Camera Bag Brands: What do You Like Best?

[Drew Bedo]

Ok, Revised List:

Billingham
Crumpler
Domke
Dakine
EVOC
Fogg
Hazard-4
LowePro
Pelican
Photobackpacker
Think Tank
Tamrac
Rimowa

[Drew Bedo]

Wish that everyone who voted "Other" on the Poll had spoken up here first!

[LabRat]

Yea Drew, I do like you do... What ever you find out there, is put to work... I buy any tiny or big bag anywhere I can find 'em cheeep... (Thrifts, pawns, surplus, where ever...) wash 'em, and have a large pile in a corner... I shoot different rigs on different days, so I rummage through the pile, and pull out the right sized one, and proceed to stuff it with camera wood, plastic, or metal, etc...

I have found good new bags like a Billingham at a thrift (new, with tags for a few bucks), but most of my shooting these days are long hikes in the urban jungle, and I prefer not having a bag that shouts "camera" from a half a block away, so I choose a bag that one might see a bus passenger be carrying their lunch in...

Now, I tend to grab school backpacks, non-descript black carry-on bags, gym duffles, baby bags, computer bags, etc that I can fit a camera bag inside to use it's pockets, dividers, padding, and have an outer shell that allows maybe a little extra space to squeeze in something else, and provide some dust & rain protection... And the black outer bags tend to hide in the shadows of my station wagon floor at night, as they "vanish" there, as they are hard to see... (Sometimes even for me!!!) Saves wear & tear on the inner bags, and if something falls out of a pocket, the outer bag catches it...

I stopped using "military" type bags because once during a routine traffic stop, a cop was looking into my car and saw my green army (kevlar?) shotgun bag (with my little old Ries inside) and nearly jumped out of his skin!!! (He said he was a reservist, and that was the recent issue type he had used) So I found out some people get nervous around "military" or camo stuff... (I do roll up a new style army duffle (+ lock) into my suitcase when traveling, so if I get carried away bringing home swag from far away, I have another bag to check through TSA... Strong, but weighs almost nothing)

Seems like many biz people carry a school type backpack on the train, and not so much briefcases these days...

Steve K

[Drew Bedo]

Well Steve, I too seem to have a bit of a fixation on camera bags and luggage in general. However, space and spouse Keep me from having a pile of anything in any corner. Right now, there are too many bags in the closet that do not have any dedicated contents. One is a largish Trekker of some sort from LowePro that is just too good to just get rid of. Another in that category is alarge Domke messenger style bag without deviders. I keep saying that is for the TravelWide (I don't have a TW camera). Two more are semi-hard rolling computer cases with extending handles. The handles (on both) do not extend dully. If I cant get them fixed they will likely go to Goodwill.

Last week e-Bay had a newish LowePro SuperTrekker AW II (should be a $50-$100 bag)that went off at under $30. Didn't bid, but cried a little inside as the auction ended.

Do we need a support group for bag collectors/hoarders?

[LabRat]

Well Steve, I too seem to have a bit of a fixation on camera bags and luggage in general. However, space and spouse Keep me from having a pile of anything in any corner. Right now, there are too many bags in the closet that do not have any dedicated contents. One is a largish Trekker of some sort from LowePro that is just too good to just get rid of. Another in that category is alarge Domke messenger style bag without deviders. I keep saying that is for the TravelWide (I don't have a TW camera). Two more are semi-hard rolling computer cases with extending handles. The handles (on both) do not extend dully. If I cant get them fixed they will likely go to Goodwill.

Last week e-Bay had a newish LowePro SuperTrekker AW II (should be a $50-$100 bag)that went off at under $30. Didn't bid, but cried a little inside as the auction ended.

Do we need a support group for bag collectors/hoarders?

Ahhh, could be worse... Imagine if you had a fetish for Halliburton or Anvil road cases... People would think you were a roadie for The Who (or some group on tour)... Don't forget the 18 wheeler... And Teamsters...

You are OK in my book!!! CARRY on!!!!!

Steve K

[mdarnton]

I have "camera" bags, but what I mostly end up using are undifferentiated Timbuk2 bags; I like having the raw space. In my largest one I can fit a 5x7 camera, six holders and an extra lens, or a bunch of Leica or Nikon gear and a sweater, or even pack for a weekend trip with camera and lenses stuffed in, too. On normal days it's a smaller Timbuk2, a Leica and a couple of lenses, a book, lunch, some mail, maybe a computer. Small format things ride in heavy freezer ziplock bags so that I can see what I have, and large format, even film holders, in lens wraps. The bags that have compartments don't really work for what I normally want to do.

I have a little mountain of bags in the hall closet, but fortunately my wife's mountain, elsewhere, is larger, so I don't get complaints. :-)

[vdonovan2000]

I've got an ONA bag that I really like. Very good looking, good protection, well made, versatile.
http://www.onabags.com/

[Drew Bedo]

I've got an ONA bag that I really like. Very good looking, good protection, well made, versatile.
http://www.onabags.com/

Very nice. What Large format gear do you put into it?

[jeroldharter]

Not necessarily for LF gear (although 4x5 should work), GuraGear is hard to beat. You can find their backpacks at deep discounts briefly because GuraGear just became Tamrac and they are coming out with new models.

[Bob Salomon]

Not necessarily for LF gear (although 4x5 should work), GuraGear is hard to beat. You can find their backpacks at deep discounts briefly because GuraGear just became Tamrac and they are coming out with new models.

Not quite. Tamarac was liquidated and the assets were bought at the auction by GuraGear. GuraGear just this last week announced that they will discontinue the GuraGear brand name and continue with the Tamarac name. They are closing out the remaining GuraGear branded bags.