Anyone out there have a good way to carry an 11x14 in the field? I have a Korona 11x14 with 600mm Tessar and a couple holders, and want to get further than 100 yards/metres from the car. Thanks. David

-- David Hosten (dhosten@canada.com), March 31, 2002

Answers

There was an article on this exact subject in "View Camera" magazine about ten years ago. email them for back issue info. If you use 11x14, you must know Brett Weston's saying from his 11x14 days: "If it's more than fifty yards from the car, it's not photogenic".

-- Mark Sampson (MSampson45@aol.com), April 01, 2002.

you may have to go outside of the photographic world to find what you need. if you look at a cabelas fall catolog you will see carts that are used to pack out deer and elk after they have been shot by hunters. I am sure that you could make good use of one of these to haul around your 11 x 14, and especially so if you were going to stay on trails.

Kevin

-- kevin kolosky (kjkolosky@kjkolosky.com), April 01, 2002.

The cart option is a very viable one as long as you do not go into designated wilderness areas. It is illegal to have any "wheeled" mobility in these areas. The only two other options are backpack frames or horses. The horse option is not a bad one when you really want to get back in. I have a cross buck saddle and panniers that work like a champ and I just walk the horse in with all of my gear.

Cheers!

-- Michael Kadillak (m.kadillak@attbi.com), April 01, 2002.

You just attach it to your hair shirt.

-- Willhelmn (wmitch3400@hotmail.com), April 01, 2002.

I backpack 12X20 with a backpack frame intended for packing deer meat out of the woods. I can lash the camera, holders and a lens bag back there and carry the tripod. I wouldn't want to run the Boston Marathon that way, but it's quite viable for carrying the rig a few miles, especially as the pack frame has a good shoulder harness.

Nathan

-- Nathan Congdon (ncongdon@jhmi.edu), April 02, 2002.

Nathan's got the best answer, in my opinion. I think that a wheeled cart is an effective way to move around if you have a bad back, or if you are not able to carry the gear, but it is really a compromise. You can't go too far off pavement with a wheeled cart without it turning into a real hassle.

I use a panel loading backpack for my 7x17, and it enables me to go anywhere I want, and it is comfortable to permit long day hikes without trouble.

I am planning to put together a pack frame for my 12x20 to do the same thing. There's nothing complex to it, but I recommend that you figure out a way to protect the camera a bit, or else it will start looking beat up pretty quickly from being lashed to a frame.

I fabricated some filmholder 'pockets' and a camera 'pouch' out of some quilted nylon fabric that I found at the sewing store. That way, the gear can be lashed together without direct metal to wood contact. The fabric is two pieces of nylon, with some batting between, which is then quilted together with an approximately 1 inch square grid of stitching. Because it was finished on both sides, it made an easy assembly into pochets for filmholders. I made the pockets with a divider in the middle to hold two filmholders each.

In the case of the 7x17, I then found a pack that would fit the camera and four holders. The 12x20 is much too large, however, so I will go the pack frame route for that one.

---Michael

-- Michael Mutmansky (mjmlighting@adelphia.net), April 02, 2002.

The Eureka Sovergien packs are huge! (7,000 cubic inches) with a nice wide opening on the top. I think I used a E.S. II, didn't use it with an 11X14, but did have a everything AND the kitchen sink in it.

Pete.

P.S. They're also very reasonable.

-- Peter Chipman (chippete@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002.