4 month tour of China...what to carry my gear with?

Going to be traveling through Asia for the next 4-5 months. I'm spending two months in Taiwan at a university then doing 2-3 months of pure travel though China (pretty much everywhere...I will especially be spending lots of time in the really scenic places such as Tibet).

I currently have (or am in the process of getting) a Canon 5D, Canon 17-40L, 24-105L, 50 mkII f/1.8, Singh-Ray LB Color Combo, Singh-Ray Blue and Gold polarizer, several 4x6 LEE/Singh-ray reverse, soft, hard grad filters, and a Feisol 3441S Carbon Fiber tripod with an Acratech v2 ballhead. I also have various accessories such as grey card, extra batteries, mem cards, giotto blower, lens pens, filter cleaner, etc...

I am primarily a landscape shooter.

I will swapping my acratech v2 for a RRS BH-25 + a RRS leveling base as the clamp which should shave some weight and height of the tripod.

This all fits comfortably into a Small National Geographic backpack. The thing is, I've used this backpack on my last 3 trips to china (each trip about a week). I found it held the gear but the pack became uncomfortable to wear for long periods and I ALWAYS had my camera backpack on everywhere I went (and I did LOTS of hiking). This trip will be an extensive traveling experience; I am not even sure I will bring any clothing...just a backpack.

What backpack should I get for this trip. I will probably be in locations for about a week at a time, but I will be doing lots of daytrips and hiking. Light weight is a must. I need to carry things like a sweater, water, change of clothes, travel documents, lonely planet guide in addition to photo gear. I must also be able to attach my tripod (which weighs only around 2.5-3lbs with ballhead and is about 17 inches tall folded).


I was thinking the rotation 360 by think tank but I am not sure. What about think tank's Change Up modular belt pack + a light weight ospray hiking backpack? But then, how will I attach my tripod?

I really don't think a regular "camera" packpack is going to work for my travels as I have to carry other stuff too. I like the Think Tank Chang Up system for it's ease of use and ability to quickly change lenses -- much faster then a backpack. I could then have a hiking backpack on my back if needed for other things like clothes etc.

What do you guys suggest?

I am your biggest envy at this point in time.

I just recently did a reply to someone with similar travel destinations as you do...I just got back from Hong Kong/Singapore/Malaysi​a/Macau and my bid is to take your 5D with that sexy 17-40L for the amazing architectures in Taiwan, and the nifty fifty kept handy for portraits in Tibet.

I would've also recommended you the 70-200L f/4 if you had it for street photojournalism shots but given your circumstances it would be hard to carry that around!

Just make sure that you keep your items safe with you. Asia is known to have a level of theft when travelling...best of luck and bring those awesome shots back!

Should you ever need inspiration with some Asia shots visit this site http://www.asa100.com

Sounds like it will be an exciting adventure! Looks like you've got all your gear covered... I'd be sure you have the right power converters, etc. And some places may not have power at all, so fully charged batteries are a must.

BTW, what job do you have? Unless you're a professor on sabbatical leave, unemployed, or independently wealthy, no employer I know of would let anyone take off 3 months! I'm very jealous, can't you tell!!

I've just finished University and I have about 4-5 months before loans repayments start kicking in. I've been working 14 hour days at a construction job for the past two months to pay for the trip

then thoroughly deserved

I see you've been to China before...just make sure to catch up on the good food in Taiwan and the supposedly beautiful girls there

Have a look at some Osprey backpacks...I use a 50 litre 'Exposure' pack when I'm out hiking or climbing and my camera is usually in a roll-top drybag such as the ones these http://seatosummit.com​.au/showdetail.php?Cod​e=AED. Otherwise for my protection, I put my camera inside a Lowepro Toploader Zoom AW and then place that inside my main pack.

You'll find that any hiking bag with a decent harness system will alleviate pretty much any soreness on your shoulder by transferring the majority of the weight from your shoulders to your hips. This means you will have sore hips possibly, but will happily be able to carry loads of 20kg or so...