Which bag?

Have you checked the Flipside from Lowepro? You can bring the bag round in front, while still wearing the belt around your waist and open it. This is not in theory. I have done it. The bag opens from the back. It has a few small disadvantages like the flap does not open 180 degrees but overall it's a nice bag to have with a decent water proof cover. Happy with mine.

I have the 302 and while it is bulky it gets the job done, would like a little better quality but it was cheap enough.

I used to fly fish a lot - I find camera bags are the same as Fishing vests. I never found one I liked and stuck to. The same with camera bags, I find myself switching constantly.

I just purchased a Thick Tank Airport Commuter to hold ALL my stuff for travelling. But in reality while it is a great bag it is too big to walk around with so it is a storage bag that allows me to grab and have all I want when I am close to the car or travelling. I do love the bag but it is not ideal for all situations. When I will be hiking or moving about I grab what I need from it and use one of the other bags I have found useful but not perfect.

I have and use the Lowepro slingshot 302, is a great bag if you use mostly smaller lenses, then the sling around to grab camera works well. But I am usually needing my 100-400; it fits in the bag but is too long to fit while connected to the camera so the 302 is used as a regular back pack. For most of what I do a regular back pack would work better than the 302.

Generally if I know I am going to be using my primes (shorter lenses) then I grab the shoulder bag. It is much easier than the sling and keeps the camera available right at my side.

I am of the belief I will never find the perfect bag, but a combination will work well. Much the same as my collection of fishing vests, sling vests, fanny packs, etc...

I'm with Lumens - there is no perfect bag, so I've turned into a bit of a bag junkie.

There are a lot of camera backpacks out there, unfortunately their feature list and capabilities are quite diverse. I found some with great storage and access but inadequate support, lots with great support but limited room, and very few that allow one to carry both camera gear and a lunch or sweatshirt. I messed with a few swing-around packs for quick access to camera body and most were awkward to use. Combining this with thin straps and small buckles and the list narrows significantly for those needing a serious camera (and other gear) backpack. The Clik Elite Contrejour works perfectly for me, but this is overkill for many. It swings around for quick access via a side pocket, and gear entry is from the back rather than top or front. It ticked all of my marks.

So I then decided to check out a shoulder bag, something small like a messenger bag that carries just enough gear but forces me to be selective. I didn't like, didn't want a shoulder bag but after using a Think Tank Retrospective it's become my favorite bag. They're a bit pricey new but used bags come up on ebay frequently for about $100. If you don't need a backpack these are perfect.

My third bag is a Tamrac Evolution pack. Not the greatest for hiking but good for lugging lots of gear from place to place.

For each of my bags, and a Think Tank pro speed belt, I use Peak Designs' Capture Pro camera clips. These attach to either belt or pack strap for immediate access to gear. Very convenient, and has mostly eliminated many of my previous requirements for quick access to camera and lens.

Try the slingshot on with some weight in it before deciding. I have a Lowepro SlingShot 200AW and it's the worst bag I've ever owned. Horrible access to my gear (the 300 series is probably better) and very uncomfortable if you load it up.

Some love the slingshot style and can handle the continuous weight on one shoulder. Maybe it would work for me too if I had a lighter camera and lenses. For what I carry I prefer a shoulder bag where I can easily switch sides when it starts to hurt.

I ended up going with the case logic. I know its not one of the "name brands" that I typically hear about, but it had good reviews AND it was on sale for 50% off with Christmas cyber sells.

I'm glad it fits all your gear and you are happy. How comfortable is it with all that gear? Does it have waist straps?

I had a similar design in a Lowepro phototrekker classic, but it didn't have good waist straps. I found it hurt my shoulders in short order. That is the main reason I went with a hiking bag, the F-stop Loka. I can carry more, all day, and not hurt my back or shoulders. My feet wear out before anything else.

sawsedge wrote in post #17360411
I'm glad it fits all your gear and you are happy. How comfortable is it with all that gear? Does it have waist straps?

I had a similar design in a Lowepro phototrekker classic, but it didn't have good waist straps. I found it hurt my shoulders in short order. That is the main reason I went with a hiking bag, the F-stop Loka. I can carry more, all day, and not hurt my back or shoulders. My feet wear out before anything else.

It feels comfortable for what I've done so far. But I'm guessing it might need more support for a long hike. For now for the price though, I'm very happy with it