The Search for the Perfect Bag (at least for now...)

The obsession to find the perfect, lightweight setup for my travels continues.  And this time said obsession involves how to carry the stuff, i.e. what kind of bag or combination thereof.  I've gone through the usual progression of bags for a landscape photographer, and still have giant Lowepro Phototrekkers and the like, for when I want to carry every bit of my DSLR system.  I have also recently been enamored of a smaller Lowepro pack, the Flipside 400AW.  It is a smallish backpack with great hip support and of course, legendary Lowepro construction, and it's main compartment opens from the "back" side.  For someone like me who is often shooting in muddy or snowy conditions, not having to put your shoulder straps in the dirt is a good thing (it's been an awesome pack for ski photography for that reason). It's also large enough to hold a good amount of gear (2 DSLRs, and 3 or so lenses, with a large zoom such as a 80-200mm), without seeming gargantuan on your back.  So as you can see, I had already begun to scale down, at least to some degree.  Having the right gear with you is important, but I think simple is better, it's what you do with the gear that makes good photographs.  Now that I had the new Olympus Pen system for my upcoming trip I began to obsess about how to carry it relatively easily and inconspicuously.  I started looking in all the usual places; Lowepro, Think Tank, Tamrac, etc.  All these companies have amazing, cutting edge bags, but they essentially have one glaring problem; they all look like camera bags, and they are all black!!  Apparently most photographers WANT to look like photographers, with black bags/backpacks, photo vests, perhaps a floppy sun hat, Gitzo tripods, Arca Swiss ballheads, and a couple of big DSLR's hanging from $100 straps that say NIKON/CANON.  In other words, most camera bag makers understandably cater to the status game.  But not all.  Companies like Billingham, Domke, Tenba and Crumpler pursue a different tack, producing some pretty nice bags that don't all look like they carry cameras.  I currently have a Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home, and it's a really nice bag; extremely well padded, well organized and able to carry a decent amount of gear, whilst looking something like a messenger bag.  But for the relatively tiny Olympus Pen system it's way too big, and for my travels I wanted something a little more "multi-purpose".  This lead me to check out the Tenba Messenger Bag.  Available in three sizes, the Tenba's can carry a DSLR system in a removable insert, as well as a laptop.  They have all kinds of great pockets, are very well constructed, and come in several (non-black) colors.  Many people buy the insert separately and use it in regular messenger bags such as the Timbuk2.   So this got me thinking....a simple messenger bag with an insert would look inconspicuous and for travel could serve dual purposes, one as a camera bag, one as a messenger bag when I wanted to leave the camera behind.  So...to make a long circuitous story short,  I bought a Tenba insert and a medium Timbuk2 Classic Messenger.  When I got the two and put them together, I realized that though this would be a good combo for a DSLR system, it was still too large for the Olympus system.  So I started looking for a smaller insert.  I then landed on a couple of reviews of the Mountainsmith Kit Cube (here and here).  The Kit Cube is designed to fit the Mountainsmith Tour lumbar pack, but as you can see in the first review, it is useful in other applications.  The Kit Cube is smaller than the Tenba insert, and as you can close it at the top, it is more versatile and weather-proof.  In the first review its capacity is stretched to almost ridiculous proportions; it's pretty much made to fit a DSLR and two lenses.  For the Olympus system it's perfect; two bodies, 2-3 lenses, accessories, and even my Canon S90.  This cool little package fits perfectly in a Timbuk2 Small Classic Messenger, a relatively inconspicuous, easily accesible bag that does not scream: camera in here!

The Mountainsmith Kit Cube and the Timbuk2 Small Classic Messenger

The Kit Cube

Messenger with Kit Cube insert

That package then fit's nicely in my Ortovox Stratus 32 ski mountaineering backpack along with my laptop and there you have it; an inconspicuous, comfortable, functional carry-on with everything I need.  The uses for Mountainsmith Kit Cube don't necessarily stop there either.  I can see many more possibilities: perhaps fitting into a small daypack with hydration bladder for mountain biking or hiking, or maybe in my cavernous Timbuk2 Commute 2 messenger along with laptop, etc.  Essentially the Kit Cube opens up many more possibilities for carrying photo gear by allowing you to utilize just about any kind of pack or bag that fits your needs, whether for comfort, portability, looks or functionality.  Mountainsmith also makes the "Kit Cube Traveller", a larger zippered insert that can fit a good amount of gear and fits in a regulation carry-on sized suitcase. 

Ortovox pack with messenger and laptop

Ortovox with just the Kit Cube insert and laptop

Fully loaded and ready to rock....

Next up.....a review of the Olympus E-PL2, and a discussion about the rising popularity of the "street photography" genre,  as I travel in Nicaragua.....