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06-28-2011, 07:27 PM - 1 Like   #1
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Bag Quest (for bike/hike): solution found?

The set up:
Was looking for a bag that would allow me to combine my top two hobbies: Biking (and/or hiking) and taking pictures. It had to be a low profile, waistpack/sling pack that was breathable and held firmly to my body. I road bike mostly (short 20-30mile trips 2-3 times a week) but also have a mountain bike that does little for me in this flat state. I only needed it to hold my K-x and 2 lenses, so capacity was not a priority.

Bag History:
My first bag was a Tamrac Express 6. It was casual, nice looking, and held my original K-x two lens kit. The trouble was that I hated wearing it. The strap was uncomfortable, it was too casual so the bag was always flopping around everywhere, and it very quickly couldn't hold my kit as LBA kicked in.
My Second bag was a Lowepro Primus AW. I love this bag. I wanted a backpack with some extra room for snacks, a decent suspension/fit, and only back access for extra security. All things considered, this is one the most comfortable backpacks, including all my hiking gear, that I've ever worn. It can hold all the gear I'd need for a long trip/vacation or I can take it to campus just in case I see a moment to shoot. The downside here is that it's pretty heavy and not good for quick shoots. Even taking it out in the country, I'd just pull out the camera and leave the bag in the car. So it's really not doing much for me as far as when I'm actually shooting. I needed something with even greater practicality for quick walk arounds, like going to the zoo.

The Solution (?):
The Kata Lightri-312 DL. I think I've got something here. It just came today so I haven't had time to test it, but my initial feeling is that it's good. It is light, has a small footprint on my back and has breathable mesh on the pack and the sling strap. I thought about buying a waistpack, but many of them had bigger widths than this Kata and would have been like a sail when I was riding my bike. The close second was the Clik Elite Seeker. I still may eventually get one of those because they look great, but the Kata was cheaper and looked like it would be cool enough to wear in a number of contexts beyond biking.

The bag is lightweight, but that comes at the price of padding and extra gear space. My K-x fits fine with room for 3 lenses at least, more if you should more primes. (Wish I had a 70-200 f2.8 to test in there, but that's a future plan.) I don't think a camera with a grip would fit. As for the padding, I would maybe be worried more about it if I was doing more mountain biking. On the safety of the road bike trails around here, however, I don't think it'll be an issue (............really hoping I don't crash for the first time now that I've said this). The bag can be fit pretty snug and doesn't move around once it is buckled in, which is exactly the fit I was looking for. Also, it's comfy.

I'm going to test this out on a ride in the next couple of days and give more feedback then. Just thought I'd give a heads up because I hadn't seen any info on this pack. Amazon has a 20% off promotion on Kata bags going on also.

06-30-2011, 02:25 PM   #2
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A few pictures:
exterior. you can see how it is only about 5.5 inches wide. The strap is nicely adjustable and has a zippered pocket for a cellphone or ipod or extra memory cards.


it stays securely shut with a buckle and under that is velcro. there's also the handle on the zippers that allows you to quickly open it all up and access your gear. a nice touch.


interior has three main segments, though the separators are held in with velcro and can be moved to accommodate almost any configuration. the front most pocket has my 55-300mm and 40mm pancake. i could easily fit another prime in there, but I don't know why I'd want to. The middle compartment has the K-x with a monfrotto plate attached. it has around an inch of clearance still. it's currently got a FA50 attached with a rubber hood. I folded the sides of the separators down in with the camera to make it fit snugger, so there's still room to work with there for other camera/lens combos. The last compartment has the weather cover in it because I didn't want to lost it. you could easily fit something else in there but probably not my 55-300 because that pocket isn't as tall as the nearest.


still planning on going for a ride but today was too beautiful to spend time testing it. just wanted to get right down to riding. plus it was wayyyyyy too bright out to offer many opportunities to shoot.
07-01-2011, 12:36 AM   #3
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Thanks for the info and the pictures Bonobo. I love the sling type bags and my current bag is a Tamrac Velocity 7x. I like it, but the interior dividers are fraying and making a mess of the velcro. By the looks of it, I think this bag may be a tad too small for my needs, but the next size up looks like it may be just my size.

Kata LighTri-315 DL. Slings & Torso Packs (Kata Bags)

Do you think the 55-300mm could fit mounted on the body? Also, I've seen in a video that the strap can be mounted for either left or right shoulder. However, is the camera accessible in both configurations. My brain imagines the bag pointing down and then up when switching.
07-01-2011, 08:42 AM   #4
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wasser: you might want to check out the lightri-314 as well, which is actually the most direct next size up from this model, less triangular in shape. I believe that both the 314 and 315 are more versatile than the 312, especially with regard to changing shoulders, but I don't know for sure. I can see that they have double zippers on the main compartment to allow you to open it from either side, whereas my 312 only has one set of zippers going from the taller side to the shorter where the lid is then sewn in. I don't see much of a way to change the sling alignment for ambi-shoulder wearing on the 312.

as for the 55-300, it fits, but I did a little rearranging. I think it's too tall for the 312 model if placed lens-down. however, just remove one divider and it sits in perfectly long-ways. There's still the larger (taller) compartment where the 40 is sitting with plenty of room for another item. there's still room for a longer lens if you take out both dividers. with that configuration, i could see a camera with a big telephoto and a grip fitting but with nothing else. Also, it depends on the width of the camera, my K-x sits nicely but don't know how it compares to other models in that dimension.


07-01-2011, 04:07 PM   #5
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Thanks for the photo! That 40mm makes the remaining space look massive. The small size of that bag is awfully tempting.

The sizes of the 314 and 315 are a bit puzzling to figure out.

model - L x W x H - max/min weight

315 - 10.2 x 5.9 x 10.6 - 1.6/1.3
314 - 11.8 x 6.8 x 9.4 - 2.1/1.5

So the 315 is not as long, nor as wide, but it's deeper (H) and weighs less. The 314 is longer and wider, but not as deep and weighs more. The size differences seems to be almost a wash. The two are actually from slightly different lines as well and I'm not entirely sure what it means.

The 315 is a D light and the 314 is a Pro light. It sounds like the Pro light is more rugged. The 314 is also $20 more than the 315. I wish I could get my hands on these to actually try them before buying.
07-01-2011, 04:40 PM   #6
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Very interesting, I'm the same as you, never quite found the bag that was versatile enough while maintaining light weight but also being sturdy. Started off with a Lowepro Computrekker, but I don't carry a laptop anymore so that is really redundant. Then got a Naneu Pro Alpha, I still use it occasionally when cycling (it is massive though) because it is more comfortable than the bag I travel with. Finally I got the Lowepro slingshot 100, it's good for travel because it's small enough that I can actually take another daypack and hang the slingshot off the daypack while hiking, it's not particularly comfortable when worn by itself for long periods (even with the second buckle clipped in). I also have a Lowepro holster when I only want to carry the camera with one (or two primes) lens.
My travel/hiking kit is pretty similar to yours in size, DA21, FA43, DFA100, (and maybe DA55-300 depending on the destination).

My concern is that it only slings over one shoulder which from my experience is not particularly comfortable after a short while.
07-03-2011, 06:52 AM   #7
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Pro Light VS D Light

QuoteOriginally posted by wasser Quote

The sizes of the 314 and 315 are a bit puzzling to figure out.

model - L x W x H - max/min weight

315 - 10.2 x 5.9 x 10.6 - 1.6/1.3
314 - 11.8 x 6.8 x 9.4 - 2.1/1.5

So the 315 is not as long, nor as wide, but it's deeper (H) and weighs less. The 314 is longer and wider, but not as deep and weighs more. The size differences seems to be almost a wash. The two are actually from slightly different lines as well and I'm not entirely sure what it means.

The 315 is a D light and the 314 is a Pro light. It sounds like the Pro light is more rugged. The 314 is also $20 more than the 315. I wish I could get my hands on these to actually try them before buying.
Hey there. First - thanks for the compliments and feedback. It's great stumbling upon them so randomly.

In regards to the difference between 314 and 315 - it is indeed a matter of collections. The 315 is D-Light - they're designed for the more casual user. They offer protection and durability, but not the best.

314 is Pro Light, and that's a different matter all together. The materials are different - while the D-Light gives good Lightweight Protection - the Pro Light does it even better with Aeriform Foam and a Spine Guard. There's some more features - some more visible (extra pocket), others less so (better access to your gear, more configurable internal compartment).

So we designed the D Light to be, we believe, a good solution. The Pro Light was designed for those who want more.

07-03-2011, 07:16 AM   #8
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Bobobo. I think you've found your solution anf the Kata sling should serve you well. I have a Tenba sling and it is secure, comfortable, and has easy access. Mine actually has too much room some of the time, so a smaller one would be nice when I want to use just a couple of lenses. Stay with the small one, and if you need to add another lens, get a lens case that adds on to the bag or your belt.
07-04-2011, 06:48 PM   #9
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Dang, I didn't even know we had our own Kata rep on here. Boy could I have asked you some questions about a week and a half ago.

Anyway, went out today for a leisurely jaunt and the bag did really well. Of course I sweat wherever the bag was making contact, but it's July, that's going to happen. The small footprint made it so that it was minimized. I also realized that switching shoulders is easy and comfortable as long as you can have the camera bag portion on your front. Rather than realigning the straps and keeping the camera on your back, you can just switch the whole thing around. This gives your back a breather and puts the camera right where you need it when you want to shoot immediately. While I wouldn't hike or bike that way, I could stop when I see a scene and proceed to work out of that arrangement, then moving it back to my back when I'm on the move.

This bag does all the things my other two don't. It's small and light, unlike the lowepro, and it fits snug and comfortably and is ready for action, unlike the tamrac. Thus, it's exactly what I set out looking for. Anyone who can live with just a small kit on more active outings would find this or one of the slightly bigger versions very handy.

When I upgrade to that K-5, I'll have to re-review it to see how they fit. But I don't expect to let go of my K-x until it craps out so at least I'll always have one use for it.
07-05-2011, 01:22 AM   #10
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DL VS PL again

You can contact me any time: social.media@kata-bags.com (or visit our Facebook page)

About the sweat - it's also an issue of which collection. The Pro Light and Ultra Light versions of this bag should cause less sweat due to the materials and design (though the Ultra Light might be a bit too big for some).
07-22-2011, 11:26 AM   #11
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I would really like to find a good solution for cycling as well, but anywhere scenic is using a long ride (at least 40 miles round trip) and I really can't stand wearing stuff on long rides. A nice padded bag that hangs from the handle bars (for a bit of extra bump resistance) would be ideal. Perhaps a bike handle bar bag with a nice camera insert would work.
07-24-2011, 12:06 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by OutOfFocus Quote
I would really like to find a good solution for cycling as well, but anywhere scenic is using a long ride (at least 40 miles round trip) and I really can't stand wearing stuff on long rides. A nice padded bag that hangs from the handle bars (for a bit of extra bump resistance) would be ideal. Perhaps a bike handle bar bag with a nice camera insert would work.
Or perhaps a belt/waist/lumbar pack attached to the bars may work for you. I don't know how well one may be adapted or possibly even designed for it though.
07-24-2011, 12:28 PM   #13
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Cool. The problem with bags, is that there is never the "perfect" one. I think I have something like 20 bags in my closet. Each activity requires a different photography set-up. Sometimes I want something light, sometimes I want to carry a TON of gear.

One thing most camera bag makers forget is the tripod/tripod holder. The best implementation of a tripod holder is the Tamrac bags. Pretty much their entire Expedition line has got the tripod retention down to perfection.

I suppose if you're not a tripod user, then there is more choice out there.

I don't shoot without a tripod - period.
07-26-2011, 10:57 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by OutOfFocus Quote
I would really like to find a good solution for cycling as well, but anywhere scenic is using a long ride (at least 40 miles round trip) and I really can't stand wearing stuff on long rides. A nice padded bag that hangs from the handle bars (for a bit of extra bump resistance) would be ideal. Perhaps a bike handle bar bag with a nice camera insert would work.
I considered this but decided against it for a couple reasons. For one, a lot of people say the vibrations from riding would go straight from the frame to the photo gear and negatively impact the camera. They say your body is the best shock absorber there is and having it between the road and your gear greatly reduces the negative effects. I don't know how much stock there is to that, but the thought alone was enough for me to decide against it.

Another reason is that I wanted to bag to be multipurpose, since I really didn't enjoy my tamrac for plain walking around. My fiance and I work with apes so we visit a lot of zoos and I found the tamrac to just be such a bother to work out of and it didn't carry comfortably. We also dayhike a bunch.

i do wish it could hold a tripod. that is the biggest drawback. However, when I'm on my bike, I can either gorilla pod it to the frame or stabilize it handheld there. When hiking/ walking, there's always the monopod/camera compatible walking sticks.
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