I have just transferred my old Dawes Mean Street hybrid from UK to our place just outside the Donana National Park in Spain. Much of my bird watching is now done on the bike rather than in the car. It's a far better way to watch birds as one can easily see around and overhead, stopping is quick and can be done on the white-lined no-stopping-for-cars routes. Birds seem to be less frightened of a slow-moving cyclist than of a noisy diesel 4x4 too and so access is better. HOWEVER, my main passion is bird photography and there the problem begins. I use a big Canon DSLR camera attached to a heavy 400mm telephoto lens. The Kirtland bag I have fastened to the rear carrier at the moment is not big enough and the fixings not secure enough for the weight. Of course it is most essential to be able to get the camera out quickly. Can anyone suggest a bag that will be securely fixed, large enough, accessible enough and, possibly, padded in case of a spill on the uneven dirt roads?
If you have nice expensive camera equipment, I don't suggest using a bike mounted bag because of the vibration. On that note, here are some suggestions for camera bags you carry on yourself.
Lowepro has some of the best camera bags available. Their line of beltpacks are practical for biking: lowepro.comBeltpacksOpen ↗
I have just transferred my old Dawes Mean Street hybrid from UK to our place just outside the Donana National Park in Spain. Much of my bird watching is now done on the bike rather than in the car. It's a far better way to watch birds as one can easily see around and overhead, stopping is quick and can be done on the white-lined no-stopping-for-cars routes. Birds seem to be less frightened of a slow-moving cyclist than of a noisy diesel 4x4 too and so access is better. HOWEVER, my main passion is bird photography and there the problem begins. I use a big Canon DSLR camera attached to a heavy 400mm telephoto lens. The Kirtland bag I have fastened to the rear carrier at the moment is not big enough and the fixings not secure enough for the weight. Of course it is most essential to be able to get the camera out quickly. Can anyone suggest a bag that will be securely fixed, large enough, accessible enough and, possibly, padded in case of a spill on the uneven dirt roads?
Brian.
Big glass, expensive glass, and expensive cameras should not be mounted on the bike. They need to go in a good backpack, like those listed by Scotty Dog. Also a combination of a backpack with a chest pouch might work. that's what I used when I was climbing.
I have just transferred my old Dawes Mean Street hybrid from UK to our place just outside the Donana National Park in Spain. Much of my bird watching is now done on the bike rather than in the car. It's a far better way to watch birds as one can easily see around and overhead, stopping is quick and can be done on the white-lined no-stopping-for-cars routes. Birds seem to be less frightened of a slow-moving cyclist than of a noisy diesel 4x4 too and so access is better. HOWEVER, my main passion is bird photography and there the problem begins. I use a big Canon DSLR camera attached to a heavy 400mm telephoto lens. The Kirtland bag I have fastened to the rear carrier at the moment is not big enough and the fixings not secure enough for the weight. Of course it is most essential to be able to get the camera out quickly. Can anyone suggest a bag that will be securely fixed, large enough, accessible enough and, possibly, padded in case of a spill on the uneven dirt roads?
It's a waterproof bicycling backpack. Main compartment is likely just large enough to hold your DSLR with telephoto lens. You would want to put a custom insert inside to hold the camera and lens safely, while allowing you to stop and quickly remove them for photo ops.
