Best Backpack for Photo Gear

[OutlawTorn]

I spend 90% of my weekends in the woods from Sept. - Jan. hunting and several weekends in the off-season backpacking.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good pack to carry my photo gear in? It would have to be large enough to fit the following gear below, but small enough to fit inside my larger weekend pack and leave room for other camping essential.

My kit includes:

Canon 40D

Canon 50mm 1.8

Sigma 17-70

Canon 70-200 f4 IS

Various filters/accessories

Flash

Outside lashings for a telescoping monopod/tripod

Im hoping to add the Sigma 150-500 soon, but I dont expect it will come with while hunting and can sit in the main pack in its protective case while backpacking. This day pack does not have to have room for this lens.

What have you guys found that works well? I was looking at the medium sized slingshot, but Im not sure...

[Dbl]

I've used a LowePro Micro Trekker 200 for years with great success for travel. It will fit everything you described with no problem and has outside straps for tripod or monopod. Small and compact enough to fit inside another pack. I use this for deer hunting, upland hunting, the backpack straps get rather large. Not waterproof but I just put a plastic bag over it if needed.

For a larger pack and more gear I use a Tenba. If I get a chance later I will throw some gear that matches yours in the LowePro and snap a shot so you can see the layout and how it fits.

[Birdsong]

I am trying out a medium sized Kata sling type case for a five day landscape photog and watercolor painting workshop in Michigan next week. (Throw in Tai Chi as well--this thing had to be designed for me!) I don't think product reviews are quite as strong as the Lowe Pro Sling Shot, but I have a lousy right shoulder and needed the flexibility of being either a right- handed or left-handed set up. It can also be worn as a pure backpack or criss-crossed across the chest which makes the sling function pretty quickly accessible if needed. Also has the waist belt to put some weight on the hips. That could be a bit beefier, but if the bag works out well, I will add a beefier waist strap. It has room for all of the above, but not a specific lashing for monopod/tripod. I think this is the draw back for the LowePro as well. It does have a heave metal loop on the center back, so should be something that can be done. I have to say, I only tested out the bag on one walk. It was set up for the right shoulder. My shoulder only lasted about a quarter of a mile. So I switched the outside strap easily but not the innards and still had to take it off to get my camera. Switched the insides last night. Seemed to work out well at home--we shall see about the field testing soon. You should be able to carry the 40D with your 70-200 mounted and ready to go. I am still using an XTi and can actually fit it in with the 70-300 mounted, but I don't think it is recommended by any of the sling type bags. It touches the side of the bag. I also looked at the Olympus sling type bag on-line which seemed to have no product reviews available, but was a much smaller profile which was nice. Still right shouldered, however.