Originally posted by dhodgeh I need a hiking bag/backpack for my wife that will accommodate a K-5 with a 16-50 DA* and a 50-135 DA*.
The 16-50 will probably be on the camera most of the time, with the 50-135 mounted as needed.
Some additional storage for other things needed on the hike (food, water, etc) would be a plus.
Any recommendations?
Thanks
I'm glad I happened on this thread! There's been some neat things to come out since I last looked at bags. I can tell you a few things to think about/potential problems to avoid:
If your wife is like me, she will not bother taking gear out of a true backpack when you are moving along. That was huge for me when using a regular day pack when I was hiking. I wouldn't stop to take off the pack in order to get anything out of it. So side entry to camera stuff was a must. I've used a Lowepro Slingshot 200 mostly - the first one had the zipper stitching give out because I constantly over-stuffed it. I've got a larger bag now so the second one is holding up better (I only use it when its size is appropriate for what I'm doing). I've had no trouble with comfort, it fits me fine, but is definitely something to try on first. If she is going to carry a tripod, forget it. I came up with a couple of DIY ways of carrying one, but all of them were dreadful for any length of time. Another big limitation is that you can only use it on the right shoulder, a problem if you have a minor tear in that rotator cuff or other right shoulder problem. The top isn't really big enough for much as far as other stuff.
I then tried a Kata 3N1-30 bag, since the Lowepro is too small for the DA*300. I can fit everything but the kitchen sink in it, but it quickly gets too heavy, especially for the shoulder straps. I can carry it for a mile or two, then forget it (it has a hip strap but it's not enough to compensate for the padding in the shoulder straps). If she is only taking the camera, DA 16-50 and 50-135 then stick to either the 3N1-10 or 3N1-20. But I'd still wonder if they would be comfortable for a full day's hike.
I've tried combining a hydration pack I have with a photo fanny pack - I'm too short to make that work.
I really like the looks of the Clik-Elite and the Photo Sport bags - having the hydration pack would be a big plus for me but the Photo Sport bag looks like it would deal with the weight issue more.
I've been seriously thinking of going to some type of harness system (I once went hiking on a snowy day and figured I wouldn't change lenses much. I took the extra lens I thought I would use if it cleared up in one jacket pocket and extra battery/card in the other. What freedom, I just loved it!). I'm really small so a vest doesn't work - the ones I've seen are either way too big for me or else don't have much storage (or pockets at the back, inaccessible without taking it off). A harness system would mean I could take whatever pocket/lens case(s) I need for what I'm doing. But that takes a lot of thought to figure out what to buy and so on and I haven't actually done anything about it.
Good luck with your search! If you buy on-line make sure there's a liberal return policy unless she's tried on the pack before-hand.