Anyone into Hillwalking?

PopeBuckfastXVI

If so what gear do you bring with you?

Can anyone recommend a bag that would accommodate a camera with a reasonably big lens like a Nikon 17-55, and have somewhere to strap your tripod, along with space for a raincoat, lunch, bottles of water, walking sticks etc?

Am I asking for too much, does such a thing exist!?

Diabhal_Glas

I just use a regular sturdy backpack that cost about 30 euros, nothing special. It has a rain cover attached underneath and plenty of pockets.
I just wrap the camera in thermal tops & the rain jacket.
There is room for the tripod (with the head screwed off) and a water bottle & snacks.
Probably not the best setup but i've been doing this for years and had no problems.

Mycroft H

I hike and climb a bit and all I generally bring is either my rangefinder or my dslr with the kit lens. Gets packed into my rucksack wrapped in a coat or jumper.

Weight is everything and if you cant see yourself using the tripod, don't bring it because they aint light.


Of course you must leave room for the essential water, food, compass and OS map and wet gear if you expect rain

bullpost

I'm the same, but only into hiking.

landyman wrote: »

I hike and climb a bit and all I generally bring is either my rangefinder or my dslr with the kit lens. Gets packed into my rucksack wrapped in a coat or jumper.

Weight is everything and if you cant see yourself using the tripod, don't bring it because they aint light.


Of course you must leave room for the essential water, food, compass and OS map and wet gear if you expect rain

youllneverknow

iv got a waterproof back pack for munchies and clothes. i made a sleeve that i coule slid my tripod into aand that keeps it in place. my camera stays in a ziplock bag untill im ready to use it then it goes back in the ziplock bag. i do this with all of my electrical stuff.these are then put into a shoulderbag/hipbag that i have added a waist strap to hold it securely and tightly to me hip

Lowepro Computrekker?

coolmoose

I go hillwalking quite a bit, and use one of the small shaped bags that aldi had recently attached to a belt. I wear my D200 on a homemade sling similar to the black rapid strap, and the camera sits into the bag while I'm walking. I also bring an ebay el-cheapo rain cover for the camera that has been a lifesaver!

I don't carry a tripod, and bring only 18-200 lens attached and a spare battery. I use a Vango Boulder 35 hiking/climbing sack for my lunch, gear, hydration bladder etc. The camera can also be placed into this if needed.

Has worked well for me so far.

p.s. Boulder 35 is on special offer at surfmountain.com at the moment, I highly recommend this bag! - http://www.surfmountain.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=30535

mrmac

I used to do a bit of hiking, not exactly hill walking, and started off with this bag: Lowepro Off-Trail 2.
I used the two side pouches for carrying a flask, and a rain jacket. The whole lot could be covered with a plastic bag if needed.

It was great, but not as versatile as I wished, especially when travelling, so I got a Lowepro Mini Trekker AW instead, and while it's small - carries everything you'll actually use when out-n-about, and comes with a built-in rain cover.

Not a bad price atm, under £60stg.

I never carried a tripod, but when you're in the wilds, it's great to have a long zoom, especially if there are deer, or eagles, about. I modified a cheap walking pole I picked up in Aldi, into a modopod. Got a 1/4" x 20 t.p.i. cap head screw, from a local engineering supply shop, drilled a suitable hole in the top of the pole, and epoxied the lot together! Worked a treat.

kjt

I'd do a fair bit of walking and hiking with my gear for landscapes and think this bag(Primus AW) is the bee's knees. I get filters, spare cards/batt, camera, 24-70, 70-200, a flash, spare hats/scarfs, bottle of water and a sambo in there. Perfect if you ask me

Hugh_C

Yeah, I'm in the mountains a fair bit, I sometimes use one of the slingshot AW jobs, can't remember which model. I have a walking pole by Leki which has a tripod screw (monopod) in the top of it. Everything is snug in the slingshot including my sandwiches.

For rougher, longer higher climbs I use a backpack by some French crowd (decathlon?) which holds everything I need to bring. Generally I take one of the lighter bodies and a wide prime.

PopeBuckfastXVI

Thanks all!

I guess the tripod could be sacrificed on the alter of necessity alright. I use a great little berghaus bag at the moment for my walking gear, maybe I'll try squeezing the camera in on top, wrapped in the fleece or something. Makes a big difference if I'm not lugging the 'pod. Turning a walking pole into a monopod is a super idea!

Crispin

Hugh_C wrote: »

Yeah, I'm in the mountains a fair bit, I sometimes use one of the slingshot AW jobs, can't remember which model. I have a walking pole by Leki which has a tripod screw (monopod) in the top of it. Everything is snug in the slingshot including my sandwiches.

IMO... Avoid slingshots like the plague if you are going more than a few hundred meters. Uncomfortable and weight distribution is all wrong. Sold mine on. If I was to do any hiking I use mainly a karrimore or a berghaus rucksack. Have the camera in a case that only fits one large lens, and the 50mm, and I just shove this inside the rucksack. Also have an old lowepro rucksack which i use for day hikes and the like but it's not made anymore. I did some research on the one Kjt uses and it's supposed to be the dogs, so if you want camera specific then maybe go for that...

Any reasonable sized rucksack aimed at hikers rather than photogs will have a way to hold tripod, although they are most likely designed to carry trekking poles so a monopod, as others have mentioned is yer best bet.

LeoB

I use the Mini trekker AW and it holds all I need. 40d with 70-200 f2.8 + 400d 17-85, 2x converter, filters and spare batteries. There are some small pockets for other small bits. There is room for roll and drink also and it has a built in tripod holder. I find it a good bag. Oh and it takes the little lowpro bags which attach to loops on the side. So plenty there for a day in the hills.

Buckz

Oh for the ideal bag-I vary between solutions- 1) I have a zoomster case for the camera and Lens (5D and 24-105, not small) and another lowepro case for a second lens. I put these into a smallish rucksack along with raingear lunch water etc. The advantages are its inconspicuous in town and I can attach the zoomster to the shoulder strap and have the camera to hand. Disadvantage is picures missed while the camera is Currently I have a Karrimore 25L, but its years old and the straps are giving up. New solution is a Lowepro fastpack. Has the ease of access of a Slingshot, space for camera, 2 more lenses, remote release, polariser (my entire filter collection) spare batteries, cards etc in the base, laptop down the back, and clothes lunch etc in the top pocket. really impressed so far. Years ago I used to carry my gear in small camera bag inside a plain rucksack, which I carried over one shoulder. A chiropractor could tell which shoulder and advised against it. I wouldn't use a slingshot for the same reason- if you use tem a lot you will end up with back issues. the fastpack (or some Kata bags) have the ease of access of a slingshot, but can be carried over 2 shoulders.

Sleepy

Is there such a thing as a bag suitable for a week's backpacking that has built in camera compartments etc?

Or is it a matter of putting a camera bag into a larger rucksack etc?

whyulittle

Sleepy wrote: »

Is there such a thing as a bag suitable for a week's backpacking that has built in camera compartments etc?

Or is it a matter of putting a camera bag into a larger rucksack etc?

Came across this while looking for a bag before.

http://www.picstop.co.uk/national-geographic-earth-explorer-large-backpack-ng5737-1

Sleepy

Nice! Shame about the price tag!