Best Backpack

casademurphy

casademurphy

New member
Looking for a durable backpack (not bulky) for a Nikon D90, plus a couple of lens's and accessories. Anyone out there recommend one that they use and love?
 
Take a look at the Kata R-102 or 103 (the only difference is that the 103 has a slot for a laptop. I have a couple of Kata bags and like them a lot.
 
I'll have to look at those. My problem with "camera" packs is the poor use of space. When I am out and about I usually have some gear (water, extra clothes layers and such) and find camera bags very unaccomadating. I just used a Marmot back pack and stuffed my gear into it. I could always wrap my lenses in clothes if need be and I keep my camera body (and lens) covered with a neoprene "Zing" cover so nothing gets scratched up. Works the best for me. I also hate that the "camera" packs force you to lay the bag flat and open up the entire panel to get to the stuff on the bottom.

Just my experience and opinion. I am not familiar with the ones Doug mentioned. I'll have to check them out.
 
I have a lowepro backpack It works out pretty well when I am skating around and hiking at home. When I travel i wrap up everything in my euro pack. My euro pack has a built in backpack that rips off so i just wrap up a couple of lens and my camera in clothes so i do not have to check any luggage at the airport. I rather carry on one bag then two!
 
Well, Tamrac makes some nice stuff with lots of add-ons. I've got one of their backpacks along with the cell phone holder (puts it on the backpack strap within easy reach) and water bottle (hooks to outside of pack). Plenty of room inside for my D200, 17-55/2.8, 80-200/2.8, 28-105mm/3.5-4.5, SB800, hoods, cards, cleaning gear, pocket camera, and the outside pocket has held a couple shirts (was shopping while on vacation) and I strapped my jacket to the bungee cord on the outside of the pack.

Tamrac packs have thicker padding. LowePro packs seem to have thinner padding IMHO. Just my $.02

LowePro makes an interesting camera/daypack where the bottom holds camera and a lens or two and the upper part is "backpack".
 
i've got so many dang camera bags my wife laughs at me. She says i have more bags than she does and she's probably right. I own 4 backpacks alone: Lowepro, Crumpler, Dakine, and a Kata. The Lowepro and Crumpler hardly get used anymore. The Crumpler is made very well but bulky, overpriced and poorly designed, IMO. My favorites are between the Kata (DR 467) and the Dakine (Sequence). If i'm looking to only carry camera gear then the Dakine is my choice as it is super comfortable, it holds alot of equipment, and it doesn't look like a camera bag. Its actually a snowboarding backpack with a camera block in the middle so its durable and water resistant and loaded with tiedowns for a tripod or other stuff. If i want to carry a laptop and maybe some other personal items (i.e. water, a jacket, snacks, etc.) then i'll bring the Kata. The good thing about the Kata also is that it doesn't look like a camera bag. On my last business trip to China i received so many comments from my co-workers on how nice the backpack was and little did they know it was a camera bag. They thought it was just for a laptop.
 
I use a Hydrastorm Force 5. I use this pack for everything. I keep my camera gear in a tuffbox though that barely fits in. :D
 
Good thread casademurphy!
Never thought Dakine made camera bags!!
I have a dakine backpack that we stash on the mountain snowboarding.
I havent had the guts to take my DSLR to the top of the mountain yet
But I might consider it with the Dakine Sequence Snow Camera Bag.
thx for the info MrSandMan.
 
Mountainsmith Traverse AT. Very well built and flexible interior layout. Rubber bottom so one can set it down on wet ground without concern. Holds my gear nicely.
 
Keep in mind that my recommendation regarding the Kata is for carrying your camera around, not backpacking (or even serious hiking.) I've yet to find a bag that really does both duties well.

For serious hiking I use a small Lowepro toploader for my camera that I strap to my chest, hanging off of the pack straps. The tripod goes on the side of my pack and and my wide angle lens is in the pack, tucked neatly inside of my titanium cup so it takes up almost 0 additional space.
 
I have two bags... Lowepro Micro trekker and Lowepro Fastpak 200. The micro trekker is good for theme parks and light use when I only intend to bring one body and maybe a couple of glasses. Honestly it's not the most comfortable setup (I'm 6') but it's also very light that I feel like I'm not carrying anything.

The Fastpak is used when I need to bring my laptop, 2 bodies, glasses, and strobes for longer trips, and it fits comfortably in an overhead compartment of a small turboprop plane. It also has a strap to carry my tripod. Both bags can accommodate a gripped D300 and 17-55 2.8.

I'll post some pics later when I get home.
 
I have a lowepro fastpack 250. Decent size, holds my d80 + 18-200, 10-20 & 70-300, any of them can be on the body. Little space up top for snack and water, the laptop area is good for just that or a book / maps. The biggest advantage I like is that you can open just the side and pull out the camera without opening the whole camera area. It's not the most comfortable bag, but I've done plenty of hiking with it and it's not awful either. Fits for carry-on, under or overhead.

I like it, but I'd also be open to try something else if I happen across something else. Also looked at the Kata's & tamrac. Settled on the fastpack because it had more room up top for non camera related stuff when carrying-on flights, or room for a light jacket or shedding layers while hiking (though again, not the most comfortable for hiking 10 or 15 miles, but not the worst either). If I didn't want the extra space up top, I liked the kata sling 3 in 1 or some of the tamracs felt ok.
 
I don't even know what model my lowepro is, possibly a Computtrekker? I showed some guy at NASA how to set his 5D to 3200 ISO. He didn't know he could do that (really?) and said he had a Lowepro bag with some yellow highlighter stains on the inside. He had a new pelican case so he said I could have it for $5. :)
 
For around town or light hiking all my stuff goes into my K2 Helisphere. It's a pack for back country snow boarding, not for photogs, but it works. The top pocket is a "hard" shell. Protects from typical bumps and bangs but not serious trauma. I usually have hiking gear too so for me most of the dedicated photog packs don't work. I wouldn't mind having a camera pack for just around town, but it's just one more thing to clutter up my house.

If I'm backpacking everything goes into the top pocket on my Gregory pack.

I carry my camera on a Black Rapid strap, with or without a back pack.
 
Here's my Fastpack 200. Note that there's still more space on the top to put more stuff

fastpak.jpg
 
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