shoulder the camera and fit the lenses on my waist and am free to wander around shooting without lugging a half opened backpack to each spot.

The big advantage is that I can choose a really good backpack with excellent harness, appropriate torso fit and hydration facilities without worrying about "camera" stuff such as padding and whether the adjustable dividers work for my equipment. I never found a photo backpack that had a harness and torso length that fit well. This approach also lets me use the individual cases from my car when I am not backpacking. Although I use an Osprey pack, one could use any good pack from Gregory or other manufacturers.

[paul owen]

The Pro Trekker will serve you well - and what's more will make carrying your gear fairly comfortable too! I use both the Pro and the Super Trekker and they both share the same harness system so the only difference I can notice is that the Super Trekker holds more gear! I know many use regular backpacks and convert them for photo use, but I have found that if you get a photo pack with a good harness then that's half the battle. Regular backpacks come in to their own when you are carrying both photo and camping gear over long distances - a day trip is no problem for a photo pack!

[Jim Rice]

Always the contrarian, I use a soft (no frame) North Face pack. I only use it as a day pack at the most, more generally as what I would use a camera case for. If i was actually hiking, I'd have to get an actual framed pack (food is a good thing). This shouldn't be construed as an endorsement of North Face, as I don't really care for them that much as a company.

[Witold Grabiec]

May I just say that LowePro is indeed great (I have two backpacks including the Pro AWII) yet, as suggested above, it is a personal choice, so you should probably visit a store to make it fit.

However, once you decide which one, don't forget about eBay and a company out of Canada that sells LowePro at substantially lower prices than ANYbody in the US (at least used to). I got mine this way over a year ago and still am puzzled by the price differential.