Can anyone recommend a bag to hold a Tronix Explorer XT and 2 Elinchrom 600RX's?

[Cathpah]

I'm trying to stave off hitting the "buy" button on a ranger speed AS as long as possible, and in doing so I'm hoping to find a proper softsided bag/backpack that would allow me to easily transport the tronix plus two lights to my car/location/middle of the woods. A backpack would be ideal, but I'm not sure that'd be very feasible (might be huuuuuuge). Right now, I carry my two 600RX's in a computrekker AW and they basically fill the main compartment, so I can't imagine the computrekker plus would fit the tronix as well (and that backpack is huge!). Ideally there'd be a few accessory pockets/dividers/organization for elinchrom deflectors, fuses, light meter, skyports.

Lightware? Tenba? Tamrac? Kata? Whattaya think? Sadly, I'm up in Portland, Maine....so I can't think of any camera store closer than new york that would have a giant selection of bags to play with.

All of this comes from me dreaming about grabbing a backpack that would already have the ranger speed as and one or two heads and just be ready. Maybe a new bag will fix that? haha....I must have more camera/gear bags than my wife has purses/shoes.

[RichNY]

I'm trying to stave off hitting the "buy" button on a ranger speed AS as long as possible, and in doing so I'm hoping to find a proper softsided bag/backpack that would allow me to easily transport the tronix plus two lights to my car/location/middle of the woods. A backpack would be ideal, but I'm not sure that'd be very feasible (might be huuuuuuge). Right now, I carry my two 600RX's in a computrekker AW and they basically fill the main compartment, so I can't imagine the computrekker plus would fit the tronix as well (and that backpack is huge!). All of this comes from me dreaming about grabbing a backpack that would already have the ranger speed as and one or two heads and just be ready. Maybe a new bag will fix that? haha....I must have more camera/gear bags than my wife has purses/shoes.

Lightware? Tenba? Tamrac? Kata? Whattaya think? Sadly, I'm up in Portland, Maine....so I can't think of any camera store closer than new york that would have a giant selection of bags to play with.

Jeff, time for a road trip to NYC. You'll get a chance to meet me, Robert, Dave, as well as getting to browse the B&H bag department. :D

[Cathpah]

Jeff, time for a road trip to NYC. You'll get a chance to meet me, Robert, Dave, as well as getting to browse the B&H bag department. :D

hahaha....this is true. Just think of the the pandemonium that we could bring to the bag section of B&H!

To be honest, that may be in the works. I've got a good friend that I met in India who's going to be coming to the US/Canada for a few weeks, and he'll be visiting family in Jersey, so I'm hoping to bribe him to come into new york. I'll keep you guys posted.

[hawk911]

well, the XT can be had with it's own bag. Did you pop for that when you bought? I'm not sure I'd want all that gear in 1 bag, unless it was a hard case. To me, the softsided bag would be too tempting for something to get crushed. I'd get a large backpack for the lights and just use the shoulder strap for the XT. I'd bring a friend along too, to carry either the lights of the camera bag; but then again I drag my 17yr old with me as pack mule. :)

[fivegallon]

Well i don't think the Tronix would be too much fun in a backpack personally... Maybe you would be better off with a pelican style case with some pneumatic tyres...

[Cathpah]

well, the XT can be had with it's own bag. Did you pop for that when you bought? I'm not sure I'd want all that gear in 1 bag, unless it was a hard case. To me, the softsided bag would be too tempting for something to get crushed. I'd get a large backpack for the lights and just use the shoulder strap for the XT. I'd bring a friend along too, to carry either the lights of the camera bag; but then again I drag my 17yr old with me as pack mule. :)

I did buy the bag, and it works just great....however the fewer the bags the better in my opinion, to keep packing the car/gathering gear for location work.

Assistants are always ideal, but I do quite a few shoots a week, and assistants aren't always possible. The models are often carrying their own gear (makeup/wardrobe/etc), so I'm often fending for myself/lugging all my gear

Well i don't think the Tronix would be too much fun in a backpack personally... Maybe you would be better off with a pelican style case with some pneumatic tyres...

I don't think the Tronix is too bad weight-wise. I spent all of 2007 backpacking through South and Southeast Asia, so I'm certainly used to carrying a heavy pack. I'd rather one heavy backpack, than a small backpack and shoulder bag...especially when I've got an armful of stands and softboxes.

I've got pelicans, and they're great for serious transport/storage...but I'm in need of something that I can carry into the woods for location shoots, and a pelican just ain't it.

Thanks for the suggestions though, I do appreciate throwing ideas out there.

[hawk911]

okay- maybe a bit odd looking, but what about a wheel cart like old people use? You could put the battery in the bottom, flash bag on top of that, and then camera gear. The wheels are usually big enough to allow for ruts and roots, if you shoot in the forest or uneven terrain.

Like this:

Folding Granny cart (http://www.amazon.com/Jumbo-Folding-Shopping-Cart-Chrome/dp/B0000UZ582)

[TMR Design]

A bag that will hold the battery and 2 strobes is going to be awkward and heavy. Why not have 2 bags or cases?

[hawk911]

1 bag for battery, 1 bag for strobes, 1 bag for stands and modifiers, 1 bag for camera gear.

[Cathpah]

A bag that will hold the battery and 2 strobes is going to be awkward and heavy. Why not have 2 bags or cases?

you're just no fun. I can carry it....I promise! Just find me the bag that'll fit it. :D

The tronix is like 18lbs, right? The lights are maybe 6lbs each? So then we're at 30 pounds. Add in light meter, skyports, deflectors, cords, and the bag itself, and I'd be at about 40lbs....given I way more than 5 times that....so I'd hope I could carry it! My camera bag throughout a lot of my time in Asia was more than 60lbs, and I had to carry a backpack full of clothes/medicine/supplies as well!

1 bag for battery, 1 bag for strobes, 1 bag for stands and modifiers, 1 bag for camera gear.
+1 for Beauty Dish

+1 for Reflectors/filters/cinefoil

+1 for grip heads/clamps/etc

I'm trying to cut the number of bags down as much as possible. I'm hoping to buy a good bag/softsided case that'll be a catchall for gripgear and reflectors/filters....and also buy a bag that'll handle the two lights and battery. That way I'll be able to carry the two lights/battery on my back, a couple of stands in my arms, and a camera bag over my shoulder. I'll just toss the other bag of gripgear/reflectors in the back of my outback and grab whatever I'll need at that time.

[TMR Design]

you're just no fun. I can carry it....I promise! Just find me the bag that'll fit it. :D

The tronix is like 18lbs, right? The lights are maybe 6lbs each? So then we're at 30 pounds. Add in light meter, skyports, deflectors, cords, and the bag itself, and I'd be at about 40lbs....given I way more than 5 times that....so I'd hope I could carry it! My camera bag throughout a lot of my time in Asia was more than 60lbs, and I had to carry a backpack full of clothes/medicine/supplies as well!


+1 for Beauty Dish

+1 for Reflectors/filters/cinefoil

+1 for grip heads/clamps/etc

I'm trying to cut the number of bags down as much as possible. I'm hoping to buy a good bag/softsided case that'll be a catchall for gripgear and reflectors/filters....and also buy a bag that'll handle the two lights and battery. That way I'll be able to carry the two lights/battery on my back, a couple of stands in my arms, and a camera bag over my shoulder. I'll just toss the other bag of gripgear/reflectors in the back of my outback and grab whatever I'll need at that time.

Just throw it all in a big Army duffel bag and forget about it... lolo.

[hawk911]

You really need a cart of some kind with big wheels to deal with rough terrain. Even a kids wagon of some kind. That's a lot of gear to try and get in just a few bags. Calling a spade a spade....

[Cathpah]

It's nice of you all to look out for the wellbeing of my back (:D)...but I PROMISE if there is a bag that could hold the tronix plus two strobes, I'd be able to carry it. Again....it'd be only 40 lbs or so, and I'm 28 years old and 225 lbs, so it really shouldn't be much trouble.

[TMR Design]

Do you literally want a bag, or are you also looking at cases?

[Cathpah]

Do you literally want a bag, or are you also looking at cases?

yep...ideally it'd be a bag. I'm sure I could figure out the proper sized pelican box, but that'd be significantly heavier, and much less wieldly when trying to carry gear into the woods. I don't need to go on any 2 hours hikes....but carrying it in 300 yards into the woods will occur often.

Doesn't HAVE to be a backpack, but that'd certainly be preferable so I can have a domke on my shoulder with cameras and a couple lightstands/modifiers in my hands.

[george m w]

.....would something like this hold that ?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/91695-REG/f_64_BPXG_BPX_Extra_Large_Backpack.html

main compartment 13"x13"x6"
top compartment 8"x13"x5"

[Cathpah]

.....would something like this hold that ?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/91695-REG/f_64_BPXG_BPX_Extra_Large_Backpack.html

main compartment 13"x13"x6"
top compartment 8"x13"x5"

Sadly, it won't. The tronix is about 15" wide.

[TMR Design]

This might be cutting it close and it's certainly not cheap, but it might do the job Jeff.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/31411-REG/Lightware_MF1623_MF1623_Multi_Format_Case.html#spe cifications

[Cathpah]

This might be cutting it close and it's certainly not cheap, but it might do the job Jeff.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/31411-REG/Lightware_MF1623_MF1623_Multi_Format_Case.html#spe cifications

hmm...not winning any beauty pageants with that one! (as if I were a pageant queen beforehand...ha!)

as odd as it may sound, I went the non-camera gear route on this one, and went ahead and bought the Mountainsmith Hauler 3 Deluxe (http://www.mountainsmith.com/products.asp?productId=40&categoryId=7&subCategoryId=4&subCategory2Id=0)which I found for $50 (quite a deal). I haven't had a chance to check the fit, but I'm hoping it might fit (inner bags are 15" wide, 7.5" thick, and 15" tall....so the tronix in one cube, lights in another cube, and reflectors/skyports/light meter in the third. If somehow it doesn't fit the tronix....then I'll just use it for a grip/reflector/odds n' ends bag to help with organization.

This is not to say that I've given up the search for the proper backpack....but for now, this'll be a MUCH cheaper and more obvious solution until I find something better suited for the job.

Feel free to keep throwing ideas/suggestions out there, because I imagine some of the less-than-wussy (I kid, I kid.) members of this forum might also be interested in a bag that could carry what I've asked.

[george m w]

Jeff,
Where did you find that mountainsmith hauler 3 for $50 ? The link to it shows $129. At $50 I'd like to get one of those.

[Cathpah]

Jeff,
Where did you find that mountainsmith hauler 3 for $50 ? The link to it shows $129. At $50 I'd like to get one of those.

I actually found one "refurbished" that apparently had been unpackaged in a store to be a display.

However, if you go to backcountryoutlet.com they are currently running a deal to get half off retail, so you can get the hauler 2 plus for $40 dollars or so when you apply the 50% off coupon code that pops up on backcountryoutlet.com when browsing.