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Telescope Traveling Cases

Discussion in 'All Other Observing Equipment' started by george, Oct 30, 2015.

Telescope Traveling Cases

Started by george on Oct 30, 2015 at 9:53 PM

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  1. george

    george Developer

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    george, Oct 30, 2015
    #1
    So recently I've been thinking alot about small light setups much like the one shown by @Dr. Ski here in this post.

    I think I would really prefer to have a small traveling scope which I can keep in the trunk of my car with everything else I've got in there. FYI I'm kinda a nomad I pretty much carry everything in the trunk of my car; pull up bar, 3 judogis and other judo/jujitsu equipment, an army cot, excess of extra tools, and an extra laptop.

    With all that being said I'm also kinda of a backpack, bag, and case fanatic willing to spend some good money on good well designed equipment for storage and travel. So when I started looking at portable scopes I noticed that there wasn't much out there in terms of Telescope Backpacks. I know there are a few scopes out there that come with a backpack (Meade ETX 80) but most of what I've seen are over the shoulder carrying cases and in my eyes not necessarily very good ones. I really would prefer something that is a backpack especially since I like to walk and travel by foot everywhere so over the shoulder bags aren't really ideal for this. Plus having to have multiple case for different parts and equipment doesn't sound appealing either I would love if everything could be contained or strapped down to one case.

    What I would love to see is something really nice and well designed specifically for carrying a small refractor, a mount and tripod, and the accessories. Something quality and specifically designed much like this bag I'm looking to purchase for my Judo equipment (Datsusara BattlePack Pro).

    Sorry for my little rant but I was just wondering what other people use or do when traveling with their equipment. Maybe you guys have seen something I haven't or maybe I'm trying to search for the wrong thing. Also maybe there is a downside to putting your telescope in a backpack that I just don't have enough experience with.
     
  2. LewC

    LewC Well-Known Member

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    LewC, Oct 31, 2015
    #2
    George, reading your post reminds me of of the time in the 1960s or 1970s when I and some friends hiked Mount Whitney in California, the highest peak in the continental U.S.A. (Slightly higher than Pike's Peak in Colorado.) When I reached Consultation Lake (sic) at about the 11,000 ft. level, there set up for a night's observing was a homemade 6-inch f/8 Newtonian telescope mounted on an equatorial mount made of heavy iron plumbers pipe fittings. Three guys had hauled it up in pieces on their backs! Now those were dedicated astronomers! So I can really appreciate a nice compact, lightweight scope and mount that can fit into a backpack (or strapped to it), as you envision.

    LewC
     
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  3. Dr. Ski

    Dr. Ski Well-Known Member

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    Dr. Ski, Oct 31, 2015
    #3
    Actually, my set-up fits rather nicely in a back-pack. You won't even know it's there! But of course, you have to buy a nice backpack, rather than looking for a scope/tripod combo that comes with a back-pack.
     
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  4. george

    george Developer

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    george, Oct 31, 2015
    #4
    Yea like I mentioned I was looking at that scope for myself actually. If I really wanted to splurge I was also thinking of getting a small William Optics scope and making a custom backpack. I'm a sucker for that paint job.
     
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  5. Dr. Ski

    Dr. Ski Well-Known Member

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    Dr. Ski, Oct 31, 2015
    #5
    I thought this was in lieu of the cheap binoculars you needed for your Ecuador trip! Hell, if you can afford it, get that sweet Williams Op 71mm Doublet ED! Just put it on a light ball-head tripod (like in my photo) and you'll have a great, transportable set-up!
     
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  6. george

    george Developer

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    george, Nov 1, 2015
    #6
    A new scope won't be address untill after maybe my tax return if I don't have some sort of expense that needs to be addressed first. I just spent quite a bit on fixing my car so no new fancy toys for a good while :( I'm purely in the research phase right now.
     
  7. Auriga

    Auriga Active Member

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    Auriga, Nov 3, 2015
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    Take a look at camera backpacks. B&H has hundreds of them to keep you occupied during the research phase. I do not own one but am intrigued. Many feature adjustable padded partitions inside, and some are designed for quick access to the camera & lenses. And naturally they have exterior straps intended for a camera tripod.

    As mounts go, I am very happy with my DwarfStar from Universal Astronomics. If perfectly balanced the scope will move smoothly, and this one pound mount is strong enough to hold my C6, and 120 F/5 and 102 F/10 refractors.

    I also have the Orion 7033 Precision Slow-Motion Mount, which works surprisingly well with my C90 Mak, and so may work with a similarly sized refractor like ST80. The view quivers plenty while in motion, but settles in just a couple seconds. Overall the precision motions make tracking much easier than manual, but the DwarfStar is preferred for lower power sky sweeping. The Orion 7033 only slews in slow motion along the azimuth, so you would need a camera tripod w/ rotating center post, or otherwise pick up and rotate the tripod when you want to reposition along the azimuth.
     
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  8. george

    george Developer

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    george, Nov 7, 2015
    #8
    Yea something like this is what I was kinda envisioning Lowepro Photo Trekker AW II Backpack and I could probably fit something like a William Optics 71mm in it.

    Hmm you guys really got me thinking about this one, not even maybe 2 weeks ago I was thinking of getting a GSO 6" or 8" RC scope now I'm thinking light and portable. Can't exactly comfortably carry that around with me in my trunk with everything else, let alone a backpack lol.
     
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