I have to say that Mindshift’s rotation 180° Panorama pack was a great addition to my long list of camera gear during a couple of my recent shoots.

Firstly, I have to say that this pack was the perfect carry-on for stuffing my camera bodies, lenses and an assortment of accessories to have them close and safe, either under the seat or up above. It was great.

I’ll start with the most recent shoot, which was up in the Rockies with a group of Veterans on an Outward Bound trip organized by Soldiers to Summits. The lucky Vets got to play around on a high ropes course, climb at the local crag, hike up a 13,000 ft peak and raft down the Arkansas River through beautiful Brown’s Canyon. I was also lucky because I had the pleasure of shooting all of it!

The lightweight rotation 180 Panorama was perfect for all of these activities but the rafting. It is wonderfully water resistant but not waterproof. My previously established relationship with 180 P. made shooting these excursions so much more enjoyable. I could simply rotate the fancy fanny pack (or in this instance, clip it on the rope itself) whilst hangdoggin’ off a static line to shoot climbers and high ropers, rotate it back in and then climb to the next spot without worrying that I might smack my camera on a rock or watch it sail to the ground below. Similarly, the summit hike was hands-free when I wasn’t shooting and instantly accessible when I want to get some goodness on film.

Previous to that shoot, I was off to Mexico with my friend 180 P. who stayed with me almost the entire time. The rotation 180° Panorama saw white sand beaches, took naps in swanky cabanas, got upgraded to the Royal Suites and experienced a taste of history at Chichen Itza, one of the seven wonders of the world! Sadly, 180 P’s mode of transportation (Micah) had such an easy time with shooting and relaxing in Mexico, that he forgot to take any photos with his new best friend. Just one of he and his wife…selfish…but there I am on his back!

Seriously though, I love the functionality of the rotation 180° Panorama by Mindshift; from the hard plastic, easy-grip zipper pulls to the H2O pocket to its water resistance to swinging that sexy fanny pack out front for easy access to my camera. I specifically want to point out my favorite “small thing” about this pack, the tripod holder. It’s centered! And beefy enough to hold my Manfrotto Carbon One tripod. I shoot a lot of video and I’ve been hard-pressed to find a smaller pack like this that can hold a more bulky tripod. However, with video in mind here’s my only gripe (and this goes for all camera packs), shooting DSLR films means extras like a camera-mounted microphone and there’s no accommodations for these types of accessories to remain attached to your camera, a big bummer across all easy-access camera packs, but obviously not a deal breaker.

Ultimately, a big “Bravo!” to Mindshift for making a great, inventive little pack and for making my month of adventure photography and cinematography ever accessible!