Bag recommendation

[Dom87SS]

so ive looked through what seems like a zillion posts now. i just cant decide what will hold my gear well, will be comfortable, and somewhat affordable. let me start by listing what i have, and what i want the bag to be able to hold. I know i want a back pack style bag though.

50D gripped, 10-22mm w/hood, 17-85mm w/hood, 70-200mm w/hood, 100mm macro, small hard case for 4 CF cards, sony DCR-SR42 handycam video camera, go pro camera with a bunch of mounting hardware, battery charger for cannon battery, battery charger for go pro + Triple A's. cleaning pen and cloth, 580ex flash, rocket blower, card reader, a couple filters, laptop with power supply.

i know its a lot of stuff, it wont always all be with me. but for the most part the lenses minus maybe 1 or 2 at most and video camera will always travel with me.

i generally like to carry at least a bottle of water of gatorade with me too, a snack of some sort, and a towel when im out shooting for a full day.

the ones ive considered i know wont fit everything, or at least wont do it in a organized fashion. and the ones that will are pretty high priced. i m hoping there is a happy medium in finding one that fits the bill.

[themadman]

I personally really like Lowepro bags. I don't own these specific bags, but maybe consider the Vertex 200 or 300? (The Pro Trekker Series looks nice too)

200: http://products.lowepro.com/product/Vertex-200-AW,2073,16.htm
300: http://products.lowepro.com/product/Vertex-300-AW,2074,16.htm

[tvphotog]

Tamrac Expedition 7X. Has a wide waist belt to distribute weight, and is the best constructed in this type of backpack that I handled at B&H, IMO. Every maker has a line like this.

[Sports_Dude]

I have a Tamrac Expedition 6x and it holds lots of gear very nicely. I originally bought the 7x and it held all my gear, but weighed way too much fully loaded. I would recommend taking your gear to a local shop and trying out the different bags.

[Dom87SS]

I personally really like Lowepro bags. I don't own these specific bags, but maybe consider the Vertex 200 or 300? (The Pro Trekker Series looks nice too)

200: http://products.lowepro.com/product/Vertex-200-AW,2073,16.htm
300: http://products.lowepro.com/product/Vertex-300-AW,2074,16.htm


those are nice, but not very affordable, or at least i dont consider it affordable.

anybody have anything else?

[Dom87SS]

Tamrac Expedition 7X. Has a wide waist belt to distribute weight, and is the best constructed in this type of backpack that I handled at B&H, IMO. Every maker has a line like this.


this may be a possibility. it comes in under $200 and seems pretty spacious.

[Needsnow]

You might check out the Think Tank Streetwalker HD. It is very nice. Has a slim profile. Can handle all of the gear that you mentioned and has a computer slot. Those are very nice to stuff a rainjacket, reading material etc. in. I have one. Let me know if you a have any specific questions.

[Dom87SS]

wow that is really close to what im lookin for. it looks huge inside, and closer to my price range.

[tvphotog]

wow that is really close to what im lookin for. it looks huge inside, and closer to my price range.

Pick the two bags you like and order them both from B&H or Adorama. Send back the one you don't like. For the $8 shipping back, you'll get to see both and really select with confidence. The refund will appear on your credit card before the bill is due.

[Dom87SS]

now theres an idea

[maresp5]

Check out the Think Tank Airport Addicted V2.0. The thing is absolutely HUGE!!1 Picked one up for Christmas and couldn't be happier. Order it from here and save almost $90.


http://www.precision-camera.com/product/8745491

[themadman]

those are nice, but not very affordable, or at least i dont consider it affordable.

anybody have anything else?
Look on ebay, the Vertex 200 can be had for under $200 easily. I got my Lowepro Dryzone 100 for $120 on ebay when the listed website price is $328.99 (But I got lucky) =P

[Dom87SS]

well i ended up stoppin in a local camera store to see what they had. well they had a bunch of different stuff. and after spending about a hour movin velcro pads around in bags i decided on a expedition 6 by tamrac. seems to fit all my stuff and has room left. though when loaded is a heavy SOB. but i guess if i want it all within reach anywhere ill have it. so well see how it treats me this summer.

[tvphotog]

well i ended up stoppin in a local camera store to see what they had. well they had a bunch of different stuff. and after spending about a hour movin velcro pads around in bags i decided on a expedition 6 by tamrac. seems to fit all my stuff and has room left. though when loaded is a heavy SOB. but i guess if i want it all within reach anywhere ill have it. so well see how it treats me this summer.


I don't want to rain on the parade here, but the 6X has a narrow waist belt. The waist belt is meant to handle most of the weight rather than putting it on your shoulders, just look at trekking packs.

You may be better off with the 7X, which is the first one in the Expedition series to have a wide and well padded waist belt.

I speak from the experience with the thin belt of the 5X. It doesn't do the job, which is why I got the ThinkTank Rotation.

[Dom87SS]

i tried it out in the store. the waist belts were the exact reason i went with the 6x. if teh 7x didnt have them, i would have gotten it, cause i dont want them. im not a hiker or outdoors person who walks for hours. i shoot mainly at drag strips, and places i will not be walking around a ton to find subjects to shoot. plus the fact that the waist belts did nothing but get in the way when i tried to carry it at my side. which when i am moving around, is the way i usually carry my bag around.

[PLLphotography]

I just purchased this bag, and should hopefully get here in the next few days:
http://www.amazon.com/Aktiv-PAK-Professional-Computer-accessories/dp/B002VGKNKS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1262717681&sr=8-6

then there's a larger version of the bag as well:
http://www.amazon.com/Aktiv-PAK-Professional-Computer-accessories/dp/B002W7QPSA/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1262717681&sr=8-9