Ryan Russell

Please join us in welcoming our newest Friend of Naneu, Ryan Russell!

Ryan is an internationally-renowned rock music photographer from the United States. Ryan grew up in the Deep South. We’re not talking about the vacation havens of Florida or the Atlanta you saw in a hip hop music video. We’re talking about Birmingham, Alabama – the gritty South that has long been known for steel mills, attack dogs, fire hoses and little else. Growing up in the infamous “Magic City” left a lot to Ryan’s imagination, what with hanging around downtown and soaking up the turn-of-the-century architecture and decades of urban blight, which further developed his talent of bringing energy and color out of ordinary scenes. With his unique style, Ryan embraces predecessors of southern culture like William Eggleston and Ernest Withers as well as personal influences like Glen E. Friedman and Charles Peterson to create a new, bold take on classic southern-gothic photography. Ryan captures the grit and energy of today’s American music scene much like Lee Friedlander’s Atlantic Records work during the 50’s and 60’s or Anton Corbijn’s work with U2 and Joy Division.

Although you wouldn’t guess it from meeting this southern gentleman, Ryan has photographed some of the most critically-acclaimed artists of our generation. From shooting the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Paramore, Blink-182, Green Day, Tegan and Sara, My Chemical Romance, Josh Homme/Queens of the Stone Age, Underoath, Sonic Youth, Patton Oswalt and David Cross, to being printed in magazines like Alternative Press, Rolling Stone, Spin and Playboy or periodicals like The New York Times, The New York Post, The Chicago Reader and The Chicago Sun-Times, Ryan has also toured with the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Paramore, Taking Back Sunday, Against Me!, and Mastodon, allowing him the opportunity for up close and personal access to these musicians and a chance to showcase their truly unique personalities through photography in a way that words alone cannot.

We are truly pleased to have Mr. Russell as a Friend of Naneu! To find out more information about Ryan, please visit his website at http://www.ryanrussell.net/.

Jim DeLillo

Please join us in welcoming our newest Friend of Naneu, Jim DeLillo!

Jim is an internationally-published photographer who specializes in travel, local color and editorial. Avidly working since 1972, Jim’s many years of experience have provided such esteemed international publications like Woman’s World Magazine with a refreshing break from stiffly-posed shots often found within them. His photojournalist, reality based, eclectic style spans travel, both domestic and abroad,  the wilderness, and ultimately outer space.  Did we mention that Jim is also an accomplished astro-photographer?

Anyways, you probably get the idea. Jim and his work is simply put, astounding. Jim won a Nikon.net Award for his series, “Children of Belize.” Other accomplishments include reaching the Gold Level (10,000 downloads) with iStock, Getty’s microstock offering.

When he is not making beautiful things happen with his camera, Jim is a Senior Project Manager at a major biotech company in New Jersey.

Please visit the following websites to get a better idea of Jim, his portfolio, and accomplishments:

http://jimdelillo.viewbook.com (Travel Portfolio)

http://www.demotix.com/users/jimdeli/profile (International Newswire)

http://www.istockphoto.com/jimd_stock (Gold Level Status >10,000 downloads)

We are most excited to work with Lara as she has accomplished so much for herself in such a short period of time. It is truly an honor to have such amazing young photographer working with Naneu to help develop future products and sport the latest Naneu gear.

Here is just a quick peek of some of Lara Jades work – by the way did I mention she is only 20? Simply incredible.

Lara Jade Biography

http://www.larajade.co.uk/

Lara Jade, born 1989, currently resides in Central London.

Her career began early at the age of fifteen, when she picked up a camera and started experimenting with self-portraiture, romanticism, and fantasy photography – themes which are still present in her work today.

At only seventeen she started her own business, Lara Jade Photography. Originally taking on small clients, she soon picked up a strong understanding of the business qualities needed to deal with her high demand for work. To this day she hasn’t looked back, moving from strength to strength, becoming the youngest photographer to shoot at the world famous Spring Studios to date.

Her exploration with themes, coupled with a love for the works of Tim Walker, Ellen Von Unwerth and Mary Ellen Mark have inspired the unique creations seen in her daily work.

Lara’s much sought after romantic and conceptual feel with a hint of darkness with maturity beyond her years makes her one of the most promising photographers around. She also continues to be a source of inspiration for millions of other photographers and artists. A reflection of this is the 11 million hits on just one site showcasing her work (DeviantArt).

Lara is currently working worldwide alongside leading agencies in both London and Milan. She is signed with Milan-based agency Sudest57, who spotted Lara’s talents and signed her early on. A number of sponsorships followed, including Bowens Lighting, Samsung, and DataColor. Lara was also winner of the Public Choice Award at the 2009 AOP Open Awards.

A strong pursuit of perfection means Lara spends all her spare time working relentlessly on her ever-improving portfolio, as well as teaching workshops across the UK and worldwide.

AWARDS

AOP Open Awards 2009, Public Choice Award.

CLIENTS

Lavazza
Sony Music
BBC
Millers
Simon & Schuster / Touchstone
Random House Publishing
Headline Publishing
Modernista Publishing
Amphora Publishing
Blanvalet Publishing
British Hairdressing Awards
Leo Burnett Advertising Agency
Kokkino Jewellery
Tallulah Love Lingerie
Graphite Records

MAGAZINES / PRESS

LUSH Magazine
What? Magazine
Wound Magazine
Cliche Magazine
IDOL Magazine
Aesthetica Magazine
Digital SLR Magazine
Photo Pro Magazine
Photography Monthly
Brown’s Fashion Blog
Temptd Fashion Blog
Lifescape Magazine
ePHOTOzine Website
Repubblica (Italy)
F-TAPE.COM Listing

Well balanced, comfortable, feels light and holds all of my standard gear:
Laptop, extra hard drive, 2 card readers, cables, epson card media storage device. 2-canon bodies including the Mark III 1-DS , 5D Mark 2, as well as  50mm 1.2. , 35mm 1.2,  85mm 1.2 lenses and my G10 pocket camera. Cards, meter, fill card, various chargers and, there is still room for my personal items:  notebook, pens, reading glasses, sun glasses, book, sun block, and iPhone.

This backpack fits my travel perfect!  It holds all of my standard  photographic tools and most importantly  fits in overhead airline  bins as a carry on. It does not scream “I am a photographer” and it looks great.  One  bonus is the way the cameras are stored.  When crossing borders, the custom folks never even found the cameras!  I thought that was  a bonus as it’s always good to save the time and not chance them dropping my gear.

This backpack is so comfortable and balanced.  I can also drive a motorcycle with the bag fully loaded and not hardly notice it!

What an excellent piece of equipment the Naneu U120 bag is !  I have several Naneu bags and the U120 has become my favorite.  With a minor change to the configuration of the dividers, I am able to get two Nikons, 5 lenses and a couple of flashes loaded into it.  Plus, there is plenty of room for the other accessories, like flash cards, reflector/diffuser discs, a cable release, an extra jacket, a laptop, and more.  Everything is easily accessible and that can be important when you need a camera and/or a lens NOW !

Here is another very important part… the U120 is so comfortable.  I am a big guy and this back-pack style bag feels great.  The straps don’t cut into my shoulders even when it is fully loaded.  The straps are padded very generously in the correct place so you hardly know you have it on.  I also like the fact that the waist strap can be removed.  There are times I use the strap and other times I don’t – it’s easy to remove and replace.

The construction is phenomenal.  The material is super-strong and water resistant and yet good looking.  They also place a sturdy grip on top which really comes in handy when you need to load the bag into the back seat or the trunk (even MORE handy when you get the bag out).  I like the rubber “feet” on the bottom – that lets you set the thing upright and it stays put.  There is a good amount of padding throughout that protects what you have stowed inside.

The U120 is my fourth Naneu.  I have loved every one I have had… the TS25, U120, U220, and an older Naneu bag that I can’t even remember what series it is.  I still have them all (and use them)… hell, I can’t wear the damn things out !

The Correspondent C-9 is the perfect camera bag for my wilderness assignments. The Sony 900 with the lens fits perfectly, even with a Really Right Stuff L bracket attached. Though the bag would be too small if I used a vertical grip on my Sony.  This bag also includes enough room for all my accessories which include: 2 extra batteries, 2 extra cards, remote release, cleaning cloth, polarizer filter and two Singh Ray split grad filters with holder. This compact bag fits easily into my large expedition backpack.

How does Naneu get this much room out of such a small bag? First, the camera is offset when inserted in the bag. Most “holster” style bags I have used have the camera centered in the middle of the bag. But having the camera offset allows for a moderate amount of space on the right side of the camera under the grip. There is a zipper that accesses this compartment from the side. Naneu describes this area as an extra lens space, but only the most compact lens could fit there. Instead, I find it to be a perfect place for all my filters.

The Correspondent also has a zippered pocket on the front of the bag, where I put my batteries. Under the lid is another pocket that is padded so items inside can’t damage the Camera’s LCD screen. This lid pocket is where I put my cable release and cleaning cloth, a tight fit but it works. There is a hidden media pocket underneath the lid pocket that has a movable media holder, a gimmick? Yes, but I have been using it and well, it works fine.

I have been using Naneu bags for a few years now. The funny thing about Naneu is what they get excited about and what I get excited about. They have been promoting the fact that the Correspondent has a buckle on the lid that allows it to stay open for easy in and out access of the camera. I am usually working in pretty ugly conditions: ice, snow, wind and rain, so the last thing I want to do is leave my bag open!

What I have always enjoyed about Naneu bags has been their durability and the Correspondent continues to impress. So far the Correspondent has survived two winter storms and temperatures down to –15F. And of course Naneu’s signature orange interior, if only my lens caps we’re this color, I wouldn’t keep losing them.

Follow the Correspondent for the next year as it travels with me on my latest book project.

http://chugachstateparkproject.wordpress.com/

1) Materials used
2) workmanship
3) fit
4) function
5) areas of product strength
6) areas of product need

In September 2009 I spent 10 days in Utah, scouting/hiking and prepping for 2 of my photography workshops. I spent the majority of time at close to 6000’ elevations around south-central Utah. 

Findings/Observations:

1. Top quality ballistic nylon – this material will easily give you years of hard use although I am not unusually rough with my gear.
2. No concerns on the tripod holder and the heavy zippers used.  Excellent stitching can be found throughout the construction of the K4L.
3. Being taller and wider in the shoulders, it’s an excellent fit. Even someone smaller will not have an issue. Extremely comfortable straps even with a full complement of gear (see below).
4. This backpack can carry a surprisingly healthy amount of gear! I weigh all of my luggage/gear for airline travel so there are no surprises using an Ultimate Scale. It’s capable of readout weights within 10 grams and a zero/tare function.  In the upper compartment I packed the following: my 200/4 macro in a padded pouch, flash, extension cable, diffuser, 5 ND Grad filters (two 4×5 and three 4×6) in the zippered pouch + adapter ring, Cokin Z filter holder plus multiple smaller items. I added the Wimberley Plamps and diffuser discs into the side zippered compartments. There is still enough room to anticipate inclement weather – it will handle my raingear plus a polar fleece and still have room left over. In the lower compartment I packed one DSLR w/grip + 28-75/2.8 attached, 12-24, 50-200, Slik AF2100 head and spare batteries. Turns out where I was headed presented a great deal of landscape opportunities and very few macro opportunities, so for the second trip I left the heavier 200/4 macro at home.
5. Shoulder straps and waist straps are very comfortable on the K4L – even with heavier loads.
6. The camera compartment is large and can be an issue for carry on dimensions on a CRJ or Embraer RJ (regional jet) or turboprop aircraft. The shoulder straps could use some materials or inserts where they attach to the backpack itself to prevent twisting when putting on the backpack. However, this is minor and perhaps a future model of the K4L will address this.

The backpack with all of the above (and a fair bit more) plus a 15.4” Dell E6400 laptop weighed in at 33lbs. For reference the K4L weighs in at approximately 5.5lbs. The loaded K4L was surprisingly well balanced yet light, considering the total weight.  As surmised in my first impressions, the heaviest part of the load is at or near your waist. That weight distribution translates into little or no back strain, even with a tripod attached.  The tripod slopes in towards the top of the pack so the heaviest part (base plate + tripod head) rests just below the top of the pack.  This also ensures your head doesn’t get a hard knock if you jump up onto another surface. That was a common complaint with tripod carrying packs that center mount in a vertical position on the back surface of the pack.

Without a doubt, this travel backpack was much more comfortable carrying a full complement of landscape gear than anything previously used.

Caveats for the airline traveler:

Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ) and Embraer Regional Jets is the mainstay of smaller airports and lower traffic routes.  All of those smaller jets/turboprops have smaller overhead luggage compartments. Therefore you must store the K4L under the seat. With your laptop stowed in the K4L, it works reasonably well due to the wedge shape of the backpack, although a min. of 2-3 inches sticks out beyond the back of the seat. That’s a close call – just once in 4 trips I was asked about plane side checking of the backpack. After a quiet conversation with the attendant and informing him of it holding camera gear, he agreed to stow it in the attendant’s locked closet just aft of the cockpit/cabin/galley area. It will not fit in the frames used for dimension checks, so be advised. I’ve never been asked nor challenged about this, but if the attendant or luggage handler at plane side ever put down their foot that could be a problem.

Of note, when I gave a presentation on my Utah trip to the photo society in early November, there was a significant amount of interest in the K4L and the newly arrived K5 that Naneu was so kind to ship to me on short notice. I believe it’s important to have packs that are compliant with the overhead luggage dimensions of the RJ series aircraft. I also let the audience know that I’m working with Bombardier Aerospace to confirm all dimensions and hopefully come up with the under seat storage capacity and hopefully come to a solution on this matter in the future. There was a high level of interest amongst the attendees for a future pack with this compatibility on regional jets.

Using the K4L in Utah:

Without a doubt, I have no regrets using this backpack for hiking at altitude. I was carrying close to 38lbs at altitude (6,000 feet) and I was comfortable with this setup. Since then I have lightened my selection a bit by being very strict on the lenses, etc. and upgrading to a new Gitzo GT3541XLS carbon fiber tripod (thank you NatureScapes!). The only caveat is that a tripod with a rapid rise column is generally much easier to attach, due to a smaller top plate and resultant diameter.

Giottos MT9360 tripods fold to 22” and packs very well on the K4L. By comparison, my Gitzo GT3541XLS folds to 27” and the size of the base plate plus legs at the top is 5.5” across, which means it barely fits within the top tripod strap if you try to secure all 3 legs. The solution is to only wrap the strap through 2 legs. Bare carbon fiber is quite slippery, so LegCoats or the Giottos’ factory installed sponge rubber sleeves (AKA leg pads) is quite useful to better secure the tripod straps so they have purchase on the tripod legs.  Therefore in my mind the K4L is best suited to handle a tripod with upper leg section pads, a smaller base plate, rapid rise column and folds to 22” – 24”.

The shoulder, back and waist padding is very comfortable – it has a reasonably good amount of airflow (even with no breeze) across the back when the pack is loaded up. The K4L is quite comfortable to walk/hike with a full with and very well balanced once you have correctly cinched and adjusted the shoulder/waist straps.

The access method for the K4L to the camera compartment is relatively straightforward: it is a zippered section with a heavy duty buckle to reduce strain on the heavy duty zippers. That is a very nice touch if you are traveling in a vehicle: the buckle can be quickly attached without having to close the zippers immediately, yet you can secure the camera compartment quickly this way. I would not recommend using only the buckle and not closing the zippers when carrying the K4L though. There is another zippered compartment outside the width of the camera compartment, which can be used to hold smaller items such as batteries, memory cards, business cards or any similar sized item. That includes mesh pouches to simplify organizing this compartment. This is specific to transport in the vehicle, nothing more.  The laptop compartment is very well padded and can hold a 17” widescreen laptop quite nicely. My 15.4” laptop had plenty of room to spare.

The D-rings on the shoulder straps are very useful for attaching keys, compass and smaller items yet keeping them readily accessible. Nicely done and well thought out. The upper compartment is also readily accessed, as are the side pockets. I liked the zippered pouch inside the upper compartment in which I put my GND filters – very secure and against the padded back. The water bottle holder is the default location for storing the rain cover for the pack when it was received. I never ended up needing the cover but the holder is only suitable for the smaller bottles. I had a mesh bottle holder that I attached and it proved to be used regularly, especially is the drier climate at altitude in Utah.

At both the Utah trip presentations to the local photo society and the workshop attendees, several of the participants at both events were very interested in the K4L. I gave them the opportunity to try it on with the normal gear load and they were pleasantly surprised at the level of comfort. My understanding is that two of them will be giving up their current packs for the Naneu K4L when pursuing landscape photography. The K4L is now firmly entrenched as my pack of choice when I’m headed out for landscape/hiking photography.

Regards,
Marc

“Cameras today and lenses are expensive investments,” said Brian Markman, sales manager of the pro photo division of B & H, a large photographic equipment store in New York. “You’re not going to put it into a regular backpack or a sports bag.”

The answer for most photographers is a padded, compartmentalized camera pack, a piece of gear that has evolved considerably in the last five years, Mr. Markman said. Today, companies make packs with a wide variety of features, from waterproofing and padded waist belts to built-in rain hoods for changing lenses and pockets for water bottles. Camera packs are available in more styles and colors than they used to be.

Joe Decker, a nature photographer based in San Jose, Calif., tested five of the latest camera packs while hiking in the Sierra Nevada this fall. The photographs of the bags were taken at Pomponio State Beach, Calif.

NANEU SAHARA 217F, $206.99, naneupro.com. Mr. Decker is shown above working out of this bag, which consists of a large outer pack and a camera-pack insert, so photographers can use it for camera gear or as a regular backpack. “The hip belt is arguably a little thin, but it carried a lot of gear really comfortably,” Mr. Decker said. He said he appreciated the style. “It doesn’t quite scream ‘camera backpack,’” he said, and “when you’re carrying around a few thousand dollars worth of camera gear, that’s a plus.”

Generally I like to spend some time looking at all aspects of the product:
1) materials used
2) workmanship
3) fit
4) function
5) areas of product strength
6) areas of product need

This is the first time I’ve tried a travel backpack, as opposed to a pure camera gear backpack. I was in a new realm and it presented me with a number of questions (camera compartment configuration, gear storage, etc.) that were slowly answered as I familiarized myself with the product. I will start off by confirming the materials/workmanship is definitely top shelf – excellent quality! I will try to post some images if time permits.

I can see why both Naneu Pro and a certain competitor offer limited lifetime warranty on their products. I do like and appreciate the adjustable sternum strap setup that allows multiple positions across the front of the chest. The shoulder straps are some of the most comfortable I’ve ever setup on any backpack, sweeping in as they go over the top of the shoulders. The backpack strap positions high (shoulder) and low (waist) enough to fit me correctly without issue. For reference, I am taller than average (6′ 3″) and have fairly wide shoulders: 4″ wider than normal (according to a tailor). It includes a now industry standard rain proof cover in case you are caught outdoors with your gear. The rain proof cover is folded up coveniently in a water bottle holder. The holder is designed to handle smaller bottles. I tried a Polar bottle and it’s a very snug fit. I also own another brand mesh bottle holder that is actually too large for a standard cycling style 24 oz. water bottle, but it has a drawstring to cinch it in. More testing in Utah will tell!

Initially, without pushing it’s limits, I was able to store a good portion of my landscape-specific camera gear in the bottom compartment. Of course, one always wants more capacity and that would change the design, so I will hold off on stating that more is needed. In the upper compartment: my 200/4 macro in a padded pouch, flash, extension cable, diffuser, 5 ND Grad filters in the zippered pouch + adapter ring, Cokin Z filter holder plus multiple smaller items. I added the Wimberley Plamps and diffuser discs into the side zippered compartments. There is still enough room to anticipate inclement weather – it will handle my raingear plus a polar fleece and still have room left over.

Balance: despite the appearance of being very bottom heavy (protruding a great deal from the bottom of the pack), this is actually a good thing – the weight is lowered, closer to the hips and thus the well padded waist strap is even more useful. One problem I had with several pure gear backpacks for someone my height are the tripod holder setups: if you don’t have it attached on the side, the backpack is unbalanced, since the entire tripod sits vertically, furthest away from you. This makes the backpack rear heavy along the entire height and harder for proper balance in more technical terrain. It also places a strain on your shoulders and back to some degree.

Another issue is that if you are not careful with securing the tripod, a potentially uncomfortable knock to the head or neck can result with a sudden forward movement when jumping or stepping forward and upward onto another surface. I was unsure as to the zippered pouch holder for the tripod: durability, etc. since it’s not a dedicated heavy duty holder. Turns out the tripod attached to a 2/3 filled K4L is actually quite comfortable to walk with and very well balanced once you have cinched the shoulder and waist straps correctly.

More to follow… I’ll have more insight during airline travel (fitting into overheads) to and from the Utah Photography workshop in 2 weeks – the K4L Adventure series backpack will be will be used for 10 days in Utah.”

Thank you Marc! We look forward to your full review on the K4L Adventure Series in the near future!

Click to View Marc Langille Website and Blog

Mike is an independent filmmaker/photographer who spends much of his time working outdoors and in the backcountry. His most recent passion has been the Canadian Rockies, where he has shot pieces on backcountry lodges, ice climbing, ski touring and hiking. You can learn more about his amazing photography here.

He requested that we send him an Adventure K5 for an assignment he had in the Rockies earlier this year. A few weeks later, Mike sends in what consists in the most in-depth (5 pages!) anyone did on our bags. In addition, not only did Mike submit a technical review, he also took the time to write a narrative review that makes us feel almost present with him, on location, during his trip.

Here is Mike’s  in his own words, with breathtaking photos to follow along with.

Narrative Review:

I have been a professional photographer for almost 30 years.  In those years Iʼve put a zillion miles on my shoes in search of the perfect shot: sunrise at Kiliʼs summit, grizzlies feasting on Pacific salmon, cannonʼs belching smoke at a Civil War re-enactment.  And as Iʼve aged, Iʼve spent countless hours looking for a decent camera backpack.  Iʼve never found it.

But after 30 years, my life has finally changed.

I have many complaints about camera backpacks.  But my biggest complaint is that most camera backpacks arenʼt designed for hiking, or skiing, or climbing, or just plain walking for six hours.  They carry your gear safely, but the less time they spend on your back, the better they feel.

Conversely, most traditional backpacks donʼt make good camera bags. Have you ever been hammered by a tripod head as you duck under a low branch?  Or dented your K1000 when you stumble on a steep slope?

Finally, most camera backpacks have no room for important little essentials like food, clothing, and shelter.

Last summer I was preparing for a weekʼs hiking and photography in the Canadian Rockies — three peaks, six passes, about 60 miles of backcountry trekking.  I diligently searched the net for new packs.  And I was mightily surprised.  There are now several companies making interesting new packs.

And one company, Naneu Pro, was advertising an honest-to-goodness full-size pack called the K5 Adventure.  The K5 was listed as an 85L pack with a removable camera pod.  Alas, the pack was not yet available. I made the trek using a traditional backpack.

Skip forward a few months, to January 2009.  Iʼm preparing for another trek into the Rockies, this time on snowshoes.   My assignment is to produce both stills and video to promote the area. In desperation I call Naneu and am told that the K5 is now available. Iʼm like a kid in a candy shop.

The K5 arrives the day before I leave.  At first glance, it looks great.  The construction is similar to a high-end hikerʼs backpack.  The harness system looks professional, the padding, straps, tie-downs and pouches are all well-designed.

I quickly load up the pack with maybe 30 pounds of gear and head out for a five mile hike up a nearby hill.  The pack sits comfortably, the tripod doesnʼt bang the back of my head, and I snap off a few frames at the summit just so I can say I didnʼt lug all that gear for nothing.

Back at home, the pack still looks great, my back feels great, and I know, for the first time in my life, I have found a pack that is both a great hikerʼs bag, and a camera bag.

That night I carefully select my gear for the trip: a 5D Mark II, a 16-35mm, a 50mm, a 135mm, and my trusty 70-200.  I add a couple of flashes, spare batteries, battery charger, and a handful of CF cards.  Everything except the flashes fits comfortably into the camera pod.

Then I get serious.  I stuff my cold weather gear into a compression bag: down jacket, down mitts, long johns, ski pants, a couple of toques, a pair of light gloves, and several layers of fleece.  The bag fits easily into the bottom compartment of the K5.

In the top compartment I put a stuff bag of spare clothes wrapped around my two flash units.  Thereʼs still tons of room for other stuff, like a sleeping bag, but Iʼll be staying at backcountry lodges so it will be a light load this trip.

In the very top pouch I toss a bag of nuts, my first aid kit, my Leatherman, and my headlamp.  A water bottle tucks conveniently into a side pouch.  I strap my ski poles onto the other side and my Manfrotto tripod tucks securely into a pull-out pouch at the bottom centre of the pack.  All told, Iʼm carrying 35 to 40 pounds, which is nothing if the pack is any good.  And thereʼs lotʼs of room for more stuff, if I wanted to carry it.

Day one is an nice seven mile hike from Temple Lodge near Lake Louise, Alberta, over Deception Pass, to Skoki Lodge.  Moving uphill gradually, I stop a couple of times to take some shots of my group.  In about two minutes I can drop the pack, pull out the camera pod, setup the tripod, and be ready to shoot some video (one of my goals this trip is to test the video capabilities of the 5D).

It takes a little longer to pack everything up, but Iʼm happy with the functionality.  Obviously Iʼd be faster if I was just shooting stills as I could forgo the tripod.

Moving onto the steeper parts of the hike, the weather turns nasty with strong winds gusting across the pass.  I really appreciate the stability of the K5 and the knowledge that if I take a tumble my camera is well protected.

The trek in takes me about three hours.  Unfortunately, the weather hasnʼt been conducive to photography and I settle into the amazing hospitality of Skoki Lodge.  I fail to notice that my back isnʼt sore — anywhere.

Over the next few days I go out on several excursions.  I spend one morning with a fellow showshoer, a day with some folks on touring gear, and a day with some cross-country skiers.  The camera pod can be rigged as itʼs own little backpack, which is great for short excursions.

By the end of my trip Iʼm as sold on the K5 as I was on the first day.  Itʼs a well-designed, well-built backpack that carries camera gear safely with good accessibility.  If youʼre heading off on a long trek and your equipment includes a healthy mix of camera gear and hiking gear, this is the bag for you.  Nothing Iʼve tried or seen can compare!

Technical Review:

The K5 Adventure from NaneuPro is a backpack designed for backcountry photographers.  It features a camera pod that will carry your camera equipment safely and securely and two compartments for food, clothing, and a modicum of other gear.

The camera pod will carry any full-size DSLR and up to four lenses, including a 70-200mm, plus a few accessories.  The camera pod is accessible via a size zipper in the middle of the pack, and can be rigged as a small backpack on its own.

With the camera pod inserted in the middle of the pack, there is a lower compartment big enough to hold a sleeping bag.  The main compartment of the pack sits above the camera pod and provides adequate space for food, clothing and a small amount of gear.

By camera bag standards, the K5 has huge amounts of storage space for non-camera gear.  But only the most efficient of packers will find a way to squeeze in a tent, sleeping bag, cooking equipment, food, and clothing (in addition to camera gear).

There are two pockets on the hood of the pack and one zippered side pocket, plus mesh-style pouches on each side of the pack.  There are two tie-down straps and a pouch to secure a tripod.

The K5ʼs harness system is typical of a high-end backpack — comfortable, effective, and adjustable.

Pros:

The best solution for backcountry photographers; excellent harness system; roomy but adjustable for smaller loads; good tripod carrying system.

Cons:

Two quibbles only: the tripod tie-downs donʼt lock, allowing the tripod to work its way loose over time; a small defect in the stitching of the bag.