Cart to Carry Gear.

[Photowell]

Sometime ago I saw a thread on using a cart to carry camera gear on wildlife trails. But I cannot seem to find it. Does anyone knowof any carts to carry gear on wildlife trails.
Thanks
Marvin

[Mocows]

Some trails are restricted to hiking boots only because treads on bikes will damage the trails itself just to be aware. As far as carts go, I would assume they are slightly clunky. Someone can enlighten me if there is such a cart.

[BigBlueDodge]

Feisol makes a carbon fiber "photo cart"

http://www.feisol.com/english/photocart.htm

However, I'm not sure how well any cart would work for wildlife trails. All trails I have been on are rough, and I would imagine that the camera's would take a fair amount of shaking/bumping, etc while being pulled on the trail. Not to mention the amount of dust that would be kicked up by the wheels coverign yoru backs. I think a backpack may be a more appropriate carrying device.

[rklepper]

I cannot imagine trying to pull any kind of a card down a trail. Unless it is a paved bike trail and you are trying to shoot robins.

[RandyMN]

Feisol makes a carbon fiber "photo cart"

http://www.feisol.com/english/photocart.htm

However, I'm not sure how well any cart would work for wildlife trails. All trails I have been on are rough, and I would imagine that the camera's would take a fair amount of shaking/bumping, etc while being pulled on the trail. Not to mention the amount of dust that would be kicked up by the wheels coverign yoru backs. I think a backpack may be a more appropriate carrying device.


I looked at the link... Was there a cart somewhere in that photo? I really wanted to see what it looked like.

[Photowell]

The type of trail I am talking about are gravel and some are paved. The gravel one is a Natural Wildlife Refuge. (I shoot a lot more than Robins.) The reason I want some to carry my gear is that I have a bad hip and using a backpack is hard.
Thanks'
Marvin

PS Don't get old!!

[P51Mstg]

Go to your local home center and look for WAGONS in the garden department, kind of an upgraded kid's wagon with blowup wheels..... Works great. $60 to $100. Make sure you get one with bearings in the wheels so it will last a while (unlike HARBOR FREIGHT made in CHINA ones with NO BEARINGS)

Mark H

[tgara]

The type of trail I am talking about are gravel and some are paved. The gravel one is a Natural Wildlife Refuge. (I shoot a lot more than Robins.) The reason I want some to carry my gear is that I have a bad hip and using a backpack is hard.
Thanks'
Marvin

PS Don't get old!!


Sounds like you need a golf cart or something similar. This one includes a front ammo rack, floor-mounted gun rack, and an 800 lb. payload capacity. In case you want to get in some other kind of shooting in while at the wildlife refuge! :)

http://www.ezgo.com/personal/sport/clays_car.html

[JWright]

Feisol makes a carbon fiber "photo cart"

http://www.feisol.com/english/photocart.htm

However, I'm not sure how well any cart would work for wildlife trails. All trails I have been on are rough, and I would imagine that the camera's would take a fair amount of shaking/bumping, etc while being pulled on the trail. Not to mention the amount of dust that would be kicked up by the wheels coverign yoru backs. I think a backpack may be a more appropriate carrying device.

That's pretty slick. I could see that as useful for zoo photography but really not much else...

[BigBlueDodge]

I looked at the link... Was there a cart somewhere in that photo? I really wanted to see what it looked like.


Uhm, it's in the main picture of the page. See the picture of the scantily clad girl taking a picture? Her camera is mounted to the cart. The bags are resting on the cart. The cart serves as both a tripod and a cart.

[MSIGuy]

Just go to Wal-mart, Shields, any hunting supply store and get a small wagon with large rubber tires.

[BradM]

While I haven't found a truly dedicated photography cart there are a number of options. And it is clear I think many making suggestions have never spent a bunch of time out in the field with several bodies and long focal length lenses hauling them along.

A wagon being one of the last choices due to the weight and size of the wheels for obstacles and the design of the handle makes dragging it along makes it very tough on the shoulders, hauling a 40 pound wagon with another 40 to 50 pounds of gear for several miles is something you won't want to do again.

Next up the list would be a golf bag cart, these are useful in that the are designed to stand upright, have large(er) wheels to overcome obstacles however the slick hard tires are not good for much except groomed lawns. They will pass along a lot of vibration and will slide on all on transverse grades though being designed to push or pull along makes them a better choice than the wagon.

One of best adaptable are the jogging strollers used to push children around when a parent is out running. The tires and wheels are designed to maintain traction over a variety of surfaces, they have at least a modicum of suspension to reduce vibrations to the gear and are designed to collapse quickly for storage & hauling them around. Cost can be a bit high new however like many pieces of exercise equipment and/or age based children products people often out grow their use rather quickly meaning a big discount buying used.

Any of these of course need a modification to be best put to use to hauling a couple cameras and large lenses mounted about. But it really isn't that tough.

Using wide nylon and velcro straps an upper support sytems can be designed to hold the camera/lens in a lens down ready to shoot position by removing the seat back. Tripods were mounted on the back side of the lenses with a pocket for the feet and velcro straps supporting the heads. Where the seat base is replace with a a camera style backpack to carry all of the additional gear.

Using this we hauled a Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6 and Canon 600mm f/4 both with mounted bodies, a pair of big Gitzo tripods and a bag full of gear Nothing more than a velcro strap away from use handheld or a couple away from having the tripods up and ready to go. The longest trek with this gear was about 40 miles over several days over the spine of Vancouver Island through Strathcoma Provincial Park.

[badgerW]

phamster has a golf bag cart setup:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=8053972&postcount=1194

It is mostly for his AlienBees lighting setup (light stand and big heavy battery) but a similar cart could easily be adapted to carrying whatever gear you want. You could just strap it to a normal photo bag and have at it. The tires are large and fairly rugged. Here is one that looks pretty similar:

http://www.linksmangolf.com/p-52-x3-3-wheel-golf-cart.aspx

[ben_r_]

Uhm, it's in the main picture of the page. See the picture of the scantily clad girl taking a picture? Her camera is mounted to the cart. The bags are resting on the cart. The cart serves as both a tripod and a cart.
HA HA! Seriously! Thats what I was thinking! My lord, could those shorts be any less? They look funny!

[snails]

Realistically, look at this: Radio-flyer ATW (http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Flyer-All-Terrain-Cargo-Wagon/dp/B00000K1VR/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1247167555&sr=8-2).

Uhm, it's in the main picture of the page. See the picture of the scantily clad girl taking a picture? Her camera is mounted to the cart. The bags are resting on the cart. The cart serves as both a tripod and a cart.

The sarcasm soared right over your head. :lol:

[Photowell]

BradM Thanks for the suggestion about stroller, I have looked at them and they do look to be what I need. I don't think a lot of people understand that when you have bad back and hip that a backpack is not the answer to hauling a lot gear.
Thanks again,
Marvin