O/confusion
18th of April 2005 (Mon), 10:39
Hi everyone--
I've found there are times when a decent slimline padded bag is useful for toting around my monopod, both to keep it out of inclement weather while walking or cycling around and to protect it, myself, and other folk nearby, from accidental damage when in crowded conditions--particularly indoors in stores or public buildings.
Rather than go for a purpose-made photo product, I found a very serviceable alternative in a sports and games store a few years back; it's meant to hold a collapsible pool cue, and in addition to being made of the same kind of tight-weave water-repellent fabric as a lot of good camera bags, it is lined with very soft artificial sheepskin for padding, it has a zip fastener that opens for about 8" from the top of the bag which affords easy access (without the risk of losing the monopod should the zip inadvertently come open), a handy-sized pocket on the lower front with a velcro-closing flap, and an adjustable 1" wide nylon webbing shoulder strap. Mine is all black, with black nylon strap adjusters, and looks every bit the photo accessory that one would likely have to pay a lot more for. It has a brand label ("Dufferin") stitched to the pocket flap, but it would probably easy enough to remove if one felt so inclined.
The bag will hold my Manfrotto monopod (24" long, fully collapsed) with #352RC ballhead attached, if the first 3'' of the zip is left open (the zip's tab snugs up just below the head's locking lever)--which is good when you want to deploy it in a hurry; but for just moving it around, for packing in a suitcase, or for storage purposes, the front pocket is just large enough to hold the ballhead and then the bag can be fully zipped up. With the bag slung diagonally across my back, I've found it quite easy to slide the monopod out when needed; getting it back in again does sometimes require a little maneuvering (depending on how encumbered I am with other gear!) but it's no big chore.
I found mine for somewhere in the region of $15–$20 (CDN), and it's been worth every penny. I'm probably not the first person to have gone this route, but I haven't seen any other postings referencing it so I hope this info may be of some use to some of you out there in Forumland.
All the best,
Terry
I've found there are times when a decent slimline padded bag is useful for toting around my monopod, both to keep it out of inclement weather while walking or cycling around and to protect it, myself, and other folk nearby, from accidental damage when in crowded conditions--particularly indoors in stores or public buildings.
Rather than go for a purpose-made photo product, I found a very serviceable alternative in a sports and games store a few years back; it's meant to hold a collapsible pool cue, and in addition to being made of the same kind of tight-weave water-repellent fabric as a lot of good camera bags, it is lined with very soft artificial sheepskin for padding, it has a zip fastener that opens for about 8" from the top of the bag which affords easy access (without the risk of losing the monopod should the zip inadvertently come open), a handy-sized pocket on the lower front with a velcro-closing flap, and an adjustable 1" wide nylon webbing shoulder strap. Mine is all black, with black nylon strap adjusters, and looks every bit the photo accessory that one would likely have to pay a lot more for. It has a brand label ("Dufferin") stitched to the pocket flap, but it would probably easy enough to remove if one felt so inclined.
The bag will hold my Manfrotto monopod (24" long, fully collapsed) with #352RC ballhead attached, if the first 3'' of the zip is left open (the zip's tab snugs up just below the head's locking lever)--which is good when you want to deploy it in a hurry; but for just moving it around, for packing in a suitcase, or for storage purposes, the front pocket is just large enough to hold the ballhead and then the bag can be fully zipped up. With the bag slung diagonally across my back, I've found it quite easy to slide the monopod out when needed; getting it back in again does sometimes require a little maneuvering (depending on how encumbered I am with other gear!) but it's no big chore.
I found mine for somewhere in the region of $15–$20 (CDN), and it's been worth every penny. I'm probably not the first person to have gone this route, but I haven't seen any other postings referencing it so I hope this info may be of some use to some of you out there in Forumland.
All the best,
Terry