[Levitron]

I am looking for a daypack that I can carry around with me when I'm on my trip. Will be walking around a lot, so I need it to be comfortable as well.

It needs to hold at least my 70-200 f4, 20D body, 17-40 f4, 28-75 Tamron, and a small/medium sized tripod. In addition to the camera gear, it would be nice if it can hold a jacket, water bottle and a travel book or two.

Any recommendations?

[mithril]

I had the , about $100 @ FutureShop, which served me quite well however I found that the top portion of the bag was a little to small if you want more than just a light shell and a bottle of water. Also mounting a tripod is difficult. However it did store all my gear (minus tripod) and still have more than enough room up top to act as a usable carry-on bag for my trip to NZ last month. I just sold my Orion to a mate who shoots Canon and has the 70-200 F4L. The 70-200 F4L does fit, but apparently he'll be carrying it in the top portion of the bag most of the time so you might find that the larger bag suits your needs better.

For X-Mas I was given the [url=http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Backpacks/allWeather/Primus_AW.aspx]Primus AW (]Orion Trekker II[/url) but exchanged it Dryzone Rover (http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Backpacks/waterproof/DryZone_Rover.aspx). I would have also gone for the Rover AW II (http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Backpacks/allWeather/Rover_AW_II.aspx) (same size as the Dryzone) or the Rover Plus AW (http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Backpacks/allWeather/Rover_Plus_AW.aspx) (bigger again) but they were out of stock in both at Lens & Shutter when I returned the Primus for exchange. Basically all the Rover's are bigger versions of the Orion and the bottom half for the gear is tall enough that I image you might even be able to vertically store your 20D w/ the 70-200 mounted. The plus sides to the Dryzone Rover is that it comes with an integrated hydration system, the gear compartment is completely waterproof/dustproof and it will float instead of sinking if it ever goes overboard. The downside is that the rubberized zipper which makes it waterproof (similar to what you find on a drysuit) also makes it a bit of a pain to open and close as the zipper is very stiff. The bag is still quite new though so that may break in a little over time.

Pricing at Lens & Shutter is: $159.99 for the Rover AW II and $199.99 for each the Primus AW, Dryzone Rover and Rover Plus AW. I remember seeing one of the AW Rover's at Broadway Camera for something like $250 but I don't remember which model it was, probably the Plus at that price.

Carried in the bottom of each bag:
D200 w/ grip
Nikon 18-200 VR (hood reversed)
Tokina AT-X Pro 28-70 f2.6-2.8 (hood reversed)
several spare CF cards
SB-600 speedlight
EL-EN3 charger/cable x 2
The Puffer popup diffuser
couple spare filters
body cap and spare lens caps (72mm and 77mm)
extra set of AA's for speedlight and portable charger
Obviously the body would have either one of the lens mounted at all times.

[feiron]

I had the Lowepro computrekker AW, and wanting a bigger bag. My next on the list is the rolling computrekker plus AW. A convenience of a backpack with the ease of a set of wheels.

[davidhtam]

I bought a Dakine bag for my camera gear. It's the mission-photo bag.

http://www.dakine.com/snowboard/packs/photo/mission-photo/

i can fit my:
350D w/ battery grip
18-55 f3.5-5.6
75-300 f4-5.6
17-85 f4-5.6
50mm f1.8
420ez flash
and my Leica 90mm f2.0
Oh, and 2 battery chargers

I ordered it online for... 90something dollars and shipping was an extra $20.

The tripod straps onto the back or you can strap your snowboard onto it ;)

[bikerx]

i have a dakine sequence
1dmark2
70-200 2.8
85mm 1.8
28-75 2.8
10-20mm
430ex
550ex
50mm 1.8
radio slaves
lightstand
tripod
beer
radio slaves
stofens
gallion batteries
extra battery for 1d

got it for 90$ on craigslist off a local. saw it at commor or pacfic boarder for 150$

[Levitron]

Originally posted by bikerx
i have a dakine sequence
1dmark2
70-200 2.8
85mm 1.8
28-75 2.8
10-20mm
430ex
550ex
50mm 1.8
radio slaves
lightstand
tripod
beer
radio slaves
stofens
gallion batteries
extra battery for 1d

got it for 90$ on craigslist off a local. saw it at commor or pacfic boarder for 150$

Dude were you stealing internet!? Hahaha.....cuz I swear I met up with you around that time you posted your message :D

[K-Dub]

Originally posted by Levitron
Dude were you stealing internet!? Hahaha.....cuz I swear I met up with you around that time you posted your message :D
open networks is not considered stealing! =p haha

[Levitron]

Originally posted by kwazy
open networks is not considered stealing! =p haha

True that.

LOL :)

Now that I've got a chance to check out the Dakine Sequence (thanks bikerx), I want to check out the Dakine Mission Photo. Anyone got an idea where I can look at it in person?

[bikerx]

Originally posted by Levitron
Dude were you stealing internet!? Hahaha.....cuz I swear I met up with you around that time you posted your message :D

rofls don't worry about it ;) haha.

you can prob find the dakine and burton bags at Commor and pacific boarder on West 4th. its the only places i've seen the camera specific bags.

ps the lens rocks ;)

[Levitron]

Glad you like it. I certainly did!

Looks like I'll have to head down there to check them out.

So far I've narrowed it down to three packs after extensive searching online (in no particular order):

1) Burton Zoom Pack
http://www.cambags.com/images/bag_icons/backpacks/burton_ak29l.jpg
http://www.cambags.com/canon/300d_10_20d/backpacks/burton_ak29l_zoom_pack_frames.htm

2) Dakine Sequence
http://www.cambags.com/images/bag_icons/backpacks/dakine_sequence.jpg
http://www.cambags.com/canon/300d_10_20d/backpacks/dakine_sequence_frames.htm

3) Amvona AB-1617
http://www.cambags.com/images/bag_icons/backpacks/amvona_AB-1617A.jpg
http://www.cambags.com/canon/300d_10_20d/backpacks/amvona_dynatran_ab-1617a_frames.htm

and maybe the Dakine Mission Photo.

The Amvona is very cheap. Potentially it could be had for less than $80....which is good because I'm trying to save money.

[davidhtam]

Originally posted by Levitron
True that.

LOL :)

Now that I've got a chance to check out the Dakine Sequence (thanks bikerx), I want to check out the Dakine Mission Photo. Anyone got an idea where I can look at it in person?

I think the sequence has more packing capacity than the mission photo judging by all the stuff that bikerx listed.

If i'd known of these places that carried Dakine stuff, i would've gotten it locally. After shipping, taxes and duties, everything came up to about $140. The bag alone was only $90 or something.. i don't remember.

[[HuCk DuCk]]

ok while we're on the topic of backpacks


LowePro CompuTrekker.... are there any equals or greaters to this bag? i'm trying to get a laptop bag

[endless402]

i have a computrekker. great bag since it's only $40-50

cant hold any medium sized lenses in it tho. I had to put my 70-300 vr into the top compartment, which has no padding.

and my d70s+17-50mm tamron was a tight fit at the bottom.

[[HuCk DuCk]]

my biggest lens is the sigma 70-300 dg macro so its not all that big, fits into my sling shot nicely

[Levitron]

So I headed down to West 4th yesterday to check out the bags.

The material for the Burton seems to be less durable than the Dakine, and it also seems to be bulkier too (it is more rectangular).

The Dakine also has a larger/more flexible area for the storage of other items as well.

Burton Zoom Pack (28L): $170
Dakine Sequence: $160

Still too expensive for me as they can be bought for a lot less online.

[davidhtam]

Levitron:

After shipping, taxes, duties, and a trip down to DHL (twice) in burnaby, i paid $140.

The bag only took 2 days to ship (from washington), but i had to pick it up from DHL because i wasn't home. I had to go down there twice because the first time i went, they couldn't find the package.

If i were to do it again, i would've just gone down to west 4th and bought one locally. Mind you, i live in South Surrey and work at UBC so the trip to burnaby is quite inconvenient for me.

[Levitron]

OK, it's a done deal! $100usd :D

2007 Dakine Sequence sitting in my room right now.

Man the more I check it out, the more straps I find! There are so many straps you can hang almost ANYTHING off of this thing. There are even straps in hidden compartments. WOW. LOL...:D

So I filled it with my gear, and tried strapping a lightweight tripod on. Sits quite well on my back. Only thing that bugs me is the way the water bottle holder. It's not exactly a mesh pocket that sits on the outside of the pack, but it's hidden within a zip pocket that folds out to reveal the water bottle holder. I'll have to decide whether to use that or the straps to hold my tripod. It seems to be a bit more stable sitting in the waterbottle holder.

bikerx, how do you strap on your tripod if you decide to carry one around?

[bikerx]

i either use the snowboard strap that comes with the bag ( the loose strap) or i use the left side of the bag where the button ir or w.e and a loop comes out at the bottem then i use the strap at the top left . it fits pretty snug depending on the length of your tripod but i haven't had problems.

if your running around alot i would put it flat on the center of the bag. it'll be more balanced.
hope that helped

[Levitron]

Can you post a picture of how you strap it down?

I am wondering if the different years have any difference in the amount of straps offered.

[MikesJo]

When you back Dan?

I'm using the compuday pack from Lowepro, it's good for lugging around a 15" laptop, large DSLR w/o grip, and 2 medium lenses. Won't fit my 70-200 though.

[bikerx]

i had a brain fart. i only use the pull out thingy when i use a light stand.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5346/l9o96251fc4.jpg

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/5567/l9o96241kj8.jpg

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7756/l9o96231qt4.jpg

here are some of my configurations but it always depends what else im carrying cause i want it even :) the pull out thing on the bottom right is for when i have a light weight light stand . I prefer the 1st and last configurations the 2nd one sorta swings around but yeah..

depends on size of tripod too. i can carry my friend's tripod much better then my dinky little one

Edit: mind you my bag is empty right now so it looks flimsy and limp( it doesn't have the camera case inside)

[MikesJo]

bikerx, you put your camera in the camera case as well as putting it in the bag? I thought that the backpack already has compartments for that? Just added protection?

[bikerx]

the camera has a removable camera bag section so its pretty much two bags in one. but you can take it out and put other crap in ..(i use it as a daily school bag :P) holds a lot of crap

[Levitron]

This bag is HUGE if you take out the camera case. I'm sure you can use it as a weekender for some trip if you decide not to bring most of your gear.

bikerx, thanks for posting up those photos....it's a great help! I was wondering how to secure the tripod safely without it dropping. I think I'll probably end up doing what you did in the first photo. I initially thought it would be loose that way, but it's actually quite stable.

[davidhtam]

Kind of late for you levitron, but if anyone else is thinking of getting a dakine bag, here are some pics of the "Mission" that i have:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/davidhtam/IMG_7948.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/davidhtam/IMG_8364.jpg

tons of storage room!

[Feint*]

OK, it's a done deal! $100usd :D

2007 Dakine Sequence sitting in my room right now.


Hi where are you getting the Sequence for $100 USD?

eBay has it for $130 + 29 shipping to Vancouver, most of the other sites are $117 + 43 for shipping to Vancouver?

Thanks!!

[Levitron]

Hi where are you getting the Sequence for $100 USD?

eBay has it for $130 + 29 shipping to Vancouver, most of the other sites are $117 + 43 for shipping to Vancouver?

Thanks!!

I ended up bargaining with the seller. At the time there was a Dakine Sequence being bidded on for $50usd, and shipping was $30usd. There was 6 days left on the auction so I asked if the seller was willing to end the auction early. He said yes, and asked me to offer....so I offered $100 (I also cited another completed auction which had one that sold for about $110-120) shipped.

[yangwenli]

this bag is crazy, sold out most of the places online and just impossible to get the other color beside black

however i found some deals on here http://www.shopzilla.com/7Y_-_SEARCH_GO--Find%20it!__cat_id--1__keyword--dakine%20sequence__nwylf--1%2C__search_box--1__sfsk--0 (http://www.shopzilla.com/7Y_-_SEARCH_GO--Find%20it!__cat_id--1__keyword--dakine%20sequence__nwylf--1%2C__search_box--1__sfsk--0)

one vendor called luggagegiant has this for 104$ (in camo color too!) free shipping to us, it will cost 150$ to ship here. I just ordered it and sending it to TSB, save me alot.

[Levitron]

I find the Sequence having a much better (thicker) fabric than the Burton. The Burton also has a much bulkier casing inside and tends to be a big box on your back. The Sequence is much more flexible and looks less like a camera bag.

I'll see if I can repack my "travelling gear" and show you guys what it looks like, fully packed.

Only thing I am a bit nit picky about is the fact that when you take out the camera block, the velcro that remains in the actual pack is of the type that is the "rough" type. That means if you put in some stringier clothing, it will catch on the velcro.

[Ronin]

I'll need a backpack for when I go to Japan next month. I've got similar equipment to Levitron...17-40, 70-200 f2.8, 50 1.4, 105 macro (probably won't carry that all the time), 430EX, 580EX, and 1DMkII. I would also like a 15.4" laptop slot for my MacBook Pro.

My choices come down to...

Computrekker
Computrekker Plus
Vertex 200
Vertex 300
Tamrac Expedition 6
Tamrac Expedition 7

I like the Tamrac bags better but they're harder to get and more expensive. Lowepro is readily available and I get 20% off on any of them. I'm leaning toward the Vertex bags right now since they seem to be a bit bigger and don't look like I'm wearing a box on my back.

[Levitron]

Question is, do you *need* all that gear?

Walking around, I only used my 17-40 approximately 80% of the time. I took out my 70-200 only ONCE during my trip to Germany. 28-75 maybe 3 times.

Oh yeah, and I also walked around with my camera on my neck too. So what's your backpack for? Not much, really ;)

[Ronin]

It'll be primarily for lugging all my gear on the plane...as well as regular use when I'm back here. Now's as good a time as any to buy a bag for all my stuff. I'll have my Slingshot with me in Japan as well.

And I use my 70-200 often.

[Meowjin]

depends where you go

first world i'd recommend those bags, but if i was going somewhere questionable (vietnam, china, hell even greece) i would go with something a little more inconspicuous.

[Ronin]

I don't think it gets any more first world than Japan.

[IMASA]

I'm in the market for a backpack as well, was looking at the LowPro Mini Trekker classic since it's around $100 and can carry 2 dslr's, a long telephoto, etc.

[endless402]

anyone have any experience with the Lowepro Fastpack? i'm looking at the 250

[[HuCk DuCk]]

fastpack's pretty new.... the girl i was talkin to at k-dale was very excited about it

[kaze456]

could the dakine sequence fit a macbook in a sleeve with some camera gear as well?

[Levitron]

could the dakine sequence fit a macbook in a sleeve with some camera gear as well?

Yes. That's how I rocked the airports :D

[endless402]

argh the fastpack 250 is backordered till sept. so it's either the 200 or 350....


I was also looking at the Kata Prism U
http://www.cambags.com/reviews/data//24/2Prism_cl-B.jpghttp://www.cambags.com/reviews/data//24/2prism-op-LT-1.jpg

[«CD^^®»]

My Lowepro Rover AW bag is pretty old but I think they have a new version of it and it meets all ur requirements. It's got room for ur lenses @ the bottom and split compartment for ur jacket and stuff up top. It also has a pretty neat holder for ur tripod, used it in Japan worked well!

[Marloon]

The fastpack 200 is a great backpack for all of your gear. though you might have a problem with the pod though. hmm...

[keitaro]

kind of OT, but has anyone seen those pelican memory card storage cases around at local shops? Like the ones here?
http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=0940

[Mananetwork]

kind of OT, but has anyone seen those pelican memory card storage cases around at local shops? Like the ones here?
http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=0940

baldy has one. Send him a msg

[keitaro]

for CF or SD?

I am currently looking for a SD one, for my S2IS cards..

edit

after re-reading Mananetwork's reply i finally understand what he means.. it took a nights sleep for me to realize that baldy has one, and i should ask him where he got it from.. lol DOH!

bhphoto has them but their shipping is super expensive..

[Domani]

Hey guys, need a little help. Going on a trip soon and looking for a new camera bag that would fit my gear (1 body/3 lens flash) + laptop.

I currently have a dakine sequence which I love to death, just it dosn't really fit my future laptop. Just see if any if you guys (cuz i m so out of the loop :() know any good looking camera/laptop backpacks.


Thanks in advance.


edit: opps realized i bumped up an old thread sorry.

[Mananetwork]

Senna, should we be Nazis and give him points?

[keitaro]

i am not sure what type of traveling you are doing, I like the f-stop Tilopa. http://www.fstopgear.com/en/product/mountain/tilopa

The dimensions are just over what AC allows, but I am sure if you don't fill it to the brim, you can squeeze into their requirements.

how big is your notebook?

[jlo mein]

How do you guys travel carrying all this weight? I went to Japan this past summer while it was 35 degrees and humid. Walking around for entire days with a backpack got me really tired and sweaty. I ended up dumping my telephoto and tiny gorilla tripod (1kg total) except for days at baseball games, so the only camera gear I carried was a compact SLR and lens (Canon XS + Tamron 17-50 f2.8 = 0.95kg). Aside from that I would also daily carry a jacket/sweater, 1L of water (drank about 2-3L of water/sports drink a day), various small amenities, and spoils of shopping.

[keitaro]

^ sacrifice?

[Senna4ever]

Hey guys, need a little help. Going on a trip soon and looking for a new camera bag that would fit my gear (1 body/3 lens flash) + laptop.

I currently have a dakine sequence which I love to death, just it dosn't really fit my future laptop. Just see if any if you guys (cuz i m so out of the loop :() know any good looking camera/laptop backpacks.


Thanks in advance.


edit: opps realized i bumped up an old thread sorry.
Think Tank Streetwalker Harddrive, or Think Tank Shapeshifter.
www.thinktankphoto.com

Senna, should we be Nazis and give him points?
Instaban!