My new backpack, Seek Outside Exposure 5000

[Steven Ruttenberg]

What a back pack. 2 thumbs up. I can take all my 4x5 gear in an Fstop XL ICU and have enough room for all camping gear and 3-5 days of food.

4x5 camera, 90mm Schneider Super Angulon f/4.5, Schneider G-Claron 210mm, f/9, 75mm Nikkor f/4.5, Horseman 6x loupe, Chamonix 45H-1, 6 film holders, dark cloth, Pentax Analog Spot meter, note book.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Inside of notebook.

[CreationBear]

What a back pack.

Excellent, that looks quick to work out of as well.:) BTW, what is your shelter system? I've gone to a Six Moons Lunar Duo, but I must admit that my humid conditions here in the SE can stress even the traditional double wall designs in terms of condensation.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Currently I have a Kelty 2 person tent.

I am in the SW so we don't usually have issues with condensation.

[Peter De Smidt]

I don't see that pack on the Seek Outside site.

[CreationBear]

Excellent, I look forward to some more reviews when you put some miles on it!

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I don't see that pack on the Seek Outside site.

They just discontinued it. It was under the close out tab. I don't see it now. If you wanted it and called them, they would probably make one for you. They discontinued as it is labor intensive to make and not a large mover.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Excellent, I look forward to some more reviews when you put some miles on it!


I will. It will be part of my losing 50 lbs of muscle/fat. Time to come back to reality and give up body building. 55 is not an age to be 250 at 5'10"

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Just went on a 2 mile walk with it and my 4x5. Felt pretty good, adjust waist belt upwards to other mounting point. I lije the fact it is no taller than my head. I walked under several trees with no issues of snagging like my other large backpack. So far, so good.

[Drew Bedo]

Steven: Sounds like you have a good system worked out that works for you.

How much does the photo gear weigh/

How much does the whole pack weigh with photo gear, camping gear and food for 3 days?

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Camera gear last I checked was about 20-25 lbs. With every, probably close to 50-60. That includes 100 Oz of water to start.

I'm walking a couple miles every night with it to get into shape for hiking once this crap is eradicated.

[Peter Collins]

Folks, I too am in the Southwest, and re:

I am in the SW so we don't usually have issues with condensation by Steven, I have experienced lots of condensation in August at 9,000 ft in NM. I think the best way to deal with condensation is to use a tent which gives you the room you need such that you don't produce a shower in the early morning by hitting the roof/sides.

Having used a panel-loading pack for my photo gear, and experiencing how easy it was to access everything, I note that S's solution is also a panel-loading pack.

[Drew Bedo]

The 20 to 25 pounds of photo gear sounds right. That's what my 4x5 Zone VI kit weighs. But I carry it in an old LowePro "Magnum 35: shoulder bag originally designed for 35mm film camera outfits. And I don't actually carry it anymore either. It comes out of the trunk already strapped to a set of luggage wheels.

I admire and envy your physical ability. I used to do some backpacking back in the 1970s. Made it to the top of Long's Peak twice one summer. That you can get out there like that is wonderful.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Thanks. I am not a rock star or hiking, but I refuse to go down. I will do this till I drop.

As for SW, in AZ I haven't personal had issues with condensation on inside of tent, but my tent is super ventilated so it's hard to buildup heat and moisture on inside. A lot of paces I go too are over a 100F at 2am. Which is better than -15F at 2am!

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Pack with all camera gear that includes 6 loaded film holders weighs 28 lbs. So, with three days of survival gear, will be about 60lbs. Add a couple lbs for extra film and changing bag.

[Kiwi7475]

Are they still selling it? This model doesn’t seem to show up on their website.

[Peter De Smidt]

I've asked on their Facebook page, but they haven't answered yet. Maybe we could do a group order.

When I backpacked with 4x5, a number of years ago, I used a really great backpacking backpack, but it was horrible for photo use. It was a top-loader, and to get to the camera gear was so much work that I rarely took the gear out, as that involved a lot of unpacking/packing.
I've got good stuff for day hikes, but nothing good for weekend length excursions.

[CreationBear]

When I backpacked with 4x5, a number of years ago, I used a really great backpacking backpack, but it was horrible for photo use. It was a top-loader, and to get to the camera gear was so much work that I rarely took the gear out, as that involved a lot of unpacking/packing.


For myself, I wouldn't hang up on top-loaders vs. panel-loaders as much as I would make sure that I had a big enough pack that I could segregate my minimal 4x5 kit--either in a dedicated camera bag--or in my case, an Arc'teryx slingpack. That's an approach I've found very useful here in the Smokies, where it's often the case that the tripod needs to go into a place I don't want to take a fully-loaded backpack. (Another advantage is that the slingpack lets me keep from having the typical "yard sale" on the forest floor--our doghobble can swallow a small donkey, much less a GG protector.:)) I've also pressed a couple of other pockets into that role: an Ortlieb camera bag, which has the advantage of being waterproof; and a Mystery Ranch top-lid that I've modded so that I can click it off the host pack and use it as a 1000 cu in shoulder bag.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I've asked on their Facebook page, but they haven't answered yet. Maybe we could do a group order.

When I backpacked with 4x5, a number of years ago, I used a really great backpacking backpack, but it was horrible for photo use. It was a top-loader, and to get to the camera gear was so much work that I rarely took the gear out, as that involved a lot of unpacking/packing.
I've got good stuff for day hikes, but nothing good for weekend length excursions.

Let me call them. It would be in their close out section, but I didn't see it. They suggested they could make them to order if interest was shown. Let me see if t hey would tell me how many it would take to do a custom run.

[Drew Bedo]

As I have written here, I have not backpacked in any significant way for years, so these thoughts are untried and pretty much off the top of my head . . . .

My 4s5 kit weighs around 25 poundes, which seems to be in the ballpark for this discussion. It has not beenweight-optomized for backpacking by looking at each item for weight reduction. For example, I have a huge 90mm f/8 Nikkor in this kit, not the miniscule Schneider 90mm f/6.8. The photo below also shows an even larger 38ommT ele-Raptar that I have since sold. The whole outfit is packed into a shoulder bag as a Grab-N-Go kit.

My coffee fueled early AM thinking . . .Could a similar outit be carried along with about any other "serious" hiking backpack, as a strap-on load? In use, ity would be tacked and strapped to the top of the backpack and removed for use . . .without unpacking the main bag. With thought given to exavctly what is in the photo bag, and exactly which photo bag is used, this could be a workable concvept IMHO>

Below is my 4x5 out fit as packed. Keep in mind that I work fgrtom the trunk of our car and put it on a set of airport luggage wheels.

[CreationBear]

My coffee fueled early AM thinking . . .Could a similar outit be carried along with about any other "serious" hiking backpack, as a strap-on load? In use, ity would be tacked and strapped to the top of the backpack and removed for use . . .without unpacking the main bag. With thought given to exavctly what is in the photo bag, and exactly which photo bag is used, this could be a workable concvept IMHO>
.

That's a neat idea--IIRC, there's a gent here on LFPF who does precisely that: I remember that he's out in Colorado, shoots a lot of tele, but sadly can't remember his screen name. (Perhaps I should pay more attention to those AARP missives that have started to flood my mailbox...) I think that approach would work best when you know you're going to be on-trail and/or traversing open country: Drew W.'s old school external frames haven't been bettered in terms of load carriage--it's always better to keep the load centered over your hips if possible. The problem I'd have in my AO would be load stability--since you've got a significant amount of weight above the pack stays, you'd probably have to reef-down on the top compression straps a bit more than you'd like.

At any rate, you can't cheat physics--the current, modern internal frames that basically hang the load over space have their own issues!

[Drew Bedo]

All my backing experience wass back in the early 1970s when the external frame concept was pioneered by Kelty and my intro was through Fletcher's "The Complete Walker". That's exactly how the thought poped into my head at 5 or 6 AM today.

Weight distribution? Think about putting the camera bag at the bottom where a sleeping bag might go and strap the lighter bag and pad to the top.

Now I am 69 and having joints replaced. Thinking of transitioning my outdoors kit to a TravelWide and five film holders in a messenger bag. Hope for an all-up weight of under 10 pounds. I'll use a monopod for a walking cane and pop the camera onto it to shoot. Slimming down that much, I might swap the little f/6.8 Schneider for the f/8 Nikkor (or not).

[CreationBear]

Weight distribution? Think about putting the camera bag at the bottom where a sleeping bag might go and strap the lighter bag and pad to the top.


I think the classic weight distribution for externals is light on top, light on bottom, with the dense stuff being placed in the center, closest to your spine--of course you'd want to do several dayhikes for "proof of concept." If you've an old external close at hand, though, you might already have a packbag with more organization than is available to us whippersnappers with the new-fangled internals:)--I'd just load it up with my lenses in at most neoprene wraps and see what I could get away with.

[Drew Bedo]

Any more it is about all I can do to walk around the block with a cane in oe hand and my wife's arm in the other.

[CreationBear]

Any more it is about all I can do to walk around the block with a cane in oe hand and my wife's arm in the other.

Ha, been there, done that--not the worst fate for any of us!:) FWIW, I've got a brother up in The Woodlands, but haven't explored your part of the world very seriously other than a quick trip to Big Bend--still, being a day's drive from the Edwards Plateau and on to Guadalupe NP ought to give you your pick of LF opportunities.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Its possible, but could be cumbersome. Similar to the internal carry like Fstop.

[Drew Bedo]

Weight Distribution and backpacking:

It all comes down to what you want to do and what you have do do to get to do what you want. Most solutions are suboptimal copromises in any field of endeavor.

A science fiction story from the 1950s ("Glory Road" by Robert Heinlein I think) involved a multidimensional backpack that just kept unfolding with more stuff in it.

The Harry Potter books did something similar with what looked like a camping tent on the outside, but had a small apartment inside with conventional amenities .

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Weight Distribution and backpacking:

It all comes down to what you want to do and what you have do do to get to do what you want. Most solutions are suboptimal copromises in any field of endeavor.

A science fiction story from the 1950s ("Glory Road" by Robert Heinlein I think) involved a multidimensional backpack that just kept unfolding with more stuff in it.

The Harry Potter books did something similar with what looked like a camping tent on the outside, but had a small apartment inside with conventional amenities .

That is what I need!

[Dirtymortainess]

it looks really cool. I'm a big fan of backpacks and I have a large collection of them. I have backpacks for different occasions and especially I adore vintage backpacks or backpacks stylized as vintage. Maybe I'm a fool, but once I even bought an electric guitar case from Fender made in 1973. But as for tourist backpacks, I have the best waxed canvas backpack (https://woosir.com/collections/waterproof-canvas-backpacks), it is also stylized as vintage. I believe that tourist backpacks must be made not of synthetics, but of leather and covered with wax to protect against rain.

[Greg]

When I backpacked with 4x5, a number of years ago, I used a really great backpacking backpack, but it was horrible for photo use. It was a top-loader, and to get to the camera gear was so much work that I rarely took the gear out, as that involved a lot of unpacking/packing.

Way back when I was backpacking, I used a (top loading) large Dana backpack. Camera equipment was carried in the middle of the pack so I only had to remove the top 1/4 to 1/3 of the contents to get to it. It was a minor pain to do, but I just got used to having to do it when I stopped to take a photograph. Of all the backpacks that I have ever owned and used the Dana was absolutely the most comfortable to carry on my back. I was 5' 8" and around 150 lbs. Never weighed the fully loaded backpack but had to be 60 pounds plus. Also once I had and used a Wild Things (ultra light) backpack, but it rode terribly on my back... As I remember it had a minimal support design to it, and just felt unbalanced after maybe the first mile of the hike.

[Drew Bedo]

A new day and more Coffee:

What is your, as-packed and on the trail total weight for a weekend, say two nights?

I have not carried a backpack for an overnight for many years (decades) now. . . .mid seventies I think. My current 4x5 kit goes out in an ancient LowPro "Magnum 35" shoulder bag. Kit: Wista, three lenses, 10 film holders BTZS hood and a little CF Tripod.

However, this discussion got me thinking that a workable alternat approach might be to a pack similar shoulder bag, stuffed with a 4x5 kit put together with lower weight in mind, as an add-on package to a trekking backpack outfit. My current kit weighs 25 pounds, but could be shaved down with weight conscious choices in lenses and other items.

One of the WillTravel bodies might be a weight conscious option. A Schneider 90mm f/6.8 would replace the Nikkor 90mm f/8 and so on.