What camerabag for mountaineering??

For climbing...rocks, ice, etc....I would use a large fanny pack. Something like the large one that LL Bean offers. This would hold all the equipment that you mentioned (plus a lightweight mini-tripod). It would also be out of the way and easily accessable by simply bringing the pack to the front when you wanted to take pictures. Also, I assume that you are using a small climbing pack for the rest of your gear and the fanny pack should be able to fit up under this if you need to carry both at the same time.

Check out the "Photoflex" bags that Galen Rowell pushes. They are claimed to be designed for "active" photographers and since Rowell is a climber - and uses these bags - I assume they are what you are looking for. Note though a few comments in the photo.net forum that the bags are not particularly well built. I can't confirm that since I've never used or owned one.

I, too, like fanny packs. I often use one when running around after birds. I use it for film, tele-extenders and extension tubes, lens caps, etc. As a previous poster mentions, it is nice to be able to swing it 'round front when you need stuff, and you can then swing it 'round to your butt when you're truckin' and want it out of the way.

I don't use a camera-specific fanny pack, but if I were climbing I'd want to either use one of those, or design padding for a regular fanny pack, to protect stuff inside from being bashed on rocks.

Just a word of warning:

I bought a Lowe Off Trail for climbing, and it generally suits me quite well. However, the buckle is positioned in such a way that the gear in my harness loops can pop the buckle loose (has yet to happen, but come close several times). I safeguard against this by clipping a spare quickdraw from my harness to the bag.

If you do get a fanny-pack, make sure that it won't come undone by accident!

Jeff

Thanx for the advices!! This site is a goldmine of wisdome.

The Galen Rowell Chest Pouch works, but I find that I'm usually happier just stuffing the camera in the top of my pack. My N70 with the 35mm f/2 AF has become my camera of choice for general climbing and hiking and I found that it fits nicely in a Neo's neoprene pouch made by Tamrac. I miss the faster synch speed of the N90s but the built-in flash of the N70 is very handy.

I've been using an Ortlieb camera dry bag which is big enough for a body with 75-300 zoom attached. I've used it skiing, sea kayaking, hiking and rafting - in all weather including pouring rain. It has large D rings that you can use to attach a strap. When carrying a pack I use small straps to attach it to the front straps of the pack. In general I keep it strapped to my chest for easy access.

Accessories go in a small fanny pack (worn either in front or behind).

I just came back from a trip in Tuolumne Meadows, where I did some x-c. Tho' it wasn't mountaineering per se, I was scrambling up some steep stuff with my pack, bushwacking, bouldering here and there, etc.

I was carrying a Fuji GS645 (a MF RF), which is still probably a smaller package than your FM and a couple lenses. But what I got worked really well- a LowePro Nova Micro (got mine for $30 at REI), which was just big enough with room for 8 rolls of 120 film, a rubber lenshood and a cable release. I strapped an Ultrapod II onto the top handle. I put a waist strap on it, and while on the trail with my regular pack, I had it in front. I even kept my map there too. So- for the first time ever, I had a system in which I could whip out my camera (not hanging off my neck) while on the trail or scrambling cross country.

This worked in front with my big pack, or low and in back with a day pack for day hikes, etc.

It's a nice little bag- padded, rigid, deep enough for what I need- with an internal separator that you can move/remove. Zippers close and has a quick release buckled flap.

A Pentax MX with a couple lenses (20mm/f4 and 50/1.7) is a tight fit. There might be a bigger one that will work. The Lowe Photorunner seems _quite_ big, and less padded.

HTH, Tse-Sung

I think Ron Goodman had probably one of the best solutions. I was a climber and hiker before I was a photographer. I have search for numerous solutions since taking up photography several years ago and am convinced that there is a better solution than what I have come up with.

I don't like the backpacks designed for cameras because they seem to have left out the fact that while you are out in the wild you might need more than your camera. When hiking in Big Bend I need to carry lots of water. In Colorado, I'll carry several layers in case I get caught in bad weather above timberline. Camera bags just don't give me the flexibility I want. So what I do is find the best backpack I can. Generally, you would want one for serious, several day backpacking, and one for those day trips, which for me seem to be more strenous because I am trying to get somewhere in a short amount of time.

Then what I do is pack all gear, putting the camera gear at the top. I like Rob's neoprene pouch idea. I need to spend the money on something like that. I usually poor boy it. I slip my lens into a thick sock, stuff it in a Ziplock or stuff-sack and go.

This answer comes late in the discussion, but I didn't feel it was completely apropos the original question. However, since the discussion seems to have moved on to more general hiking/backpacking/cross-country travel, I thought I'd add that I've been very happy with a "dry rib" pouch made by Dana Designs. This is a small bag, large enough to hold a normal-sized 35mm SLR and a normal-range (say 28-80) zoom lens and a couple of filters. The bag attaches to the webbing of one shoulder strap on a backpack, and then has a strap that connects to the other shoulder strap (similar to the sternum strap). It sounds complicated, I know, but it actually gives you a place to hold the camera that's both out of the way most of the time and still accessible without taking off the pack. I use it all the time when backpacking/hiking, and was happy with it on the mountaineer's route on Whitney, but it might get in the way on steep technical pitches.

If you're carrying a pack, then the fanny pack system won't work; especially if you're doing alpine stuff where you need to keep the weight down.

I've been using a camera chest pouch from Sun Dog (in Seattle) the the assorted lens cases they make. I can unclip the chest pouch and stuff the entire thing into my pack in a flash when I need to climb. When slogging, the thing just rides on my chest - no problem. It'll hold an N90 with 80-200 attached. This is the system I've used on alpine climbs, expeditions, and ski trips. It works very well and is the most versitle system I've come up with. I like it better than the Lowe-Pro chest pack too. The Sun Dog stuff is designed and made by skier/climber type folks that are serious about adventure photography.

Well, although I have been doing more photography than climbing lately I can tell you what works for me.

Lowe Pro Top Load All Weather Zoom pack. This is designed as a chestpack with an excellent harness system. It is designed for a standard slr body attached to a 80-200 2.8 lens. I find for hard core trips I carry an FM2n with 24/2.8 perfectly and a 85/1.8 or 35- 70/2.8. The zippered top opens away from your body provided a bit a water protected from those particularly wet waterfalls hear in New England. There is a front pocket that allows for food or photo accessories. I carry a Bogen Table Top tripod with a miny ball head in this pocket. Comes in real useful during those low light end of day shots.

It is very stable. I use while telemark skiing regularly. For technical climbing I would carry over the shoulder opposite of the climbing rack. It balances the rack pretty well and occasion I use to clip a couple of piece like large Friends to it. Carrying the pouch as a chest harness is a little big for front pointing or technical rock. The chest harness would be perfect for glacier work or alpine climbs.

A big plus in my mind is the all weather system. It consists of a light nylon cover that comes out of the front pocket. All seams are taped. I have used it mountain biking in a pouring rain storm and my gear stayed dry. In all the best piece of equipment I have ever used.

They are around $50 and comes with a four point chest harness and shoulder strap.

I've been searching for the answer to this question for years. I use a SunDog Zoom Pouch that slips through the belt on my backpack, but it is very minimalist and doesn't work as a cross over bag for non-hiking endeavors. I almost bought the new Toad 20 from Domke until I learned that the two side lens/water bottle holders could only accept lenses up to 62 mm in diameter and couldn't even hold 1 liter Naglene bottles. What was Domke thinking? The Kinesis C400 is a beautiful bag, but quite expensive and the side pockets aren't padded and would not afford much protection for lenses while climbing. In the end, I do the same thing as most other posters, carry the camera and extra lenses, filters and film in a lumbar pack or in the top of my backpack.