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Re: [AT-L] Catching up
At 08:03 PM 10/9/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Now the storage problem, we are planning on carrying the camera inside a
>Zing pouch, (made of neoprene, for padding ) and that inside an OR waterproof
>stuff sack (small one) inside Alisons' terraplane. Has anyone tried this ?
>Or maybe the question should simply be, if you are willing to put up with the
>weight of an SLR how do you carry it? How about all the thru-hikers that
carried
>an SLR, how did it work out ? Would you do it again ?
>
>Sandy and Alison
>"The Smiths"
>ME to GA '97
>
Hi! I carried a Canon A2E, with a 20-35 and a 70-210 lens on my thru-hike
and they all survived fine (despite a number of falls, etc.). I had a
Terraplane pack as well. I used the Dana optional Wet Rib to carry my camera
body, put my 70-210 in a fleece pouch and put it in the water holder of my
wet rib. Then I bought a small lens pouch from Sundog which carried my
20-35 and conveniently slid over my hipbelt and was within easy reach. I
clipped my 1 qt. water bottles onto my Dana with caribiners and carried a 16
or 20 oz. water bottle in the tiny pocket on the side of the pack. This set
up allowed me easy access to my camera gear and I never had to take off my
pack to get to it. If it started to rain, I would take off my pack and
stuff all my camera gear in the top of my backpack. Using this system, I
was able to enjoy photography on the trail. Before I figured out this
system, I was having to take my pack off and that was no fun after a while.
At the beginning I even carried a small 2 lb. tripod, but sent it home after
a month. Takes too long to set up and shoot. I shot Fuji Sensia 100 film
most of the time, occasionally using a roll of 200. I used my 20-35 more
than my 70-210 because it was easier to handhold at slow speeds (and using
100 speed film in the woods, 1/45th, 1/30th, etc. are not uncommon). I sent
the film into Fuji in Phoenix via mailers and had them send the film back to
my folks. Never lost a roll. Had film sent to me in my mail drops, so I
never had more than two or three rolls at a time, which worked out fine. I
took over 1000 slides on my hike. (My wife did remind me from time to time
that the 4 1/2 lbs of camera equipment I was carrying made her load 4 1/2
lbs heavier, since if I wasn't taking the damn stuff, I could take 4 1/2
lbs. out of her pack!). Let me know if I can answer any other questions. If
I were to hike the trail again, I would be tempted to take a 2 lb. video
camera instead of the regular camera (even though I'm a photography nut),
because I was impressed with the sense of action you got when I saw the PBS
2 part film on hiking the trail. It's hard to translate that feeling onto
slide film.
Mark
*****************************************
Mark and Janet Holmes (GA-Me '95)
Fox Hill Inn - Innkeepers
VA 16
Troutdale,VA ( 4 miles from Dickey Gap on the AT)
AT Hiker stopping point in the Grayson Highlands!
540-677-3313 or 1-800-874-3313 (for reservations)
email - mholmes@netva.com
*****************************************