Hiking - Equipment choice?

fmajor said:

THings to ensure your pack choice has - an *included/attached* water-proof cover (this is a requirement not an option), plenty of space - 30Ltr main-bag volume should be more than enough (though a 40Ltr pack isn't out of the question depending on anticipated weather), stiff/thick shoulder padding (not the soft, squishy garbage that will ultimately hurt/chafe your shoulders), a reasonable waist-belt, external mesh pockets, loop/daisy-chain attachment points, robust zippers (YKK 10 is perfect size for the main-volume zipper) and an internal sleeve/external access for a water reservoir (Camelbak/Platypus, etc). These are the basic "features" i look for in a day pack.

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Or better still, a main compartment with a cover instead of a zipper.

Some very good 30+ litre bags don't have built-in rain covers: a separate rain cover can be bought or even (what I actually prefer) an internal waterproof sack.

Most of the specifications Fmajor listed should be met by any reasonably modern bag from the companies I listed in a previous post.

Rol_Lei Nut said:

Or better still, a main compartment with a cover instead of a zipper.

Some very good 30+ litre bags don't have built-in rain covers: a separate rain cover can be bought or even (what I actually prefer) an internal waterproof sack.

Most of the specifications Fmajor listed should be met by any reasonably modern bag from the companies I listed in a previous post.

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Rol_Lei Nut is right - my error. I'd say most 30Ltr sacks will *not* have an included/attached rain-cover - though some do. I'm not recalling which at the moment.... some Black Diamond sacks do, i *think* a Gregory model does, but they're US manufacturers....

In any event, make sure you have a rain-cover. Back in the day, we used large leaf-collection bags and simply cut-away part of it to easily slip over the pack, but made-to-fit with elastic to hold the cover in place is far better.

I spent a couple of days last month backpacking in the Grand Canyon. Took a Mamiya C-330F and 80, 135, 180 Super lenses, and a Bogen tripod.

I haven't printed yet, or even finished developing all the film, so I can't yet say if the photos were worth the weight. A couple of the negs look promising. Fun Trip.

Go for the Olympus and its 50mm lens. Put your imagination to work on getting the most out of the least gear. Use medium speed film like 200 ISO to give you access to all your apertures. Shoot it like a wide-angle; shoot it like a tele. It works! Use very good, fresh film. Post your results so we can see!
Have fun!
Vic

I hike with a Pentax 67, with much suffering. Works for me.

Although I dont hike as much as I use to I still have my gear set up for at least day hikes. I find that unless I intend to shoot (with film) wildlife that a wide to moderate zoom works well. I have a backpack that I have cut a number of foam inserts for differnt configuations depending on my needs and mood. My light kit is a Sigma Sa7 with 28 to 105, the Sigma has mirror lockup, good metering, but not so good auto foucs which I dont find to be critical for landcapes. My heavy kit is Pentax K 2000, SF1n and PZ70 with 4 lens, 50mm, 28 to 90, 18 to 55 (K 2000) and a 100 to 300. I swaped out the screen of the SFIn for a split image screen from an old ME that I had sitting around and I carry just K mount manual focus lens, 28mm, 50 105mm and 300mm. I also carry a tripod and Minolta Weathermatic for shooting in the rain. My really heavy kit is my Kowa 66 with 55, 85mm and 150mm, light meter and tirpod, with MF gear I will carry 35mm as well My backback is water proof, but I also take sealing plastic bags large enought to bag all each of the bodies and lens if the weather really becomes wet.

I really like rangefinders for hiking, compact and light. After dragging an RZ67 and tripod through a hike, I realized i was a. really out of shape and b. the rig made the hike really unpleasant. Took a Bronica RF645 on the next couple of hikes and it was much more enjoyable. I also like ISO 400 film options as I find them the most versatile for all lighting conditions.

While I don't have a recommendation for packs, I do have a recommendation that you find one with D-rings on each strap or something to attach some rings to. That way, you can attach some strap (either by rigging our own or buying something like the kata reflex-e or similar straps) and you transfer the weight of the camera to the pack, saving your neck. I like the kata solution as the straps release quickly for removing the pack.

I mostly use a Dead Link Removed and can put that in any bag, a backpack or a waist bag and it works for me.

Good luck!

I don't have anything new to offer to the discussion except what I do personally. I bring my FE, 24/2.8, 55/3.5 Micro, and sometimes my 105/2.5. If I'm hiking by myself I normally leave the 105, whose portrait am I going to take in the Missouri wilderness, right? To carry the gear, I have a Tamrac holster that will fit the FE with 55mm attached and some rolls of film in the main pouch and the 24mm just fits in the small outside pocket with a lens cloth around it for a little extra protection. The holster hangs from my shoulder straps with a couple of carabiners which keeps the camera much more handy that having to dig it out of the pack. You could conceivable hang the holster from the pack hipbelt, but my packs have pockets there that would be inaccessible. Concerning pack covers, I prefer to line my pack with a garbage disposal or leaf bag (heavier than a trash bag) and just let the things in the outside pockets get wet. I have a rain cover that came with another daypack that fits the Tamrac holster very well and doubles as a dry place to sit at rest breaks.

Adam

I always take everything I think I might need, and then I spray that with some extras just in case... Then I hate myself while climbing and descending, but love it in between. Then hate myself when I get home and can't move for hours. Finally, I tell myself to seriously reconsider my ways and I always do, and then... you know..

My backpacking camera is a Yashica T3, a compact film "weatherproof" camera. The lens is a Carl Zeiss Tessar 35/2.8, with 16-steps autofocus. Besides the normal viewfinder it has a small waist-level finder which is very convenient especially when setting the camera on a stone for the usual self-timed picture. Lens quality is very good or should I say excellent bar some vignetting (I sold pictures taken with that camera) and the small size, the weatherproof sealing, and the waist-level find make it the ideal companion for backpacking*.

While DSLR can approach the quality of film SRL (or FLSR), compact film cameras with a quality lens give you much more quality than a compact digital camera, for basically the same weight.

* And it also has a small flash for pub time when you come back to the plain.