Equipment & Techniques > Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear

Towards a better travel camera backpack

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NancyP:
Shadowblade, be sure to let us know, you might have customers. I for one wouldn't mind a small daisy-chained stuff sack a little lighter than the f-stop tripod stuff sack I use now - I just haven't got around to making one, because time and energy are limited due to day job.

VincentR:
Quite an interesting topic. Like many others, I've tried many (too many?) different backpacks, including Clik Elite, F-Stop, LowePro, ThinkTank... I've recently came to the conclusion that I may never find a perfect bag: there's always something off like weight distribution, lack of room for personal items, screaming PHOTO GEAR all over the bag or no room where to put a bottle of water. I travel light (moved to m43 camera) so I've decided to try using my Osprey backpack and put a camera insert in it. I've just received my two inserts yesterday, haven't had the chance to test either, but pretty sure they will be a pain to deal with in the field when I have a lunchbox sitting on top plus extras clothing...

Both inserts were found on Amazon:

www.amazon.ca/Camera-Insert-Waterproof-Shockproof-Olympus/dp/B00VHV8P08/

www.amazon.ca/dp/B01I4LC4D2


edit: typos

David Sutton:
I don't think a bag can exist that does everything, and nothing screams "valuables" like a large backpack.
My take on it has been that I firstly have a bag that gets me into a country with all my gear. For me that's an Airport Antidote V2. Took all my Canon gear and now the Fuji stuff fits fine. It's small enough not to attract the attention of counter staff at airports.
On arrival I switch to an anonymous day bag holding just what I need for that day. I use a battered and dirty 123-go-10 with the labels removed, but anything would do as long as it sits comfortably over the back of a chair in a cafe.
It's a pain having to fit the extra bag into my suitcase, but worth it for the flexibility on arrival.
David

sbay:
I've thought about this a bit since I like to be inconspicuous especially in urban areas. Like the OP, I prefer to have a bag that doesn't look like it holds cameras or other expensive electronics and I would greatly prefer to keep the tripod within the bag (instead of on the outside or in a separate bag).

The hardest constraint is putting a normal size tripod within the bag. You can do this with almost any regular hiking pack but it usually becomes very difficult to access your camera gear because you'll usually need to stack your stuff on top of itself in whatever space is left in the bag.

I think the best bet in photo backpacks are in the fstop lineup. A few options here:

(1) Use the f-stop Kenti which has dual side access pockets. Take out the dividers on one side and use that side to hold the tripod. Use the other side for camera gear.

(2) Use one of the regular rear access backpacks with a shallow ICU. With the shallow ICU you can fit a normal sized tripod inside the pack on the side not facing your back. You may need to wrap clothes or other stuff so it isn't obvious under the backpack shell. The main disadvantage is that now the backpack becomes 3 inches thicker. I have the loka-UL (a 37L daypack) and confirm that a regular tripod will fit this way.

(3) Use one of the regular rear access backpacks with any ICU. Cut or modify the ICU so that you can put the tripod down one side of it. Alternatively you might be able to take something like the small pro ICU and rotate it 90degrees leaving room for the tripod on one side. If the small pro ICU isn't big enough for your gear, you can always use two and stack them.

The f-stop bags look pretty much like hiking bags so they are great from that perspective. The main drawback is that suspension system is not as comfortable as a dedicated hiking pack but still might be acceptable. Also the rear access to your gear is not optimal in urban environments when you have to put the bag down to access your gear. On the other hand, it's very convenient from working out of the bag when safety/theft isn't a concern.

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