Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II arrived.

This bag is heavy even empty. I think it will help to shape my philosophy about What I carry with me. In the past I have been able to bring almost all my gear with me - no problem. I plan on adding the 300 2.8L in March so now I will have to decide what to bring because I am unwilling to deal with the weight . I don't think I'll use it when traveling unless I expect to do a lot of hiking.

It feels good on, even though my hips are hard to find because of large love handles. I'm guessing that I'll appreciate it on long walks/hikes. I think that a smaller shoulder bag and a vest will be better around town. (with matching shoes of course!)

A local camera shop wanted $50. more for it than I paid at B&H with free shipping and I saved the sales tax to boot.

It is below zero f outside so the testing will have to wait.

Thanks for your advice on selecting this bag.

Tapeman.

I love my AWII. I've found that it's a LOT more manageable with the waist strap on. The chest strap is nice as well. Also, make sure you adjust the height to your size. That made a big difference for me in the way that it fit.

How heavy is this thing? I swear I saw 15 lbs listed somewhere, which is completely insane. How much does it really weigh? And is it good for holding stuff that is not camera gear (like an extra jacket, first aid kit, food, flashlight, etc)?

slappy sam wrote in post #2626346
How heavy is this thing? I swear I saw 15 lbs listed somewhere, which is completely insane. How much does it really weigh? And is it good for holding stuff that is not camera gear (like an extra jacket, first aid kit, food, flashlight, etc)?

B&H says 9.2lbs. It does have a daypack that attaches to the front (basically a small single-pocket backpack) and there's a pocket on the front of the camera bag as well. I regularly take it to class with me and put my books in the front pocket (or in the daypack if i've got a lot) and still have ALL of my camera gear inside. However, there are better bags if you're looking to carry around a bunch of stuff along with your photo gear. Perhaps consider the Rover AW II

I think without the daypack that comes with it it weighs 7-8 pounds. So you could get a bag of similar size that weighs around 5 pounds. The support system, especially the waist strap makes the pack very easy on the back when loaded with about 20 pounds of gear. This is my third camera backpack and I think that for carrying 20 - 30 pounds it is much better than my old ones for a long day of hiking/walking. There is room for a light jacket but anything else will have to get strapped on. You can add bags & lens cases etc. to it.

I am a big guy, 6' 7" with a 48 inch waist. Think this thing will work for me anyone?

Scott

I think it might be too small for you. Are there any local camera shops you could try some on?

Not really here in Albuquerque unfortunately. Just have to ask the opinion of you all that actually own them to get opinions. Any suggestions?

Congrats on a very fine bag. i love mine to death, and no matter how much gear you pack into it once you get all the straps on it feels like nothing (well as much like nothing as a all that gear can feel). Ill try to post some shots later of how i have mine setup so you can get an idea where all your gear can fit. you should be able to get it all in there easy though since i have all that and another body (and the 400 5.6 but it goes in a seperate bag on the side)

I'm glad to see a post about this bag, as it's the very same bag I own.

I think it's just okay. The outer zipper compartment is very limited as to what it can hold. The interior is also not that roomy. I cannot hold all my equipment in it. Now that I got the 300 f2.8, while it does fit on camera in the middle, the hood must be turned; it also causes the sides of the bag to bulge out and makes zippering very difficult.

I don't find the straps to be very comfortable, and when this bag is loaded up you're going to know it. I would have been better off with a larger bag, and maybe one that's lighter, if that doesn't violate the laws of physics.

mark

well heres how i do it:

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/png'

I guess I need a lesson in packing.

Can you please direct me to the link for that neoprene hood cover? And does it still go on when the hood is not reversed?

mark

I was also thinking about the Nature Trekker AW II, but just wondered if anyone had any opinions of it versus the Tamrac Expedition series - 7 or 8?

MDJAK wrote in post #2630847
I guess I need a lesson in packing.

Can you please direct me to the link for that neoprene hood cover? And does it still go on when the hood is not reversed?

mark

sure Mark.
Yea, i found that with the 300 at first it was impossible to close aswell. like the first time it took my like ten mintues to close, but the longer its been in there the easier it is to do. now that everything is streched out its not difficult at all anymore.

The cover is a HootHat, and yet it goes on when the Hood is out, which is one of the main reasons i got it (that and its not big and ugly like canon's!) i believe its the XXL.
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …EG&addedTroughT​ype=search

Thank you very much.

mark