Atlas BackPacks for 4x5

[esearing]

has anyone tried the Atlas Adventure or Atlas Athlete backpacks for 4x5 gear? I like the way they expand around the camera insert on the outside and top for things like jackets and other non-photo gear. I think the Athlete may be a bit small. Both seem to be lacking in pockets for small stuff. I like the harness adjustability. The price is higher than I would usually pay, but my last bag survived 10 years and is not as well made, nor comfortable for long hikes.

I carry
4x5 Chamonix N2
6 film holders
5 lenses
reflex viewer
6 - 67mm filters in cases + step rings.
sekonic spot meter
loupe
dark cloth
small stuff - notebooks, cards, pens, tools, pocket knife, batteries
gloves

[Greg]

I have been using a ThinkTank backpack for some years now. Would easily hold all your gear and a bit more. Very comfortable on my back and very well balanced. Have been using a couple of ThinkTank photo backpacks for years now and they haver never failed me. The zippers are really heavy duty compared to other photo backpacks.

[Xia_Ke]

Good looking pack but, seems like it would be a tight fit with your gear list. FWIW, I've been very happy with my F-Stop Tilopa and 2 small ICUs. My standard kit is:

Chamonix 45F1
3 mounted lenses
7 film holders
plus standard peripherals (meter, cable, dark cloth, filters)

That all fits perfectly in the ICUs and then I have enough room for rain layers, insulation (if needed), Jetboil, water filter, 2 water bottles, notebooks, etc.

[esearing]

Thanks Xia_Ke, I looked at fstop bags but most reviewers didn't like the ICUs not being attached. Really interested in those who have used the Atlas bags, but they may be so new no one here has tried them yet.

[lcpr]

Thanks Xia_Ke, I looked at fstop bags but most reviewers didn't like the ICUs not being attached. Really interested in those who have used the Atlas bags, but they may be so new no one here has tried them yet.

You can loop the ICUs to the internal frame of the F Stop bags, personally I don't do so but that's because I have two ICUs (one Pro Large and one medium shallow) that I swap out with different setups depending on what I'm shooting. The medium shallow holds my Linhof Tech, 90mm, 135mm (within the camera), 210mm, reflex finder + holders + meter, and the large is for mixed format outings.

[Larry Gebhardt]

Thanks Xia_Ke, I looked at fstop bags but most reviewers didn't like the ICUs not being attached. Really interested in those who have used the Atlas bags, but they may be so new no one here has tried them yet.

I actually like the ICUs not being attached. It gives you a lot of options for the same pack, especially if you have extra ICUs to swap in. Moving to a smaller ICU allows you to take less camera and more hiking gear. It also allows storing a system in an ICU and sharing the same pack between systems.

The Atlas packs look good too. The Athlete has many of the f-stop features I like such as rear opening, but also sort of like a Lowepro with a real frame and harness. I like the looks of the waist belt system better than f-stop. Being able to size the belt to your own waist vs a one sized fits all belt is one of the features I find makes the Photobackpacker pack I use for 5x7 so nice to carry. But I'm not sure I'd like the built in camera section.

[Xia_Ke]

Thanks Xia_Ke, I looked at fstop bags but most reviewers didn't like the ICUs not being attached. Really interested in those who have used the Atlas bags, but they may be so new no one here has tried them yet.

As others have mentioned, the ICUs add a lot of flexibility. I personally prefer to use the attachment loops inside. They hold the ICUs pretty well in place. I have 2 smalls which I use for my 4x5 kit or smaller format gear and a large which I use for my 8x10 pinhole. The loops aren't the most convenient when you want to swap out different ICUs but it's only a 5 minute process, so not that big of a deal. Relating my experience with this bag to your current search, given your kit and wanting to use the pack for hiking, I would not even consider anything less than a 50L pack, whether that be a backpacking pack with some inserts or a purpose-built camera pack with sufficient space for hiking gear in addition to the gear compartment.

[pjd]

Thanks Xia_Ke, I looked at fstop bags but most reviewers didn't like the ICUs not being attached. Really interested in those who have used the Atlas bags, but they may be so new no one here has tried them yet.

Hmm, the ICUs are one of the best things about the bags in my experience. And I have yet to discover a down side to those bags in use. I have two, a Guru and a Satori EXP. With an ICU fitted the Guru is perfect for smaller camera kits (anything from 35mm to 13x18), and with the ICU removed it will handle an 8x10 2D and a couple of holders with spotmeter and dark cloth.

That bag has been around a bit with me, Mongolia, Peru / Chile / New York and Nepal a couple of times. The bags are excellent. The one thing I've heard of that could be a problem with F stop is that they allegedly had problems with turnaround of direct sales. I bought both my bags privately rather than direct from the company so had no such problems.

[Kiwi7475]

Hmm, the ICUs are one of the best things about the bags in my experience. And I have yet to discover a down side to those bags in use. I have two, a Guru and a Satori EXP. With an ICU fitted the Guru is perfect for smaller camera kits (anything from 35mm to 13x18), and with the ICU removed it will handle an 8x10 2D and a couple of holders with spotmeter and dark cloth.

That bag has been around a bit with me, Mongolia, Peru / Chile / New York and Nepal a couple of times. The bags are excellent. The one thing I've heard of that could be a problem with F stop is that they allegedly had problems with turnaround of direct sales. I bought both my bags privately rather than direct from the company so had no such problems.

+1. Great bags and the ICU design helps keeping everything protected and organized. Plenty of sizes to choose — the Ajna (40L) is likely the largest that can still be carry on. I find it perfect for 4x5 with 4 lenses and all typical required stuff including filters, etc. They’re not cheap but to me they are worth the investment.

[Peter De Smidt]

I have a Think Tank backpack, as well as some Photobackpacker P3s. I hope I'm getting the last one right. The Think Tank is very high quality, with good materials, but it is not a hiking-style pack with an internal frame. As such, it wouldn't be very good for long hikes. The Photobackpacker is a real hiking backpack, and the Atlas looks very similar. So, I prefer my Think Tank if I'm just working out of pack, say on an architectural shoot, but for hiking the other pack is much more comfortable.