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by Rhett on Mon Nov 17, 2014 3:51 pm
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Sunday I found myself trudging thru the woods with my gear thinking, there has got to be a better way.  I travelled light, tripod in one hand, 800 in the other. My camera body on a strap over my shoulder.  I only had 6/10 of a mile to go, but it sure got heavy.  How do you carry your gear while out in the field?  I have packs, etc, but I always fine they are so cumbersome and time consuming to use.  The stuff I really need is in the other bag, etc.  
 

by Tombenson on Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:09 am
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by rnclark on Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:10 am
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Well, it seems that carrying stuff in ones hands is surely more limiting compared to having a backpack, so complaining it is in the "other" bag seems like an excuse. Three options I can think of before coffee:
1) backpack
2) a stroller with large bicycle type wheels. Some baby strollers have this.
3) lighter lens.
I carry a backpack and when i want the lens out, the 300 f/2.8 is light, no tripod needed, and feels fine with a strap over my shoulder.

Roger
 

by Primus on Tue Nov 18, 2014 10:21 am
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rnclark wrote:Well, it seems that carrying stuff in ones hands is surely more limiting compared to having a backpack, so complaining it is in the "other" bag seems like an excuse.  Three options I can think of before coffee:
1) backpack
2) a stroller with large bicycle type wheels.  Some baby strollers have this.
3) lighter lens.  
I carry a backpack and when i want the lens out, the 300 f/2.8 is light, no tripod needed, and feels fine with a strap over my shoulder.

Roger
We are all victims of our own ambitions....  :)

Seriously though, a roller type of bag is useless in the bush or on rough terrain, even with large wheels. You need a backpack and straps. The best and most obvious option is to lighten the load as much as possible. I am a small guy and cannot think of carrying the 800 with tripod and a large body plus other lenses for much distance. I can't even hand-hold the 300 2.8 for long. 

The best way for me has been to have two Black Rapid straps, with one body and med/small lens on each, that way I can walk without any problems and can reach either camera quickly. A small back pack for sundries and then I can even carry a lighter tripod. I am not a birder so it helps. For landscapes, the Sony A7R fits the bill perfectly, even the filters are quite small and light. My only wish is that their wide angle lens(es) like the 24-70 were sharper.

Pradeep
 

by dougc on Tue Nov 18, 2014 12:03 pm
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One of the dedicated "long lens and body" cases by Lenscoat, Lowepro et al would probably help you out. Wear it on your back and then you have both hands free to deal with your tripod.
 

by photoman4343 on Tue Nov 18, 2014 12:12 pm
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I use a used baby jogger with three large wheels. My Kiboko camera bag fits tightly into the torn seat, so the seat condition is not that important. I strap my Lowepro bag that holds my 500mm f 4 on top of it with a bungie cord. The bottom of the bag rests on the foot rest of the jogger. The tripod just rests on top. This works for flat ground situations where the trails are not that rough. I would not use it on hills or mountains. It works fine on hard sand beaches too. I bought it for $5.00 at a church thrift shop. No one wanted it because the seat was torn.

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by Primus on Tue Nov 18, 2014 12:38 pm
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dougc wrote:One of the dedicated "long lens and body" cases by Lenscoat, Lowepro et al would probably help you out. Wear it on your back and then you have both hands free to deal with your tripod.
Yes, I have that one. It works well, although you cannot carry anything else then (meaning other bodies, lenses). It will take the 1DX with the 600MkII with hood in the shooting position, all ready to take out and shoot. It really is better suited to keeping by your side in a vehicle, protected from bumps and jolts e.g. on a dusty, bumpy track in Africa. You can take it for short distances on your back with the lens and camera combo inside, but it is not comfortable enough to be carried for a long time since it is so long and it flops about quite a bit.

They've just released an internal collar which will eliminate some of that floppiness with the lens inside, it is free, shipping is what you pay.  

Pradeep
 

by Darren Huski on Tue Nov 18, 2014 12:38 pm
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Either the lens backpack idea or the jogger stroller would seem to be the best options. Large Format shooters do the stroller option a lot and if there is something bulkier than an 800mm, its an 8x10 kit.

Third option, trade down to m4/3 kit.

Fourth, switch to landscape so you just need a 24-70 ;-)

Good luck!
 

by dougc on Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:41 pm
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Primus wrote:
dougc wrote:One of the dedicated "long lens and body" cases by Lenscoat, Lowepro et al would probably help you out. Wear it on your back and then you have both hands free to deal with your tripod.
Yes, I have that one. It works well, although you cannot carry anything else then (meaning other bodies, lenses). It will take the 1DX with the 600MkII with hood in the shooting position, all ready to take out and shoot. It really is better suited to keeping by your side in a vehicle, protected from bumps and jolts e.g. on a dusty, bumpy track in Africa. You can take it for short distances on your back with the lens and camera combo inside, but it is not comfortable enough to be carried for a long time since it is so long and it flops about quite a bit.

They've just released an internal collar which will eliminate some of that floppiness with the lens inside, it is free, shipping is what you pay.  

Pradeep
I use the Lowepro and it has a comfortable shoulder harness that can be tightened enough to prevent it from flopping around. I don't use it, but they have an optional belt as well to prevent this but it becomes somewhat cumbersome with the belt attached.
 

by Jeff Colburn on Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:47 pm
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I have two ways to carry my gear.

If I'm going for a long hike or in rough terrain I use a customized backpack. You can see it in my article http://jeffcolburn.com/article-My-New-Ultra-Adaptable-And-Inexpensive-Camera-Daypack.html

For shorter hikes or around town I use the Lowepro Exchange Messenger Camera Bag. Walmart has them for $36. It holds a body, two lenses and miscellaneous little things with no problem.

Have Fun,
Jeff
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by Glenn NK on Tue Nov 18, 2014 5:01 pm
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Rhett wrote:Sunday I found myself trudging thru the woods with my gear thinking, there has got to be a better way.  I travelled light, tripod in one hand, 800 in the other. My camera body on a strap over my shoulder.  I only had 6/10 of a mile to go, but it sure got heavy.  How do you carry your gear while out in the field?  I have packs, etc, but I always fine they are so cumbersome and time consuming to use.  The stuff I really need is in the other bag, etc.  
A backpack can be a nuisance, but if I'm going any distance, then the time taken to put it on, take it off, and get the gear out and assembled, becomes much less significant than the time taken for the hike.  The key word here being significant - for a very short walk, I take only the gear I will immediately require (walking back to the car isn't a significant time waster).

The only thing I don't put on the pack is the tripod;  the pack doesn't really take it well, and if I fall, the tripod can be dropped without damaging it,  :) - the gear should be able to handle the fall better than I can. :cry:

What I really like about a backpack is that the load is balanced left/right as opposed to being off centre when carrying it in one hand.   When properly adjusted, the weight is carried by my waist rather than my shoulders.
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by baldsparrow on Wed Nov 19, 2014 1:51 pm
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As an inveterate hiker I have long wondered about the ideal solution to this problem. I agree that a well balanced backpack is the ideal, and certainly more than adequate for landscape photography etc when set up time is not a high priority ... but for wildlife photography you need to be able to grab the camera and use it at short notice and I have found the equipment from this company (http://www.cottoncarrier.com) to be an excellent solution that in no way hinders ones walking and flexibility
.
 

by Chas on Wed Nov 19, 2014 4:27 pm
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The most comfortable and versatile photo backpacks on the market are fstopgear Mountain Series with Removable ICU.
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by OntPhoto on Wed Nov 19, 2014 10:27 pm
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Depends on what I am doing. Exploring? Backpack. Gear feels lighter when in a backpack. You tend to want to explore more and walk longer (especially with a lighter backpack load) without carrying gear in your hand. It does have disadvantages though. I came upon a short-tailed weasel a week ago with a vole in its mouth. This is not a creature you see much of to begin with. While I was extracting camera from backpack, carefully so as not to scare the weasel away, the weasel was fully in the open and good shots were lost. A few other times something similar happened.
 

by Robert Royse on Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:23 pm
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I put in several miles a week, especially during the fall carrying the 800 and a 1D body atop a tripod with a full Wimberly head wandering around fields and marshes looking for sparrows to photograph. I'm getting older every year and my back doesn't like it, especially on the long walks back to the car when I think about better solutions. What I would like is something really rugged and simple. What I envision is something like a 2 ft. tall cylinder about 8 inches in diameter with a wheelbarrow wheel at the bottom that I could just put the 3 tripod legs in and push it along. It would be covered in canvas with a simple cord or velcro to tie it tight at the top around the tripod. It would take just seconds to take off and put on. I wish I knew someone who could make me such a contraption.
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by Steve Cirone on Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:50 am
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by Steve Cirone on Thu Nov 20, 2014 5:01 am
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Another possibility.  I use the cotton carrier quite a bit.
 
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