[at-l] UnSlack Pack: ultralight front-pack, camera case, etc.

[blisterfree at isp01.net (Brett)]

Earlier this year I mentioned the idea of a "camera case" 
that would attach to a backpack's shoulder strap. At the 
time, no such workable product existed on the market, yet 
interest seemed to be strong. I solicited comments and 
suggestions from the list, and received a fair number of 
responses, which I've included anonymously at the end of 
this post.

I've since developed such a product, which is sized to hold 
many different brands of lightweight camera, as well as GPS, 
compass, snacks, repellant, maps, data book/town guide, or a 
bicycle-style water bottle. And it holds its contents out of 
the way and completely motionless during walking - or even 
running in most cases - yet the items are right there when 
you need them, without needing to remove the backpack 
itself.

It's called the UnSlack Pack, and it's currently available 
through my website: www.simblissity.net  The website 
shopping cart is currently offline, but will be back up in 
November. Anyone interested, just consider this a heads up 
for now. FWIW, it'll fit a PCT or AT data book and/or town 
guide, plus folded maps / guidebook pages of the same width 
or less.

I'll be leaving in about a week for a second (westbound) 
thru-hike of the all-new 700 mile Grand Enchantment Trail 
( http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=116070) in Arizona 
and New Mexico. This is sort of the Cactus Country 
equivalent of the Hayduke Trail, but with much greater 
access to water and resupply. Hopefully by mid-November the 
entire route will be flagged and followable... just in time 
for next spring's thru-hikers. (Also see www.simblissity.net 
for more info about upcoming guidebook & map set.)

Happy trails,

- blisterfree

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Simblissity Ultralight :: One-of-a-Kind Designs for the
Great Outdoors
www.simblissity.net

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Comments & pre-suggestions on the camera case / front 
pack....


I'll be attempting to thru-hike the PCT this year and I have
a dilemma in
regard to how I am going to carry my camera gear.  I'll most
likely be
carrying a Canon 20D digital camera and two lenses, (one
wide-angle and one
zoom lens.)  I'd like to be able to have the camera at my
ready so I can
shoot often, but I'm not sure what products exist that would
enable me to
store the camera on a front-shoulder-mounted bag.  Is your
product big
enough to fit a Canon 20D and maybe one lens?  How does it
compare to the
Dana Designs Wet Rib?  I'm desperate for a solution!  Any
info. is
appreciated.


----------- 

Keep me in the loop on your camera holder, please. I
personally would balance off a pound, but I may be anal
about left/right pack balance; it's fairly easy with an
Excel spread sheet. I've helped out a few people over the
years who got rid of pain on one side after they did some
semblance of left to right balancing, a couple of times out
on a trail just doing relative weights with my hands.

-----------

very good idea----- I am a pro photographer and would love
to see a hardlike case for H@) and waterproofing --- maybe
something that would flip in your slleve.

------------

I'm interested. I have yet to find a way to carry my camera
that makes me
happy.


----------

Thanks for all the ideas.  I've decided to make a sil-nylon
holder with some
type of soft lining.  The holder will attach to my left
strap (the right
strap has my timex helix).  My camera only weighs 65.2 grams
(yes, I measure
to the tenth of gram).


----------

Yes, there's interest. I will probably be making my own
sil-nylon pockets
(belt and/or shoulder) for my Granite Gear Nimbus. One item
is the camera,
but there's also snacks, compass, maps, etc: items you need
while hiking.



-----------

I have a ULA P-2 pack with pockets on the hipbelt (now
standard on the P-2 and available as an option if buying the
P-1) - see http://www.ula-equipment.com/...

I just got an Olympus Stylus. And the first thing I did was
run out and
get a case for it.
I picked up a Lowe case that fit's it snug-as-a-bug and has
a Velcro
fastened belt loop and a Velcro flap closure.

The trick here is to find a case that fits as perfectly as
it can. You
don't want the camera to jostle about in it's case,
particularly while
hiking.

I like the Velcro belt loop, because I can remove the camera
from my
shoulder strap before I take my pack off with ease. I
wouldn't want the
camera still strapped to my pack while I shuck off my pack.
Easy to
damage that way...

The Velcro makes that little "rrrriiiip" sound when I pull
my camera
out, but it's not loud or annoying. I've never really
thought about it
until you mentioned it as a consideration...

I got mine at Best Buy. They have a very large assortment of
cases.



------------

I sewed myself a shoulder-strap pouch a couple of years ago.
I didn't like the
idea of putting the camera in a pouch on the belt (a la the
ULA P2) because the
belt/pouch/camera would be the first thing to hit the ground
(clunk!) when I
took off my pack. I find that I can slip the camera out with
one hand by pushing
on the bottom of my pouch and then grasping the camera as it
emerges at the top.
It has yet to fall out, but then I've never taken a header,
either. I used
regular nylon; silnylon might or might not be an
improvement--easier access
because it's slippery, more waterproof, but possibly would
make the camera more
likely to fall out (depending on the closure mechanism).
It's also a handy place
to put a pen/pencil.


-------------

My Canon G2 and accessories go into the left pocket...  It
is easily and quietly accessible - even if using trekking
poles...
I haven't had to hike in extended rain (for days), but I use
an Aloksak waterproof zip bag inside the pocket to protect
the camera (but only if and while it is raining - absolutely
no problems so far!)...

I use the right pocket for the day's trail snacks (and
garbage), notepad and pen, map, TP, sanitizer, lip balm,
sunscreen, and bug dope (the last two in small dropper
bottles - I got mine through BackpackingLight.com) - and
there is still room in both pockets for other things, if
needed (such as guidebook/data book/Yogi's data pages)...

Check the reviews - most people love the hipbelt pockets on
the ULA packs.

Happy trails!!!


----------

I'd buy one.

If I had the sewing skills, I'd also sew myself a
small, silnylon fanny pack.

Other have inquired about such a thing. MAny of us
enjoy hiking with a fanny pack used as a "belly pack"
to keep some accessories handy. There was an inquiry
on this list earlier IIRC. I know others in the hiking
community would gladly buy such an item.

Yes, that is a blatant hint/request/idea.

----------

I have used pockets like that attached to packs for years,
bought from
REI and not ultra but light enough, but nowadays with
smaller digital
cameras I just carry them in my fishing vest which has
enough pockets
to carry several common day-use items like maps and
sunglasses etc.

http://dhs.oakapple.net/photo/hsc/merced-lake/2003-08-21/img0101.jpg

What I would really like to get is a remake of that
vest!   Very thin but tough, waterproof, mosquito netting.
Columbia quit making them years ago.


--------

If it were reasonably priced I'd buy one.

---------- 

Something needs to be developed, Blisterfree, but the
problem with shoulder strap stuff is that is slips down or
has to be tightened so much it distorts the flatness of the
strap. [ ed. note: UnSlack Pack is designed not to slip.] My
new camera will probably weigh just over a pound, so that
weight would have to be balanced off somehow, on the other
side.

This year I'm hoping to come up with something for a
shoulder strap to keep my pencil, black marker, and say 3x5
cards, for notes, at hand. For instance, I'd like to send
Yogi a report on the status of every water source on my
Border to Tuolumne '05 hike, but I'd sure like to keep the
necessities to do this readily available, rather than
digging them out. For me, a shirt pocket is not the answer,
because I hike without a shirt sometimes. This problem is
probably easy if one sews a small pocket to the strap, but
it would have to be rigid enough to clip the Pentel pencil
and Sharpie marker to. It would also have to take the abuse
of clipping and unclipping the pencil and marker thousands
of times. I'm probably going to use a LuxuryLite pack this
year, so I'm not sure yet if any kind of waistbelt pouch
would work.


--------

It sounds really interesting, I would probably buy one,
although, I can't guarantee that I would use it to carry a
camera!!!