Need Backpack recommendations

[MarkB]

My cat ruined my Canon 200EG backpack.  Before I buy another I thought I would search for alternatives.  Any suggestions?

I have a 60D and about 5 lenses and a 580exii.  I was typically loading a 24-105, 10-22EFS, and a specialty lens after that depending what I suspected I would be shooting(50mm, 60mm macro efs, or 70-300).

[Canon 14-24]

Either a Lowepro Flipside 300 or ThinkTank Streetwalker

[LFG530]

Take a look at kata backpacks, we have some where I work and they're pretty awesome.
http://www.kata-bags.com/kata.asp?Version=Photo

[visionphotos]

I second the Kata plus they have a bag finder where you put the stuff you want and they show you the models that can carry or do what you want.

i used to have a 400AW lowepro which i loved but there isnt enough space on it.

Now i have Kata D-Light LighTri-315 Torso-Pack and a Kata Bumblebee PL-220 Backpack (this one is bigger than what i spected) but fits everything.

[This is the Edge]

I just did a two week trip to Switzerland with a Crumpler Karchi Outpost. It is very confortable and well built. You should have no problem fitting your gear in it.

This is the Edge

[dstppy]

Either a Lowepro Flipside 300 or ThinkTank Streetwalker

X2 on the Flipside - very secure.  Don't believe the hype (marketing pictures) -- the 200's pictures are about what you can fit in the 300.  I have both, having bought the smaller first, but it's actually nice, because I can now use the smaller if I'm only going out with one or two lenses.

[neuroanatomist]

+3 on the Flipside.  I really like Lowepro bags, especially my Flipside 400AW.  The rear opening (main compartment zipper is against your back) adds some security, and rotating it around your body means the bag becomes a lens-changing platform, keeping the bag out of the dirt.

For your amount of gear, the Flipside 300 seems like the best fit.

[awinphoto]

Some things to chew on with your decision, when I was looking at the backpacks a few years ago, I was drawn to the Kata bags... They were kinda on the mid to high range of the price points, however they had size/accessibility/and functions I wanted, then saw warnings saying the easier it is to get a camera out of a bag (some kata bags have a quick access pouch with it's own zipper where you can get your camera out within seconds) however lets say you are at an airport, waiting in line to check in, or board, or even waiting for your luggage, or lets say you are shooting an event or walking around at a fair or whatever with your camera in your bag... Someone COULD walk up behind you and get your camera out before you know it because, surprise surprise, your bag LOOKS like a camera backpack and the camera access is sooo easy to get to by design.  You could put a lock on the zipper which defeats the purpose and function. 

I ended up with a lowepro aw trekker backpack... it's got a pouch for a small laptop/lunch/sweater/whatever, a "waterproof" cover you can pull over the pack, and fits up to 2 cameras with lenses attached or 1 camera with a L tele attached, plus 2 flashes and 2-4 lenses depending on size.  I hope this helps. 

[Cornershot]

I really like the design of the Kata bags, but I wish they'd put better straps, including waist and chest, on their bags.

[unfocused]

I have a Kata 3N1 20 bag. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros: Relatively compact: fits under the seat in a plane; comfortable; secure: I can't imagine anyone being able to get into the bag while you have it on unless you are totally clueless or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In my experience the design represents a very good compromise between accessibility and security; very well padded and sturdy, offering good protection for equipment; very flexible configuration with felt lining and Velcro dividers; I have a Kata neckstrap and have found it very handy to slip the neckstrap through the top carrying handle on the pack and let the pack carry the weight of the camera (instead of my neck) on hikes; price: very competitively priced when compared to similar configurations from other manufacturers.

Cons: Very tight fit: 7D with battery grip attached fits, but it's tight; Not very useful as a carry-on (the upper compartment is too small to fit much of anything in; Not designed for carrying anything but camera equipment (no side pockets for a water bottle for example); Tripod holder says it is made for a compact tripod and they mean it: too short for a standard size tripod or monopod.

Capacity: I can carry a 7D with battery grip attached and an attached lens up to 300mm plus three other smaller lenses or two lenses and a strobe. If you use the top compartment, you can get another lens or strobe in the bag, but you won't have room for anything else.

It's definitely not my "everyday" bag (I prefer a traditional shoulder bag for that). I'm still looking for the perfect bag. This isn't it, but when I've looked at competitors, I don't see much difference. For me, the problem is that a bag that is big enough to hold everything I want is too bulky to lug around while hiking. Also, in my experience, no backpack bag is ever going to offer the kind of quick access that a shoulder bag offers.

Still waiting for that TARDIS bag (bigger on the inside than on the outside).

[awinphoto]

When I was in the market for backpacks, they only had the R series backpacks.  Now I see they have the R series as well as a Bug and bumblebee setups which are very similar in shape and function... unfocused bag is in their "video SLR" bags with side access pouches, am I correct?  That pack, I would assume would be much easier to notice however with the R series and bug and bumblebee... There is a rear zippered access that allows access JUST to the camera area.  Those backpacks, in a busy situation, maybe even in a stadium, or amusement park, or anywhere where there are lots of people and people running or bumping other people may not be uncommon, and with access directly behind you, unless you got eyes in the back of your head, it may be easy to ignore vibrations or whatever of someone opening your pack and yanking your bag open and running.  Then you get the split second thought of running after them with a half open backpack in which other lenses and accessories can fall out and or break, or zip up your bag quickly and lose a second or two on the runner.  I personally dont know and haven't tested this theory because I didn't buy this bag.  It could be easier to notice than that, however I really dont know first hand. 

My lowepro bag fits more gear than my pelican hardcover 1610 case, however, is it perfect, no.  The tripod/monopod holder is in the rear, and the thing sticks out over the back, especially with a full size tripod.  All you need is to attach some pots to it and you have completed the homeless transient look.  It doesn't look like a photo backpack, it looks like a regular backpack so you may get more attention of security where backpacks may generally be frowned upon, such as stores/shopping centers, concert venues, etc...  All the foaming adds more insulation making it a very sweaty bag on hot humid summer days...

Go to the store, try some out, and find one that suit your needs.  =)

[unfocused]

with access directly behind you, unless you got eyes in the back of your head, it may be easy to ignore vibrations or whatever of someone opening your pack and yanking your bag open and running.

That's really not an issue with this bag. The rear access has two zippers and two buckles on the back. To get access through the rear of the pack you pretty much have to unzip the zippers AND unbuckle the buckles. Could it happen? I suppose anything is possible, but it would take a real pro to do that without someone noticing. I'm guessing you're much more likely to be a victim of a shove, grab and run, which can happen with any bag.

I'm not a bag partisan. I currently own four bags right now and have had several more over the years (including an original Domke bag I bought new in the 70s). The bag thing is sort of like Nikon vs. Canon. Everyone has their own opinion and when it comes right down to it, the differences between the major bag manufacturers are not all that significant.

I was just listing the pros and cons of one bag. I've pretty much resigned myself to a never-ending search for the perfect bag.

[awinphoto]

That's fine... i'm not really gung-ho on my bag... it's a tool as far as I care... I was just pointing what thought process I had to consider when I made my choice... If a big fathers-day sale didn't take place at the time of purchase which made the lowepro bag drop to under $150 below the kata bags... I probably would have that (with my wife's blessing hopefully) 

[Thales]

I suppose it all really depends on what you plan to do with your bag.  I do a lot of hiking and need something that is relatively light, versatile, ergonomic for long days of hiking, can carry a hydration bladder.  I have tried a few bags and ultimately found the Clik Elite bags which I now have two of.  Their packs in my eperience are good quality. 

As I say I do a good bit of back country hiking and the thing that was really a pain with other bags was the lack of a hydration bladder space designed into the bag.  I suspect a fair number of people will read this and think I am crazy but those of you who may pack your gear out 8 miles on a trail through Yellowstone (or anywhere really) I suspect will agree this is a important factor.

The Probody sport and Pro Express are good bags.  Most of the time, if I am not birding I carry the Probody sport with a T2i, 70-300L, 24-105 in the bag plus accessories. 

[zerotiu]

ah, we are on the same boat.. you can consider
1. KATA-KT-D-3N1-33-SLING-BACKPACK
2. ThinkThank Urban disguise 50

both of them have a laptop slot just in case..