[Lowell Goudge]

The sole use of the bag would be for a long days hiking and keeping the camera and equipment safe at the same time probably only going to be 3 lenses long telephoto, kit lens and a 50mm spare batteries and maybe a tripod but most likely a monopod. Enough storage space for drink pack lunch and a coat/waterproof trousers. It will not be used in cities etc I will just stick to my shoulder bag for cities and zoos etc

Ok, from that persoective, there are a coupple of options, The smallest pack I have, and I think the smallest that lowepro make, that can hold a tele when mounted is the microtrekker 200. while the size is about right for what you need, there are a couple of potential issues based on your explained use.

the biggest beef I have (maybe the bag has been redesigned since i got mine) is that the shoulder straps are not truely adjustable, (they can be lengthened, but you cannot move the pack up and down on the straps) As a result, unless you are really short, you have one of 2 options, either you don't use the waste / hip belt to put load on your hips, and have the chest strap in the correct location, or you use the hip belt, and forget the chest strap as it is around your neck.

The other issues are,
- that it does not come with a water proof cover (so if you are caught in a storm, you get your gear wet, This can be solved with an aftermarket cover.
- it lacks side canteen net pockets, so you either add on an attachment or clip the canteen to the straps. I would recommend against putting the canteen into the interior of thebag in the event it leaks.

My concern with strap arrangement is that if you really intend to hike, having the loaed on your shoulders can get tiring.

there are some newer hiking daypacks, that with padding might be better than a camera pack.

[theflyingjocksman]

There doesn't seem to be a happy medium you either have to sacrifice the comfort or sacrifice the storage space. I have seen some that look good in terms of space and harness comfort but they are like £300-350 which is out of my range

[atupdate]

Here is a great camera bag review site that shows what people carry in their bags.

Reviews - Cambags.com Camera Bag Resource.

I have the LowePro Fastback 350. It might just be what you need. I use the computer carrying section for items I want to keep flat.

Lowepro FastPack 350 Reviews - Cambags.com Camera Bag Resource.

Tim

[Macario]

The Alpha I have was 70€ (got it in a sale), but the average price in holland for it is 100€. The K5 is 290€, but that is a big bag, and you can hang tents etc on it. But the packs from Clik Elite are also very good, they are made for active photographers (Thinking of getting one too)

[Lowell Goudge]

There doesn't seem to be a happy medium you either have to sacrifice the comfort or sacrifice the storage space. I have seen some that look good in terms of space and harness comfort but they are like £300-350 which is out of my range

that's why I suggest looking at some of the newer high tech hiking packpacks. If you have soft cases for your lenses, you may be better off with a hiking backpack than a photo pack. In my opinion the photo packs are not keeping up, except that they have nice divider setups.

[theflyingjocksman]

Yeh I suppose there's not really a lot of difference like you say they are just fancy bags that are not really practical think that's the best option hiking bag it is

[excanonfd]

Lowepro - Versapack

I think this is the best possible compromise between camera carrying capacity versus carrying other essentials necessary for an extended day's hike and the cost for the pack. The lower section can house modern zoom lenses like the DA 55-300 or if you have longer lenses, you can put it in the upper compartment encased in a soft neoprene pouch to protect the lens from scuffing against other non-photographic items. Cost wise, I've seen it advertised on eBay for around $70.00.

[JimJohnson]

For day walks - urban or rural, but shy of a true frame pack hike - what has worked well for me is a combination of two bags.

I have a small backpack for my personal necessities, and my Tamrac 706 convertible shoulder/hip pack. Only I don't wear the Tamrac bag as one or other - I use both shoulder and hip belts to distribute the weight, placing the bag closer to my side. And I use a sturdy monopod with quick release as a combination monopod/walking stick. If desired, I can mount a small tripod on the Tamrac bag, or secure a larger tripod to the backpack.

Walking the trails in Rocky Mountain National Park to 10K and higher locations told me how well it works for me. I can rapidly get at any of my photo gear without having to un-sling a backpack and go digging.

My current problem is that I just about always travel now by air and have to take a smaller notebook PC. Today's point & shoot cameras are fine for what they are, but I want to take both my PC and my SLR gear. And in addition to my roller bag (which is often plane-side checked on small planes), I am only allowed one carry-on. I really want a bag like my Tamrac with its hip belt system, but I also need room to store the notebook PC, at least while on-board the plane. Sadly, the only combination bags Tamrac makes lack their great hip belt system. I DON'T want a photo backpack or strictly messenger type bag. Has anyone encountered a combination photo/PC bag with a hip belt and shoulder belt?

[Medium FormatPro]

photo/PC bag with a hip belt and shoulder belt

Unfortunately anything built to hold even a 11 or 13" netbook would also not likely have a hip belt by itself