[Yossarian]

Right, so I bought the LX5 so I could go biking with a camera tucked in back pocket or camelbak rather than lug a massive load of camera related crap around...

However, I've now decided that I am quite up for lugging some camera related crap around, so has anyone got any recommendations for mountain bike suitable camera crap-carrying backpacks / fannypacks / anyotherpacks...?

I think Cofe mentioned something good a while back.  I quite liked the idea of Kata, but their site is a bit irritating. 

Something that could carry a camelbak bladder would be good.  And room for a Nikon (D3 or otherwise) and a couple of lenses...

[Stubbs]

Have you checked these out? http://fstopgear.com/index.php  more mountain than bike oriented I guess, didn't trawl through to see if any of them had a camelbak pocket,  because the whole idea of having a pouch of water next to several grand's worth of camera equipment made me a bit uneasy!

[Yossarian]

They look awesome!  Well done!

[cofe]

The f-stop look good, but I don't think they're in UK yet, and I'd want a good look at one first as I think they had some issues early on. I don't think any of them take a bladder either, which might be an issue if you're riding long distances (bottle mounts on some bikes are fairly useless, and you don't want to stop every time you need to get your beverage freak on). They're pro packs aimed at the photographer end of the 'am i a rider today or a photographer?' end of the market. I like to get some riding in really, even if I've got photos to take.

Lowepro do this one, which, much as I like Lowepro, looks a bit whack.

I currently use a Deuter transalp (I think that's what it's called) pack which has two sections and in the top section I have the bones of a Lowepro toploading type thing (one of the bigger ones which holds a few lenses), so I can unzip the pack, flip the camera bit open and whip out the camera. Easy enough. Then my waterproof and ten million muesli bars go in the bottom. Maybe not an ideal setup, but it works very well. I carry one camera and 2-3 lenses usually, rarely a flash or anything else. 

I have used a smaller pack on my back with just a spare lens, and then carried the camera with lens on a chest-harness mounted toploading thing on the front, but it limits your riding, and gets a bit uncomfortable after a while. Plus you still have to take the pack off if you want to change lens, so it might as well all be on your back.

[Johnny Brown]

I don't cycle with a camera, but I have taken a fair amount of camera kit walking and climbing up some quite big, hard routes. My favourite bag so far is this: http://products.lowepro.com/product/Inverse-100-AW,2100,7.htm

Its basically a beltpack with a shoulder strap. The belt is pretty comfortable plus you can adjust the shoulder strap easily to take some or all of the weight - nice when climbing as you can have the weight down on your waist when climbing or on the shoulders when using the camera on belays. Mine can fit a D300 plus attached 16-85, plus a 50-150/2.8 comfortably. The mesh side pockets will take another lens pouch or/and waterbottle comfortably, and straps outside stablilise them nicely. Front pouch is a bit weird but will hold some bits like a polariser, battery etc. Waterproof cover in the base.

If I need to carry more I take a BD Bullet rucsac which fits comfortably above it. Not sure how well it will suit riding but I suspect quite well as it would sit similarly to a courier bag, leaving your back free to breathe. They do a bigger one if the D3 is a tight fit.

[dave]

just get one of these badboys.

[gingerninja]

does it have to be a camera bag? i took my 7d with 24-70, flash gun and pocket wizards in my evoc bag. could have got more in the bag but didnt need it.
the pack is awesome and has a back protector built in. the bladder is not in the bag but between the bag and back protector. the main thing with this bag is how it fits. ive never ridden with anything thats as comfortable.
http://www.evocsports.com/index.php/en/Freeride-Trail.html

[Yossarian]

Some great suggestions...

Dave - when you're out riding, I'm assuming you using a short barrelled AR-15? It would be a bit unwieldy otherwise, right?I think I would ditch it and take a Remington pump instead. And that Glock 17 - I had you down as a .45 kind of guy - guess I misread.  One thing I've not figured out yet - how do you keep the Cristal in your Camelbak from fizzing up? I tried it once, and ended up getting my Karl Kanis soaked through. Looked like I'd pissed myself... These days I just keep a mini Moet in a pocket on my tac belt, word. I like the badge though - do they do a Navy version?

The Evoc jobs look pretty decent. I guess my issues with trying to turn a more conventional sack into a camera bag is firstly how well it supports the weight, and secondly how to avoid having the camera relatively inaccessible.  Cofe's Deuter seems to get round that by having a couple of sections.

Come to think of it, I have an old Crumpler thing that I might be able to extract the padding from...

[cofe]

The Evoc jobs look pretty decent. I guess my issues with trying to turn a more conventional sack into a camera bag is firstly how well it supports the weight, and secondly how to avoid having the camera relatively inaccessible.  Cofe's Deuter seems to get round that by having a couple of sections.

I'm sure i'm probably paying a bit of a weight penalty with this system, but it's minor, and the gear doesn't jockey around inside when riding, which is pretty important. The camera is accessible - simply unzip the pack and flip open the lid on the bag inside (which isn't fastened) - and protected, as I discovered when I pitched over the bars on Chinley Churn at full speed last year. I'm sure there are plenty of other packs which would work like the Deuter - a good pack is a good base for carrying the camera etc.

JB's idea is good, but I don't think it would work for MTB - the gear needs to be solid on your back, and central, certainly for 'proper' stuff. Slightly to the side, or on the hips could/would be a right pain, literally.

[Johnny Brown]

the gear needs to be solid on your back, and central,

My bag is both, definitely not on side or hips. I'll admit I don't like a tight belt when riding uphill though, so that might annoy. I'm not keen on a sweaty back either, so I guess you take your pick.

[cofe]

the suggestion it fitted like a courier pack gave the impression it was neither central or solid. a good pack will have a decent ventilation system, but you're going to get sweaty regardless.

[Johnny Brown]

I've never actually worn a courier pack, but I assumed couriers like them for a reason. Obviously I don't know much about riding, but I do know the bag has sorted a load of situations that I used to struggle through with various small rucsacs. Worth a try I think.

[Norton Sharley]

Don't really think it matters how well  a pack takes camera gear, that is always sortable with a few t-shirts etc, surely it is more important to get a pack with a good fit?  Obviously needs to be oversized for camera gear rather than a spare tube and tool kit but otherwise ...

I have a Camelbak Octane 8 which is expandable and works well, albeit less comfortable when heavily loaded.

Deuter come highly recommended from a mtb lensman mate.