My DIY camera backpack for Calumet CC401 4x5 camera part 1

[Alan Townsend]

Today I went for a 3-mile hike carrying all my 4x5 equipment, weighing 35 lbs.

Here's a picture of the system closed.


This is built on an aluminum pack frame I bought on Amazon for $60 and a tall kitchen plastic trash can for $10 that is the equipment shell. The trash can is reinforced with 1/4 inch plywood where needed. It gives good equipment protection and contains all my gear internally. The secret to carrying heavy loads is to use a pack frame with a very good, padded waste band that supports the load on your hips.



1. Calumet CC401 camera with 22-inch bellows
2. Bogen 3011 tripod with 3-axis head
3. Ten 4x5 sheet film holders.
4. Optar 90mm F:6.6 lens in recessed board
5. Optar 135mm F:4.5 lens on board
6. Dagor 240mm F:6.6 lens converts to 480mm F:13.2 lens with front element removed on lens board
7. Various accessories: light meter, cable releases, extra parts for frame, and tools

I will start another post since seems to limit my attachments to 2.

[Alan Townsend]

Here the gear in the box



The camera rail goes straight down to a recess in a board on the pack bottom that carries the weight, and the tripod socket is bolted to the reinforced side. A bungee cord ties it against my back. The camera bag is underneath along with a folding stool.



The box makes a worktable where I can place my camera bag. The last view shows my camera stretched out all the way for the 480mm lens conviguration.



Shot all 20 sheets of film today, continued to shake out the camera backpack box and frame. Not sure what to call it.

Based on my backpacking experience when I was in my twenties, the pack frame with waste band is the way to pack heavy equipment into the wild. Hopefully, nobody will drop trash in it when I'm not lookiing. When I get frustrated with photography again, I can just set it out on the curb Tuesday morning.

[Ulophot]

Nifty, Alan. I have the same tripod and head, which I have customized to make it easier for me to use. I plan to post photo soon. The head is good; I just have trouble with the knobs.

[John Layton]

Looks like my old LL Bean "Guides Frame," which I use with a lower projecting shelf (cannot see if yours has this), on which I'd (past tense I think) bungee-strap my Pelican case, tripod (huge Bogen in the old days, Gitzo CF more recently), and whatever else I'd need (water, lunch, rain gear, ground cloth etc.) for an outing. Got heavier and heavier over the years (gee, why does that happen )

(before the above I'd used a backpack designed to carry scuba gear...basically a gasket sealed, top loading plastic box a bit like yours above, but with its own backpack-style suspension. Also used this in my canoe-guiding days.)

More recently moved to an RPT-3 backpack, which I'll still use occasionally...but it, too, has been mysteriously gaining weight. Hmmm...

Oh - BTW...love those green bellows!

[mhayashi]

I have also made a custom backpack for my Chamonix 16x20 camera, silver bath and film holder recently.
I bought the Tatonka frame backpack and asked to make the L shaped support board attached on the frame.

[ethics_gradient]

Do you mind linking the frame you bought? Am thinking of doing something similar. (Also if you don't mind giving a rough idea of your height, I'm a touch over 6' and was wondering if some might be too small for me.)

[mhayashi]

These are the links. I think you can buy them at the local amazon.
The frame has two colors.
The designated pack has one color.

https://www.tatonka.com/en/product/lastenkraxe/#
https://www.tatonka.com/en/product/p...2-lastenkraxe/

[Alan Townsend]

Do you mind linking the frame you bought? Am thinking of doing something similar. (Also if you don't mind giving a rough idea of your height, I'm a touch over 6' and was wondering if some might be too small for me.)

Ethics Gradient, not sure who you were asking. Here's link to Alan Townsend frame:

Stansport Freighter Aluminum Pack Frame (574-F), Black

Put this description in Amazon to find the product. For unknown reasons, I don't see the url at Amazon site. I'm five feet ten inches, 160 lbs., 34 in waist. On me, the waist belt, which is the most important thing, is at its end of adjustment. If your waist is smaller than mine, you may have problems. Sorry, you will need to covert to metrics, likely.

[ethics_gradient]

These are the links. I think you can buy them at the local amazon.
The frame has two colors.
The designated pack has one color.

https://www.tatonka.com/en/product/lastenkraxe/#
https://www.tatonka.com/en/product/p...2-lastenkraxe/

Thank you!

I would also be really interested to see some of your work, if it's online anywhere? I shoot mostly wet plate and am hoping to buy a ULF camera in the near future.

Ethics Gradient, not sure who you were asking. Here's link to Alan Townsend frame:

Stansport Freighter Aluminum Pack Frame (574-F), Black

Put this description in Amazon to find the product. For unknown reasons, I don't see the url at Amazon site. I'm five feet ten inches, 160 lbs., 34 in waist. On me, the waist belt, which is the most important thing, is at its end of adjustment. If your waist is smaller than mine, you may have problems. Sorry, you will need to covert to metrics, likely.

That is very helpful! Thanks to an injury a few months ago, I have recently expanded to the 34-35" waist zone but am hoping to make it a temporary stay

For whatever reason we still use feet/inches for people's height over here. But am relocating to the US soon, so might as well get used to the old currency.

[mhayashi]

No, I don’t post online and am a mere amateur.
I am preparing for wetplate.
I don’t have much time to shoot these days, but plan to shoot once my kids grow up in a few years.
I have enough time to buy gear in midnight, by clicking the order button.
haha.