Backpack for Hiking with an 11x14 View Camera

Sella also did the first traverse of the Matterhorn. The Duke of Abruzzi was quite wealthy and wanted expeditions in relative comfort, so had brass beds hauled on sleds across the glaciers to the foot of Mt St Elias, greatly multiplying the effort needed! Like you, I really appreciate the photographs of Bradford Washburn too. I personally grew up in the Sierra, so have been to a lot of the same high country as AA, plus probably quite a bit more, but have taken only a handful of shots in Yosemite Valley itself, even though I had property fairly near. I can appreciate his sensitivity to the natural light of the Sierra, and how he poetically rendered it. But I'm more impressed by the earlier work of Watkins and Muybridge there, for reasons I won't elaborate on at the moment. I also have Shirakawa's book on the Himalayas, where in instances he went to great lengths to find specific viewpoints of Sella and reinterpret them in his own style; likewise, Shirahata somewhat later in the Karakorum. Then my nephew had the opportunity go with with Kurt Diemburger - a living legend who is the only person in history to have two first ascents of 8,000 meter peaks (Dhauligiri and Broad Peak), and was the oldest person to ever climb K2 - to a totally unexplored section the Karakorum on the Chinese side of K2. At the same time, one of my nephew's regular climbing partners, John Climaco, was climbing Chogolisa on the Pakistan side, the peak Sella had lugged his big camera partially up; but coming back he got kidnapped and held for ransom, not by the Taliban, but by his own assigned government agent. He published a book about the harrowing episode, titled, Dangerous Liaisons. And thirty years ago another high altitude mountaineering legend, Martin Zabeleta, offered to give me the new high altitude LF camera record getting me as far up as Camp II on Dhauligiri; but if that had happened, someone would probably just have a sherpa lug something to the summit of Everest for a token shot, just like they've hauled a golf club and ball up there. Any such feat would be wimpy compared to what Sella did anyway. Sella and his party were being chased by Gurkha soldiers up the Baltoro Glacier while he took the time to make a quantity of famous shots in spite of the risk. Zabeleta himself, who is a comparatively little guy, became famous because his own sherpa passed out on the summit of Everest, and he hauled him all the way back the mtn on his back; he also did the first alpine-style ascent of Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak, and adjacent to two of Sella's very most famous mtn shots, of Jannu and of Siniolchun. Sella also photographed Kanchenjunga itself from the remote Nepalese side. Nobody can render the gleam of ice and glacier quite like Sella.

I'll stick with Peter Britt. Came looking for gold in southern Oregon, did some teamster work, and became a photographer. Photographic claims to fame are the first photographs of Crater Lake, and to tell a daughter of a hotel owner that if she wants to have a photograph of a pretty face, she'd have to bring one.

That and he introduced grapes, wine making, and fruit trees to southern Oregon. I'll leave the mountain tops to the wonderful daring crazies!

Thanks for that tip, Vaughn. I own the oldest pioneer cemetery in Oregon, and my great grandpa had an astonishing life as first a wounded Civil War hero, then building a fishing fleet in Gualala with just one arm, then going to live with the Nez Perce before finally founding the community which has since become the Tillamook cheese empire along the coast. He was no doubt the authentic character behind the Dances with Wolves novel, which took immense creative liberties based on his memoirs. His interviews with Lincoln have been published, and the other details of the memoir authenticated by scholars. But none of my ancestors seem to have become serious photographers. However, I do happen to love many of the quirky things about the heaps of amateurish photos they took. A lot of long beards with chewing tobacco stains right down them. Some fascinating split-tone effects or "bronzing" due to improperly being fixed. The Tillamook museum does house memorabilia of my Aunt as a well-known WPA muralist, and recently published a book about her. A great grandmother claimed to be the first woman to climb Mt Hood, though there are competing claims. So much has changed. It is still a beautiful area, but not like having certain stunning beaches one could walk on any day of the week without seeing another person, like back then. When Mt Mazama popped and created Crater Lk, it made the explosion of Krakatoa seem like a child's firecracker by comparison. Ash spread clear to Nebraska and buried ancient rhinos. I've taken exactly one shot of Crater Lk, but it was exactly what I wanted.

Britt traveled to Crater Lake by wagon -- a couple hundred pounds of supplies. It is only 70 miles, and a 90-minute drive these days...might have taken him a little longer, though. It did take him three trips. There was a military road not too far away and someone else cut the road in to the rim of the crater. He probably brought a sufficient number of bottles of his wine, I am assuming.

Last time I was at Crater Lk, over 28 yrs ago, I was with with my girlfriend on the way to a "meet the parents" trip in Portland. She's the reason I gave up any plans to partially climb Dhauligiri with an 8x10. We had already decided to marry, and it was more a "inform the parents" situation. We also visited my brother and his wife in Bend. But I personally gravitated more to parts of Oregon even further east - Malheur, Steens Mtn, Lk Alvord etc - "desolate" places my father had taken me as a child when ranging far and wide rockhounding. Speaking of backpacks (as a lame excuse to keep this vaguely on topic), she wanted to try it out at least once, so as part of that same trip, I chose a pretty area on Mt Jefferson. She dropped her pack in less than 50 yards. I picked it up and said, what thhh ... She had a couple dozen large glass bottles of cosmetics etc in there. I had to strap her pack onto my own pack, and ended up carrying over 100 lbs for about six miles. I asked her if she had brought any mosquito repellant along, and she replied that it is bad for skin. But a few dozen bites weren't so good for skin either, and those dang perfumey cosmetics attracted them!

Back to the topic ... Lowepro just released new versions of their pro-trekker backpacks as large as 55L. Lowepro Pro Trekker BP 550 AW II - I assume with 11x14 you would strip out the dividers, dimensions are 13.78 x 20.08 x 9.45" / 35 x 51 x 24 cm and you could strap lenses in a pouch on the outside or top.

I suggest a stand alone Aluminum pack frame. It is strong light and strady It will protect the equipment form shifting and you may then place the equipment in fabric bags and pouches that you secure to the aluminum frame. I ahve done this wilt 8x10 and found it useful

Pro Trekker BP 550 AW II
Is "Camera Compartment Dimensions 31 x 17 x 46 cm" wide enough? I'm actually on the lookout for a backpack that will fit a Vanguard Supreme 46 inner case for an 8x10 camera.

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Originally Posted by Saus

Pro Trekker BP 550 AW II
Is "Camera Compartment Dimensions 31 x 17 x 46 cm" wide enough? I'm actually on the lookout for a backpack that will fit a Vanguard Supreme 46 inner case for an 8x10 camera.

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My 11x14 is approx 45 x 14.5 x 47 cm folded up -- too big for this pack. A canoe portage pack is the only thing I have found so far.

For 8x10, I use this: https://meipacks.myshopify.com/colle...cts/trekker-ii (Main compartment : 25x14x9)

It is almost a custom fit for the Vanguard Supreme 46 inner case (18.9 x 13.6 x 7.6") -- actually the size down would work, too: https://meipacks.myshopify.com/colle...ucts/trekker-i (22x14x9)

I have been using the Trekker II for the 8x10 for 25 years and it has held up great.

The main compartment is 25' x 14' x 9", the detachable daypack holds five 8x10 holders, and above the camera body goes the lenses, darkcloth and meter. Dividers I made myself.

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Originally Posted by Greg

But did go back to the Granite Gear website and discovered that they carry a Granite Gear Traditional #3.5 backpack which is a little smaller than the Superior One. Will have to add on a waist belt to the pack, which is a simple "alteration" that our local cleaners will do.

https://www.granitegear.com/outdoor/...tage-pack.html

Turns out it should comfortably fit the following inside it:
Bottom: cut to fit piece of Garage Floor Padding, and possibly the dark cloth on top of it.
Middle: Sheet 1/8" birch plywood (to provide some rigidity to the back of the pack), then the 11x14" camera (with GG protector) sandwiched between 2 11x14" film holders in Chamonix padded cases.
Top: 2 lenses in padded cases, meter in padded case, and 4th padded case for other stuff.

Will post when I get it all together and use a few times this fall.

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Got the Granite Gear Traditional #3.5 backpack. It does all come together and seems to work. Currently in the 90s with humidity so will wait till the weather gets down to into the 70s. Am planning on hiking in with the pack and gear to several locations not more than a half mile from the car. Will post on how practically it all works out.
Greg