Carrying camera gear on a mountain bike??

"Mark" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 6, 7:37 pm, pete fagerlin wrote:
Mark wrote:
snip

In a back pack I
have to stop (which I would have to anyway) take the pack off and deal
with the zippers. Next finding a combination that it could travel
with the lens on the body might be a challenge or it would have to be
mounted, all the while that animal I happened upon is heading to the
next county. IF you only dealt with landscapes and such it would work
better.. Time is not an issue there usually.

Take the bag off? Deal with the zippers? A challenge to travel with lens on
body?

Get up to date with what's available, e.g the Lowepro Slingshot series......

Just a few hours ago I pulled up to fire off a series of shots with a Nikon
D200 (bearing a 300mm lens) of a Lataste's Viper - without even getting off
the bike. Now had the gear been in some kind of bike mounted bag..........

snip

Mark wrote:

No one ever plans on crashing but people do all the time. Depending
on how much a bladder happens to hold at the time of the crash is
going to make a great deal of difference. If nearly empty, it
probably would be fine. The plastic bladder I have there is no way it
could be nearly full and put my 200lbs+ on top of it and not have it
burst somewhere. Through in the possibility of rocks or tree limbs
and again that plastic just isn't going to hold. Maybe it would come
out the bite valve or pull the hose out, but there are just too many
maybe's in there for me. Make the bladder out of the same material as
a Nascar fuel cell and Id agree with you. If I never crash, it won't
be a problem. Maybe I won't, but more than likely sooner or later
almost everyone does. Though my gear has seen some heavy rain, and yes
I had the stuff to partially protect it, liquids an electronics don't
often mix well. Empty your hydration bladder on your camera for a
test. I put my equipment through enough abuse as it is and don't want
to add to it if there is a way to avoid it.

You need to read my previous posts again. My equipment has
survived more water exposure than simply emptying a bladder on
it. Your fears of the bladder bursting are irrational. At this
point I would suggest that you buy yourself a portable meteor
barrier to protect your equipment from meteorites.


I do appreciate the input an if it works for you and meets your risk
tolerance, then that's exactly what you should do. In a back pack I
have to stop (which I would have to anyway) take the pack off and deal
with the zippers. Next finding a combination that it could travel
with the lens on the body might be a challenge or it would have to be
mounted, all the while that animal I happened upon is heading to the
next county. IF you only dealt with landscapes and such it would work
better.. Time is not an issue there usually.

Photography while riding a bike is not as complicated as you
think it is. Sorry.

Good luck with the meteors.

On Oct 6, 10:10 pm, Mark wrote:

I do appreciate the input an if it works for you and meets your risk
tolerance, then that's exactly what you should do.

This is totally what you're looking for:

http://tinyurl.com/3bbnmr

HTH

CC

"RobDee" wrote in message
...

"Mark" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 6, 7:37 pm, pete fagerlin wrote:
Mark wrote:
snip

In a back pack I
have to stop (which I would have to anyway) take the pack off and deal
with the zippers. Next finding a combination that it could travel
with the lens on the body might be a challenge or it would have to be
mounted, all the while that animal I happened upon is heading to the
next county. IF you only dealt with landscapes and such it would work
better.. Time is not an issue there usually.

Take the bag off? Deal with the zippers? A challenge to travel with lens
on body?

Get up to date with what's available, e.g the Lowepro Slingshot
series......

Just a few hours ago I pulled up to fire off a series of shots with a
Nikon D200 (bearing a 300mm lens) of a Lataste's Viper - without even
getting off the bike. Now had the gear been in some kind of bike mounted
bag..........

snip

Link to photos?

On Oct 6, 7:10 pm, Mark wrote:
To those that think that because my needs may not match your needs and
that justifies a trip to a mental professional, I pity you.


You pity us? That's a laugh. Why don't you do the World a favor and
go ride off of a cliff. That would make a great photo.

JD

Hiya Mark

My favorite ia a Lowepro Off Trail 2 beltpack.

http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Belt...f_Trail_2.aspx

Takes a digital SLR with lens and 2 extra long lenses. The side pods can be
removed if you're not going to need more than 1 lens. I can still use a full
size hydration daypack with the Off Trail tucked in underneath. Advantages -
you can lift off the seat to absorb some of the shock from rough terrain,
you can spin the beltpack around to the front for quick access to catch the
wildlife you just surprised! Disadvantages - extra weight is carried by you,
not the bike so the backside can get tired on a long ride.

Hope this helps

Blueroo

"Mark" wrote in message
ps.com...
Well as a photographer I am going to be using my bike to do some
photography in off the beaten path areas. I am going to need a way to
carry some very expensive camera equipment. I am using a Camelbek
hydration pack so a backpack isn't going to work without giving that
up, which Id prefer not to do.

That means I will need some sort of rack on the back or handlebars.
Id prefer not to use the handlebars but would if its absolutely
necessary. IF there is something out there that is already available
for photography work, Id love to hear about it. I am also not adverse
to building something that can be attached to a commercially available
rack if such is compatiable with a full suspension mountain bike.

The seat post mount racks might work, but are there better options.
It had a weight limit of 25 lbs, which by the time I add some gear and
protection around it might be getting close to that limit fairly
quickly. With the flex in the suspension I wasn't sure the other
types of racks would work very well if at all.

Long term the goal is the camping gear on a pulled trailer, the camera
gear on the rack on the bike. Ride the bike to the base camp and drop
the trailer, then keep going with the camera gear. Thanks in advance
for your help.