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05/27/2015 11:17:01 AM · #1 |
I live in Colorado so I do a fair amount of hiking and have long looked for a solution to hiking/backpacking with camera equipment. Recently I started researching bags extensively because we are planning a trip to Yellowstone in August and I think I found the solution. I decided to buy a Mindshift Gear Rotation 180 pro . The design is like nothing else and it is genius. Mindshift is a sister company of Think Tank so the quality should be very trustworthy.
Does anyone have experience with these bags?
I'll update my thoughts once I get the bag and use it a bit. |
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05/27/2015 12:19:03 PM · #2 |
| I have looked at them and was not really impressed with them as a solution to hiking with camera gear. Did not like the way they carried a load when full. My new favorite bag for combining true hiking and the ability to carry camera gear are the F-stop bags. |
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05/27/2015 02:03:57 PM · #3 |
I picked up a Tamrac 5456 for my upcoming Alaska trip. (I had a big Lowepro backpack that was great but just too heavy.)
The Tamrac fits my Fuji XT1, 55-200mm, 10-24mm, 23mm, battery charger, flash, and my wallet, Ipad, and Kindle. (With a bit of room to spare in the top pocket.) It has a rain flap which is great. It has a hip and chest strap although neither are padded - but bag is light enough that I don't see it being an issue. (I'm not planning any hikes longer than 3 hours.) |
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05/27/2015 02:27:28 PM · #4 |
| That's a 5.3 lb backpack! Seems awfully heavy to me... |
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05/27/2015 02:41:59 PM · #5 |
I've looked at the fstop bags but for me I already have a Gregory Baltoro 70 which is my favorite backpacking bag of all time and I can put an insert in it for my camera gear on longer excursions. What I really wanted was something for the 1 or 2 day trips that were more photography related. It is heavy and that was my one concern before ordering but I think the other benefits (quick gear access and sturdy build quality) made up for that.
I can't wait for it to arrive. One downside of living where I do (Rural Western Slope of Colorado) is that I'm not afforded the opportunity of trying a lot of things before I buy them so I have become quite adept at sniffing out all the info I can before making purchases usually without the benefit of actually holding the item in my hand. But I wouldn't live anywhere else, well maybe Maui ;) |
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05/27/2015 10:43:17 PM · #6 |
| I just got a Clik Elite Probody Sport. I was looking for a pack to double as a travel pack for my m4/3 gear, and a pack for full day hikes with camera. It's certainly well built and well designed. It's narrower than the North Face daypack I use for work. I wish the camera part were a tiny bit smaller and the daypack part a tiny bit bigger, but that's a general problem with hiking packs and micro 4/3. I think I can make it work. I'm going to take it hiking this weekend and see what I think. |
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05/27/2015 11:47:12 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Ann:
I wish the camera part were a tiny bit smaller and the daypack part a tiny bit bigger, but that's a general problem with hiking packs and micro 4/3. I think I can make it work. I'm going to take it hiking this weekend and see what I think. |
Thats what I like about the versatility of the F-stop packs. You can get different sized camera compartments depending on your needs. |
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05/28/2015 05:12:02 AM · #8 |
Hey chazoe, if you have any questions, welcome to get in touch direct simon mindshiftgear com - but THANKS!
Kobba, interested to know which one you tried?
Bear_Music the Pro is our heaviest thus far, new, recently released pack called the Horizon doesn't hold quite as much, but is considerably lighter. The Pro was our first foray into outdoors! Having fun!
Anyone, feel free to get in touch with any Q's
--Simon |
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05/28/2015 11:15:53 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by mindshiftgear:
Kobba, interested to know which one you tried?
--Simon |
Not exactly sure which one it was that I tried out. I took a bunch of my camera gear and the stuff I like to take with me into the woods to the camera store to load up the back and see what it felt like. To me it felt as tho I was using a fanny pack and a backpack at the same time. Any weight you place into the top portion is basically carried by the shoulders and is not transferred to the hips like a traditional backpack. It's hard to describe but it just felt off to me. I am also not a fan of packs that place the water bladder on the side, makes the pack lopsided when the bladder is full. I know it is a little thing, but it really does make a huge difference when loaded down and making long treks into the woods. I am also not a fan of packs that place the bladder right against the back, because they normally push outwards into the back and are really uncomfortable. So, yes.....I am really picky about packs.....especially when I am spending a lot of money for said pack because what seems like a small discomfort or annoyance during a test load is magnified 10x after an hour or more on the trail.
Nothing against your product, I am sure it is perfect for some.....just not for me. I will say that the quality of the packs is top notch, it's just not for me. I do appreciate you coming here to address any concerns or answer any questions. Says a lot about the customer service of the company.
Regards,
Ronnie
While I love my F-stop packs, they are not the end all be all.......I have things I do not like about them. But, currently they are the best at meeting my needs for a combination camera and hiking pack. It is good to see some companies finally trying to address what I feel has been a glaring hole in the lineup of available camera backpacks for true backcountry exploration/photography. |
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05/28/2015 08:06:15 PM · #10 |
Hey Ronnie,
No worries - I appreciate you taking the time to reply!
It is so important to get a pack to works for you, (totally OK to be picky!) So, great move taking your gear into a shop to try one out - thanks. We have interesting things on the Horizon, so maybe one day soon you'll try another!
Cheers!
Simon
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05/28/2015 09:17:57 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by mindshiftgear:
Hey Ronnie,
No worries - I appreciate you taking the time to reply!
It is so important to get a pack to works for you, (totally OK to be picky!) So, great move taking your gear into a shop to try one out - thanks. We have interesting things on the Horizon, so maybe one day soon you'll try another!
Cheers!
Simon |
Simon,
Always looking at bags and packs, have way to many already. You come out with something new, chances are I will check it out. Look forward to seeing what it is.
Ronnie |
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06/02/2015 11:00:07 AM · #12 |
My bag arrived yesterday so after my son's baseball game (they won and he went 2 for 2 and struck out the side in his one inning of pitching duty) I was able to start fiddling with it. It is extremely well built. My initial impressions are that I really like the rotation feature. I loaded it down with a ton of random stuff and after some fine tuning in terms of fit, it was extremely comfortable.
I was able to fit my XT1, a 50-140mm f2.8, a Zeiss Touit 12mm, Rokinon 8mm fisheye, 18-55mm, all my batteries, and some filters into the belt pack portion. It seems to be perfectly sized for almost all of my Fuji kit. The only lens I didn't try to fit was my 56mm f1.2 but that is my portrait lens and I probably wouldn't take it on a hike anyway.
Very pleased with the bag so far. Hopefully I can get out and go for a hike this weekend, I'm assuming that's what my wife was alluding to when she told me to "take a hike!!!".
Message edited by author 2015-06-02 11:01:45. |
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06/02/2015 12:21:38 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by chazoe:
Hopefully I can get out and go for a hike this weekend, I'm assuming that's what my wife was alluding to when she told me to "take a hike!!!". |
Most likely :-) |
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06/02/2015 01:25:28 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by chazoe:
Hopefully I can get out and go for a hike this weekend, I'm assuming that's what my wife was alluding to when she told me to "take a hike!!!". |
Most likely :-) |
Maybe you can confirm that Chinese is the healthiest cuisine, since most recipes start with "First, take a wok ..." |
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