A year ago I picked up a MindShift Gear Trail pack to carry my camera. It has done more for my pictures than any lens or body purchase ever. The only problem with the MindShift Gear Trail pack is that ever other backpack I own seems so useless in comparison.
I tried gadgets that attach cameras to your shoulder strap or waist belt, but they are clumsy and useless in bad weather. My MindShift Gear Trail Rotation has been on so many adventures in the last year it is kind of crazy how much this pack has improved my pics.
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| Trail Rotation 180 |
The problem with using a regular backpack is that if you are like me, you put your camera in a soft case, inside your pack. Time for a photo comes and you are busy digging out your camera and miss the shot. The folks at MindShift Gear figured out an ingenious way to get you access to your camera by putting it in essentially a belt pack that slides quickly and easily out of the pack.
So why did I need another pack? In the winter I need to carry a bit more gear with me than will fit in the Trail pack. On the approach I carry my snowshoes on the outside daisy chains. Then I need to carry more layers… you know to keep from freezing like Jack Nicholson at the end of The Shining.
Once you flip it open, you swing the camera around to the front and start taking pictures.
Inside you can fit a OM-D EM1 with 7-14 2.8 or 12-40 2.8attached and the 40-150 2.8 Pro.
There is a mesh top, where I store my extra batteries and lens cloth. Behind the lenses is a slot for an iPad.
Now one of the reasons I got this pack was for extra storage and the ability to strap on my snowshoes. Using the daisy chains in the front this is no problem.
There is also a side pocket for a Nalgene, or I throw in my tiny tripod if I am moving fast and light.
The tripod attachment straps hide away behind velcro tabs.
There is storage in a front pocket, I keep the MindShift Gear rain cover in there along with power bars and other small things.
The top pocket is deceptively large, I keep my gloves, hat, buff and MC-14 Olympus Teleconverter in there.
The main backpack compartment is down right cavernous. In the winter in the mountains I need to bring extra layers and food. Really mostly extra layers. I usually bring a puffy coat, wind breaker, lunch and extra gloves. Plus there is a mesh pocket (for your wallet and whatnot) and a velcro loop to hold your keys in place.
The MindShift Gear Horizon has a pocket on the side that can fit up to a 3 liter bladder.
Lets talk fit; there is ample back padding, quality buckles and tons of adjustments.
And all of those adjustments make for a pack that can be used all day long.
If you need to carry a bit more gear on a longer day or in the winter go right now and buy the MindShift Gear Horizon. The access to your camera and the quality make this the pack all other camera bags should be compared to. If you need to carry even more camera gear you can use the MindShift Photo Insert. I’ll be posting a review of that insert soon, but rest assured it is great as well.
MindShift Gear Says: http://www.mindshiftgear.com/products/rotation180-horizon
You mentioned your Olympus gear. Are you able to put the 7-14mm f2.8 and 40-150mm f2.8 lenses as well as the EM-1 with 12-40mm f2.8 lens attached in the rotating compartment?
Hey Paul – I can fit the 7-14 , 40-150 and 12-40 on the EM1 in the waist pack. Just as an FYI with those three lenses you could not use the EM1 grip, but that is not a big deal.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Cheers,
-Joe