Camera bag

This will be the first year taking my DSLR out hunting with me. Im fairly new with the whole camera thing and still have yet to get a bag for it. Id like to get a bag that I can take out in the woods (hunting, scouting, walking, etc) and also for other events. Looking for a bag that is comfortable for long walks and not huge. Will also be getting a lens in the future, so must have a place for that and other accessories.

What bags do you fellas have or what bag would you recommend?

 

I have a Tamrac sling pack that I'm very pleased with. Small enough to carry around without the bulk put enough storage for my DSLR w/lense attached, 1 extra lens, flash, small shotgun mic, extra battery, SD card and a few filters. I typically don't take it into the woods with me but I wouldn't be opposed to doing so.

This is the one I have here. tamrac | Velocity 7x

I'm shooting a D7100 with an 18-200 and fixed 35mm lens.

 

what shotgun mic do you use?

 

I dont have this bag but many people have asked me about bags for their dslr. If you plan to use it hunting often and dont care if you have a camo pack, the Alps Gunnison is alot like my lowepro 350. I am nearly outgrowing my Lowepro bag and plan on getting something even bigger for when I take all my gear doing client work.

When i am out hunting, I bring my Canon 60d and Sigma 30mm 1.4. Its a good focal range in the tree when filming or just close up photography. I wish i had a longer range zoom lens like a 400mm+ that I could bring to take photos of wildlife that are distant.

Austin97, I have the Rode Video Pro mic for my slr, it works well for the money. I was looking into buy an xlr block like a beachtek but this works fine for what I am doing with it.

 

Amazon.com: ALPS OutdoorZ Gunnison Prowler Pack (Realtree AP HD Camo Fabric): Sports & Outdoors

Sorry, This is the link to the bag I was talking about above

 

Camera bags have to be the most difficult thing that I have struggled with when it comes to shooting video or photos. What I have learned though is that there is NO perfect bag that fits all situations. I find myself bouncing from bag to bag depending on what I am doing.

However, I have two bags that I have pretty much settled on the past two years whether it is DSLR or video equipment. They are not perfect but they seem to be the best that I have found for my needs.

For ground blind hunting, I use a a simple waterfowl blind bag. In particular, I use the Large Floating Blind Bag from Drake Waterfowl Systems. I like how I can drop my camera gear into the main compartment and then have room in other pockets for my hunting gear or small camera accessories. I use this when ground blind hunting because I typically have my blind, extra chair, tri-pod, and other stuff strapped on my back on my Magnus RackPack.

For tree stand hunting I find myself using the LowePro Flip Side 400 bag. I like this bag because of the large compartment that I can customize with dividers or in the case of my old XH-A1, I can run the compartment wide open. It has just enough pocket space for the necessary hunting gear (flashlight, knife, grunt tube, etc) and small camera accessories. But further it has nice side pockets and straps that work well with my Muddy tree arm. I strap the arm w/ fluid head to one side and then the tree base to the other side and back buckle. It has worked very well for me. In the off season I also seem to gravitate to this bag for my DSLR photo and video work.

I have a ton of other small bags that I use for various work as needed, and other bags for small cameras like GoPro gear, external monitors, lighting, etc. One corner of my home office is nothing but a pile of bags that I use for my camera work.

 

DEC,

I swear to you I was just looking at the Lowepro Flipside 400aw since I pretty much outgrew my Lowepro Fastpack 350. My Lowepro and I have gone through alot together but my gear bag is full. I was looking for a backpack style bag that I can carry my dslr and one small lens as well as fit my ax2000 in for when I have a cameraman in the tree with me. Would you mind throwing up a photo with your Flipside 400 with your camcorder in it. Also not sure if I like the opening in the back but I think I can make some good use of it.

Thanks

 

Sure I'll put a photo up. Probably later tonight. Like you, I wasn't sure I'd like the rear open. But for tree stand hunting it actually works very well. It works very well for keeping the camera safe while being able to carry small camera and hunting gear. But most importantly it is the only bag that I have found that i can easily and quickly attach my camera arm to.

 

Here are some photos as I have it set up to hunt. The camera is my new Canon XA20. As you can see I put the mic on a bar and pulled it back. I didn't like all that mic sticking out front. It was no big deal on my old XH-A1, but with this camera I needed to do something different. So far it is OK. Time will tell. Anyway, when I had my XH-A1, I ran the camera in there vertically and that was all that I put in the bag. The XA20 allows me to put a false floor in and store things like an LED light, my G15 camera, and other smaller stuff. I didn't take any photos with my DSLR gear in there because I don't use that gear for hunting video work very often. But with all of the custom dividers that come with the bag you can configure it in many ways. I carry my 7D, 70-200L f2.8, 15-85, nifty 50, a 430EX, Rode Video Mic, and other stuff in that main compartment and have no issues.

So for the photos.

Here is the gear in the main compartment that again is accessible from the back, which I actually like accessing it that way. I flip the pack over on my tree stand seat and am good to go.


Here is the interior pocket that I use for small stuff. Also nice memory card pockets too.


Here is looking at the back all zipped up.


Here is looking at the outside as if you were looking at my back while wearing it. You can see that the camera arm straps nicely to one side and the base straps on the other using the back buckle for help. This Muddy Hunter is over kill for my XA20, but I like the beefiness of the arm when in use so I doubt I will back down to the Outfitter model. Of all my camera gear, the Muddy base was the most challenging thing to figure out how to carry efficiently. This so far is the best that I have come up with and it actually works pretty slick.


Here is the side with the camera arm with 701HDV fluid head. Stuff the base of the arm in the pocket and buckle up high. It never moves.


Here is the side with the arm base. I stuff the ratchet buckle and extra strap into the lower pocket. Everything is very secure this way.


And finally, the outside pocket. It is pretty deep and has small organizer pockets. You can get a lot of stuff in there really.


I hope that helps. If you have any questions or need any more photos let me know. I hunted the end of 2011, all of 2012, and a couple hunts so far this fall with this pack. Of all the packs that I have ever used, it is my favorite, even when compared to true hunting camera packs that I have tried. In the off season all of my DSLR stuff goes in this pack and I take it everywhere with me for both DSLR video work and photos.

For those who did not catch it, this is the LowePro Flip Side 400AW pack.

 

Thanks alot DEC!

I really wanted to know how your xha1 fit it there, since my ax2000 is very simular in size. I know the configuration is great for photo gear, thats a plus for me too as my gear is outgrowing my current bag.

Thanks again,

 

Your AX2000 should just lay in there vertically and consume pretty much the entire compartment with no dividers. When I ran my XH-A1 in there, I left the mics on it at all times as well. It worked pretty slick.

 

I am looking for a larger backpack for my hunting and camera gear. It seems like I am carrying 40 pounds of gear with me and that's carrying my camera by hand. I was looking at the "GamePlan Gear - The CameraMan Pack" from B&H. Has anyone had any experience with this bag? I'm using a sony HXR-NX70U camera with all accessories (shotgun mic, wireless mics, lanc remote, fluid head, headphones, and muddy outfitters tree arm). I want to find a bag that can handle all of my camera gear securely and still have room to strap a coat or bibs to, but I really don't want to carry a mountain backpackers pack! lol

 

Yes. I had one a couple years ago. I hunted with it for about 6 or 7 trips to the woods and abandoned it. It just wasn't for me. I used it with my XH-A1 and my Muddy Hunter arm, among other stuff.

The bag is HUGE. To the point that when you get in your stand, take it off, and lay it on the seat to unpack stuff, you almost feel like you don't have enough foot room on your stand while you unpack. But really the down side for me was the overall pocket designs. The main compartment opens up by zipping down both sides and it is a gigantic flap, that when opened up, all of the pockets are upside down, so you better hope you have them all zipped closed.

The pack is constructed well though. Well padded. Seams are tough. Zippers are good. It just isn't well thought out IMO. But everyone's needs and views on bags are different. I sold mine to a guy down south and last I spoke to him, he loved the thing. What is funny though is, that bag is how I found these bowhunting.com forums. I actually got the best price and bought it through the bowhunting.com store. But again that has been over 2 years ago too.

 

Thanks DEC. I have never been happy with a backpack for hunting, I'm sure it will be the same way for camera gear. lol I'll keep an eye out for a used one on the forum, and keep searching for the perfect bag! I'll let you all know when I find it.

 

I used one once, and hated it. He had a Sony NX5u, dslr and one lens, light, extra batteries, ect. I just couldnt stand how bulky and loud it was. Zippers and velcro, I hate the noise they make on those quiet late october mornings. The bag is plenty big enough for all our camera gear and it holds the gear well and secure, I just didnt like bringing that big thing along to the tree. I know many other people probably swear by it because you will have everything with you.

Campbell cameras recently worked with Badlands and came up with thier own cameraman pack. Price tag is steep at $300 and I have yet to see photos with gear in the pack.

 

Game plan needs to make a smaller version of that pack. One for solo hunters, im not trying to bring a whole studio out with me

 

I forgot about all the velcro on the GamePlan bag, but Trevor is right ... it had a ton of it.

I saw the BadLands bag at the ATA show. It looked OK, but I recall that I still didn't feel it would perform for me as well as my LowePro.

 

Did the badlands pack look pretty big? regular pics it looks normal size but theres a pic with it on someones back and it looks big. Also $300 would be hard to bite. How was the velcro on that pack, velcro and hunting are the two worst things

 

I recall the Badlands pack being huge. Just searching real quick to refresh my memory, what I see reinforces what I thought ... it is a big pack.

I recall it being very nicely made, as you would expect from Badlands. Just real big, way bigger than I felt I needed and at the time I was running an XH-A1, not my new smaller camera.

I don't recall any velcro on any exterior pockets. There might have been interior dividers that velcro in as with most camera packs, but those don't bother me for hunting and can be very useful. I don't remember any velcro to gain access or lash items though.

 

I leave the camera arm up since I hunt on my private property (same goes for my stands and feeder) and the camera goes in my back pack. I take the camera arm down after the season.