Hiking with a camera backpack

[raven4ns]

Hello,
I am looking for suggestions to lower the weight of my camera backpack or possibly buy a smaller pack or belt pack.. It is a Lowepro Nature Trekker and in it I carry a 1Ds mkII with a Canon 70-300mm, a 100mm Canon macro, a 28-135mm as well as a Canon 20-35mm. My tripod is a Manfrotto 055 aluminum with a pro pan/tilt head. There are other miscellaneous items in the pack as well.
I will be leaving 2 of the lenses home, namely the 100mm macro and the 20-35mm but I will substitute extension tubes for the macro. There was a time when I could carry the pack for 6 hours or more but I am 63 and time is catching up to me. If any of you have suggestions to lighten the load still further please let me know. I am looking for a CF tripod that is light but price is a concern. Your ideas or suggestions will be most appreciated. Thank you.

Tim

[oldwolf]

My only suggestion to lighten the load would be to get a crop sensor camera if that's in your budget.

One thing I will say about the backpack is to make sure you don't get a belt pack or a smaller pack that doesn't reach down to your waist. The belt pack will tend to chafe in certain areas too much. The smaller pack will be putting the weight on your shoulders and not evenly distributed along your back and waist.

Sorry, I couldn't be of more help.

[dcclark]

Do you absolutely have to have all of that gear? As a pretty serious backpacker and photographer, I always choose only one lens on one body, and take that with me. If I'm daypacking, it goes around my shoulder. If I'm on a longer trip, it usually gets a special place near the head of my pack.

So, what are your intentions? Do you have to have it all?

[dakwegmo]

Originally Posted by raven4ns

there are other miscellaneous items in the pack as well.

In my experience, those other miscellaneous items end weighing more than a lot of other stuff I could be carrying. The Lowepro Nature Trekker is a big pack and can hold a lot of stuff. The temptation with such a bag is to pack "just one more thing" and "just in case". Get a small bag that won't hold much more than the camera with one lens on and an extra lens. Or better still, carry the camera with one lens on a strap around your neck, and get a padded case for the other lens that you can carry on your belt. Then you won't pack all those extra items you never end up using.

[raven4ns]

Thank you for your comments. At the moment I am considering a belt/harness system for my hiking needs. In addition, I will leaving a few lenses home plus looking at a CF tripod. Hopefully this will give me the reduction in weight that i need. Thank you again for your help.

Tim