Hey guys so I have the Nikon d500 for wildlife and I love it. I like to hike with it and I photograph any animal really and then I also do landscapes. My issue is that my backpack is so heavy after I add a ton of water, snacks, and other basic stuff. And I am very experienced with hiking so I’m not taking useless stuff with me. Here is a weight breakdown of my gear D500: 2 lbs Nikkor 200-500mm (wildlife): 5 lbs Nikkor 24-70mm (scenery): 2 lbs Nikkor 70-300: 1 lb

So without anything else in my bag I have 10 pounds of camera gear. I like all of those lenses because they basically give the full range of 24-500mm.

So to those who hike or travel a lot and do not use tripods, what do you do with heavy gear? Like do you only go out to shoot one type of thing at once so you don’t carry too much? Or does the bag make a huge difference? I previously had a lowepro but after getting the 200-500, I obviously needed a bigger bag if I even wanted to carry water. Is this just something I will have to deal with?

Sorry if this is not the best question, my back is killing me and I hate to miss the opportunity of a good picture if I don’t have a specific lens on me. I only have one body which is also a pain to switch often.

Oh and does anyone have any ultra lightweight bag recs that are not a bazillion pounds but can hold 3-4L of water?

Thanks

  • RefuseAmazing3422@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Other people have commented on the lens selection and reducing that.

    Regarding the bag, it makes a huge difference in carrying weight. You have 10lbs for camera gear and while you can reduce that, it’s not a lot by (non ultralight) hiking standards. My fstop bag is great when its 10lbs but miserable by time the bag is 20lbs.

    In general photo bags, even ones billed as outdoor, sport, or adventure are crappy compared to a dedicated hiking bag. They tend to be too heavy, poor fitting, and have a poor harness.

    You probably don’t want an ultralight bag because while the light weight is enticing, if you are having any kind of pain or fit problems they will exacerbate the issues.

    Take a look at hiking bags like the osprey Atmos. I’m not suggesting you get this bag for photo hikes but people can comfortably carry 50lbs in it for multiple days. That’s because the harness and suspension is great. It is not an ultralight bag.

    Figure out the weight you would typically carry then find a bag designed for that weight that fits you well. I can’t understate the importance of fit. You won’t find a photo bag that’s as good as a hiking bag but some may be good enough. Many photogs also prefer to use a hiking bag even though it’s less convenient for photography.