My 4x5 set up for Hiking

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Got the F-stoppers XL bag insert. All my gear in it with 6 film holders and three lenses plus extra film and I am at 18 pounds. And tripod and head, 22 lbs. Respectable. That leaves lots of weight to carry actual camp/hiking gear. Gonna try this back pack for insert.

https://seekoutside.com/exposure-5000-panel-loading-backpack/

I have 2 other bags but one is too small and the other doesn't fully open up like one in link.

I will get a second F-stop ICU for my digital gear and swap them out of back pack depending on the goals for that particular outting.

[rdeloe]

I'm interested to see how that works out for you Steven, especially the backpack.

[nbagno]

Same basic setup I use with the F-Stop ICU, I also use the F-Stop Sukha. I use the large ICU with my 4x5, but for my Mamiya RZ and it's gigantic lenses, I have to use the XL ICU :O Everything fits great, love that back pack. I'm not however using it for overnight trips, so I just need to carry a minimal amount of food and water. And for that purpose, it's the best back pack for day trips with my 4x5 that I have ever used.

[Vaughn]

Protect those film holders! (from dust and broken dark slides)

[Alan9940]

I, too, use a similar F-Stop ICU for one of my 4x5 outfits, though film holders are carried separately. The ICU fits perfectly into a photobackpacker P-series backpack which I also interchange out for my 8x10 outfit.

[CreationBear]

Gonna try this back pack for insert.

Very cool--it looks as if SeekOutside has really taken off...the last time they were on my radar they were mostly known for their single wall shelters. FWIW, I'd definitely try to make a trip up to Grand Junction with all my gear before settling on a pack, though--I'm thinking 5000 cu in is going to lock you in to a pretty minimalist 3-season loadout--one of the "expedition" sized roll top bags might be more versatile, since even the toploaders seem to have side-zip access.

[esearing]

The XL ICU seems rather inefficient use of space But I am guessing you are limited since the camera does not fold. Can you put the extra film flat under the camera (or elsewhere) and move the spot meter to its spot? I would wrap those holders in something so they do not rub the camera, like a bandana or micro cloth towel. Or you might do better with 2-3 smaller ICUs, one for the camera one for holders and extra film, and one well divided for the lenses and accessories. For a multi-day trip it may be easier to pack around the ICUs until you get to camp site.

I considered a top loading and or partial opening packs with multiple ICUs but in the end, I like a system that open fully during a shot and I have everything I need in reach.

[Drew Wiley]

Try getting all your view camera supplies for a two-week trip into the same pack as two weeks worth of food, shelter, and all-weather clothing. That's a routine ritual for me, or, actually, a repetitive headache. We need gear we can just add water to and it will swell up to full size, just like freeze-dried food.... Well, maybe not the coat and sleeping bag.

[Alan9940]

We need gear we can just add water to and it will swell up to full size, just like freeze-dried food....

LOL! :D This reminds me of something Jerry Uelsmann said many years ago... He wanted the industry to be working on a 35mm size negative that swelled up to 4x5 upon processing. :) Works for me...

[Drew Bedo]

Can we see the camera gear packed up with the otnere hiking gear? What pack will it all gointo?

[Meekyman]

Try getting all your view camera supplies for a two-week trip into the same pack as two weeks worth of food, shelter, and all-weather clothing. That's a routine ritual for me, or, actually, a repetitive headache. We need gear we can just add water to and it will swell up to full size, just like freeze-dried food.... Well, maybe not the coat and sleeping bag.

Hi Drew,

Can you tell me how you manage to do this?

Asking because I camp out with camera supplies for overnighters, use lightweight titanium stuff, light tent (1.4 kg), real trekking backpack with great support, small photobackpacker for camera, one for lenses and other stuff in stuff sacks. Add on cooking kit (titanium, light), pan for boiling water (titanium, light), waterproofs, freeze-dried food, water filter, tripod and no luxuries... it's touching 14 kg (28 lb). I'm impressed you can survive with everything on your back for two weeks, very impressed.

[Drew Wiley]

Unlike my youthful days of ultralight packs and a 35mm camera, my whole adult life I've been my own mule plodding along with a heavy pack and LF gear. Of course, as I'm now entering my 70's, if I can find ways to reduce the overall load without sacrificing functionality or safety, I'll do it. I went from 85 lb packs with full Sinar gear down to around 65 lbs now, using a little Ebony folder. I still use a Sinar 4x5 or even an 8x10 folder for day hikes. But I also have MF gear for times that is more realistic. I grew up in the mountains, and we kids would just disappear into some remote area for days at a time, with almost nothing except a fishing pole or .22 rifle, not even a sleeping bag, just a basic poncho which served as both raincoat and emergency tent. But that also involved being in great shape and being able to travel very quickly over steep terrain down to timberline. The Indians did it; so we figured we could too. But none of us know how many Indians might have perished in high-altitude storms. I've saved the life of several backcountry joggers who got caught off guard in a sudden snowstorm by loaning them a coat and following them out of the hills. Otherwise, it's best to build up your endurance by frequently wearing a pack heavier than you need. I don't know exactly where you go, but there are no doubt seasoned outdoorsmen who can teach you a lot of things. On longer trips, use things like bubble packing and plastic bags to cushion and protect your camera gear rather than an extra camera pack. Instant mashed potatoes are lighter weight, more caloric, use less fuel, and way cheaper than freeze-dried dinners, but can get boring. Sometimes fishing is an option, but the best times of the day for trout tend to conflict with the best times for photography, so I don't fish very often anymore. Just take things a step at a time, until you're comfortable with longer outings. I just returned from a two-week outing in the Wind River Mtns of Wyoming. The nice thing about that is the relaxation it gives away form the distractions of the modern world. I don't take along even a cell phone, and it wouldn't work in places like that anyway. People thin out after a day or so, and often complete solitude follows. Refreshing.

[CreationBear]

it's touching 14 kg (28 lb).


Assuming you've got about 20 lbs left of camera gear (tripod/camera/holders/lenses etc.) and 2-3 lbs of food per day, that strikes me as a bog standard load-out for a weekend afield if you're an average-sized bloke. (The old rule of thumb is that pack weight shouldn't be more than a third your bodyweight.) Of course, if your plans include yomping through the Cairngorms or Snowdonia in winter, that changes things considerably...:))

[Drew Wiley]

Just depends. I know people who go out for months at a time, and little guys capable of carrying almost as much as their own body weight, sometimes even more. Lots of the places I go can suddenly turn into winter any month of the year; so I have winter-style clothing in the pack at all times. Just a few years ago I got my hike interrupted by a search for three missing people. I found one of them safe, if lost and scared, because he had a pack containing warm dry gear and a serious tent, while two others were found by the wilderness rangers dead in the snow because they didn't. It happens every year it seems. Blizzards can come even in summer in the mountains, which can create their own weather if they're high enough. And the fad of ultralight hiking and mtn trail running doesn't help things. Some of these young people are really naive, with their glorified tennis shoes that will lead to frostbite in even a few inches of snow, and their minimal tents that will blow right over above timberline. Some of them don't even bother with a belt pack containing a raincoat and sweater, and no matter how fit they consider themselves, all it takes is a twisted ankle to stop them from outrunning an afternoon storm and it becoming fatal. I often carried a spare waterproof jacket just in case, and probably saved several lives that way. If you need real mountaineering gear like ropes or ice gear for glaciers, that will add to the weight. Back when I was still a teenager in my 40's, pack weight was a non-issue, even on steep off-trail terrain day after day. I'd have 40 lbs of camera gear alone, with big heavy lenses, a dozen holders, and full Sinar system. Now I opt for tiny lenses like Fujinon A's and C's, or Nikkor M's. My knees, back, and comfort with high altitude are still all excellent. But I don't cover the nearly same daily distance as I once did. It's nice to just relax a few hours a day.

[Corran]

Drew, please post a photo of your pack and loadout for us to see, I'm certainly very interested to see what you bring when camping for longer periods of time and how you fit an 8x10 setup. Thanks. I'm looking at upgrading my ultralight gear setup so I'm sure it'll be instructive.

[CreationBear]

little guys capable of carrying almost as much as their own body weight, sometimes even more.

Ha, definitely--reminds me of one of my ex-students just separated from the 173d Abn who once told me he was jumping with nearly 200 lbs as a LRRP.

At any rate, it's all good--I'm coming to appreciate just a casual walkabout these days...and my Exped DownMat 9.:)

[Drew Wiley]

Hi Corran. I recently finished cleaning up and storing away for the season my long haul system. Just look up ole vintage Kelty and Camp Trails true external frame packs, and imagine them as stuffed and piled upon as much as they can get. Or hang around a few high altitude mountaineers preparing for an expedition to the Andes or Arctic or Himalayas. My kind of pack weight isn't all that bad by comparison. For casual day use, I have several Rubbermaid plastic kitchen trash cans which simply drop into the big top compartments of these kinds of packs, each interchangeably with a different system, whether my 4x5 Norma, or 8x10 Phillips & holders, or a P67 system replete with a big 300 telephoto. The Ries tripod is attached to the back via bunji cords. Lenses go into side pouches, lunch and weather gear into the bottom compartment. For long-haul backpacking, I switch to a little 4x5 Ebony folder, with a CF tripod under the top pack flap. The camera and film is wrapped in my goosedown jacket. Below that is some kind of food container, either a carbon fiber bear barrel or Ursak bear sack, or both. That leaves lots of room for my clothing and cooking supplies in the bottom compartment. Side pouches accommodate lenses, filters, meter, etc. Tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad are all rolled up individually in waterproof bags and strapped outside, onto the frame below the compartments. But I must confess that on this last trip I wanted to eat better than usual, so my younger friend carried yet another Ursack for me containing my daytime snacks. His total weight was around 75 lbs, considerably less than the 110 he carried last fall on a 4 wk cold mtn trip, a weight he swears he'll never try again. But we always carry more food than necessary for the planned duration of the outing, just in case we get stuck in a blizzard for a few days. It's happened more than once. Due to the fact of aging, I also have a large Feisol carbon fiber tripod in reserve suitable for my 8x10 and big MF telephoto, for when I'll have to scale down day pack weight even more. There have been a few long trips when a Fuji 6x9 rangefinder worked out well; but due to its lack of lens interchangeability, it can't home in on distant peaks and details, like I needed to frequently do on this last trip. But it's a faster way to work in a storm or downpour when view camera setup can be frustrating. I like to keep all my options open. Since Quickload film sleeves are no longer made, I can choose between Mido thin holders, regular holders plus a film tent (or thick plastic bag at night), or 6x9 roll film backs. The cumulative wt comes out similar; but I wisely chose 6x9 backs this past trip because reloading sheet film holders with both hands occupied would have been hell with the horseflies still active at high altitude. They follow the moose and bighorn sheep.

[Corran]

Ah, how convenient. I stopped reading after the first sentence, sorry.

[Drew Wiley]

CreationBear - one of my nephew's frequent climbing partners, who is also an old friend of mine, is only 5 yrs younger than me, but still works as a summer guide up Denali (Mt McKinley). He's about 5 ft 4", only around 115 lbs, but with long arms like a monkey, who can do a hundred or more chin-ups, and has been known to carry 120 lb packs on long expeditions. That's not an unusual weight for Sherpa porters either, even teenage girls, though they typically don't carry more than six miles or so a day. There are high altitude miners in the Andes who daily carry around 200 lbs over limited distances, and they're little too. But I'm now in the process of learning how to be a little more lazy each year.

[Drew Wiley]

Well, Corran, this time I gave you the opportunity to be sincere; but if you're just seeking an excuse to inject skepticism and poison into the kind of answers that any real outdoorsman around here would accept as routine, you're headed back to my Ignore list. I hope that doesn't have to happen.

[Corran]

Well, I just don't believe you, sorry. Ignore away!

[Drew Wiley]

This is the West, Corran. Lots of people in my own neighborhood do this kind of thing routinely. If I thought you were sincere, there are lots of digi snaps by companions of me lugging packs & shooting LF gear in the mtns, including by companions who are well known world-class mountaineers. But if you're simply too uninitiated to even begin to understand the basic outdoor dialog, I'm not going to waste any time on you.

[Drew Wiley]

This is the West, Corran. We have 14,000 ft peaks just half a day's drive away. Lots of people in my own neighborhood do this kind of thing routinely. Nobody around here would consider it exceptional, even at my age.If I thought you were sincere, there are lots of digi as well as film snaps by companions of me lugging packs & shooting LF gear in the mtns, including by companions who are well known world-class mountaineers. I could have sent you some. But if you're simply too uninitiated or xenophobic to even begin to understand the basic outdoor dialog, I'm not going to waste any time on you.

[Corran]

I am genuinely interested to see packs, load-outs, and general setups for anyone actually seriously backpacking (more than day-hiking, and long distance) with their LF gear, especially 8x10 or larger. I know Vaughn does, and he mentioned his weight recently, and he has the photos to "back" it up. If you have photos to share showing others' setup, that's fine - links or actual photos. Not interested in your bluster, I'm not wasting anymore time with that. And your name-calling is noted.

CB and I have talked at length about some options for carrying a big pack with room for both camp gear and photo gear, safely and within good practices for weight. I don't have anything significant to add as I am not an expert, but I have shown photos here with my 50+ pound pack that I've camped with, along with my 4x5 gear, and my ~35lb day-hike bag, so I've got actual experience on record. I am still looking for the right pack for me personally. I have identified a couple of long (3-5 day) back-country trips I'd like to pursue next year and perhaps will go bigger/longer.

[Keith Pitman]

Hell, I’d just like to see a photo of Drew!


Drew, please post a photo of your pack and loadout for us to see, I'm certainly very interested to see what you bring when camping for longer periods of time and how you fit an 8x10 setup. Thanks. I'm looking at upgrading my ultralight gear setup so I'm sure it'll be instructive.

[Drew Wiley]

Well, if you don't mind me in my porcupine look, I'll see what I can scrounge up. Don't expect a big Yeti like Vaughn Hutchings. But it would have to be sent snail mail. If certain websters don't accept my word itself as good enough, then they can just stay in their own little Hobbit world as far as I'm concerned. Corran himself dredged up remnants of my old website with thumbails of mtn shots still on it. I don't know why he can't put two and two together and chooses to insinuate I'm a liar. There are some quite remote locations involved, just a tiny selection from hundreds of trips. How the heck did I get myself and my Sinar LF gear there to begin with without a huge pack? I have whole stacks of big packs, some loaded, some empty.

[domaz]

Protect those film holders! (from dust and broken dark slides)

I learned that broken dark slides, can cut you pretty bad. Don't ask how, other than it involved a Deardorff that was too heavy, an unreliable tripod head and barely saving the camera and almost losing my finger in the process on the broken dark slide. Ouch.

[CreationBear]

But I'm now in the process of learning how to be a little more lazy each year.

+1.:)

As for monster loads at altitude, I suppose having the EPAS1 gene and a tump line wouldn't hurt either. FWIW, the coureurs de bois would take that approach on their portages with some ungodly weight, though most ended up like NFL running backs...herniated and otherwise busted-up by their early 30's. (Not a few of them managed to fetch up in the villages of the Pays d'en Haut though and spend the rest of their days producing little metis and metisses, so there was some compensation....:))

[Drew Wiley]

Well, there are some people who shouldn't carry a heavy pack at all due to back issues. Others, like me, have done it our entire adult lives, though I have to wear very expensive custom boots due to having bad feet. Leki trekking poles with shock-absorbing springs have protected my knees.

[Drew Wiley]

I took some casual cell phone snaps of my own pack system, but might have to wait till my wife is back from work to figure out how to post them.

[Meekyman]

Drew,

I'm sorry my asking you how you managed to carry two weeks worth of food and film supplies descended into "a not very nice place". Certainly wasn't intended. I take people as they come until I find out otherwise through a position of knowledge.

Graham

[Meekyman]

Assuming you've got about 20 lbs left of camera gear (tripod/camera/holders/lenses etc.) and 2-3 lbs of food per day, that strikes me as a bog standard load-out for a weekend afield if you're an average-sized bloke. (The old rule of thumb is that pack weight shouldn't be more than a third your bodyweight.) Of course, if your plans include yomping through the Cairngorms or Snowdonia in winter, that changes things considerably...:))

I'm probably on the thin side of an average sized bloke!! Think 5'7'' and 126 lb (173 cm, 60 Kg), runner build, which I do. The camera gear comes in 8-9 Kg, camping kit 4-5 kg then the backpack itself weighs a bit but I don't mind that for it's ability to carry weight. I use a Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre 65-85, got a nice front-opening pocket.

https://lowealpine.com/eu/cerro-torre-65-85#

[Drew Wiley]

Don't worry, Graham. Stuff happens. Some people get annoyed because I don't post images. But my old Mac is disconnected, and all the new computer stuff, including the cell phones, belong to my wife; and she needs this for her profession, so doesn't want me doing any image work with it. I'll eventually set up a parallel system of my own, and have recently completed a very deluxe copystand with DLSR as well MF film options, already all calibrated, for sake of copying actual b&w or color prints for marketing purposes. But since I don't do any kind of digital photography or printing per se, all of it being darkroom product, web projects are not a high priority. I took down my old website a while back; it was geared to the much slower speeds of earlier web days, with smaller image files. I'm 5'7 myself, but around 210 lbs. Repetitive heavy pack usage builds up a lot of shoulder and back muscle. When I began backpacking, I too was around 125.

[CreationBear]

runner build, which I do.

Excellent, you ought to be able to do Pen y Fan at a lope, then--just tell the squaddies from the Regiment to make way.:)

BTW, I quite enjoy your photos from Snowdonia--I've only kicked around the Marches a bit (and managed to get hypothermic on an otherwise lovely May day whilst fishing the Usk) but haven't made it up into your bigger country.

[Drew Wiley]

Graham, my hiking partner last month used the same model of Lowell pack. Like most internal frame packs, it requires a little digging to get to certain things. The first really good internal frame was an expensive big thing marketed by North Face and made in this very city. My nephew worked at the main store for awhile earning college money; and they financed several of his expeditions afterwards, including the first ascent of the incredible face of Escudo, the most difficult wall in South America, right across a valley from the real Cerro Torre in Patagonia. That crazy 20-day escapade was published in the Sept '95 issue of Climbing magazine, and I think it's still is on the web too. But when he first got one of those early top-loading internal frame packs, he accompanied me on one of my usual "death marches" as he called them, across 13,000 ft difficult off-trail passes for about 10 ten days without a break. He had packed his stuff with respect to how long we were out, with later needed supplies deeper down in the pack than frequently needed things. He complained about all the weight. Halfway through the trip, he got to the bottom and found a 10 lb Duraflame fireplace log stuffed down there. That didn't amuse him. I replied, what if we need a campfire? - when we were right in the middle of a grove of pine trees. The next day I left most of my gear at the camp, took my Sinar up a peak, and arrived back after dark. When I finally crawled into my sleeping bag, it was stuffed full of pine cones!

[John Layton]

The most weight I’d ever schlepped consistently was as a canoe guide (Boundary Waters, Minn.) in the mid 1970’s, while in my early twenties. The canoe on my shoulders plus a Duluth pack would equal 200lbs. Stupid stuff as my heel tendons began to separate by the early Fall, with a very long and painful recovery.

Hiking/photo backpacks from then into my mid forties would be in the 35 to 60 pound range, depending.

Now, at age 64, forty pounds is plenty…and I try to go less if I possibly can so long as there are no real compromises.

I continue to hike/backpack frequently, mostly in NH’s White Mountains, and consider myself to be in decent shape for my age and 6’1”/190lb frame…but to haul 75lbs. up mountains at this point is (completely!) out of the question. Then again, here in the east we’ve got rocky climbs of 1,500 ft. elevation gain per mile…so there is that.

At any rate, to answer the question…I’ve been having good luck with Bruce’s RPT system (latest iteration, adapted from a Kelty P-3), plus his Cascade (5x7) film holders, internal camera/lens cases, etc. Very well conceived for good logistics when laid out on the ground and nicely suspended. I also have an older L.L. Beans “Guides Frame” with lower shelf - which is great for bungy-ing my Pelican case, tripod, etc. to, although more often than not lately I go out with the RPT.

For sheer comfort and balance, however, nothing quite beats my Deuter backpack, and I sometimes think of cannibalizing this so that the compartment and access layout is closer to that of the RPT’s. Hmmm…not likely!

[Drew Wiley]

If I were out just a week at a time, I think I could get down to 55 lbs with my 4x5 Ebony folder; but longer hikes are more relaxing and memorable, with better opportunities for sheer solitude. On day hikes I prefer the faster operation of my 4x5 Norma or 8x10 Phillips. I think I could be out three or four days with the 8x10 for around 70 lbs if I were extremely conservative shooting. It's those big film holders that add up weight and bulk fast. I use the 8x10 mainly just for day hiking, which generally includes a serious uphill/downhill workout. I do encounter experienced people much older than me, in their 80's, well back into the mountains on maintained trails at least, still doing well even if rather slow; but they're often accompanied by younger family members carrying most of the weight. One foot in front of another, that's the gist of it, as long as you can do it. My days of "death marches" are long over, although I've just come back from some really steep rough downhill sides of high passes - no place for a horse! - that left my shoulders throbbing for a few hours afterwards.

[mmerig]

Unlike my youthful days of ultralight packs and a 35mm camera, my whole adult life I've been my own mule plodding along with a heavy pack and LF gear. . . . . . I just returned from a two-week outing in the Wind River Mtns of Wyoming. The nice thing about that is the relaxation it gives away form the distractions of the modern world. I don't take along even a cell phone, and it wouldn't work in places like that anyway. People thin out after a day or so, and often complete solitude follows. Refreshing.

195512

The content is not relevant, the post date (Sept. 9) is.

[Drew Wiley]

The past few days I've been printing 6x9 TMX100 frames from that last trip; and being a rather long outing, I wisely chose roll film backs rather than full 4x5 film. I wanted to get into the Winds while the wildflowers were still at their peak around timberline; and the display was indeed very impressive. But I took only 3 color shots. I was mainly interested in b&w for sake of an ongoing portfolio of the Winds. The mosquitoes had mostly died down by then. But from past experience, I knew that endemic horseflies can be atrocious even in late summer. They were. So I didn't want to set up a changing tent and have both hands occupied while they ate me alive. I got bitten enough anyway just operating a view camera. The other reason for the choice is that I wanted to home in on distant crags, yet do so with a very lightwt lens. For 6x9 film, the Nikkor 300M has the equivalent perspective as a 450 on full 4x5 and fills that application superbly. I also prefer the longer 6x9 aspect ratio. What I don't like is the greater difficulty focussing on a smaller image. Three years ago I had a mother moose suddenly come out of the willows and darn near run over my Ebony 4x5. It slightly jostled the front swing as the camera landed, and being almost sunset, I simply didn't have time to critically check edge focus susceptible to swing issues. The shots still came out great, but not as critically crisp on one extreme edge as I would ordinarily like. This year the same thing happened for another reason. I descended from the high plateau area way down into New Fork Park, and the constant hard downhill bouncing of the pack on the stretch what remains of the avalanched-out Palmer Trail managed to mess up one particular shot due to swing lock jarring. I was suspicious of that risk, so carefully reset the front swing once I was all the way down to a lovely campsite in a meadow, which was like having a still-pristine version Yosemite Valley all to yourself, surrounded by huge cliffs, and nobody else around. That camera correction held up back over the top of Porcupine Pass (incredible spot), and back down to the Green River, where moose abound. I had a Fuji 6X9 RF stashed in the car, as we left behind the backpack per se, and that came in handy taking shots of the River in the face of an advancing storm front, when I had to operate fast. The light in that area can be incredible.

[tgtaylor]

Here is a backpack that I used for overnight trips for many years:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48727216943_19a5391ac8_z.jpg

It's the Gregory Reality which was very popular among backpackers when it was first introduced. I believe that it was Backpacker's top pick back then. It was advertised for weekend excursions but I used it for numerous 1 week trips in the California mountains as well as a couple 10 day excursions without resupplying. I could cram 7 days of freeze-dried food, coffee, powdered milk, power bars, etc in the bear canister (mandatory here in California), along with down sleeping bag, socks, stove, toiletries, camera, lens, etc. For the 10 day excursions I used a waterproof sack and hung the first 3 days of food at night.

Initially the camera was the Pentax K1000 with 3 lens and no tripod but that rapidly changed to a Pentax 67II with three lens and a Manfrotto Carbon 441 tripod with Gitzo magnesium ballhead and a Toyo 45CF camera with 3 lens and either readyloads or cut film in holders with a Harrison Pup tent. Except for the trip in the picture I only carried one camera with me on any given outing except on this trip which was a 1 week backpack in Torre del Paine national park where I carried 2 cameras: the K1000 and P67II. Attached to the outside and wrapped in a green military poncho which serves as a rain cover and ground cover for the tent is a ¾ length air mattress (although short its thickness is a comfortable 1.5” and I place the pack at the end to make up for the length), the tripod and head is in the dark blue case, and the tent is in the black case, maps and compass is in the black case at the top of the pack and not shown are 2 1L water bottles in insulated cases on the front belt.

That was a great trip which, besides the many beautiful land and seascapes, resulted in several fortuitous social interactions one of which was in meeting the then current President of Chile Ricardo Lagos in Punta Arenas. Nowadays my days of humping heavy packs in the back-country are over. All such trips from now on are with a mule which brings me and my gear out to a predetermined base camp and brings me back at its conclusion.

Looks like the 2 rolls of 120 TMY-2 that I shot yesterday with the 67II w/the 400mm Takumar and 2x rear converter are now dry. I love the big negative size of the 67 and want to compare these with the two rolls that I shot last weekend with the Pentax 645NII w/ 400mm ED AF lens and 2x converter. A 400mm AF ED Nikon lens and TC200 2x converted is being delivered shortly and next weekend I will test it on the same subject to determine what format works best for this portfolio.

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

When my nephew went to do the first ascent of Escudo (the Shield) in Paine - twice as high as El Cap and 110 deg overhanging - I equipped him with a tiny little Pentax MX. It held up fine in those extreme conditions, but he didn't routinely change out the batteries like I told him to do, so underexposed the potentially best paying shots, of Andean condors flying all around them during the whole 20 days on the face. Still, North Face got what they financed him for, with their logo "accidentally" in the foreground somewhere in each published shot, on a jacket arm or porta-ledge fly, or whatever. Is that 400 EDIF the 645 version or the 67 model? I have the 6X7 300EDIF and love it. Once in awhile I use it with a Nikon adapter, but mainly for 6X7 per se. But I'm in the mood for 8x10 shooting now that I'm back from mtn outings for awhile.

[GoodOldNorm]

The secret is to walk with a friend who is not a photographer, persuade that person to carry some of your gear in exchange for some prints.

[tgtaylor]

It's the 645 Version Drew. The 67 version sells used for about 4x what I paid for the 645 which I was surprised to find that they were priced so low - especially in the condition it came in. During the evening news yesterday the PO came and delivered the 300mm AF Nikkor ED lens that I ordered last Thursday morning before I left for work. When I returned from work that day I sent the seller an email to inquire if the 39mm clear drop-in filter was included but he replied that he couldn't check as the lens had already been shipped. I replied that if it wasn't present would he be able to supply one. He wrote back that it wasn't included with the lens but that he would send one if he ran into one in the future. Well a pristine L37c drop-in filter was in the holder AND a pristine 82mm L37c was mounted on the front element! The lens is mint in all respects and works flawlessly on my F6 and at $312 including shipping was a steal. Irohas Camera in Japan was the seller and I highly recommend them if in the market.

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

It's amazing how fast Japanese dealers ship. Hmmm. I often tote a pair of P67's - one with the 300EDIF mounted to it, along with the special dual support block unifying the lens collar and camera body thread mount, and the other with a 75/4.5 lens on it. Both take 82mm filters. As the air calms and autumn gets into full swing, it's a nice combination for Pt Reyes with its winter wildlife abundance. I'm not patient enough to be a serious wildlife photographer - even taking pictures of cattle or deer suffices for me. On my last morning of backpacking in Wyoming we encountered a large moose just a few yards away, below the trail. My friend pulled out his digi camera and went to work. It ignored us for awhile, but then gave us a distinct annoyed look that made me say, "I think we better move on". My friend remarked, "We're the paparazzi". I wasn't about to set up the view camera. Moose need to be respected.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Currently I am using a 75liter Osprey that opens 3/4 of the way as a panel loader. I carry 3 lenses, 6-10 film holders, meter, etc. When I put it into the pack I have a ton of room leftover. I am going to switch over to the https://seekoutside.com/exposure-5000-panel-loading-backpack/ backpack. It is a more suited to carrying the XL ICU. If I get a chance, I will show what it looks like in the current backpack. I am looking at getting the Chamonix 45N-2 although my current camera really doesn't take up that much room, but I would prefer a camera that folds up smaller.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I am genuinely interested to see packs, load-outs, and general setups for anyone actually seriously backpacking (more than day-hiking, and long distance) with their LF gear, especially 8x10 or larger. I know Vaughn does, and he mentioned his weight recently, and he has the photos to "back" it up. If you have photos to share showing others' setup, that's fine - links or actual photos. Not interested in your bluster, I'm not wasting anymore time with that. And your name-calling is noted.

CB and I have talked at length about some options for carrying a big pack with room for both camp gear and photo gear, safely and within good practices for weight. I don't have anything significant to add as I am not an expert, but I have shown photos here with my 50+ pound pack that I've camped with, along with my 4x5 gear, and my ~35lb day-hike bag, so I've got actual experience on record. I am still looking for the right pack for me personally. I have identified a couple of long (3-5 day) back-country trips I'd like to pursue next year and perhaps will go bigger/longer.

Check out Alex Burke's website. He has a blog on backpacking. That is all he does with 4x5 camera, day after day, week after week.

https://www.alexburkephoto.com/blog/2018/6/29/backpacking-with-a-4x5-2018-update

[Corran]

I know Alex and I have spoken with him over email a few times.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Cool. I have as well. My fall colors trip is going to be in Crested Butte, CO. Next week I hope. So a small camping trip. But I won't have my new pack yet and I am still forced to use the brick toyo 4x5 :(

[Greg]

Backpack is a ThinkTank Airport Antidote V2.0. Inside the backpack: folded up 4x5 Chamonix rests on a wide angle bellows in a padded pouch. Lenses most likely carried: 65mm Nikkor-SW, 125mm Fujinon-W, 210mm Fujinon-W, 300mm Komura tele, and a 500mm Komura tele. 45 degree reflex finder. Horseman 45 or Pentax spotmeter. Two pouches inside the pack used to carry a lot of small items. In the front of the pack: focusing cloth if taken, bottle of water, and more. 6 4x5 film holders inside a f.64 padded pouch attached to one shoulder strap. Rain cover inside pocket on top of the backpack. Tripod can be attached to the backpack if the trail is challenging, but usually I just carry it in my hand. I used to carry everything in a Lowepro Photo Trekker CLASSIC backpack, but switched to the ThinkTank which is smaller in size and easier to carry on my back especially when bushwhacking.

[Drew Wiley]

Redundant comment by now. I've omitted it.

[Drew Wiley]

I made my point, so no need to keep it going. Thanks everyone.