An interesting pack dilemma

[10mm_Bob]

As a professional photographer, I have always had a challenge when it comes to field gear. First off, my packs catch hell. I regularly use them as camera supports for low profile shooting, get them wet, crawl through mud and brush with them, etc.. Packs that are specialized for camera gear tend to miss the mark in several areas. They are usually not that well made, and are geared solely toward protecting camera gear, and not being particularly comfortable to carry. There is also no area set up for any "non-camera" gear. They are certainly not will suited for the tough environments I put them through.

The other challenge I face is weight. My camera gear alone is usually around 30 pounds. I have managed to keep my minimalist survival gear down to around 10-11 pounds, but that still puts me at 40+ every time I go out.

I have recently switched to a Maxpedition Condor II pack, and have been satisfied with that so far. I can quite comfortably put about 20 pounds worth of gear in that, and then just carry the camera (with supertelephoto mounted) on the tripod over my shoulder. This pack seems VERY tough, and has handled everything I've thrown at it quite well. I also like that lifetime warranty, as I'm tired of buying Lowe Pro packs and ruining them each year.

I'm still struggling with getting the loads right in the pack, but that's just a matter of trial and error I think. It's WAY more comfortable than the camera packs were! At least now I can carry some minimal survival gear with me in a somewhat convenient manner.

Anyway, any suggestions or ideas on combining camera gear/survival gear are welcome!

[Alaskan Survivalist]

Disperse load. Keep some in pack, some in attached pouches to shoulder straps and waist belt. Chest packs balance load good too. A big advantage is being able to leave parts of your load not needed at the time at the bottom of hill or base camp. Items loaded in front of you are more accessible too.

[10mm_Bob]

Thanks. Fortunately, a lot of my photography pouches and gear attach directly to the PALS attachment points, so I have a lot of flexibility there. One of the coolest ones I've found is the pack attachment made by Op-Tech for my camera straps. This allows me to attach my backup camera body directly to the front straps on the pack with a lens mounted, and have it at the ready for any quick shots as I head in. This adds a lot of balance to the load, as the camera and lens are typically around 6.5 pounds.

My SUV (Toyota FJ Cruiser) is my base. I usually four wheel in, and then hike to the shooting locations from there. I seldom have to hike more than a few miles. A long one would be five. I "gear-up" out of my truck depending on the location.

I like the idea of a front pack for balance, and will definitely look into that. The real tough carry is the supertelephoto that I shoot. It is over 2 feet long, and weighs 14 pounds by itself. Add a camera and tripod and you're looking at 22 pounds that don't carry easily. All you can really do is just keep switching shoulders :-( Thanks again.

[Rick]

Bob - Consider putting your survival gear in a small belt pouch or something you can drop in a cargo pants pocket...if that's what you wear. I think AS is right about dispersing it. I like to have my survival equipment on me and not necessarily in my pack that can get dumped out of boat/canoe/kayak or tumble down the side of a ridge, etc. I have a small key chain that hold all my core survival stuff and drops in my pocket. It takes very little to keep you alive for a short time.

http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q348/safe_zone/survivalkit.jpg

The Maxpedition pack is nearly identical to the pack AS posted in another thread. It has sort of internal "frame" so it packs a bit differently than an external. On trail or off trail packs differently, too.

If you are on trail then keep your heaviest items as close to your back as possible and more toward the top. That will keep the weight centered over your hips to carry the load. You medium weight items will be below that and your lightweight stuff on the bottom or in outside pockets. If you are off trail then keep the heavy weight in the center of the pack but forward. The medium weight stuff will go behind (to the rear) and above the heavier weight and the light stuff in the bottom.

[10mm_Bob]

Thanks Rick! Most of my hikes are off trail, so I'll try that configuration tomorrow. Because of my area, I obviously have a few more items for the survival gear, but nothing too heavy. We're still in rainy season here, so a poncho-tarp is a must (as are a couple trash bags to cover the gear). Bug suit is pretty important too.

[Rick]

I carry other stuff like a poncho and water with my pack but the pic above is my core survival stuff. If I had to drink dirty water to stay alive I would then worry about it after I get back to civilization. But I carry a filter and pills in my bag, too.

Pack comfort is pretty person specific and depends a lot on how yours is set up to fit you. What I gave you is the generally accepted way to load on trail vs. off trail. Try it and see how it feels. Remember the more weight you can carry with you hips the better off you will be. The shoulders stabilize and balance the pack but the hips are the big bones and big muscles that should be carrying the weight.

[10mm_Bob]

I definitely agree with you there. Carrying that big rig is what throws everything off for me. Have to stop and rest the shoulders a lot from that 22 pound camera digging on them. Nice thing is that once I get in, I just set up and shoot for a few hours. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that most of my hikes in are in the dark, or very early light at best. I filter water too, but usually carry enough for the day in with me. I'm usually done with my shoots by 9:30 AM, and then back to the truck by 11....So under normal conditions I only need 6-7 hours of water. Where things get a bit dicey for me is when I get back in there and get stuck someplace. I carry enough gear in the truck to live for a darn long time in there, but it can definitely take quite some time to get out of some of those places if something goes wrong. It's happened a few times, but I always do fine. I have a lot of recovery gear in the truck, so I can always get myself out with a bit of work. What's really amazing is the number of people I've rescued over the years who would get stuck in the middle of nowhere with no recovery gear, and no survival gear! Amazing.

[Rick]

One thing I picked up and do carry with me in the truck when I'm out is a solar recharger. Brunton made the one I carry and it folds up pretty small. It takes a while to charge up stuff but if I get stuck some place remote I can at least keep my cell phone charged. I'm a little paranoid about running stuff off the truck battery when I'm out so I carry a jumper battery, too.

http://site.unbeatablesale.com/img102/gs55237.gif

Something like this one.

http://www.batteriesareus.com/images/d5805.bmp

[10mm_Bob]

Cool. Might be a good piece of gear to add to my truck kit. I have a second battery in my truck for that very reason. The FJ Cruiser I have also has a built in 110 inverter. I use it all the time to charge camera batteries. Dead battery is a bad thing back in the swamps.

[10mm_Bob]

Did a short scouting hike today (a bit over 2 miles). New load balance feels much better! Added camera body w/lens plus a water bottle to the front (along with cell phone and GPS. Kept 2 zoom lenses in the pack with the survival gear, but loaded them in the middle close to my back. Pack felt very balanced. Thanks for the advice!