While I've finally settled on gear that works for the photography I do, I've long been plagued by the inconvenience of carrying so much gear, in such large formats, over long distances and extreme terrain. My recent mountaineering trip to Snowdonia in -9 degrees, high winds and semi-consolidated ice where I was attempting some grade 2 and 3 scrambles highlighted that this is something I need to address sooner rather than later.
My current solution has largely been to use an oversized trekking pack that serves me well for the most part, but is not well adapted to the specific requirements of mountain photography, nor even my more static work on lap based event courses. I've been used the Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5. At 50 litres, it's pretty overkill for photography day trips, even when carrying full winter gear, ropes and emergency supplies, relying on compression straps and dealing with load shifting around in the bag. It's better suited for 3-5 day thru-hiking trips, or perhaps doing the weekly food shop for my partner and I.
I purchased this primarily because it's one of few packs in the sub 60 litre range with a truly adjustable back system. As a taller guy, I sit outside of torso ranges for almost all one-size packs, and most M/L combo sizes. Back in the army, your kit is centred around hip mounted webbing, this webbing should sit low on the hips to avoid bouncing around, and to permit wearing a 70+ litre bergen on top. This has reflected itself in how I find packs most comfortable to wear in civilian kit, with the hip straps sitting a little lower than most people. Mix that with a long torso, and pretty much any pack smaller than 65L in a size L/XL won't sit right for me. A low sitting pack also works well for mountaineering work, as it means you can look up while wearing a helmet to belay etc, without needing to fight with the rucksack sitting high on your shoulders.
As well as sizing to consider, mountaineering & photography as a combined sport presents issues in terms of weight. Most alpine, mountaineering or climbing packs are only designed to carry about 7-8kg before becoming uncomfortable, and for the most part it's soft / flexible gear like layers, food, ropes and harnesses. Adding a camera into the mix suddenly can double that expected load, with my camera setup weighing 6-8kg alone, depending on which lenses I'm choosing to carry. My kit should all still sit in the 28-35L range, but weigh almost twice what you'd expect a pack of that size.
This leaves me with a specific set of criteria for my perfect bag:
1) - 28-35L Capacity - maintain a low profile on technical climbs, and securely store camera gear.
2) - Comfortable carrying 12-14kg loads - will utilise a rigid frame sheet, and substantial hip belts to distribute the load.
3) - Highly abrasion resistant - my larger bag has been snagged on sharp rocks during climbs several times, and I do not want a hole tearing large enough to start losing camera gear.
4) - One-handed access to my camera - A lot of my photography relies on getting into positions and reacting to potential shots quickly, I need to be able to grab the camera easily and quickly from within the bag.
5) - All the necessary attachments for holding rope, harnesses, crampons, ice axes etc. Ideally removable for summer climbs and to minimise snagging.
To solve this, my design is broken down into 5 key areas:
1 - Geometry. Designs quickly moved towards a tapered shape, with lifted bottom panel, and a fairly shallow depth. The end profile fits within a 60 x 30 x 17cm volume, with a 3cm lift from the base to the front panel, 3cm vertical taper, and a 2cm taper from back to front. This should reduce overhanging components, and ensure corners are tucked in away from rocks while also keeping the centre of mass close to my body. It also allows plenty of room for my full torso length, and load lifter straps.
2 - Load Bearing
Continuing on, load lifters will be essential to keep the pack comfortable at full load, which in turn will need a frame sheet high enough to provide functional lift. Load lifters on packs without a rigid frame sheet are purely a gimmick, so this is essential. To be most effective, I will need an additional 3 inches or so of height above the torso length, hence the circa 60cm height. With this, I'll also need padded shoulder and waist straps, composing of 6mm NBR foam with Gridstop outer and spacer mesh inner.
3 - Material
To maintain abrasion resistance and minimise weight, I'll be making this from UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, brand named Dyneema) based fabrics. Specifically the range made by Challenge Sailing, Ultra 400 for the most exposed areas and outer fabrics, UltraGrid for inner pockets and strap outers, and UltraStretch for any pockets. These have some of the best strength to weight ratios of any fabrics, as well as water resistance and some bold textures.
4 - Closure
5 - Mounting
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