Arcteryx Packs

[SeattleSpeedster]

Anyone else pondered using one of their backcountry snow pack as a camera backpack?

I went into my favorite hiking store www.secondascent.com (http://www.secondascent.com) and asked as i always do if they have any used camera bags. No was the answer. So i started looking around and spotted the line of bags designed to carry your skis/snowboard into the backcountry. Heres one from Arcteryx:

http://www.arcteryx.com/Product.aspx?Silo-30#

I love their jackets and their bags are solid too. So i brought in all my gear i had on me and imagined putting my 5D into a toploader type enclosure, several lenses in lowepro cases and off i go hiking with the rest of my gear in the bag. I piled everything in, strapped on the backpack and it felt great.

Best of all the hitching the tripod to this bag is nothing when its designed to carry two skis or a snowboard. And the suspension system is world-class. Its also waterproof.

Anyway I got a deal on the bag for $100 and will report back my findings.

[sOid]

Arc'Teryx is great. Could you post some photo's of your gear inside the bag? (and tripod outside of it)

[Plan-B]

I'd love to see pics too. I'm a HUGE fan of their gear.

[Tsmith]

I did this same thing yet with a North Face Recon backpack. Have an older Tenba shoulder bag stuffed in the bottom that holds the camera with attached lens plus 2 lens in the bag. I keep the 70-200 f/4L in its bag laying on top usually. The pack has lots of storage pockets so all the accessories fit well and use one the side water bottle packets to fit my Gitzo GT0503 in. Its cinches up well with the pack strap.

[SeattleSpeedster]

ill post pics when it gets here...being shipped now. I went with the previous model Arcteryx M40:
http://home.comcast.net/~michaelfreid/m40.bmp

Basically its going to be my 5D and lens in a mountainsmith beacon, 80-200 and 17-40 in Lowepro lenscases 3 and 1.

[doidinho]

I used a similar Marmot bag for a while, it was very comfortable, but not nearly as easy to access as a dedicated camera backpack. If you hike then you will love the pack when your on the mountain, but it might turn out to be a bit of a PITA out and about in the city.

I have since gotten rid of my Marmot bag and now have a LowePro Dryzone 100 for general around town/dayhike use and an Osprey pack for multiday adventures. If I use the Osprey I also use individual lens cases and carry a Lowepro Top Load Zoom with the harness for quick access to the camera.

If you don't hike at all or much then I would probally say get a "camera" backpack; if you do hike you will probally be happy with your purchase.

[SeattleSpeedster]

yeah this is more of a hiking into the hills scenario...around town i will be using my mountainsmiths

[SeattleSpeedster]

update: got my arcteryx m40 pack finally and the part the holds the skis, and that i thought would ideally hold a tripod wont sinch up enough, so back to the drawing board. The newer model Silo 30 pack's ski holder held the tripod nicely so maybe i will trade for that one.

Right now I am on the road in Indonesia and Bali and using my old beater Mountainsmith Tyrol pack, loaded down with a Mountainsmith beacon holding my 5D and 17-40, then my various lenses in their respective lowepro cases.

[nutsnbolts]

This looks good but don't know the inside "stuff"

[AntonGart]

Yah, can you post pictures to see how the stuff looks inside? Doesn't it too bulky?

--------------------
AntonGart smartwool (http://www.zbsports.com/)

[SeattleSpeedster]

Just took the m40 on a 18hr day hike with 4000 feet of elevation gain and 6000 of drop. Performed great holding my 1dsmk2 and 17-40 in a beacon bag and other lenses in lowepro cases. Tripod was held by the snowboard holder. Bag was about 40 lbs all in and felt about as good as it could all day. The packs suspension setup does a great job.

I will get photos up shortly....not much to see really. The body and 17-40 are in a mountainsmith beacon bag and that fits towards the bottom of the bag and then i pile in lowepro cases. Then the rest of a day hike's worth of gear etc. Also has a pouch to hold a water bladder.

[tvphotog]

If you're going to use that bag, I suggest wrapping lenses and bodies with these padded covers. They'll give you more security in a non-camera pack. They're cheap and well made.

Photo courtesy B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=tenba+messenger+wraps&N=0&InitialSearch=yes)

[SeattleSpeedster]

like I mentioned above all my lenses are in lowepro cases

[argyle]

I just modified a Deuter trail pack to handle camera gear and the necessities. Instead of lens cases, I opted for an F-Stop medium ICU to hold the gear...plenty of room above it for necessities, as well as both a top and bottom access...no need for rummaging.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=939940

[SeattleSpeedster]

here's the pack and tripod together

http://www.vispoint.com/album/Objects%20of%20Interest/slides/arcteryx.jpg