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Backpack help please

nameBrandon

Well-known member
I will order the Atrack 45l (black as I do not want more attention). I kind of disliked the non-matching back access of the f-stop backpacks to their ICU's, so the Atrack seems to solve this problem and is waterproof. I will certainly give it a try. Did you also order the optional gear straps for tripod mount, or are they unnecessary?

Thank you!
I was curious about the gear straps as well. Since I am unsure if I will keep the Atrack 45L or the Anja, I didn't order the gear straps. If I keep the Atrack I will definitely order the gear straps, it looks like from Med's post that there probably isn't a good way to attach a tripod without those straps.
 

rdeloe

Well-known member
Thanks, Med-not-Rob, very helpful!! :)

I’m wondering now if I overshot with the 45L Atrac.. I’ll have 2 small pro ICU and a medium slope ICU to test with so we’ll see which combination works best.
I think med put it nicely in the next comment! My 35L is full up and has no room for anything else (food, clothes). I have to carry a water bottle in an outside pocket! The 45L is just a bit larger in all dimensions. With the benefit of hindsight, I would have purchased a 45L and cinched it up more when I didn't need the extra room.

Rob
 

nameBrandon

Well-known member
OK, just wanted to share the quick evaluation I did.. The Ajna loaded up just didn't feel great on my back at all, I could feel it (my back) starting to hurt almost immediately. The Ortleib on the other hand was adjustable to the point where I got it to feel much better, and the waist straps on the Ortleib were much much better for me.

As far as packing my gear, I started with the Medium Shallow ICU and added in a Small Pro ICU. Both of those fit in the Ajna and Atrack 45L no problems. The Anja didn't have much room left over, the Ortleib had some, but not a ton. You'll see I've packed my loaner Cambo WRS into a dedicated hard clamshell, this took up much of the room left over in the Anja. For the Atrack 45L there was enough room left some some tightly rolled clothes or other small items. I will say the exterior pockets on the Ajna seem pretty well thought, and you don't get that on the Atrack.

Ultimately I decided to drop the Sony A9 / 28-75 lens and compact down to two Small Pro ICU's. This allowed me to fit them "stacked" in the Atrack 45L which left a lot of room up top, even with the clamshell. At the point I decided to go to 2 Small Pro ICU's I stopped considering the Ajna. Photos below!

Medium Shallow ICU + Small Pro ICU



Two Small Pro ICU (removed Sony from the packing list)



Two Small Pro ICU "Stacked" in the Ortleib Atrack 45L with Cambo clamshell on top, and room to spare.



Just to give you an idea of the spare room up top.. I probably could've put two 500C/M side by side.



Bonus.. two Small Pro ICU fitting pretty much perfectly in a Nanuk 933 hard case (with lid organizer).




I need to figure out how to use the side pockets in the Atrack.. I will probably keep them only partially full and lay them on top of the small ICU's for easy access when traveling rather than trying to stuff them around the sides of the ICU's. That way I just unzip and the first thing I run into are those pockets. Also the compression setup on the Atrack is awesome.. took me a minute to figure it out but I really like how quickly you can expand and shrink this pack.

P.S. If anyone wants to know where I got my sweet blue Croc-style slippers, just ask.. :p
 

anyone

Well-known member
I didn't order it just yet ...

I'm sort of a gear-heavy person, I like the versatility of many lenses in my pack. Here we have seen so far only small ICU's. In my 50L Fstop backpack there fits even an XL ICU. While this is even too much for me, a large one would be great. Does anyone have an idea whether a large ICU would fit into the pack?

Thank you!
 

nameBrandon

Well-known member
I didn't order it just yet ...

I'm sort of a gear-heavy person, I like the versatility of many lenses in my pack. Here we have seen so far only small ICU's. In my 50L Fstop backpack there fits even an XL ICU. While this is even too much for me, a large one would be great. Does anyone have an idea whether a large ICU would fit into the pack?

Thank you!
It should fit with room to spare, assuming you are planning on having the top of the ICU (where you would insert gear) facing the zipper of the Atrack. If look at the dimensions, the Large Pro ICU is essentially two Small Pro ICU's stacked together. In the photos above I have the small pros stacked flat on top of each other (like a shelf), but they will also fit with the top of the ICU's facing the zipper.. Here's an example, again with my 500C/M on top showing the extra space left over.

IMG_5691.jpeg
 

anyone

Well-known member
Perfect, thank you! I assume the zipper can still be closed?:) That seems to be the backpack for me.
 

jng

Well-known member
It should fit with room to spare, assuming you are planning on having the top of the ICU (where you would insert gear) facing the zipper of the Atrack. If look at the dimensions, the Large Pro ICU is essentially two Small Pro ICU's stacked together. In the photos above I have the small pros stacked flat on top of each other (like a shelf), but they will also fit with the top of the ICU's facing the zipper.. Here's an example, again with my 500C/M on top showing the extra space left over.

View attachment 150889
Hi Brandon,

Not that I need yet another bag to retire and clutter my closet, but...

Will the medium and small ICUs fit in the pack stacked in this orientation - i.e., with their openings facing the pack's zipper? Just asking for a friend :ROTFL: who keeps his main kit in a medium slope ICU with extra lenses in a small shallow ICU - a very tight fit in the f-stop Loka UL...

Thanks.

John
 

nameBrandon

Well-known member
Hi Brandon,

Not that I need yet another bag to retire and clutter my closet, but...

Will the medium and small ICUs fit in the pack stacked in this orientation - i.e., with their openings facing the pack's zipper? Just asking for a friend :ROTFL: who keeps his main kit in a medium slope ICU with extra lenses in a small shallow ICU - a very tight fit in the f-stop Loka UL...

Thanks.

John
It *should*.. :) Unfortunately the Medium Slope ICU came with the Anja that I sent back so I can't test it, but external measurements show that the Medium Slope is basically the Small Pro / Shallow Height of 8 inches + 3 additional inches for a total of 11 inches. So 11 (medium) + 8 (small) = 19.. and what I'm showing in the bag is 8+8=16 inches. There is plenty of "girth" left in the bag to swallow those so I wouldn't worry about that dimension..

I can tell you the Medium slope fit facing the zipper (gear going in, like you want) and I stacked the small on top of it "shelf style" / sideways (like in my last set of photos) and that worked as well.

Sorry I can't get you a 100% yes on that, but it look like it should work OK how you want it.. Fair warning though, you may not have much room leftover to work with, and you don't really get any decent exterior storage (there's some small "keys and change" sized pockets on the waist band, but that's it). All storage is what you put in the bag, and then those 4 internal flap-style pockets. If you're planning on your MacBook / iPad, make sure you have it in a good case!
 

diggles

Well-known member
If you are considering the Lowepro Pro Trekker BP 350 AW II Backpack hopefully this post will help you make an informed decision. I use this pack for my tech cam kit and have had it out a few times for 3-4 mile hikes and multiple short walks from the car. It has performed great for both of those situations. It is comfortable for those distances.

What I like:
The main compartment holds the digital back, camera, 5 lenses, spacer, lcc cards, screen loupe, sync cord, business cards, and batteries. The small case insert is perfect for organizing batteries and cables. The compartment in the lid holds my compendium shade and Surface laptop for when I want to tether. The tripod fits snugly and feels very balanced when attached to the pack. The dividers are well made and the zippers close easily–even when the pack is full.

What I don't like:
No room for anything else. I have to use a fanny pack to hold food and water when I go for a hike.

Here is what is in the main compartment:

IMG_0286-numbered.jpg
  1. Kamerar CVF-1 Collapsible LCD Viewfinder 3X Magnifier for 3.0" 3.2" Screen (When the pack is closed this sits on the digital back. This replaced my Hoodman loupe and I like it much better.)
  2. Rodenstock 50mm HR T/S
  3. Business cards
  4. Rodenstock 32mm HR T/S
  5. Spacer for 150mm
  6. Hasselblad CFV II 50c
  7. Schneider 90mm
  8. Schneider 150mm
  9. Schneider 72mm T/S
  10. Rail for Compendium shade and Lumu Power 2 Power Light Meter for iPhone
  11. Cambo WRS 1600 and LCC cards
IMG_0284.jpgIMG_0285.jpgIMG_0287.jpgIMG_0286.jpg
 

diggles

Well-known member
While there is no perfect bag, and while I'd modify something here and there, the new Aciton X fixed most of the little problems I had with the Explore and come very darn close for me - on paper
Hey Vieri,

How are you liking the Shimoda X 50?

Hello Greg,

will surely do. Got notice from Shimoda two days ago, hopefully they should be shipping soon. I hope the bags will arrive before the end of January so that I'll be able to bring them with me for my two-month spring Workshop stretch - otherwise, it'll have to wait until April when I'll be home again :)

Best regards,

Vieri
It would be wonderful to hear your thoughts on the Shimoda and see how you pack your gear :)
 

sc_john

Active member
I am considering an Atrack 45L, and I would like to see if there are any follow-up comments from those who decided to go with a Atrack 45L. I would use either Large Pro ICU or 2 Small Pro ICU's for a Fuji GFX100s with GF 30, 45–100, 100-200 or set-up of GF prime lenses. How do you like the handling/carry of the bag in the field. Do any of you try to access your gear with the pack turned forward supported by the waist belt. Is there any movement of the ICU(s) during handling that could/has caused a lens to tumble out of its pocket. Any input appreciated. Thanks!

John
 
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nameBrandon

Well-known member
I am considering an Atrack 45L, and I would like to see if there are any follow-up comments from those who decided to go with a Atrack 45L. I would use either Large Pro ICU or 2 Small Pro ICU's for a Fuji GFX100s with GF 30, 45–100, 100-200 or set-up of GF prime lenses. How do you like the handling/carry of the bag in the field. Do any of you try to access your gear with the pack turned forward supported by the waist belt. Is there any movement of the ICU(s) during handling that could/has caused a lens to tumble out of its pocket. Any input appreciated. Thanks!

John
Not sure it would work turned forward and supported by the waist belt.. there is some structure to it, but I think it would probably flop over pretty easily. I still use it, but primarily as a pack for clothes, etc.. If I know I'm going into a situation where water proof-ness is an issue, it's good to have for sure. I think my biggest problem with it is that there's really no other external pockets or places to put things. You can use their straps (extra $) to attach a tripod, which I did, and then I think loop other pockets / items to it, but then you've got no interior pockets either (well, you do, technicall, but usability is questionable for camera gear). It's best to think of it as a big shell. There are some small waist belt pockets but enough for keys / pocket knife and that's about it.

As far as the ICU fitment, there is extra space, I think I posted a photo at some point with 2 small ICU's stacked and then a Hasselblad 500C/M on top in the extra room. You'd need to fill that with something or else the ICU's could move. I guess if you didn't zip up your ICU's, then yes a lens could fall / roll out if you laid the pack down flat.

FWIW, I'm heading to Colorado and Montana this fall and I've got my eye on the new Shimoda offerings. I may try and see what I can do with the existing ICU's in my Osprey hiking pack as well before doing that, but I feel the GAS bone tingling when I look at the Shimodas so more than likely that's what I'll end up with.

Attaching a couple photos showing the stacked small ICU's that may have disappeared from my posts above.
 

Attachments

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nameBrandon

Well-known member
As usual, a slave to the bag GAS.. Here’s the Shimoda X50 with a medium DSLR core unit and a small core unit stacked on top. In the small I have some 100x150mm Singh-Ray filters, my Hoodman loupe, the Lee foundation kit and some adapter rings, a towel, my arctic butterfly (buried at the bottom), and then Lee Big + Little stoppers and a 77mm polarizer. In the bottom the Fuji GF 100-200, The GFX 100S with 32-64 attached, a 50/3.5 and the 1.4TC. Some smaller openings there for misc stuff I havent figured out yet. My 110/2 is coming in today so haven't tried to get that in there, but my thought is that if I ditch the 50mm and relocate the 1.4X TC, I can probably the 110/2 in there as well.




IMG_7140-smaller.jpg
 

rdeloe

Well-known member
Not sure it would work turned forward and supported by the waist belt.. there is some structure to it, but I think it would probably flop over pretty easily. I still use it, but primarily as a pack for clothes, etc.. If I know I'm going into a situation where water proof-ness is an issue, it's good to have for sure. I think my biggest problem with it is that there's really no other external pockets or places to put things. You can use their straps (extra $) to attach a tripod, which I did, and then I think loop other pockets / items to it, but then you've got no interior pockets either (well, you do, technicall, but usability is questionable for camera gear). It's best to think of it as a big shell. There are some small waist belt pockets but enough for keys / pocket knife and that's about it.

As far as the ICU fitment, there is extra space, I think I posted a photo at some point with 2 small ICU's stacked and then a Hasselblad 500C/M on top in the extra room. You'd need to fill that with something or else the ICU's could move. I guess if you didn't zip up your ICU's, then yes a lens could fall / roll out if you laid the pack down flat.

FWIW, I'm heading to Colorado and Montana this fall and I've got my eye on the new Shimoda offerings. I may try and see what I can do with the existing ICU's in my Osprey hiking pack as well before doing that, but I feel the GAS bone tingling when I look at the Shimodas so more than likely that's what I'll end up with.

Attaching a couple photos showing the stacked small ICU's that may have disappeared from my posts above.
Shout out for the Ortlieb Atrack bags. I have the 35 L version of the one nameBrandon is showing in his pictures. Like Brandon says, it's basically a big dry bag with a harness system (very good). You use your own inserts. I built one to carry my outfit. The four inside pockets are very slim.

If you work in rough and wet conditions, it's superb. You can put it down in the mud if you have to, with no worries that the things inside will be damaged. I much prefer this design (access from the rear). I can wipe off the outside/back of the bag, but wet and muddy straps and harness are a pain.
 

Alan

Active member
You can put it down in the mud if you have to, with no worries that the things inside will be damaged. I much prefer this design (access from the rear). I can wipe off the outside/back of the bag, but wet and muddy straps and harness are a pain.
Yep, I won't buy a camera pack that's not rear (harness side) opening for this reason!
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
I'm giving the new Mindshift Rotation pack a try. While the belt pack can really only hold a body and 2 lenses (Leica S), the convenience of not having to put the pack down at all to get at the most commonly used stuff is very nice - especially for lens changing. A small (or maybe medium) ICU will fit in the upper section, accessible from the harness side. You may well ask "Why not a belt pack, then?" This has a full shoulder harness, and I appreciate the stability and support.

On the downside, it's a bit heavy.
 

vieri

Well-known member
Hey Vieri,

How are you liking the Shimoda X 50?

It would be wonderful to hear your thoughts on the Shimoda and see how you pack your gear :)
Hey Warren,

the Shimoda 50 was OK, but I ultimately ended up going with the f-stop Tilopa (disclaimer: I am a f-stop Ambassador & Staff Pro). While I liked the Shimoda's straps and comfort in carrying it, I didn't ultimately like the inner organisation of the new bag. The roll top is cool, but the large pocket under it made it messy to organize things; I found the configuration of the waist straps, which needs to be locked / unlocked every time, a bit annoying; side / front pockets also weren't as "friendly" for me. I much, much prefer the Tilopa's organisation as far as pockets and use of the space; the straps, while not as customisable as the Shimoda in terms of being able to change the torso height, are extremely comfortable, and so are the waist straps. Customisation possibilities and accessory offer is endless, which also helps.

Below a photo of my setup, with the Phase One XT + 23mm, 3 more Phase One XT lenses, filter bag, Hoodman loupe. In the top compartment, I carry a battery pouch, rain cover, various accessories, etc.:

IMG_5148.jpg:

Let me know if you have any questions about the bag, configuration, etc. Hope this helps! Best regards,

Vieri
 
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