find a bag that fits you- info on icu brands

nixpix

I recently ran the gauntlet trying to find gear that fits me, opposed to just settling. I learned the hard way that you need to do your research or purchasing well before the "big trip." Needless to say, when I decided on what I wanted, it arrived a week after I returned from Africa. Not anyone’s fault but my own. Uhhh. But now I have it to use on more adventures. The gear breakdown:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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I intent to do a lot of hiking in the back country to find wildlife. Therefore I need a backpack that fits the bill. The pack I chose was the Kali by Badlands. http://www.badlandspacks.com/index.php?go=Packs_Hypervent06
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Now how am I going to fit my gear in it? I needed an ICU. I discovered there were two options: Dakine or F-stop. I think Dakine would have been my first choice, but after calling the manufacturer, they no longer provide just the ICU. You can however purchase the Dakine Mission or the Sequence that has a removable ICU. http://www.dakine.com/sport-packs/photo/. But I already had a backpack, so no need to buy another one. This left me with the F-stop brand of ICU. The medium was out of stock when I order (which I took as a good sign: people are buying them.) So I ordered a large instead. Unfortunately it was too big, so I have sent it back and finally got the medium. Perfect!http://fstopgear.com/en/icu. <o:p></o:p>
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I have attached photo’s of how I blend my gear to get exactly what I want/need for the type of photography/activities I do. I am excited to get out this summer and try it. There is enough room for a jacket and some snacks. Nice.<o:p></o:p>
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I hope my research can be helpful to someone. -Nicole<o:p></o:p>

Zerodog

Good setup. It is really hard to find camera bags that carry more than camera stuff. F-stop has some good stuff. But it still isn't perfect for everything. I have a Loka with a small ICU and a Medium ICU. Right now I have a Tilopa BC and a Guru pack in my office to look at adding to my arsenal. My old Dakine mission is getting hammered and the fstop stuff carries weight so much better.

Sometimes you need to do exactly what you did and make up your own with different pieces from different places. Someday I will find or make a waterproof camera sock for fitting inside of a large backpack.

nixpix

Hey thanks. I was actually reading your review on the Loka, and that is how I found this forum and decided to post. Crazy. I am definitely going to have to check out the friends with benefits deal with f-stop. Thanks again for the comment and the info in your original post I read. :0)

-Nicole

Zerodog

That is the program I tried. I figured it was about the cost of a pack. And it has given some flexibility to looking at gear. I had a huge box of stuff show up last week. I need to post some pics of the 3 packs to show the sizes of each and some of the features of each. I also got a laptop bag and a few lens cases to look at too.