Looking for a bag to fit in with real life.

[coomber]

<p>Hi,<br /><br /><br /><br />I've been looking around a lot of late at bags to try and find<br />something that will actually fit in with real life, not the camera bag<br />makers dream world that I certainly don't live in!<br /><br /><br /><br />I am drawn at the moment to lumbar packs such as the mountainsmith<br />range to act primarily as a day to day always with me camera bag be<br />that shoulder or lumbar fit. Seems that with the lumbar straps folded<br />away these bags emulate the classic camera bag a bit and gain some of<br />the ease of use that the classic camera bag has. When 'on the hip' it<br />can be carried with reasonable comfort, something the average shoulder<br />bag fails on.<br /><br /><br /><br />However, when I travel places, I need to take more, much more than<br />just lenses etc., all within the restrictive flight regulations. This<br />usually includes laptop, chargers, book(s), tickets, passports,<br />jumper, etc., etc..Currently I stuff my Orion Trekker to the max to<br />travel with, but then when I get places, I don't really want to work<br />out of a rucksack. I know the newer Orion with separate upper and<br />lower parts is verging on what I'm after but I find the upper part of<br />my current Trekker a bit restrictive space wise.<br /><br /><br /><br />I also like to go hiking in the hills and this is where the Orion is<br />woefully too small for non camera stuff, as is most (all?) combination<br />camera bags I can see. Currently I either make do with the Trekker or<br />stick the camera stuff in a larger 'proper' rucksack.<br /><br /><br /><br />So, finally a question!, does anyone know of a lumber pack like the<br />Mountainsmith's that can attach in some sensible way to a rucksack to<br />create one single bag for airport restrictions, simple combined<br />carrying but still allow access to the camera section if needed? I<br />like the Thinktank rotation 360, but the rucksack isn't usable with<br />the lumbar pack (and it's pretty heavy to start with). I have no<br />fixation with camera specific bags, happy to add inserts etc. to get<br />what I want.<br /><br /><br /><br />I have this idea of a rucksack that has no lumbar strap of it's own<br />(15-20L ish) that I keep my day to day stuff in and generally have<br />with me (compact camera always on board) and<br />zipped/clipped/velcroed/whatever to this can be a good lumbar pack<br />that together resembles a 'proper' rucksack with lumbar strap. Do I<br />need to get my sewing kit out?<br /><br /><br /><br />Thanks in advance!<br /><br /><br /><br />Craig.</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>Ahh, why not bring two bags? One for your vital shit, passport, laptops, paperworks etc...and another for camera/lenses shit?</p>

<p> </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Speaking as one who has piles of camera bags and other bags adapted to camera bags. Flee! Don't look back, this way lies madness.</p>

<p>First, it's just one little bag, then another, and finally you are featured in a cable television show after your corpse is discovered in a room filled to the ceiling with bags....</p>

<p>There are only two perfect camera bags - the Nikon FB-8 and (if you can lift it when filled) the Tenba PD-17 If you drive anywhere with the latter bag full of gear, you have to stop at the truck inspection stations when you enter a new state.</p>

[walt_z]

<p>Madness, indeed....My solution to this is a LowePro FastPack 200 with a ThinkTank-style belt (and add-on pouches) and some Velcro. Get a shoe repair place to sew three strips of 1-1/2" velcro to the bottom of the bag, then sew just the end of three mating strips of velcro to the back of the bag, just up from the bottom. Slip that velcro thru the belt and stick it to the mating velcro on the bottom of the bag.</p>

<p>This gives you a very flexible setup. With the waist belt on the backpack, you can carry quite a bit of gear comfortably. With just the bag or just the belt, you can travel lighter.</p>

<p>I have eight bags in my closet. I haven't purchased any (yet!) since creating this setup.</p>

[coomber]

<p>Oops, seem to have double spaced that post, sorry!<br>

Madness, yes I'm still there! Dread to think how many bags I've bought over the years.<br>

Leslie, in the UK you can often be restricted to one bag at airports, plus I prefer to be able to wear one bag and just grab one when going somewhere. <br>

Walt, that's sorta what I'm thinking of, except that the rucksack part would be a standard daysack that could take Domke inserts if I needed too much camera stuff. So for the Lowepro, have you got straps going from the backrest through the belt packs and then under the bag or do the straps come from the outside of the rucksack through and back? Any chance of a picture of your creation?</p>

<p>Anyone using the Mountainsmith bags?</p>

[walt_z]

<p>I threw some pics up on my web site:<br /> <a href="http://waltzphotography.com/portfolio/Bag/index.html">Walt Z Photography</a></p>

<p>As you can see, I've made other mods to the bag as well...I added anchor points, a sternum strap, and I made it so the straps can be configured either as a normal backpack or as a sling. I think your idea of using a standard daypack with inserts (or <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=wrap&ci=15293&N=4294205295&cm_sp=Filters-_-Category-_-Photography">wraps!</a>) would work out great.</p>

<p>I have Mountainsmith's biggest lumbar pack (their "Day" pack), plus I've handled their bigger packs in the store. Build quality is excellent. I'd buy one of their bags over a dedicated photo bag (LowePro, Tamrac, Tenba, etc) any day. They target the outdoor enthusiast/hardcore backpacking crowd, so their bags have lash points, adjustment straps, etc.</p>