My old Lowepro camera backpack has finally went on to camera bag heaven last year and in the meantime my gear has been scattered throughout a number of inappropriate locations. For my hikes I was just putting the camera in my regular hiking pack with the Canon F4L 70-200 zoom nicely tucked into the water bottle holder. Great solution until my pack banged on a rock and my beloved 70-200 required a $250.00 repair.
An expensive mistake I would say… Decided against a repeat performance so off to Mike’s Camera I went in search of a new pack. My old school Lowepro was extremely heavy even with no equipment in it, so I was quite happy to discover that the new models were much lighter and easier to manage. As I looked over many new models, trying to calculate cost / benefit of each, my eyes were continually drawn to the Lowepro Flipside 300.
Very light and reasonably priced, it looked like it had just the right amount of partitions for the equipment I would usually like to bring along on a short trek into the back country. It has a perfect space for my camera body attached to the 70-200 along with the lens hood and enough spaces for a wide angle and flash unit, as well as a nifty zippered pouch big enough for all the batteries and extra chips I could possibly need, perhaps even a few snacks for a longer trek. For hot days and long hikes, the pack even has a mesh side pouch suitable for lugging a water bottle. There is also a nice zippered flat compartment on the inside, perfect for maps and model releases. Another zippered side pouch has space for quick access to extra chips, batteries, pens and safe storage of car keys. Rounding out the features included with this pack is a perfect tripod or monopod fastener on the outside
The straps are comfortable and the pack has a waist belt plus an additional adjustable strap to hold the shoulder straps in place and secure against jostling and bouncing. I am looking forward to years of enjoyment with this superbly constructed addition to my equipment.
Steve Krull is a prolific sports and nature photographer selling prints and stock images online as S.W. Krull Imaging at various sites and agencies. Click this link to view all the products and services offered by Steve Krull and S. W. Krull Imaging. Additional services include, wedding photography, portraiture and model portfolios, and event photography. Additional products include fine art stock imagery, prints and gift items
