When one thinks of traveling in Vietnam, you’re more likely to imagine floating down the Mekong River in a dug out canoe than dodging towering karst formations in a sea kayak while enjoying the tranquil waters of Bai Tu Long Bay. I’m here to say, change your perceptions of Vietnam. Yes, go for the culture, but keep in mind the great outdoors are beckoning and quite often, if you know where to go, you’re going to be alone.

We had a great time mountain biking in Dalat, but one of the other highlights of our time in Vietnam was sea kayaking in Bai Tu Long Bay. Now this wasn’t necessarily a wilderness trip per se. We boarded a junk with ______ (looking for name of company) and spent 3 days cruising this truly amazing waterway that is NE of the over-touristy Ha Long Bay. The itinerary was pretty simple: cruise for a while and then jump in your kayak and spend hours paddling calm waters, exploring hidden coves and pulling up to white-sand beaches.

Sometimes it really did feel like paradise.

Heading back to “camp” – a traditional-style junk.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I love outdoor gear. My ‘office’ is crowded with bikes, skis, soft-shell jackets, etc…but really, when I look at it all, I’m pleased that all of it gets used. Very little of it collects dust. So as much as I would enjoy contributing to our ailing economy by buying even more stuff, I’d much rather prefer buying gear that works well in all types of environments and will actually last more then a year. I’m not sure why it is than, but I seem to be having a hard time finding a camera bag I really like. There are literally hundreds of camera bags on the market, so why is this such a challenge?

Lowepro Slingshot 200

The problem: I’m often outside, in the elements: snow, rain, mud, sand, salt-water (and sometimes the sun.) Furthermore, I’m typically on skis, a bike, in a sea kayak, while photographing. The result is, I typically don’t have a warm, dry car to escape to, or somewhere I can load up my photography gear, including a tripod, camera, lenses, towels, etc etc. Matter of fact, most of the time I only carry my digital Canon Rebel XT with a 17-85 IS lens, polarizer, some batteries and memory cards. The tripod typically stays home (although this may change as I just ordered an Ultrapod, a tiny tripod that will be coming with me to SE Asia in a couple weeks.) This is why I was looking forward to receiving the new Lowepro Slingshot 200 camera bag this past Christmas. It appeared to offer a utilitarian combination of space for cameras, lenses, etc,  but was small enough to mountain bike with, skate ski with, go backcountry skiing with, even act as a combo backpack/camera bag if needed for day trips.

Has it been a satisfying experience? Mostly. It’s worked great (most of the time) for a 2-3 hr skate ski, when I usually only carry the camera, polarizer filter plus some food and water. I can’t really use it for backcountry skiing, an activity that requires too much avalanche gear, extra clothing, food and water for an eight hour adventure. (For these trips I strap on a small TLZ-1 Lowepro bag that hangs from my chest.) The Slingshot does do well in these adverse conditions though. The bag repels water (and snow) well. Not sure how it would hold up in a downpour, but I think it would be fine, for a short while (the zippers aren’t sealed, so water would surely leak through these eventually.)

I am having some issues mountain biking with it, as I found out last weekend on a short ride outside Seattle.

Lowepro Slingshot 200 - just ok for mountain biking

The whole idea behind all Lowepro Slingshots is that you can access your camera quickly, without having to remove it, by undoing a single buckle and sliding it around your waist. And yes, it does work. The problem I have, and I will try to retrofit this, are the two existing straps don’t provide a tight enough fit if you’re actively moving around, be it on skis or while riding a mountain bike for example. What it needs is a waist strap.

Also, the bag doesn’t have any additional straps to carry a tripod, an obvious oversight in my opinion. It does contain a two small separate sections for all those little accessories and the inside will easily fit a DLSR and a few lenses (but probably not a big zoom.) I’ve never really been happy with Lowepro zippers…they just don’t seem to last very long.

Not sure why, but I always end up with Lowepro camera bags. If you’ve used another bag or have some recommendations for something similar that may be better for outdoor use, please let me know.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It’s almost sac-religious NOT to sea kayak if you live in the Pacific Northwest. From the waters of Puget Sound right outside my back door, to the vast water wilderness of Johnstone Strait and British Columbia, I hope this growing selection of sea kayaking photos inspires you to get out and explore.

View photos at SmugMug

View a slideshow of these and more Sea Kayaking Photos

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Some abnormally pleasant days in Seattle offer splendid days for sea kayaking off West Seattle.

Kayak for two

Beached on Beach Drive in West Seattle

To see more sea kayaking photos from Seattle, British Columbia and beyond, click HERE

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.