We're avid hikers who love taking photographs during our outdoor journeys (in fact, we're heading out to hike across the desert this weekend in hopes of tracking down chuckwallas). We normally bring the compact Canon S90, but sometimes long for the performances of our full size D90, especially for macro photography. We realize if we had a backpack specifically designed for hauling both our photography gear and for our hiker's gear, we'd be more apt to bring the larger DSLR. We discovered a resource that has helped us in the search for the perfect camera bag...
Bag Exposure is a site dedicated to the latest in photography carrying cases, bags and backpack options. It looks like they've only a short while ago, but the curated selection is excellent, and from amongst the listings currently available we were able to discover a few strong candidates for our next day hiker-photographer's backpack.
The F-Stop Loka looks like an affordable solution balancing the hiker's needs with the necessities of hauling photography gear for those perfect outdoor shots (we definitely wanted a hydration pack section and a waterproof exterior). The $249 price tag is also very appealing to our our wallet. We're also tempted to take a step up to the Clik Elite pack, which offers more room and a quick access "cradle zone" on the side which would come in handy when you need to whip out the camera for those fleeting moments. Choice, choices...
Check out more photography camera bags at Bag Exposure and feel free to chime in with any recommendations about photography bags and backpacks for those who enjoy journeying off the beaten path.
Chad's Guest House & Reinvented Garage 
Homemade Home: Great DIY Projects for Bedrooms from Our Tours
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Dippy Pink Rug
Wordy Thirty: A Literary Food-Themed Dinner Party
Summer Recipe: No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
Comments (2)
these bags are lovely, however folks have to think about temperature....... I find that my 'perfect photo-pak' depends on the time of year I am doing the shoot. FOr example if I am doing an outdoor shoot in the dog-days of July then and a cross shoulder bag would be better.
For all the cooler/colder months something like the kata-source back-pack suffices.
AnjiMill: the real problem is hiking with a shoulder bag for dayhikes of moderate distance and beyond will likely create shoulder/neck problems (especially if you carry a few lenses). Camera shoulder bags for short outdoor excursions are definitely preferable than having to rely upon a larger pack, but regardless of temperature, a backpack form is going to serve you better for longer mileage. Also a hydration pack option is practically a godsend when hiking/photographing beyond 2-3 hours.
I lugged my gear hiking across the Indio/Mojave desert this past weekend with a regular hiking backpack in 97 degree weather, alongside in colder climes the next day up in the mountains. There's no way I would have done it with a shoulder bag traveling on a trail except the easiest/shortest variety. Thus the hunt for a photographer's backpack for more serious excursions, regardless of weather.