Spruce Woods Provincial Park Epinette Trail

This weekend we have the privilege of traveling to Spruce Woods Provincial Park and hiking the Epinette Trail.   We have been here previously in the summer and decided that it would be a wonderful trail to snow shoe in winter.

We left mid morning on Saturday, piled into the trusty white BMW and headed west on highway 1 towards Carberry Manitoba.  As with any road trip we of course made a quick stop for fuel, snacks and drinks.

The drive out was fantastic, clear skies, dry roads and no rain or snow which was predicted for the day.  We eventually got to Carberry and turned down highway 5 and proceeded to Spruce Woods Provincial Park and the Epinette Trail trail head.

We had intended to snow shoe the trail, but thanks to a week of warm temperatures, there was almost no snow to walk on!  We put on our boots, strapped on our backpacks and started walking the 1.7 KM to Cabin 2 which we will stop for a break and lunch.  Unfortunately due to the wind gusts we were unable to fly our drone, but we did not let that stop us from having fun!

On our way out, we stumbled upon some breath taking views, showing the creek, surrounded by pine trees frozen and locked in winters grasp.

Spruce Woods Frozen

Further down the trail, we managed to get right down next to the frozen stream and take HDR pictures of the water, golden grasses and blue skies.  It was just an amazing sight and made one appreciate the beauty of mother nature even in winter.

Spruce Woods Golden Sky

Feeling invigorated we proceeded to finish the hike to the cabin and started a small fire in the wood stove to heat the cabin slightly and just give a warm feeling.   We dug lunch out of our packs and enjoyed a small sip of maple whiskey as is our hiking tradition.  It was a wonderful stop we even took pictures from inside the cabin and agreed that we will be back in the spring as well to enjoy Spruce Woods.

Spruce Woods Cabin Fire

After a nice break, lovely fire and good food, we packed up and headed down to the stream just north of the cabin.  Here we stumbled upon flowing water, surrounded by snow, golden grass and pine trees.  We took a variety of photos from different angles and the beauty speaks for itself.  Sean also managed to lose a lens cap for his ultra wide angle lens!.

Spruce Woods Spring Stream

Sensing the afternoon was turning into evening, and a 1.7 km walk through snow ahead of us we packed up and headed back towards the trail head and our car.  It was a great day in the woods and we will be back here many times to go further down the trails to Cabin3 and even Cabin4.

You can see more of our picture in our portfolio, Instagram and Facebook.

Review – Tenba Solstice 20L Backpack

Today, we are happy to post our first product review!  As you know we travel, take photos and go on adventures, so our equipment gets well used and tested very well.  Today we will be reviewing our Tenba Solstice 20L Camera Backpack which we picked up from Photo Central in Winnipeg.

Initial Impressions

As with any product we use, time was spent at the store going over various backpacks, needs and requirements.  We reviewed many backpacks with the help of the fine fellows at Photo Central and managed to narrow our selection down to the Tenba product line.  These backpacks offer features and quality found in higher end bags for a great value.

Some of the key features for our needs were:

  • Ability to hold multiple lenses within a padded safe space.
  • Water proof / rain cover, as we frequently travel outside and back pack.
  • Ability to hold a small laptop or tablet to review images in the field.
  • Comfortable to wear for extended trips.
  • Water jug / camera tripod holder

The Tenba met all of these requirements and more and at $179.99 we thought it was a great value as well.

Tenba Back Pack Review Front Pouch

After actual use

As with any review we will post, it will contain our thoughts after using the product for an extended period.  We can say after a few trips out this back pack is amazing!  It fits nicely over your shoulder and has a lower waist strap to help with longer trips and hikes.  Externally there is a slim pocket which you can store your table, pens, pencils and other items as needed as you can see in the picture to your left.  This is great as you have easy access to important items while traveling including passports, wallet, keys, etc.  Additionally on each side is a slot for water bottle or tri-pod with straps to keep them secure while traveling, hiking or doing anything.

Now most backpacks have that feature, but we liked just how well it felt as a camera bag.  Additionally, there is a compartment at the top where you can store, clothes, food, water, anything you can think of within easy reach of the top zipper.  This is also where the rain cover is stored in its own little inner pouch and labelled.  While this is a great idea, i sense putting a used or wet cover back into the enclosed space might lead to moisture or dirt getting into the bag.  With that in mind one should first dry and clean the cover of dirt before putting it back in its carrying pouch.  As you can see in the picture to the right, this space also has a small net area for small items so they don’t get lost and a large amount of space.

Tenba Back Pack Review Top Pouch

Of course the most important part of any camera bag, is how well it can hold your lenses and cameras!  Otherwise what is the point of owning such a bag.  In this case the Tenba Solstice 20L is perfect for our needs.  It can hold up to 6 lenses depending on size and a camera.  Since we have two cameras it holds a few less lenses.  The area is accessible from the back which makes it secure while walking and keeps it away from dirt, water, etc and fully opens.  The area itself contains a soft padding and movable sections so that larger lenses, and more items can fit. It could even hold our DJI Mavic Pro!

This bag is also the middle in the Solstice line from Tenba so while a great size for us, it is not as deep as the larger bag and struggles to hold anything with a battery grip.  In our case not a big problem as we do not typically use these on longer trips to reduce weight and bulk.

One other small feature, is the strap / hook areas on the back of the bag, which allows for the addition of other items which you can hook on and carry with you.

Summary

Based on the number of features, size, quality of build we are over the moon with our new Tenba Internal Lens Areatravel bag!  We would be happy to recommend Tenba to anyone as it is a solid bag, at a good value with high end features.  We can’t wait to go out and use it more in all sorts of conditions and will report back.

Rest assured as well we will be posting more reviews, guides and how to’s as we continue our photography journey!    If you would like us to review your product or take photos contact us.