[JimJohnson]

I haven't yet found a backpack that truly meets my needs for touring photography (meaning on my feet), but I am sort of stuck. If I fly, a fairly common occurrence, I have to have one carry-on that fits under a seat and carries my photo gear, my PC gear and any items I want to have with me in the plane's cabin. I cannot depend on my roller-bag actually being in the cabin these days between overcrowded flights or smaller planes.

I have a LowePro FastPack 350 in mint condition and you'll soon see it in the Forum's For Sale group. It was a pain to sling around and make a quick lens change without some risk that another lens wouldn't go rolling.

Here is what will be happening on my next trip in a couple weeks - I have a roomy Swissgear PC backpack with room for a Koolertron Padded Camera Bag Insert; and the insert from a generic Crumpler-like shoulderbag. Without the insert, the shoulderbag collapses fairly flat and goes in that roller bag. There is still plenty of room for my laptop and its gadgets plus the extras I want with me on the plane. Even full, the backpack fits in the overhead on larger planes or under the seat on full flights or smaller planes.

Once at my destination, the inserts and shoulderbag come out and are quickly available for photography on the go. With two inserts I have a bit of extra gear that can be swapped out based on what is on that day's agenda. If I also want a backpack for jacket/snacks/souvenirs, the PC gear is also easily offloaded.

Another hint: IF you can find them, I have several nylon zippered 'pencil cases' (roughly 8.5 inches X 4 inches) in multiple colors. Each one holds different categories of smaller gadgets, be it PC or photo. It is easier to keep all this small stuff organized than pawing through a mixed mess inside a backpack pocket.

Edit: The Swissgear PC backpack, the two inserts with photo gear that go into the backpack for flying. The canvas bag is flat without its yellow insert and goes into my luggage - I transfer the yellow insert when I reach my location. The lesser used gear is in the gray insert and can be left at my destination lodging unless needed. Unlike every photo specific backpack I've seen, gear in the shoulder bag is accessible literally while on the move. My monopod and travel tripod fly in my luggage. On the ground, either/both can ride on the backpack using the 'water bottle' pockets and a short length of dual-sided velcro to strap the top to the backpack. Or I can strap to the bottom of the canvas bag.

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Last edited by JimJohnson; 03-02-2017 at 10:24 AM. Reason: added photo

[madison_wi_gal]

Thanks, Macario, but again out of my price range, I'm afraid. Current solution is my second-hand Lowepro, and other items stuffed in pockets of a cheap photographer-style vest, tripod on shoulder strap.

How about this? The image doesn't show it but on the right side (as you look at front) it has a pocket that will hold the bottom of a tripod, and straps at the top to strap it in. I have one, although I have not put a tripod in it, but it holds a ton of stuff and is pretty comfortable.

Better image here.

[35mmfilmfan]

Again, my grateful thanks for your time and trouble. I checked the given dimensions against the one I am currently using,
and the one you kindly suggest is actually appreciably smaller ! Maybe I'll have to get married again, to have someone to carry my tripod ! :-)

[madison_wi_gal]

Again, my grateful thanks for your time and trouble. I checked the given dimensions against the one I am currently using,
and the one you kindly suggest is actually appreciably smaller ! Maybe I'll have to get married again, to have someone to carry my tripod ! :-)

Hmm, OK, well then good luck!

[lithedreamer]

Maybe I'll have to get married again, to have someone to carry my tripod ! :-)

I can highly recommend voice activated light stands/gear mules.

[35mmfilmfan]

Thanks, Lithedreamer, but when hiking I prefer boots rather than mules. :-)

[narual]

I use a Saddleback Leather simple backpack: Simple Backpack - Small Leather Backpack | Saddleback Leather Co.

It's basically just a big leather bag inside, with a couple pockets on the side. My tripod case snaps nicely onto a couple of the bottom D rings, larger ones could be lashed on with straps. I keep all my gear in individual neoprene pouches so they don't rub against each other, but it's more flexible than dividers.I keep batteries and a wasabi charger in one side pocket, with my XRite color checker passport tucked into the opening behind that pocket, and the other one varies - usually it's a stack of my business cards (I print them bookmark style on 4x6 metallic photo paper and have a printing company cut them into 2x6 strips), maybe my Seek Thermal camera (little thing that plugs into the phone and lets it shoot thermal photos), light meter, film if I'm messing with film. The camera body plus whatever lens is on it is the only thing I don't wrap in neoprene, and it's either over my shoulder, or the very top thing in the bag.