Sherpa Cart

[Ben Hopson]

Does anyone have experience carrying LF gear with one of these carts? I will be photographing inside a large building where a wheeled cart would make life much easier than using the backpack for managing an 8X10, lenses, film holders etc. Can the Sherpa bag be removed and a backpack strapped to the cart frame? Ideas, suggestions for using the Sherpa Cart or alternative wheeled options for LF gear much appreciated.

Thanks,
Ben

[Dave Orndorf]

I have used a sherpa cart without the pack for 8x10 gear in the past. I have strapped a lightware case, and a backpack on it. The only problem I have encountered is after I purchased it the wheels went flat. I went to a bike shop and they put in intertube liners and I have not had a problem since. A very smooth ride.

[Walter Calahan]

I bought a used 3-wheeled baby jogging storller on eBay for dirt cheap.

Seems babies grow, so moms stop jogging with them when they outgrow the jogging stroller.

Now I push my 8x10 gear with very little effort, and the thing has full suspension, and a hand brake.

What's nice is the bicycle wheels come off with quick release hubs, and the whole thing folds up for packing in the car or truck.

[Richard Wasserman]

I use a Sherpa Cart for schlepping a Sinar Norma and like it a lot. I had the same problem and solution as Dave with the tires going flat. I like the cart better than a jogging stroller as it has a much smaller footprint and is very easy to maneuver and will handle surprisingly rough terrain.

[Tori Nelson]

I bought the Sherpa Cart years ago for all my 8x10 gear. I never had a chance for the tires to go flat as my backback wouldn't fit into it so I never used it. I sold it (at a considerable loss) to the manager of a Senior Baseball League team and he used it for hauling bats, balls etc. around.

[Clueless Winddancing]

We all have different needs/circumstances. I don't have an assistant and happen to like the option of a work-space to lay out the "tools" like a surgeon's table. Others seem to want manuverabilillty, security, or collapsibility. Getting it all in one transporter is a challenge.

[Jean-Louis Llech]

This post is 4 years old, and I wrote some arguments for three-wheeled strollers vs. all "wheelbarrow" systems. http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=10281
Walter Calahan perfectly describes some advantages of the baby strollers : full suspension, hand brake, removable wheels with inflated tires, easy to fold up.
And any backpack can be mounted on it.
Most of all, rubber tires are allowed into all buildings with fragile floors, and when the stroller is stopped, it acts as an oblique cradle and you easily reach all your gear.
And as Frank Petronio wrote : "This gives new meaning to "babying" your camera!" :)

[Ben Hopson]

These comments coming from hands on experience is exactly what I was looking for. Now I have much to consider. I think that either the Baby Jogger or Sherpa Cart will be fine for the project I initially have in mind. I will have to decide which I will get more use from in the long run.

Thanks for the help.
Ben

[Lenny Eiger]

These comments coming from hands on experience is exactly what I was looking for. Now I have much to consider. I think that either the Baby Jogger or Sherpa Cart will be fine for the project I initially have in mind. I will have to decide which I will get more use from in the long run.

Thanks for the help.
Ben

I bought a used jogger stroller and am going to try and take off the two back wheels and have just one for pulling behind me - so I can hike on a trail. Anyone ever seen anything like this?

Lenny

[Thomasbroening]

http://lifewithease.com/foldit.html

this works really well and folds pretty small

[Andrew_4548]

I've used a Ruxxac luggage / sack cart when I used to transport my Sinar box and tripod around.

http://www.sack-trucks-uk.co.uk/images/ruxxac-cart4.jpg

It was good in that it folded flat to stick in the boot (trunk) of the car. It had bungee ropes on to strap the things to it. It wasn't much use over rough ground as you could get it see-sawing before it turned over sideways if you weren't careful but it was OK on roads / footpaths /floors etc.

The tyres on those are solid so no chance of them going flat but the flip side is that there's not the same amount of bounce / softness in them so things have to be decently padded in the case / backpack etc.

For attaching a backpack, you'd have to make sure all the straps were not loose as they could get caught in the cart wheels being that close to the ground.

[Jean-Louis Llech]

Yes, but...
with a 2 wheels caddy, when you stop, you have to lay it on the ground.
On three wheels, (why do we use "tripods", and not "bipods" ?) the carriage is very stable, and it stays upright by itself when I stop walking. You can stop without holding the stroller, or laying your bag on the ground. The stroller has a "parking brake".
As I precendently wrote, when stopping, the bag is never in contact with the ground and when you open it, all its contents is displayed like on an oblique cradle. Thus, you don't have to lean you to take something in the bag.
I place some photos and drawings of the Stroller and bag fixation.

[Jean-Louis Llech]

I found a post I wrote in april, 2004 about the Sherpa cart (already) :

I already quoted the two-wheeled Sherpa cart in my first post, and I agree that it's probably the best two-wheeled cart.
But, when I considered buying one, I noticed that the width spacing of wheels seemed very narrow, even if this spacing could be adjusted from narrow to wide.
On its "narrow trail" configuration, the wheel stance width is 9 in. (23 cm), and on the "wide trail" one, the width is only 17 in. (43 cm).
I think that with a heavy load on it, the cart may rock and fall, like all other two-wheeled bags I tested.
On the stroller I use, the wheel stance width is nearly 23 in. (58 cm).
That is the main reason why I preferred a three-wheeled cart : on the stroller, the three wheels constitute a 23 in. by 25.5 in. triangle (58cm x 65cm).
Like a photo tripod, it has a great stability, improved by the weight of the heavy-loaded Lowepro Super-Trekker backpack, and its center of gravity is lower than the Sherpa's.

[jesskramer]

Cabelas at www.cabelas.com has very good options that are durable and have puncture proof wheels

search their store under game carrier


the Alum-i-lite is $140, ...the Collapsible carrier is $99

Jesse

[john wilton]

Am thinking about looking for a used jogging stroller...can see that my Photo Trekker bag will drop into the baby seat; but having trouble visualizing how to attach the (large) Ries tripod...anyone doing this?

[Jean-Louis Llech]

On one side of the Photo Trekker, between the bag and the stroller frame.

[R Mann]

On one side of the Photo Trekker, between the bag and the stroller frame.

That's what I do with my Reis tripod also - the stroller I am using has a fairly large footrest so the tripod stays put when I am moving. You would need to check the length of your tripod when picking out a stroller, as some of them are "shorter" and the tripod would ride very close to where your hands would be on the handlebar. I am using a "TikeTech" stroller and am very pleased with it - easy to push, great to have the bag about 2 feet off the ground and not worry about adding a little extra weight to what I take along with me. Only downside is the need for a trail wide enough to move along

[morlinghaus]

i will give these a try for hauling my 12x20 around in the city:

http://www.solvitproducts.com/strollers_main.htm

(ok, coolness-factor is about zero)

[Leonard Evens]

You can return the Sherpa Cart if it turns out it doesn't meet your needs. So you only end up paying the shipping charges.

I've used a Baby Jogger for years to carry my equipment, but I thought from the description on the Sherpa website that the Sherpa Cart might off some advantages. I suffer from spinal stenosis, so being able to sit down on something would be a plus some extras. But it turned out that the Sherpa Cart was much more massive and much heavier than I had envisioned. It was just too much for me to handle, so I returned it.

The Baby jogger works find for me for transporting my 4 x 5 equipment plus. Its big drawback is that I can't sit on it, but I carry a small camping stool for that. I got the model with the larger wheels, and that is essential if you are moving over anything but pavement.

The Sherpa Cart would be more appropriate if you needed to carry a lot more than just your camera equipment.

There is one hidden feature of the Baby Joggers. You can remove the rear wheels by pressing the two metal clips on the rear axle. Without knowing that, I wouldn't be able to fit the Baby Jogger and my equipment in my Corolla. For some reason, the Baby Jogger folks don't advertixe this feature, and few Jogger owners know about it.

[c.d.ewen]

Hi, Leonard. Sorry about the bad back; I feel your pain - I needed a laminectomy last year.

On topic: I use a Radio Flyer All-Terrain Cargo Wagon to drag the 12x20 around. It's the kind with a wooden bottom and fat tires. Lots more room than the metal bottomed wagons. The sides come off and the handle folds underneath. It is rather long, though. Walmart sells them for $141. I watched for about two years before finding one on Craigslist for half that.

http://www.radioflyer.com/atw/atw_29.html

Charley

[jeroldharter]

After considering the same issues, I bought one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LEI82W/ref=asc_df_B000LEI82W842953?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=nextag-baby-delta-20&linkCode=asn

I have not used it alot yet but it is quite cheap compared to some strollers. It has caster wheels on the front making it easy to turn in tight spaces. I has a capacity of about 100 pounds if I recall. Because it is a double, designed for to car seats, the bottom tray is long and easily holds a large tripod without any need to strap it in. The thing folds up easily and is fairly compact. The "framework" design is suitable for easy mods and lashing down a variety of cases. I can put two pelican cases on the top for camera and film holders and still put a large tripod and miscellaneous loose stuff in the bottom.

The cons are that it does not have large inflatable tires for "off-road" use. So it is best for cities and buildings.

[percepts]

Nah, you need the ultimate must have LF accessory:

http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/product-specifications.aspx?id=388&scid=15

( At around $8000 it's a lot less than many digital backs so it definitely falls into the accessory bracket ;) )

or one of these:

http://www.muleaction.com/

[John Powers]

This baby jogger has 20” wheels, shock absorbers to save the fragile, expensive parts, 100 pound capacity and a locking emergency brake. http://babyjogger.com/perf_jogger_lp.aspx Go for the newer version if you can with twin locking brakes on the rear wheels. Mine has a brake on the front wheel which can easily be over powered with weight and a down hill slide. The large wheels get you over puddles and dips in the terrain. I got mine used on eBay. The polite father was surprised at my intended use.

I carry a padded cooler bag in the seat full of lenses in open zip locks, dark cloth, meter, loupe, tools, first aid kit, etc. I have drilled two holes in the foot rest. If I am shooting 8x10 I mount the Phillips 8x10 on the Ries 600 and double tilt head with the spikes going through the foot rest holes and the camera and tripod bungied onto the padded cooler bag. There is a net bag or two for water bottles, a towel and sun screen. I have mounted a bicycle compass so if I see a neat shot but bad light, I can figure out when to come back for the right sun angle. I carry 8-10 film holders in a bag. For dust and dark I wrap each two holders in the black plastic bags 16x20 print paper comes in. The bag rides on the two rails connecting front and back axles under the seat. The bags are water and dust proof and bungied in place.

The alternative is my Phillips 7x17 on top of the Ries A 100 and 250 double tilt. To obtain proper balance I fold the camera forward on the head shifting weight toward the front wheel. The tripod and head are bungied on top of the cooler bag with the spikes through the holes in the foot rest. I have a nylon back pack shell that holds six 7x17 film holders separately wrapped in black plastic as above. This straps under the seat on the rails. I haven’t weighed all this, but the Jogger is definitely sitting lower on the shocks than it was with the 8x10.

I am 69 years old with a bad back. When pushing the Jogger the only thing I carry is a cell phone. This Jogger allows me to walk on trails and tow path of the canal in the Cuyahoga National park, where powered vehicles like an atv are prohibited. It will go up and down trails, across fields, mud and through the woods. It won’t go up stairs easily or down rock cliffs, but neither do I. I can easily take this four miles round trip from the SUV. The Jogger makes LF and ULF possible for an old guy without limiting myself to fifty feet from the car.

Enjoy,
John Powers