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Matthew Pitts's picture

All Day Backpacks, F-stop??

Hi Guys,

I have been researching backpacks for some time now, I am. a professional photographer based in the UK. I often photograph sports and events. So I have been looking for a backpack to carry all my photographic gear sometime. I'm currently using regular backpacks with various arrangements of Temba camera inserts. However over the last few years I have found it quite frustrating to be able to access my camera gear very quickly using this kind of setup.

I normally have a Canon 5D3, 70 to 200m lens plus 35mm lens plus a Fuji XT-2 body and lens. Plus normally carrying a couple of flashes, laptop, chargers, spare batteries, filters etc. Ideally I'm looking for one bag can carry everything in securely and easily access this gear quickly while hiking about on the route of a cycle ride for example.

I've spent too many hours watching videos on YouTube and reading various reviews of different camera bags. I was initially thinking I would purchase one of the Lowepro backpacks. However I'm now leaning more towards the f-stop bags, as they seem to tick most of the boxes, plus there is very little in the way of other hiking backpacks designed for photography which would be comfortable for all day use. I was initially looking at the Peak Designs 30l, but is sounds like its not that comfortable for all day use, especially when fully loaded.

My current shortlist includes:

F-stop LOKA UL

F-stop TILOPA

Although I have also come across the EVOC CP 35l, however there is very little information online about these bags so hard to get a very good idea.

I'm really interested to hear from people who actually have long-term experience using either any of the above bags or would be able to suggest an alternative bag for my situation.

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4 Comments

I had the same decision to make since I hike a lot and want to carry my gear comfortably. I ended up going with a panel loader then using some ICU knockoffs to organize my gear. It is an extra zipper on the inside, but is so much more comfortable to hike with a real hiking pack. The panel loader design is nice because you can unzip a huge compartment and access your gear fairly quickly. I bought the exposure 5000 from seek outside. It's light years ahead of my think tank as far as comfort. My decision came down to comfort vs speed since I do some long hikes and usually can take a couple moments to get my gear out when needed.

Hi Peter, thanks for your input, who makes the panel loader? cheers Matt

Matthew, in the end, the packs on your short list are just backpacks. And in addition to your camera gear, you probably have the normal first aid kit, headlamp, snack, knife, spare batteries, water, clothing, etc. And your tripod. I'd recommend looking at the Kelty Redwing 50. More room, lots of pockets, easy access, easy to compartmentalize, and does not scream "camera bag." If you do some shopping, you can find one for about $100. Check out the YouTube reviews on them to see if it is a good fit for your needs.