[Djamison24]

So I'm planning a 15 mile hike this summer...15 miles in and 15 miles out. Mules will be carrying my heavy camping supplies while I pack in on foot myself, camera, water, and misc. items in my backpack. I have a Maxpedition Monsoon Gearslinger that I've been using for my around town hikes and carrying needs. I got it with the thoughts of using it this summer as well. I love it for carrying my camera and gear around town....but I'm wondering what it will be like on a long hike. I'm concerned what the one strap system will be like after 15 miles of hard hiking...if I'll be screaming in pain or discomfort. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Link below of the bag.

Maxpedition Monsoon Gearslinger Shoulder Sling Tactical Messenger Gear Bag - MAXPEDITION HARD-USE GEAR Tactical Nylon Gear for Military, Law Enforcement, Tactical Concealed Carry; Tailored to Perform Tactical

[bdery]

I suggest avioding a sling bag for the kind of hike you mention. Of course it depends on the weigth of your gear but I would suggest you consider what I did:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/field-accessories/71275-my-perfect-soluti...mera-gear.html

[SOldBear]

I have a Lowepro SlingShot 200. It's OK for a short hike but I would not use it for a whole day hike. I use a 'full' backpack instead.

To carry the camera outside the bag, I use an Op/Tech harness. My neck says "thank you."

[johnmflores]

I prefer to carry as much of the load on my hips as possible, with the shoulder and sternum straps doing little more than keeping the pack properly positioned. That Maxpedition sling does have a waist strap but I wonder how effective it is. Test it one day - load it up with a couple of liters of water, your camera gear and the other stuff you plan on carrying and take it on a shorter hike or just around town all day. See how it feels. Personally, I'd place my priorities on a good harness first and then camera carrying second and would probably end up with a good daypack plus a camera insert of some kind.

As an aside, I like how the photos for the Maxpedition show that you can carry your iPod and gun together!

[Perrumpo]

Having dealt with heavy packs on long road marches in the Army plenty of times, I agree with John that you want to carry most of the weight on your hips, not your shoulders. I recommend a backpack for this and tighten the pack to you well. Slack will pull at your shoulders.

[Entropy]

Get a good hiking pack - to make things easier photography-wise:
1) Get a frontloading pack and not a toploader (I have a Kelty Redwing 3100)
2) Get a set of straps from Kinesis that allows you to clip your camera to the shoulder straps.

[sterretje]

As you're considering a sling back, I suppose you don't carry a light backpack for water and snacks. In which case you might consider the Lowepro - Off Trail 2

I have used it for 10 years. I even hooked water bottles on the belt.

It takes a Minolta X700 film slr + 50mm + 28mm +70-210mm + 35-105mm although I usually did not carry the latter while hiking. I have also used it with a K10D + kit lens + 55-300mm + small tripod (in one of the detachable lens cases).

Disavantage comes when you combine it with a normal backpack as the hipstraps interfere with each other. It can be really uncomfortable with a 55L backpack and this offtrail as the camera bag is partially in front of you (not on your hip).

[Allison]

If I was going on a long hike I would consider a camera bag made for hiking. I think a sling would be really hard on one shoulder for that distance. I know Lowepro makes a camera bag with a optional water belly... even water distribution will help to avoid fatigue.

[GeneV]

A sling or any bag across the shoulders will end up giving you a Vulcan Pinch. For 15 miles, there is no question that you want the weight on your hips.

[Djamison24]

A sling or any bag across the shoulders will end up giving you a Vulcan Pinch. For 15 miles, there is no question that you want the weight on your hips.

This bag actually does do a good job of distributing the weight to my hips. The waist strap works very well. In fact, when I loaded it up here at home and tightened the waist strap a good majority of the weight was taken off the shoulder strap. I'm going to load it up this weekend and shoot for an 8 mile hike. I really love the bag, so I'm hoping that i can make it work. I'll post back my results after the long hike...if I survive.

[alhpro]

I use a vest to carry the bulk of my gear. It allows my shoulders to stay very relaxed as well as allow me to carry a backpack to carry my hiking and camping gear. I have a k200 with a few lenses as well as lots of filters and other acc. I have worn my vest fully loaded for over eight hours and felt great at the end of the day. The only bad thing is that if the weather changes you gear may get wet. I carry a good rain coat so that is how I fix that. Hope this helps!

[GeneV]

This bag actually does do a good job of distributing the weight to my hips. The waist strap works very well. In fact, when I loaded it up here at home and tightened the waist strap a good majority of the weight was taken off the shoulder strap. I'm going to load it up this weekend and shoot for an 8 mile hike. I really love the bag, so I'm hoping that i can make it work. I'll post back my results after the long hike...if I survive.

A well-designed waist strap can change everything--but your legs.

[Djamison24]

Well I went 6.5 miles with that slingpack on my back...I'm definetely going to be looking into other options. My right shoulder, where the strap hangs from, was starting to get very uncomfortable about 3.5 miles in. I started to feel unbalanced and sore about that same time as well. I still like the bag for my around town adventures, it's just not designed for long distances.

[monochrome]

Over the years I have done a considerable amount of expedition hiking/camping in New Mexico and Colorado and at least monthly in Missouri and Illinois. Expedition hikes involve hauling 65 pounds on my back for up to ten days. Shorter trips the load may be "only" 35 pounds over three days. Day trips may be only 20 pounds. Typically we hike six to ten miles daily depending upon elevation changes.

The key to enjoying these hikes is a properly hung backpack and proper weight distribution within the pack. 65 to 70 percent of the weight should rest on the lower back and pelvis through the padded waist strap and mesh backpanel. The shoulder and sternum straps control the angle of the load, keeping it vertical by adjusting them on the fly, but don't really support much weight.

Within the backpack the gear should be arranged so the weight is toward the bottom and near the small of the back - the weight is not only easier to carry, it is easier to control that way. You expend more energy through your trunk and arms controlling backpack motion than through your gluts and thighs actually carrying the weight. The mesh panel distributes the load across the entire lower back.

No matter how comparatively light the load is you need more than three points of suspension to comfortably carry it.

What that all means to you is, even though you will only be packing 25 or 30 pounds, use a real camera backpack and think about how you pack it. if you expect to enjoy your TREK and arrive at your destination with any energy in reserve to enjoy yourself, don't use a sling bag.

[Canada_Rockies]

Well I went 6.5 miles with that slingpack on my back...I'm definetely going to be looking into other options. My right shoulder, where the strap hangs from, was starting to get very uncomfortable about 3.5 miles in. I started to feel unbalanced and sore about that same time as well. I still like the bag for my around town adventures, it's just not designed for long distances.

I have a LowePro SlingShot 300 AW. The weight is carried by the waist belt, the sling strap is handy to prevent dropping the thing when the waist belt is undone. I did 10 or more Km Saturday (6+ miles) comfortably.

For anything longer, I use my LowePro Photo Trekker. The only drawback to this is the sweat on my back. It really does not breath. 20 years ago, they were still working on the idea, and I'm too cheap to replace a perfectly serviceable back pack. It really feels good when you take the pack off and your soaking wet shirt touches your back. Instant chill.