Is there a correct choice for a backpack on a RTW trip?

[GoodVendettaPhotography]

First off, let me say, I wasn't sure which category to place this question under, but do you all have any suggestions on a pack that can carry my 24" rhino slider, dslr, two speedlights, 4 L lenses, a 13" laptop, my mavic drone, and still have room for a little bit of clothing? I know this is a lot. I was thinking of getting a 40L osprey bag, but they're not geared toward Photography. I will be in Iceland for two weeks, Europe for three months, and hopefully Asia for 3 months as well. Maybe I should buy a big osprey bag and stuff my exsisting bag into that one? I'm kinda at a loss so any advice we be appreciated. Thanks

Ps: I don't want a rolling pack. I need something to carry on my back!

 

[Mikehit]

Maybe I should buy a big osprey bag and stuff my exsisting bag into that one?

So what exactly is it you are aiming to do - have one bag for your clothes plus one bag for gear plus a small number of clothes so you can wander off for a couple of days?

I know this is a lot. I was thinking of getting a 40L osprey bag, but they're not geared toward Photography.

You will be limited more by the length of the slider than the overall volume/bulk and if it is long enough to fit a 24"slider my guess is that everything on your list will lie relatively flat and there will be plenty of room for clothes. There are an increasing number of ruksacks that that open like a suitcase rather than top-loading like the traditional sacks. You have very specific requirements so all you can do is really browse the catalogues and go to shop where you can see if all your gear fits.

 

[Aussie shooter]

There is no way you will be able to get that much gear in under te weight for carry on. Do you really want to check a soft bag in with that value of gear in it?

 

[jd7]

My suggestion is get a good quality backpack which is big enough to hold everything, plus some camera inserts (like F-Stop ICUs, Mountain Smith Kit Cube, etc), plus a good day pack. Might be handy if the day pack was a camera pack which allowed quick access to a camera compartment - maybe something like a Lowepro Photo Sport bag, but that might not be large enough for you.

Anyway, when you're on foot, everything goes in the packs and your hands are free. Ideally there would be a way to securely attach the day pack to the large backpack so you can make use of the room in both packs when carrying everything, but otherwise you'd just have to fold up the day pack and put it in the large pack. And obviously when you've got a base to leave things and you're doing short trips, just take what you need in the day pack.

On flights, camera gear goes in the day pack and that's your carry on baggage. If it won't fit, you might get away with carrying one of the camera inserts as separate item, along with the pack(?).

My belief is there are very few camera packs which are even close to good enough as backpacks to be comfortable carrying a fairly heavy load for very long. For camera backpacks, I have a Lowepro Fastpack 350 which is not good for carrying a heavy load for very long, and a Lowepro Rover Pro 45L which is reasonable. Some of the newer Lowepro bags may be OK (not sure), and I've heard good things about the F-Stop bags. But if I was going on the sort of trip you're talking about, I'd definitely go for a good quality hiking or travel pack and add camera inserts.

 

[John]

you might check out the tamrac backpacks. i have a large one and can do what u describe.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Backpacks/ci/4303/N/4232860988

check the dimensions allowed for carry on luggage. some of the tamracs are probably too big for carry on, thus you would have to check them in as baggage.

 

[Don Haines]

If you are carrying any kind of weight, or for a long time, nothing beats a real backpack. Photography backpacks do not have a decent waist belt, and that is where most of the weight is carried. They also have terrible shoulder straps. Look for a camera insert to carry your lenses and something like one of those toploader bags to carry the camera where it is accessible. And don't forget about a rain cover for the pack!