counselguy

Thanks to those of you who responded to my earlier post about your recommendations for a captain's handlebar mounted camera bag. Several of those responses expressed concern about attaching a bag to a 31.8 Carbon Handlebar due to potential catastrophic failures (Stoker nixed that idea).

I went to a camera shop and tried several bags that could attach to the handlebars through eyelets. I noticed after that experiment that I had several small scratches in the clear coat on my Calfee head tube (AAGGHH!!!). That made me question whether any handlebar bag without a quick mount could be attached without similar damage (I don't want to change my handlebars so as to allow a quick release).

Now I am thinking about a captain mounted camera bag - I could wear one on my back. The camera is a Nikon D40xSLR and a 17-200 zoom. A bag that is 7.5 inches deep and 5 inches wide is enought. I don't want the size of a large backpack, but some type of pack that isn't too large and has adequate strapping. I thought about the discomfort of having it on my back while sweating, but then I thought about all those who use camelbaks.

Any recommendations? We are going to Hawaii in three weeks for the Santana trip. My friend and fellow tandomer, Bloomington Cyclist and I will give you a trip report when we get back (he doesn't know that yet).

Thanks for your help!
Counselguy

masiman

I try to avoid riding with things on my back. The only exception I make is for a Camelbak, but its benefits outweigh its cons. Camelbaks have form and function advantages over backpack loads in that they are a decreasing weight. The 70 oz. versions hold ~4.5 of water. In the summer your load will typically be cool and can aid a little in keeping your back cool. It is a decreasing weight as you drink from it. And finally it is conformal, unlike a camera. Of course there are the Camelbaks with extra storage that some ride with.

My opinion is for a bike mounted bag of some sort. In the past I had your same sort of problem, how to carry the camera gear. An added complexity to activities that did not always fit optimally with the camera requirements. After awhile, I started paring down, lighter tripod, wider range lenses vs. fixed. The day(s) of the activity took priority over the gear. The camera load was built after the activity load. Unfortunately, experience was the only way to help me define what I could reasonably pack. I am always amazed when I watch Survivorman. I know the issues he is going through as I watch the show. His advantage is that he typically has not much else to carry, of course this is a great disadvantage to his comfort and safety .

Spend what you need to spend to get your carrying system in order. I would guess that you won't find a good solution at a camera store unless it is a backpack option.

Given your short timeframe, I'd suggest buying (mail order, local, whatever) a couple of solution options. Check each of them out for comfort, mounting and camera adaptability. Your better options will likely require you to have foam cut to place inside the bag. If your camera shop does not have foam they should be able to direct you to someone local that does if you live in a larger city. You may need some plastic sheet stiffeners to help. Whatever you choose will likely not be an optimum solution and customizing your bag will probably be your biggest headache.

My bag of choice for all my trampings? A Mountainsmith Lumbar pack with custom foam and sheet stiffeners. FM2, 1 or 2 lenses depending, cable release, 1-4 filters depending, Gitzo tripod, batteries, gray card, film (digital was 10k and up then). It worked adequately for our non-pedal adventures. When we multi-day backcountry rides, I would leave it behind. Trails were too technical and too much time was required to access and set up, plus I did not enjoy the weight we did carry just to be out. For the walking, skiing, climbing, etc. portions, it was the best non-specific solution. It could readily adapt around the other gear. You are not doing any extreme cold so I won't go into that type of setup. That is a very different set of recommendations from this one.

Good Luck! Take a pic of your storage setup if you can .

TandemGeek

Are you running some type of a wing bar or are they simply an Oval Concepts ergo bar? I guess I'm somewhat surprised that Topeak's Fixer-5 line of handlebar bags wouldn't work... Seemed like a really nice bar-mount system that was also handlebar friendly and had some other nice features like the integrated computer mount and security cable that wrapped around the stem.

mudmouse

I tried a Mountainsmith Aurora (medium). I liked the bag, but figured out that I can't really carry that much weight around my waist while biking. Not sure if it will fit your set up or not.

https://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...0226&langId=-1

There is also a LowePro photorunner that is similar & might work well for you.

These are some of the websites I've been looking at while trying to find the perfect bag.

https://www.cambags.com/
https://www.m-rock.com/

Hope you can find something that works well for you, and have a great time in Hawaii!
kari

counselguy

Thanks for your helpful counsel. Mark, I am using a 31.8 Carbon Concepts Bar that was the same used on my 2006 Santana Team Niobium. To me it looks more like an ergo bar than a wing bar. It certainly doesn't have as much as a wing as the FSA bars. They are more flattened, and then have indentations to rest your thumbs next to the stem.
Counselguy