Messenger Bag for 5D3 Gripped, 3 Lenses, 3 Speedlites, laptop or tablet + 'stuff'?

Hello. I am at the stage where most of us get to when looking for the right camera bag for our needs; for days, I have been reading threads, comparing options/quality/price across manufacturers and now need your opinions based on my requirements which are for a well-built, messenger-style bag costing <USD150 that can hold:

- 5DIII gripped attached to EF 24-70 f2.8 II w/ hood facing out
- Tamron 70-200 VC (hood reversed)
- EF 85 1.8 (hood reversed)
- 600 EX-RT, 430EXII, YN468II (one of each)
- 10" tablet or 15" laptop
- YN622c triggers x 4
- 12 AA batteries in slim containers of 4 each
- AA tray for BG-E11
- Canon LC-E4 charger
- LacT BC-700 charger plus adapter
- Filters, ball bungees, CF cards, flash gels, card reader, 6' HDMI cable, wallet, cell

I have looked at Tamrac Rally 7, Think Tank UD60, Tenba small/large messengers, Crumpler 8MDH, Lowepro 200AW and several from these/other manufacturers that I don't even recall. Of all of them, the only one that seems to certainly hold all this is the TT UD60 but that is way above my price range. The Tenba seems close but I don't see where the speedlites or thick accessories like the YN622s will go.

I want a bag that looks good, is functional, and will last many years of use. I will be taking it whenever I travel internationally and on some domestic travel. From experience, I know the non-messenger style shoulder bags are very unwieldy and uncomfortable because of their distance from the body.

I have gone through the 3 'bag review' compilation threads here on POTN and they've been very helpful. What I need now are your thoughts. Thank you.

I just picked up the Tenba DNA 15 and I really love it. I don't know the sizes of some of the things you mentioned but I can get a ton into that bag comfortably.

They have a rebate on the UD60v2 right now. Its a great bag for what your describe.

http://www.thinktankph​oto.com …-bags/urban-disguise.aspx

Yeah, that $214 price is what I meant as being well over my budget. The rebate only applies if someone buys UD60 plus another bag. I need to keep it around $150 if not well under. Otherwise, it seems like a great bag.

Asquared, I saw DNA 15 on Tenba's website earlier but it didn't seem much bigger than their small/large messengers. With all 3 of them, if I put a gripped camera+lens in, the laptop can't fit without a significant bulge on the outside; I'll have to stick with a tablet instead. There is a review of the Tenba large messenger here on POTN where the reviewer shows pictures of this happening. Also, I don't know if the 3 speedlites will fit comfortably. The small messenger is on my short list though; if I find nothing better, I might buy it and see what can be done.

Oops sorry my mistake, I didn't realize you need to buy 2 bags

No worries. Thanks for the help. This bag purchase is making my head spin.

ManiZ wrote in post #16542330
No worries. Thanks for the help. This bag purchase is making my head spin.

I feel your pain, its harder than choosing lenses or bodies. I've been looking for a backpack for over 6 months. I really like the Fstop bags but I cannot justify almost $500 on a backpack. See $215 sounds cheap now :-}

But seriously, I can tell you I've had the UD60v2 for a while and its great for travel but not really a bag to shoot out of. I use mine as more a laptop bag or carry on bag and it will hold a lot of gear and accessories.

Thinktank makes great products and while not really cheap they are worth the money. I've tried many bags and I always come back to TT.

You may want to check out Vanguard:

http://www.amazon.com …8-Messenger/dp/B0064X5QO​M

These specs are press close to the UD60v2

Yes I discovered Vanguard just yesterday as well. Looking into the up rise 38 and Heralder.

UD60 is the biggest thing that has been discussed here.

It will not hold everything you want.

Honestly with that much gear I would look at a sling bag of some sort or a backpack as your back will be killing you in a matter of hours due to lack of support with a messenger bag. I have a thinktank retro 30 and crammed a gripped 5D MIII, 70-200, 100-400 and 24-70 in it and my back was done about 4 horus in. Now I only use it when ill be able to set the bag down for long periods. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect sling style bag as its annoying to have to take a backpack off every time I want to swap lenses.

jecottrell wrote in post #16543558
UD60 is the biggest thing that has been discussed here.

It will not hold everything you want.

I own the UD60 and it will most certainly hold all of that gear. It'll weigh a ton and as stated it won't be very comfortable for a long day of shooting due to the lack of back support but it will work.

Crumpler 8 million dollar home.

Tommydigi wrote in post #16542396
I've been looking for a backpack for over 6 months. I really like the Fstop bags but I cannot justify almost $500 on a backpack.

A loka + ICU is less than $400... where are you getting $500 from?

Are you SURE you want a messenger bag to carry all of that gear? I've carried the things in your list minus all the flash gear in a messenger before, and even that was a major pain in the butt. It's not about being strong or weak or how manly you are - it is the simple fact that carrying all of that weight on one shoulder is uncomfortable and awkward. Also, the bag becomes so bulky that it is inconvenient and gets in the way of your movement. Now if you're just going from the car to a shooting location and don't need to carry the bag for a long time, then it might be fine, but then a backpack could also serve the same purpose, and also can be carried comfortably for longer periods of time.

After trying a number of messenger bags myself, I've decided that the most I will ever want to carry in a messenger bag is a body with one lens attached, another lens, and maybe a flash or ipad/tablet. Some room for water bottle and other personal items is good too, but anything more, and I'd much rather carry a backpack, or use my rolling Think Tank bag.

By the way, if the reason you're thinking of getting such a large messenger bag is because you just want one bag, then let me suggest that you give up on the idea of owning just one photography gear bag. we've all been there, and you soon realize that there is no one bag that will do everything you want. At the very least, one needs a smaller, messenger bag to carry some gear when you are walking around and just need a camera and one or two bodies, and a large backpack to carry more gear when going on longer trips, hiking, or doing events.

Good luck with your bag search!