Who carries several bodies & what backpack do you use? Configuration tips!

jimmy_racoon wrote in post #18949724
yes!
I have traveled with in on multiple airlines without issue
It won't fit under the seat, but has plenty of room for overhead bins
Good luck & safe travels!

Thanks for the advice. I am leaning towards the Mindshift Backlight 36L.
Thanks again for the great recommendation !

Ah-keong wrote in post #18953641
Thanks for the advice. I am leaning towards the Mindshift Backlight 36L.
Thanks again for the great recommendation !

One advantage your choice has is for keeping the bag on your hip to swing in front to open.
(The 450 does not work well in this case and dumps out when attempted.)
I do like 450's hard shell top for extra protection, however.
Great choice-good luck!

Thanks for all the bags to look over. I'll need to look a them further.

I have a Lowepro Flipside 400AW Backpack for traveling. It can fit under an airline seat if necessary, and I have fit the following in it:

Canon 5D3 w/ EF 40mm f/2.8 pancake attached
Canon 7D2 w/ EF 100-400L II attached
Canon EF 24-105L
Canon EF 16-35L f/4 IS

For our trip to Iceland this past summer, I changed things up a little and took three bodies:

Canon 5D3 w/ EF 40mm f/2.8 pancake attached
Canon 7D2 w/ EF 70-200 f/4 IS attached
Canon EOS M50 w/ EF-M 15-45 attached
Canon EF 24-105L
EF-M 11-22mm
EF-M 22mm /f2 pancake
1.4x TC

I almost always use/pack two bodies. I hate backpacks and don't use them

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #18983938
I almost always use/pack two bodies. I hate backpacks and don't use them

I think backpacks are a generational thing.

They weren't used by us Boomers as kids because we never had to carry so many books home. So they were never a Boomer thing.

I just stumbled over this thread while drinking my first cup of coffee for the New Year. It (thread, not coffee) raises a question for me: What do those of you who've answered so far do for a living? Are you traveling with all of this gear because you are getting paid? I used to carry a 1D Mark IV and 100-400L to the kids' outdoor sports. I've generally opted for lighter gear; and the 80D and 55-250 covers about the same range. My current heavy set-up, P645N & 80-160 FA, weighs about as much as the 1DIV/100-400. I would never dream of carrying two bodies. I seldom carry a second lens. What are you guys doing with all of that gear at one time?

PentaxShooter wrote in post #18984185
... What are you guys doing with all of that gear at one time?

In my case, shooting motor sports. Having two bodies means I can cover a wider range of opportunities by having two different lenses ready to go at a moment's notice. Also, I frequently shoot in dusty conditions and having two bodies means fewer lens swaps, therefore fewer chances for dust to get inside my equipment.

Usually, I would have my 70-200 or 100-400 attached to the 7D2 and my 24-70 or 24-105 on the 5D3.

Yes, it's a lot of weight and makes clambering around rocky terrain a bit tricky, but the ability to turn catch pretty much every shot opportunity is extremely valuable.

PentaxShooter wrote in post #18984185
I just stumbled over this thread while drinking my first cup of coffee for the New Year. It (thread, not coffee) raises a question for me: What do those of you who've answered so far do for a living? Are you traveling with all of this gear because you are getting paid? I used to carry a 1D Mark IV and 100-400L to the kids' outdoor sports. I've generally opted for lighter gear; and the 80D and 55-250 covers about the same range. My current heavy set-up, P645N & 80-160 FA, weighs about as much as the 1DIV/100-400. I would never dream of carrying two bodies. I seldom carry a second lens. What are you guys doing with all of that gear at one time?

For me, I activate the Mindshift Backlight 36L backpack when on location or travelling with a DSLR (7D), and carrying ~3 zoom (EF-S 10-18mm, Sigma 18-35mm, Canon 70-200mm f/2,8) lens, accessories such as batteries, charger, ND filters, lensball, triggers, flashes, tripod, etc, and still has space for another body. This bag can also be used as a carry-on but for smaller jets, I would recommend the medium size 26L.

My lighter duty bag is a messenger bag with a DSLM (RP) and ~3 prime (20mm, 35mm, 85mm) lens where I shoot around the city.

Ah-keong wrote in post #18987590
For me, I activate the Mindshift Backlight 36L backpack when on location or travelling with a DSLR (7D), and carrying ~3 zoom (EF-S 10-18mm, Sigma 18-35mm, Canon 70-200mm f/2,8) lens, accessories such as batteries, charger, ND filters, lensball, triggers, flashes, tripod, etc, and still has space for another body. This bag can also be used as a carry-on but for smaller jets, I would recommend the medium size 26L.

My lighter duty bag is a messenger bag with a DSLM (RP) and ~3 prime (20mm, 35mm, 85mm) lens where I shoot around the city.

Ah, I see WHAT you are carrying. Thanks for that. However... My question was about WHY you are carrying all that gear. Is the sole purpose of your outing, while you are carrying all of that, to take as many photographs as you can?

I have Canon 80D, and lenses from 8mm to 600mm, mostly zooms. And Pentax medium format film 645N with lenses from 35mm to 400mm, mostly primes. When I leave the house with a camera, it with (generally) one photographic goal in mind. As such, I carry one body with whatever lens I will need attached. Very rarely do I go out with more than one lens; never more than two. I will never need a backpack for camera gear; I don't even use neck straps. Two hands, one camera. Seems about right to me.

I am more interested in WHY you are carrying so much gear.

PentaxShooter wrote in post #18987601
Ah, I see WHAT you are carrying. Thanks for that. However... My question was about WHY you are carrying all that gear. Is the sole purpose of your outing, while you are carrying all of that, to take as many photographs as you can?

I have Canon 80D, and lenses from 8mm to 600mm, mostly zooms. And Pentax medium format film 645N with lenses from 35mm to 400mm, mostly primes. When I leave the house with a camera, it with (generally) one photographic goal in mind. As such, I carry one body with whatever lens I will need attached. Very rarely do I go out with more than one lens; never more than two. I will never need a backpack for camera gear; I don't even use neck straps. Two hands, one camera. Seems about right to me.

I am more interested in WHY you are carrying so much gear.

For travel and event, yes to a certain extent. depending on the requirements and transport, a backpack would hold all the gear and accessories.

If I leave the house and wander the streets for scouting and training, the messenger bag would do the job, 1 camera 1 lens, 1 kanteen.

RDKirk wrote in post #18983966
I think backpacks are a generational thing.

They weren't used by us Boomers as kids because we never had to carry so many books home. So they were never a Boomer thing.

That may be true, but I did consider a backpack for medium format when I took a sabbatical in Chile 30 years ago. I ended up using a daypack, separated by custom high density foam dividers (made by me). But in considering a backpack I did look at photo backpacks. The downside I could assess was

• it needs to come off your back to reach anything
  
• generally speaking, you need to lay the thing down to access all of its compartments for lenses
  
• when you lay the thing down in the field, often only dirt is available as a surface...which then goes against your wet sweaty back!
  

If you need to move around a lot and switch lenses quickly, then I see a shoulder bag or sling bag working better for you. But if you hike someplace (often miles), and stop in an area for awhile, then setting it down isn't a problem, and your shoulders will be happier.

As far as dirt goes, there are several backpacks with rear access which helps avoid the mud/dirt/whatever on the straps, and offers more security in crowds (until you set it down). I hike, so the backpack is a must.

Photo-specific packs with rear access include:

Atlas (Athlete and Adventure)
F-stop (mountain series)
Nya-Evo (60L)
Shimoda
ThinkTank Backlight series

I've tried a few of those and, for me, Atlas is most comfortable with a great hipbelt and multiple sizes (but there are still people who don't find them comfortable... it just depends on the person). I'd rank Shimoda next with the adjustable torso height. I haven't tried Nya-Evo. Thinktank packs are nicely made but only have one size each... they either fit or they don't.

There are a few ski packs with rear access. Osprey, Gregory, Mammut, Deuter and probably others I'm blanking on. Most don't have side stretch pockets for water bottles, which I like to have on a hike (not a water bladder fan, but that's a personal thing). Most aren't meant to fit inserts, but probably have a better harness depending on the person. There are other panel loading packs but again they aren't made for inserts, and you have more layers of access to get through to get gear out.

I carry:

Canon 5D S w/ Sigma 85 1.4 attached
Canon 6D w/24-105 attached
Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS
Canon 17-40 f4
Canon 135 f2
Canon 2x Converter
Flashpoint X speedlight
13" MacBook Pro or 12.9" iPad (There's room for both, but I rarely take both)
6 Camera batteries, 1 extra flash battery
Media card wallet
ND Filter

I use an ApeCase AC Pro 2000 backpack and I love it! This load is very heavy and the bag balances very well and has very nice padding, so it's comfortable.
Here's a link: https://276bw8322pjd37​xjb72se6xo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com …04/ACPRO2000_Ca​llOuts.pdf

RDKirk wrote in post #18983966
I think backpacks are a generational thing.

They weren't used by us Boomers as kids because we never had to carry so many books home. So they were never a Boomer thing.

I am 57 and have a couple of photo backpacks. They work well for me walking through airports and while hiking. My subjects of interest are landscapes and wildlife while traveling.

BTW, I had a backpack in college back in the early '80's, too. It was the easiest way to carry the textbooks I needed. Too bad ebooks were not around then.

PentaxShooter wrote in post #18987601
Ah, I see WHAT you are carrying. Thanks for that. However... My question was about WHY you are carrying all that gear. Is the sole purpose of your outing, while you are carrying all of that, to take as many photographs as you can?

I have Canon 80D, and lenses from 8mm to 600mm, mostly zooms. And Pentax medium format film 645N with lenses from 35mm to 400mm, mostly primes. When I leave the house with a camera, it with (generally) one photographic goal in mind. As such, I carry one body with whatever lens I will need attached. Very rarely do I go out with more than one lens; never more than two. I will never need a backpack for camera gear; I don't even use neck straps. Two hands, one camera. Seems about right to me.

I am more interested in WHY you are carrying so much gear.

In my case, I shoot both landscapes and wildlife when we are traveling -- the walls of our home are covered with enlargements of photos I have taken during our travels over the past 30 years. Landscapes and wildlife require different types of lenses, and having two bodies allows me to keep a telephoto lens on a body at all times -- thereby greatly reducing the number of lens changes. When I had a single body, if we were at a place such as Yellowstone, I would need to leave the telephoto mounted as we traveled around the park, swap to a wider lens when we came upon a landscape scene, and then chage back to the telephoto before leaving the scene. After all, a mountain or waterfall will wait for you to change lenses, but a grizzly bear, wolf or elk will not.

I have also begun bringing a third body on some trips -- my small Canon EOS M50. It allows me to actually carry two cameras but feel like I am only carrying one. When we were in Iceland this past summer, I would sometimes hike with the M50 and EF-M 11-22mm mounted, along with a 5D3 + 24-105L. That gave me focal lengths from ultra wide to short telephoto without any lens changes. Other times I hiked with the M50 + EF-M 15-45mm and 7D2 + 70-200 f/4 IS (plus 1.4x TC). That gave me focal lengths from wide angle through longer telephoto.

BTW, I would have normally brought my EF 100-400L II on the trip to Iceland, but decided on the lighter weight 70-200 f/4 IS + TC option so I could save a little weight on my back. It worked out fine. I was still able to get shots of arctic terns and Atlantic puffins that I was happy with.

That being said, I just picked up a large messenger bag for those trips were I want to bring an intermediate amount of equipment. We are going to Key West later this winter, and I had planned on just bringing the same small kit I brought last year -- M50 plus four EF-M lenses which fit in a small shoulder bag. However, I recently bought a Canon EOS R + RF 24-105L during the holiday sales, and I really want to play with the new camera. So, I picked up a messenger bag that will hold the EOS R + 24-105L, M50 + four EF-M lenses, accessories, and have room for an iPad and Kindle (I usually carry that and maybe a Chromebook in a separate small shoulder bag).

You can never have too many camera bags when you have a variety of equipment, as you never know what combination of gear you may want to bring along.