M-Series Hiking Bagpack

Jun 12, 2015
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bf said:
I'm looking for a light bag-pack to put these on for short day hiking:
One M series body
2 lenses + filters + batteries
1LB Tripod
Water (would consider a hydration pack)
Fruit, trail mix etc
Cellphone+Wallet etc
A light jacket etc

What's your suggestion?

Mindshift rotation packs are perfect for hiking! I have three different models. This is a small one, but will take a dslr as well:

https://youtu.be/zSlnwbxECgg
 
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Sep 1, 2014
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Lowepro Photo Sport 200AW. I have one and i like it mostly. Only 2 things i don't like that much: it sits a bit too high on the back but maybe that can be adjusted and i will try to next time i use it and second the hydration pocket is too rigid and i cannot put inside my 2L bladder when full...have to empty it to about 1.7L...it's very light on its own and can fit quite a lot of stuff along side a camera and lenses
 
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Jul 30, 2010
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Frodo said:
The problem with a backpack is ready access to your camera.
I walked across Switzerland and New Zealand's Stewart Island with an M3, 11-22 and 55-200 that fitted easily in a small over-shoulder bag. Camera and lenses always easily accessible.
This also means you can tailor the backpack to day walks or multi-day hikes

Plus 1. I carry a shoulder bag for photographic gear on my left hand side and a backpack on my back. This set up has been in every continent. I have a sling bag, use it for a while and found out it is not as convenient as the two bag system. So it is sitting at the bottom of the closet for a long time.
 
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Jun 12, 2015
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Rocky said:
Frodo said:
The problem with a backpack is ready access to your camera.
I walked across Switzerland and New Zealand's Stewart Island with an M3, 11-22 and 55-200 that fitted easily in a small over-shoulder bag. Camera and lenses always easily accessible.
This also means you can tailor the backpack to day walks or multi-day hikes

Plus 1. I carry a shoulder bag for photographic gear on my left hand side and a backpack on my back. This set up has been in every continent. I have a sling bag, use it for a while and found out it is not as convenient as the two bag system. So it is sitting at the bottom of the closet for a long time.

Seriously, have a look at the Mindshift rotation back packs. You can have your DSLR out and ready to shoot in three seconds, without taking the backpack of your back. They are fantastic.
 
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+1 for the Mindshift rotation system. It really is fantastic as it means you don't need to put the backpack down in order to get to your camera and lenses. Also makes changing lenses on the go easier.

Larsskv said:
bf said:
I'm looking for a light bag-pack to put these on for short day hiking:
One M series body
2 lenses + filters + batteries
1LB Tripod
Water (would consider a hydration pack)
Fruit, trail mix etc
Cellphone+Wallet etc
A light jacket etc

What's your suggestion?

Mindshift rotation packs are perfect for hiking! I have three different models. This is a small one, but will take a dslr as well:

https://youtu.be/zSlnwbxECgg
 
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Jul 30, 2010
1,060
130
bf said:
Thanks for suggestions. I do have a little shoulder bag (since when I bout EOS M); however in longer or faster hikes I prefer to have a better weight distribution and free hands.

Has anyone used Manfrotto offroad series?
Most small shoulder bag have belt loop at the back. If yours has them, you can turn you bag into a fanny bag, then you can have the weight distribution that you want. You can rotate it to the front when you want to access your gear,Just like the Mindshift.
 
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ahsanford

Particular Member
Aug 16, 2012
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My hiking bag is on the tinier side, but I'm quite fond of it.

http://store.lowepro.com/ca/flipside-sport-10l-aw-ca

Pros: Tiny* (narrower than a high school bookbag), it will hold everything the OP wants to bring, highly breathable for sweat, tripod holder (I put a 1L Nalgene bottle in there myself), rain cover, room for a camelback (that's where filters/keys/wallet go), deep enough to put some EF lenses (24-70 f/4, smaller primes, etc.) on their end rather than have to pack them lengthwise, will accommodate a non-gripped SLR with a 70-200/2.8 attached, etc.

* I've learned Tiny is sneakily helpful for hiking in that it sets a pretty hard limit on how much you can get in there -- a 20-30 pound load on your back is entirely doable in your living room as you test out how it feels, but it can be brutal 5+ miles into a hike. So smaller is better for hiking, IMHO.


Cons (as it pertains to the OP's original question/need): No internal bag access while you are wearing it / you have to lay it down to open it, and depending on how compressible your light jacket is, it might be tight for space.

- A
 
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ahsanford

Particular Member
Aug 16, 2012
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I was going to say the MindshiftGear rotation packs are a super slick idea but completely overkill / too large for your EOS M need, but they do have a smaller 16L bag if you are packing a fair amount of non-camera gear:

https://www.mindshiftgear.com/products/rotation180-trail

I still think 16L is much too large for an EOS M loadout, but if (for instance) you are packing 2 big meals for a very long hiking day or you are colder weather hiking and need room to carry thicker insulated layers, a bag like this might make sense.

But I still think you're in a 10L sort of size needed for so little / so small gear. Unless you tell me one of your two lenses is a 150-600. :eek:

- A
 
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A sling bag is the best since the Mirrorless cameras are light and they are easy to put in a bag that slings around.

The Turnstyles by think tank photo are good since their are light but they do not satisfy the tripod need.

https://www.thinktankphoto.com/collections/turnstyle/products/turnstyle-20-v2

Mind shift gear has a similar design that seems more rugged and it built to handle a tripod:

https://www.mindshiftgear.com/products/photocross-10

These sling style bags are best because you can use them as safe lens swapping platform while in the filed by swinging them around and opening a compartment.
 
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ahsanford

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Aug 16, 2012
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archiea said:
These sling style bags are best because you can use them as safe lens swapping platform while in the filed by swinging them around and opening a compartment.

+1 on slings in general -- my preferred bag type for general shooting for that very reason.

But -1 on slings for hiking -- if you are trekking for miles, you generally don't want something rubbing/swaying on your hip/back/side every stride. Yes, there are waist straps for some shoulder/sling bags, but it doesn't truly immobilize the bag and it will move about a bit with each stride.

To each their own, but when I hike, I go for a centralized + immobilized carry option, which is the backpack.

- A
 
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bf

Jul 30, 2014
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ahsanford said:
I was going to say the MindshiftGear rotation packs are a super slick idea but completely overkill / too large for your EOS M need, but they do have a smaller 16L bag if you are packing a fair amount of non-camera gear:

https://www.mindshiftgear.com/products/rotation180-trail

I still think 16L is much too large for an EOS M loadout, but if (for instance) you are packing 2 big meals for a very long hiking day or you are colder weather hiking and need room to carry thicker insulated layers, a bag like this might make sense.

But I still think you're in a 10L sort of size needed for so little / so small gear. Unless you tell me one of your two lenses is a 150-600. :eek:

- A

I agree with you, 10L is a good size. I usually just take 11-22 and 50-200. Sometimes, I also take a fish-eye or EF-50 prime. Water, food, extra layers, and perhaps climbing shoes, sandals or beer is what occupies the remaining space!
I'd go with your 10L bag if it was a partitioned design with a private door for camera. So far, my short list includes LowPro Sport 200 and MindShift 16L that you introduced. Both are a tad larger than what I need but smallest with the features I look for.
 
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Jun 12, 2015
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ahsanford said:
archiea said:
These sling style bags are best because you can use them as safe lens swapping platform while in the filed by swinging them around and opening a compartment.

+1 on slings in general -- my preferred bag type for general shooting for that very reason.

But -1 on slings for hiking -- if you are trekking for miles, you generally don't want something rubbing/swaying on your hip/back/side every stride. Yes, there are waist straps for some shoulder/sling bags, but it doesn't truly immobilize the bag and it will move about a bit with each stride.

To each their own, but when I hike, I go for a centralized + immobilized carry option, which is the backpack.

- A

If the main argument for a sling bag is to have a stable platform to change lenses, the Mindshift rotation packs can not have been seriously considered. The rotation hip belt gets in front of you (without taking of the backpack from your back) and works perfectly as a platform when changing lenses.

The sling bags look fine when all you want to bring is camera gear. The backpacks provide room for more, such as water, food and clothing.

I haven't had a problem with too much space in either of my three rotation packs. If there is space left in the upper compartment, I will put the heavier items in the top or side pockets, or in a meshed (a net) inner compartment. Doing so prevents unwanted movement within the pack when it isn't full. Further, the rotation backpacks have stiff backs, so they don't sink together if they aren't stuffed.

I would have no concerns with to much space, going for the 16L.
 
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