Whether deep within an Icelandic cave, striding out countless steps along the beautiful trails of the Overland Track in Tasmania or peak bagging the Alps of Europe I have been extremely fortunate to have the support of Mont Adventure Equipment during my travels shooting great places like these. Quality outdoor wear, rainwear and shelter makes my job easier allowing me to stay out longer and capture more. But one key piece of equipment all photographers will attest to is the backpack, without one you are going nowhere fast and without the correct one you will struggle to have the right gear with you when you need it most. I have used a variety of “camera” bags over the years and have a few in the closet now waiting to be picked up at any notice but what I have found lately is that no one camera bag does it all and none of them suffice when you need to go big and carry a wide variety of gear for big hikes or to shoot with a lot of gear for that client or project.
Enter the Mont Backcountry 80litre backpack. Many creatives are going lightweight with mirrorless or small foldup drones, I still believe strongly that quality is king, not just content. By this I mean I want bigger sensors in my drone with larger dynamic range, a full-frame DSLR and quality glass with amazing autofocus and tough as nails weatherproofing. With these quality professional items plus add your personal outdoor gear and before you know it a pack can easily weigh 30kg+. Now, I still use my F-Stop Tilopa 90% of the time during weekend events or client shoots but when I need a diverse range of gear on my back or be out for an extended period and carry it all comfortably then the Backcountry has never let me down.
Let’s run through what I carry in this pack and why. It can give other photographers insight into what I use to capture content but what they also may need as personal. kit.
So starting with my Mont gear in this photo I have a hat and clothes for warm weather and sun protection. Inside the Backcountry are the lightweight 2/3-season Moondance 2FN tent, Brindabella Hydronaute XT bag for winter or the amazingly light Zero Super Light bag for summer. Other items for cooler climates would be my Mont Ascent Jacket softshell, my waterproof Odyssey Jacket along with a long sleeve Lifestyle Adventure shirt and Adventure Light pants.
Other items as shown are Spot Gen3 GPS messenger for updating family on my whereabouts or emergencies, F-Stop Navin is connected using 2x S-carabiners with my Panasonic Lumix GX8 or Nikon D810 camera for quick and easy shooting. Tripods on the sides vary depending on shoot plans but at most would be my still setup of a Manfrotto 055CX3 and Really Right Stuff BH-40 ball head. If shooting video or for extra timelapse shooting I take my Gitzo GT3530LSV and Manfrotto MVH500AH fluid video head. A small Manfrotto Off-Road tripod for flash stand or VLOG shooting comes in super handy.
So more about the Backcountry pack as this is the main item I wanted to share about. This is a top-loading multi-day hiking pack designed for tough Australian conditions using canvas fabrics and a fully adjustable harness. After using this pack and switching from my other pack, reputable german brand Deuter, I found a few interesting surprises. I was expecting the pack to be heavier as many brands now opt for lighter (less durable) nylon/polyester fabrics but found this to be the opposite. Next, the harness is smaller and less bulky and even though it is fully adjustable and well designed I expected some getting used to. Wrong. Immediately the harness was comfortable, gave me better freedom of movement and distributed weight extremely well. The only improvement I could suggest is a larger lumbar pad but that’s just me, I like how a larger pad rests on the little concave part of my lower back. I have a narrow torso/hips so don’t have to overly tighten the waist belt if the pad is bigger. However, I have only ever tried on one pack in my life that had this so hardly a negative for Mont but more a norm for the industry in my opinion.
This pack has seen the Australian MainRange in winter split-boarding the backcountry, Overland Track in Tasmania, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Italy but hardly shows any signs of wear. One thing I get asked when talking to new people is “what type of photography do you do? Weddings? Portraits?” I tell them outdoor lifestyle and sports, the reply is “Oh football, rugby, cricket” and when I explain the enjoyment of wearing such packs and going deep into a track or heading into a remote area to get a unique shot with all the gear I get a funny look almost like as if I am a bit crazy. But this has been the best pack I have ever had the pleasure of using and maybe I am crazy but with gear this good the job is a lot easier and more enjoyable along the way.
So starting with my Mont gear in this photo I have a hat and clothes for warm weather and sun protection. Inside the Backcountry are the lightweight 2/3-season Moondance 2FN tent, Brindabella Hydronaute XT bag for winter or the amazingly light Zero Super Light bag for summer. Other items for cooler climates would be my Mont Ascent Jacket softshell, my waterproof Odyssey Jacket along with a long sleeve Lifestyle Adventure shirt and Adventure Light pants.
Other items as shown are Spot Gen3 GPS messenger for updating family on my whereabouts or emergencies, F-Stop Navin is connected using 2x S-carabiners with my Panasonic Lumix GX8 or Nikon D810 camera for quick and easy shooting. Tripods on the sides vary depending on shoot plans but at most would be my still setup of a Manfrotto 055CX3 and Really Right Stuff BH-40 ball head. If shooting video or for extra timelapse shooting I take my Gitzo GT3530LSV and Manfrotto MVH500AH fluid video head. A small Manfrotto Off-Road tripod for flash stand or VLOG shooting comes in super handy.
So more about the Backcountry pack as this is the main item I wanted to share about. This is a top-loading multi-day hiking pack designed for tough Australian conditions using canvas fabrics and a fully adjustable harness. After using this pack and switching from my other pack, reputable german brand Deuter, I found a few interesting surprises. I was expecting the pack to be heavier as many brands now opt for lighter (less durable) nylon/polyester fabrics but found this to be the opposite. Next, the harness is smaller and less bulky and even though it is fully adjustable and well designed I expected some getting used to. Wrong. Immediately the harness was comfortable, gave me better freedom of movement and distributed weight extremely well. The only improvement I could suggest is a larger lumbar pad but that’s just me, I like how a larger pad rests on the little concave part of my lower back. I have a narrow torso/hips so don’t have to overly tighten the waist belt if the pad is bigger. However, I have only ever tried on one pack in my life that had this so hardly a negative for Mont but more a norm for the industry in my opinion.
