F-Stop Gear Tilopa B.C. ***CLOSED***

We are pleased to offer this first (of hopefully many) group buy events to the NPN membership.

The Tilopa B.C. is the more rugged version of the Tilopa. Slightly beefier suspension, new foam on the back panel, 100% water proof poly urethane bottom and dedicated ice axe holders. It is also water bladder friendly and has a dedicated laptop sleeve.

You can read Richard Bernabe's review of the Tilopa here and Ian Plant's review here

Full info on the Tilopa B.C. can be found here.

This NPN group buy event run until February 15, 2011 and the discount will be for:

1 - Tilopa B.C. (Color of choice between Black, Foliage Green and Grey Mist)

1 - 1 Large ICU

F-Stop gear is offering free shipping to the continental US with any order. For international orders we will not have free shipping, but will offer a free t-shirt with purchase

Total cost, with free shipping in the US would be $276.25 (MSRP = $325).

Thanks for taking a look at the Tilopa B.C.!

Nice looking pack! I'm looking hard at this or a modified Mystery Ranch Pack. Does the suspension come in different sizes and is it adjustable? Thanks!

Vincent,

Thanks for you interest. The packs themselves come in just one size, that goes for all of our "Mountain Series" line. They however are all fully adjustable to take into account various heights and body types. How tall are you?

Thanks Colby! I'm 5'7"!

HI Colby,

I'm an NPN member from Canada (British Columbia) - can you give me the following information:

1. Shipping costs
2. Pricing on alternate ICU's (and approximate dimensions)
3. What is the process to initiate purchase?

OK to respond here or to send me an email.

Thanks in advance...

Brad

I have this pack and it's a well made and well designed bag, and the ICU concept makes it very flexible to fit your needs.

Does this pack come with a rain cover?

Good looking gear Colby.

Comparing capacity of the pack (3100 ci) with the ICU (1230) it looks as though there's around 1900 ci of internal gear capacity, less the thickness of the ICU walls of course.

To evaluate just what I can do with that "extra" internal space, I need to know if the ICU is lashed in place, or free to move about within the pack. That's not an attempt at criticism, rather a measure of versatility or flexibility for internal arrangements.

@Vincent - You will have no issues with your height and utilizing the Tilopa B.C.

@Brad Hill - Shipping to Canada varies but is usually around $30. We utilize UPS Standard for our shipping to Canada, which while we know most Canadians hate, we have worked out a set small brokerage fee so that you aren't hit with high extra costs.

The ICUs we sell in discount packages depending on how many you purchase. A Tilopa B.C. is $325 w/ 1 ICU and the size of the one ICU doesn't matter. Add another ICU and the price increases but you save a certain amount of money for a package discount rather then purchasing them all separately. This group buy is for a Large ICU, but we will have a new group buy option every month for NPN members to take advantage of.

As far as purchasing, we are going to let this group buy run for a set amount of time and I will then gather the list of those wanting to take advantage of the discount and put orders in our system Depending on how much interest we have for this months group buy, there might be a little wait for shipping as we are waiting on our next large shipment to replace the huge amount of ICU's we sold over the holiday season. If you are in a time crunch, then email me and I will work with you.

@Mike Moats - Thanks Mike! Always happy to see an amazing photographer like yourself enjoying our products.

@ Phillip - It does not come with a rain cover, however we do offer one separately at $19.

@Hank - Good question. F-Stop prides itself on not only making the best adventure photography packs on the market, but also in offering the highest amount of customization to our customers. Instead of forcing you to buy a set sized back with specific limitations in carrying capacity like some companies, we like to offer what we consider "Al-la carte" options. By allowing our customers to purchase multiple sized ICUs that all fit into a variety of pack of different sizes, the ratio of photography gear to extra space is up to you. Because we use this system, we also had to make sure that all ICU's fit securely into our packs. Every pack in the "Mountain Series" has a set of attachment loops just under the lightweight aluminum frame that when paired with the small velcro straps on the side of all our ICU's, allow you to secure even the smallest ICU in place when used with our larger packs. Assuming you take advantage of this attachment system, your photography gear will always be safe and secure, even if you take a fall while out in the field.

Keep the questions coming :)

Thanks Colby. I should have been clearer in my question. Can I shift a single ICU to any position I inside the pack to suit my arrangement needs of the moment, while still lashing it down once I get it where I want it? Write this off to no first hand experience with your gear and a dial-up connection too slow to wait for all your site photos to load.

Hank, I can answer that based on the original Tilopa (new one is en route and I will review it soon). The ICUs are designed to fit the width of the pack very precisely so can't be flipped sideways. They do come in several sizes, though, and I found the small one to best suit my own needs. I don't carry many lenses, and the small ICU leaves me with a lot of room for non-photo gear. If you want a very customizable system, you can order two small ICUs instead of a single medium or large one. They can be stacked in the pack for extra capacity when needed.

Guy

...and the small ICU leaves me with a lot of room for non-photo gear....

That's what I was looking for in asking about the mobility of the ICU within the pack. Thanks for the more detailed explanation. My preference is for compact kits, but as you point out I can add or change ICUs as circumstances dictate. My needs are just too variable and venue-dependent to ask any previous pack to do it all. The ICU fleixibility puts the design miles ahead of those I already own.

Hi,

Which ICU's are suitable for the largest telephoto lenses? Canon 500 and 800mm

thanks,
Peter

Hi Colby,

I'd like to pick up one of these in foliage green. Is there a coupon code or something we should use? I don't see a link or anything as to where to buy this. I also saw Jay and Varina Patel using one of your bags on a recent workshop and they seem very nice.

Thank you!

Aaron

All you need to do is post in this thread that you want one and you will receive the NPN members discount. Once the group buy event ends on Feb. 15, based on those responding in this thread, Colby will have the list of those participating and will provide information on sending payment at the special discounted price.

Thanks Jim! I guess I've got one coming then! Thank you to NPN and F-Stop for the deal! Can't wait to try out this bag.

I would be very interested in acquiring one of these. Please include me in the group buy.

Chris Casper

Mark me down for one as well.. I was just looking into getting a new pack when this popped up, seems like the perfect fit for me!

I just got my Tilopa BC, why didn't this discount come sooner??

Well, I was happy to pay full price for this pack and it was well worth it. I got a couple of ICU's, a med and a large. It certainly is the most comfortable pack I have found. Still has plenty of room for personal gear around the ICU.

Peter, my Nikon 200-400 just fits in the large ICU. The XL ICU is 19 in. tall, not sure if that is long enough for your lens.

Hank, you can position the ICU anywhere in the pack itself. However, there are two specific spots to tie them up along the frame. I suspect that if you want the ICU tied in at the top, that would only really work with the small ICU. I tried it with the medium ICU and when tied in on the top, you lose access to part of the top of the ICU. As Guy says, the ICU does fit snuggly in the pack so even if it isn't lashed in, it would still work just fine. When I have my pack on, I prefer to have a lower centre of gravity, so I still prefer to have the camera gear sitting as low as possible at the bottom. The ICU and the pack does protect the gear a lot, so in terms of protection, not a problem. The B.C. version also has a waterproof bottom, so the gear is also protected from getting wet.

cheers,
André

Thanks Andre. I wouldn't want it on top of the load either, but I'm hoping to be able to tip a small ICU on end to allow long objects to be carried inside the pack rather than on the outside. Some of the country we frequent is sooooo brushy that anything (such as tripods or light tents) hanging on the outside tends to hang up.

On the job, the ability to pull the ICU free as an "informal" camera bag while leaving the pack out of the way would be handy too. I'd probably rig it as some kind of chest pack for use on aerial shoots and tower climbs, both places where packs are problematic even as they are really handy for carrying gear to the starting point.

I am interested in one but have a couple questions. I am short, 5' 3', and have seen at least one review that said it was difficult to fit onto a short woman's back. I also have a 17 inch computer (does not always need to travel with me out hiking but does need to go on planes. Any chance if it fitting?
many thanks,
Joyce

Hank, tried out my tripod on the inside of the pack with the medium ICU, fits fine width wise on the side of the ICU. Problem is it is too long. My tripod is about 23 in. long without the ball head. Obviously if your tripod is smaller, then YMMV.

Because the Tilopa has a zipper that goes around the whole top flap, you can't really "over-stuff" the pack like I would be able to in a pack with a flap that has adjustable clips. Hope this makes sense. The specs for the pack's interior height is 22 in., so no surprises there that my tripod is too long.

My tripod ties up nicely on the outside but I tend not to be in areas where the bush is that dense for it to be a problem.

cheers,
André

Just to to chime in here and say that Colby sent me the smaller new Loka to the UK last October.

I couldn't be more happier with a day/rough-overnight pack. Excellently build, well thought out and a real bonus to my photography.

If, like me, you work with minimal kit for landscape, (I use a Leica M with 3 lenses) the small ICU does the job really well, leaving enough space in the Loka to take all the other stuff that a day out requires, or a rough-bivi needs.

I have to strap the tripod (G1228) onto the outside of the pack, but it doesn't move at all.

I have a second Large ICU which I keep packed with the 1d4 body and macro stuff and just swap them around as needs be. As you can guess the Loka with the large ICU it gives just enough room for a fleece, mitts and lunch in the main compartment, a waterproof in the front; keys, monocular, compass, hat, map and iphone/wallet in the top and a sit-sheet in the base where the rain cover would be stored.

Cheers

Tom (UKNP moderator)

Colby,

Can you indicate posting costs to the UK?

T

As the posting cots to the UK are probably identical to posting costs to Luxembourg I can just ask you to give as this information in order to be able to compare to your european dealers prices as we have probably ask also the customs duties costs ...

Colby,

Your initial post says this deal is for the pack plus "1 Large ICU". Any chance we can get a medium ICU instead?

Also, what is the total weight of the pack WITH the large ICU?

Thanks.

@Hank - Guy Tal is spot on. While the ICU's have to be in the packs in a specific way, in order to utuilze the attachment points on the sides of the ICU, you can fully customize the space within your ICU to fit nearly any type and kind of gear. The "modular" aspect of our packs is one of our most important features. Allowing customers to choose the Photography Gear to Extra Space ratio rather then forcing them to purchase a set piece of gear. We try to leave all the choices up to you so that our products do a better job of meeting your needs.

@Guy - Thanks for Chiming in. Your pack should be at your door shortly.

@Peter - Our Large ICU has a height of roughly 15 inches which would give you enough room, although it would be a tight fit, for the Canon 500mm f /4. Canon's 800mm Lens is roughly 18.1 inches and there for would have to fit inside our XL ICU, which we will have a new version available by April. Having said all that, we also have a "Monster" ICU being designed to be utilized in a few of our "Mountain Series" packs that will be built for holding the largest of lenses.

@Aaron - As of right now, we are running this group buy option to see how many people would like to take advantage of the discount for this months Item, which is the Tilopa B.C. I plan on taking all orders by the 15th of Feb, which is the end of this specific Group Buy. Thanks Aaron! You are on the list now!

@Jim - Thanks for clarifying!

@Chris - Thanks for you Interest. We have you on the list!

@Floris - Thanks! You are on the list.

@Andre - Thanks for letting people know. Stoked that you are enjoying your park. Did you get yours from Rod in Australia?

@Joyce - At 5'3 you would right at the lower end of the height specifications for our Loka pack, which we will be featuring on a Group Buy here with NPN in the near future. My wife is 5'1 and she fits the Loka, but just barely. We also have a new pack coming out called the "Guru", which will a hybrid daypack/ultra light that is even smaller then our "Loka". The 17' Laptop would fit behind an ICU, but not in the dedicated laptop sleeve with this Tilopa B.C. or with the pocket inside the Loka. However as I said, you can slide it behind your ICU inside the pack itself with most of our models.

@Tom - I am glad that the Loka has worked out for you. Just so you know we are still in line to open up a Warehouse in Europe by the end of Spring, which will make it much easier and faster for you and everyone else in the region to get F-Stop products.

@Tom & @Maciej - Shipping to the UK can range from $45 -$60, depending on the order. We ship a ton of products to Europe every year and we try hard to not have our customers hit with high customs duties. We have not heard of any complaints from customers once they have received their products.

@Phillip - The Group Buy discount with NPN is and will continue to be for a single item each month, allowing NPN members to take advantage of a discount with different products each month. That being said, I am not opposed to adjusting the details of the discount by allowing it be for the ICU of choice with our set pack each month. As for the weight of the Tilopa B.C. with a Large ICU, It is closer to 4.95 lbs. Having said that, there is a huge difference between our packs and other camera bags you may own. Our full suspension system truly does allow for all the weight, no matter if you are going for ultra light or you like to bring everything and the kitchen sink, to sit correctly on the hips. The rugged features of our B.C. or "Back Country" edition do add a slight amount of weight when compared to our regular Tilopa or small Loka packs, but that is the trade off/balance with protection and weight as always.

Colby, yes I did buy my pack from Rod. He just so happen to work pretty close to me, so it was easy and I had the benefit of being able to check it out before I bought mine. BTW, he was very nice to deal with.

Andre,

Rod is a great guy! We are happy to have him on board as a distributer in Australia.

seems good to me. count me in for one (and we'll scheme how to get it to mozambique - there are ways!)

thanks
stuart

Stuart - You have been added to the list. We will make it work :)

Thanks Colby, count me in for a Loka when those come up.
Joyce

Hi Colby,
Please add me to the list for a gray mist. If possible, I would like to substitute a small ICU. Thanks for the group by option. Best Regards.
Michael

@Joyce - Will do Joyce. The Loka will be up Next month I believe

@Michael - I have you on the list. Small ICU it is. You are more then welcome.

Hi Colby, I'd like one in foliage green

Thanks!
Jason

Not a problem Jason. Did you notice that we changed the Group Buy to allow you to choose your ICU size? Did you want to stick with the Large?

Yes, large will be fine.

Colby please put me down for one in Foliage Green and my second color would be the black. Id like the Med. ICU. Thanks for giving us a great deal.

Colby, please add me to the list! (foliage green, large ICU) Thanks.

@Douglas and @Mike - You have been added to the list. My pleasure. We will have a new Group Buy starting the 15th of every month, so be sure to keep an eye out.

I just wanted to keep everyone up to date on what is going on from our end.

- I am going to start making contact with everyone that wants to purchase a pack so that I can get Billing/Shipping info as well as payment info.

- We are currently lows on a few of our ICU's, especially the Medium ICU. After the 15th of Feb (When the Group Buy for this month ends) we will ship out all orders that we can, which is determined by what we have in stock at that moment. If we are out of your current ICU, you will be placed first in line for a "pre-order" which will then be filled as soon as our next large shipment of product arrive at our warehouse here in St. Louis, MO. ETA for that is by the end of Feb.

- If you have any questions, please let me know. My email is listed below and I am always happy to try to help facilitate any and all requests.

Put me down for a black one with a large ICU

Put me down for a Forest Green with Med ICU please. This looks to be just the ticket for waterfall scrambling along with the occasional overnighter to be ready for an early AM shoot the next day.

St. Louis eh? Not to far from me down here in Jonesboro, AR.

@Jack and Bob - You are added to the list. Thanks again. Expect an email soon.

Put me down for a black one with a medium ICU. I would also like to include the rain cover in my order.

Since its coming from St. Louis, any chance I can get a bag of sliders or an Imo's pizza with my order?? (I grew up in STL)

Added ya to the list Phillip! I will work on throwing in some Imo's...although I live in Denver, I will get the warehouse guys to give it a try ;)

Please add me to the list - foliage green, large ICU. Thanks.

Colby, please add me to your order list: Tilopa B.C., Grey Mist, Medium ICU

Thanks.

Colby, please put me down for one Tilpa B.c, foliage green, large ICU and a rain cover.
thank you very much.

@Maciej @Bill @Wade - You are all added to the list.

Emails for anyone that has requested the discount for this Group Buy option will go out by tomorrow morning so we can start getting orders lined up in the system.

Colby, please add me to the list for:

one Tilopa BC in foliage green
one medium ICU
one rain cover

Thanks!

-Darren Huski

You have been added Darren! Thanks

Just to let everyone know, I will be sending out emails tomorrow in order to start getting everything into our system. I apologize for the delay!

I just sent out emails to everyone that opted in for this months Group Buy so far.

The Group Buy is still active through Feb. 15th!

F.Y.I - The Free Shipping within the Continental US will be applied after the order has been submitted, not through the discount code alone.

Hi Colby,

Could you post the dimensions for each of the ICUs?

Thanks,
Lori

My pleasure Lori:

Small ICU – 7.5” Deep x 11” Wide x 7” Tall
Medium ICU – 7.5” Deep x 11” Wide x 11” Tall
Large ICU – 7.5” Deep x 11” Wide x 15” Tall
XLarge ICU – 7.5” Deep x 11” Wide x 19” Tall (Not Available till May)

Thank you for taking advantage of this months Group Buy Discount with NPN and F-Stop Gear. Just to clarify the details it is for:

(1) Tilopa B.C. (Back Country Edition) - Available in Black, Foliage Green or Grey Mist
(1) ICU size of your choice (Small, Medium or Large)

Optional Accessories are:
Rain Cover - $19
Water Bladder Sleeve $9

Discount Code:

NPN012011 (ALL CAPS) (Valid Through Feb. 15th so make sure you get your order in before then)

Utilize this discount code when you are checking out of our shopping cart (http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.655414/sc.19/.f) to apply the 15% off discount. I apologize as our shopping cart is outdated and we are in the process of designing a whole new one from the ground up.

Product Codes: To make things easier for you, I have included the specific product codes that you can easily find by using the "SEARCH" function in the shopping cart

Tilopa B.C. (Black) with Small ICU --------------- - m111-60-1s
Tilopa B.C. (Black) with Medium ICU -------------- m111-60-1m
Tilopa B.C. (Black) with Large ICU ---------------- m111-60-1L

Tilopa B.C. (Foliage Green) with Small ICU --------- m111-62-1s
Tilopa B.C. (Foliage Green) with Medium ICU ------- m111-62-1m
Tilopa B.C. (Foliage Green) with Large ICU --------- m111-62-1L

Tilopa B.C. (Grey Mist) with Small ICU ------------- m111-63-1s
Tilopa B.C. (Grey Mist) with Medium ICU ----------- m111-63-1m
Tilopa B.C. (Grey Mist) with Large ICU ------------- m111-63-1L

Rain Cover --------------------------------- m920
Hydration Sleeve ---------------------------- m801

Product Availability:

As I mentioned in the NPN thread, we are currently completely out of stock with Medium ICU and recently we ran out of the new Large ICU as well (3rd Generation ICUs). We are expecting a shipment to arrive from our factory within a few weeks from the time that this Group Buy Discount ends, which is Feb 15th. In the mean time we will be attempting to fill some orders from our Australian Warehouse.

We are also offering a "loaner" program involving our last generation Large ICUs (2nd Generation) (which we have plenty still in stock) if you are in a hurry to get the pack. Basically we will ship your order (if you ordered a Medium or Large ICU) with a 2nd Generation Large ICU and allow you to exchange it for the latest generation Medium or Large ICU (3rd Generation) FREE OF CHARGE when they arrive into our warehouse. You will be responsible for paying the extra shipping, which may or may not be worth it depending on where you live. If you live in the continental US, shipping of 1 ICU is a mere $10-$12 dollars. This is the best option if you are in a hurry to get the pack. This program is not mandatory, but certainly is offered to anyone that wishes to take advantage of it. You just need to let me know

Questions:

If you have any questions, please send me an email. I am out of town from February 10th-20th, during which I will have limited email access.

Colby, I'm going to get the black Tilopa BC w/ a rain cover and small ICU...do I just order it through the website with the discount code? Thanks!

Anne,

You can just purchase through the website using the supplied discount code: NPN012011

Detailed review here with plenty of images. I was on the fence for awhile but after seeing this review I should be good. http://theskiphotographer.com/2010/11/03/check-f-stop-tilopa-bc-backpack-loka-satori/ - Just ordered online - Thanks for the discount!!!

I am trying to order the bag and use the discount code that Colby supplied and the web site says this is an invalid code. Anyone else with this issue? I will try and email him also.

I ordered Friday with no issue using - NPN012011 (ALL CAPS) Colby is out of the country this week with limited email. I'd try to contact F-stop directly if you still have issues with the code.

Colby, I ordered my pack today, just under the wire! Confirmation looks good and it appears all discounts were applied correctly. I am not in a huge hurry, so if the medium ICU will not take too long, just wait and ship everything at the same time.

Hey, Bob, try again today and see if it works for you.