Photography: Bags

Bags

Over the years I have tested and used many different types and sizes of bags. One thing I have learned is that there is no such thing as the perfect bag for all situations. It depends very much on what (equipment), where (climate) and how (foot, car, air) you want to store and transport.

Rimowa.jpg (8814 bytes) When I started with photography I mainly used aluminium cases. They are available in many sizes but the ones most used are roughly about 30x45x15 cm. These are nice to transport a reasonable small system, one or two bodies with a few lenses and maybe a flash. Depending on the brand they are quite strong and protect your equipment very well, but they can be expensive. Very good but expensive is the Rimowa Tropicana series or the ones made by Halliburton. Their cases can withstand a severe beating. Much cheaper but still good quality are the Vanguard cases. You can also buy such aluminium cases much cheaper in a hardware store. These cases are not specially designed for photography but for storing your tools. They will not be as strong but you can get them for as little as 20 euro. And with maybe some additional foam padding they work great for normal use, e.g. when working from your car. They are not strong enough for severe handling, e.g. as checked baggage in a plane. I use several of these cheaper cases. On the inside they either have foam (which you have to cut out to hold your equipment) or adjustable dividers.

Instead of aluminium cases, an option might be the hardshell Pelican cases. These are made of poly-carbonate and are extremely durable. They are available in many sizes and colors. Some of the bigger ones even have little wheels which makes transportation a lot easier. This quality does come at a price however. Pelican cases are watertight and in fact even airtight. They have a valve to regulate airpressure, which can be necessary when you use these at different altitudes (airpressures). E.g. in a plane or in mountains. Because they are airtight, the difference in airpressure could otherwise make it impossible to open the case.

Of course such a case is very unsuitable to take with you into the field. When on foot the only true option will be a backpack. In the past I have used many normal backpacks that I have adapted myself to carry my equipment. For several years, when my biggest lens was a 300/2.8, I used a small camouflaged backpack which I had padded with a thick layer (5cm) of foam. It could hold the 300/2.8 with one body attached, a second body, two small lenses and some film. On several trips in Africa it was very pleased with it. Then, when I bought my 500/4.5 lens, I needed something bigger. So I started looking for real photo backpacks and compared many brands. In my opinion the best ones are made by Lowepro, specially the Trekker series. They are not cheap but very high quality and durable. But besides durability their strongest point is that they are specially designed for photographers by experienced photographers. Offering exactly what you need in the field. My wife uses the Mini Trekker which is small and light and perfect for her smaller size. Still it can hold a 300/2.8 with body attached and some additional lenses. When I don't need any really big lenses, I sometimes "borrow" it from her. My own backpack is the Pro Trekker AW. It holds my present 500/4.0 with ease and has place for an extra body and lenses, films etc. The harness is fully adjustable to your own body size and very comfortable. It can also be tucked away completely under a cover. The backpack has many nice built in features, like a rain cover. It comes with two extra lens pouches which can be attached to the sides or the back. The risk of that is that you take too much stuff with the backpack ending up too heavy for comfortable walking. I do have the daypack always attached to the Pro Trekker, as it holds my coffee, some food and smaller things. By the way this backpack was specially designed for Lowepro by well known nature photographer Moose Peterson.


Mini Trekker	Nature Trekker	Photo Trekker	Pro Trekker	Super Trekker

When choosing which backpack will be best for your own needs, it's advisable to bring some of your equipment with you to the store and test it. In case of mail order, try testing it with a friend's backpack. Reading the sizes in a brochure doesn't tell you how easy things will or will not fit. As these backpacks cost a lot of money and last very long, you do want to buy the right one. For my equipment both the Nature Trekker and the Pro Trekker would have been great. I chose the Pro Trekker because it was slightly bigger and therefore it was easier to put my 500 in. The 500 also fits very well into the Nature Trekker, but I wanted the extra size in case I might once get a bigger lens. The drawback however is that the Pro Trekker is on the edge of being allowed as cabin luggage on most flights. In fact it's just too big but I have managed to get it onboard so far. In the future this might become impossible. Recently I also bought a Photo Trekker Classic just because of that. Officially the Pro Trekker should still be allowed, but airlines are sometimes very strict these days. One airline I sometimes use (they are the only one on some destinations) only allow 5kg for carry-on luggage (that's almost the weigth of the empty bag) and they often do weigh the bags.

To get a bigger image of the backbacks, click on them. More details and other types can be found on the Lowepro website.

Return to Photography Menu

(Images on this page by manufacturers)