Proper Travel Backpack/Bag

[kriskirk]

planning on going on an international trip and I am looking for a backpack that has maybe a compartment for camera gear and maybe a compartment or room for some clothes for the trip.

Does anyone have any good bag/backpack suggestions. I tend on traveling light but would like something I can take on plane overhead and not check it.

thanks

 

[kxl]

What kind of gear?

How much clothes?

How long is the trip?

Will you be flying large commercial flights only or will the trip include flights in small prop planes?

Would your backpack be your only bag for the entire trip or will you have checked luggage in addition to the backpack?

 

[kriskirk]

What kind of gear?

How much clothes?

How long is the trip?

Will you be flying large commercial flights only or will the trip include flights in small prop planes?

Would your backpack be your only bag for the entire trip or will you have checked luggage in addition to the backpack?

thanks for the reply!

im only bringing a leica M6 with one lens, a TLR and two flashses. the trip is only a week so only bringing a weeks worth of clean clothes in the bag.

just one commercial flight.

im trying to make it my only bag and trying not to check my luggage. might check a luggage bag on the way back if I buy some gear or clothing on the trip but that's about it.

 

[shimokita]

What ever you pack it will be too much. For a one week trip I plan on one laundry so 1/2 the socks etc... one scoop of deturgent. It's summer so one extra shirt & shorts in the bag, hand carry a wind breaker, wear a hat. One carry on bag with a small day-pack inside. Small shoulder bag for documents, sun glasses, and e-book.

 

[Godfrey]

For me these days, that's a lot of gear. My last trip to Ireland and the Isle of Man was made with just a Leica M-D and two lenses, and I barely used the second lens.

Anyway, I have one of the Invisible Backpack Two for a light trip. It's got a lot of nice features and is easy to carry a healthy amount of stuff in, fits in the overhead, etc.

But ... I haven't really used it for this purpose yet, because these days it's far better for me to pack a small rollaway for clothes and such, check that, and carry a small shoulder bag or sling bag for my camera and travel incidentals. it just works better not to have to schlep the backpack around and to have a more useful sized bag for daily running around this way.

G

 

[kxl]

If we set aside the TLR and 2 flashes for now, and assuming you only bring about a dozen rolls of film (or purchase film on the road), then I would recommend the most current version of the Tortuga Travel backpack. Just roll up the M6 and lens in clothing. Another option is the Kinesis backpack, which takes internal/external attachments.

I've used both bags in one-week one-bag trips with a Zeiss ZI and 50mm Planar and about 10 rolls of film. I prefer the Tortuga for city travel and the Kinesis for backcountry.

The TLR, 120 film and flashes will probably require a second (smaller) bag.

 

[kriskirk]

thank you for all these suggestions! I will take a look into all of these and find one that best suites my needs. I really appreciate the feedback!

 

[ktmrider]

Osprey (available at REI) makes a great line of packs for carry on travel. The max size for carry on is 36 liters and I have traveled for a couple months using just it and a small shoulder bag for a Leica and a couple lenses.

I am sure they have a web site with lots of photos of all their different bags.

 

[Dogman]

Haven't flown in about 3 years so I don't know the regs right now. At the time, I used a TravelPro rolling tote--very small but functional. It was small enough to carry on large commercial jets and smaller commuter jets. It held a change of underwear/socks for me and my wife, a couple of small Olympus DSLR bodies, three lenses and a folded (wadded) up Domke F6 with the insert flattened out. We could also carry a few toiletries, medications, a couple of Kindles, spare batteries for the cameras and chargers for everything. Of course, we had a checked bag with more clothes and shoes for the trip.

For your circumstances, it might be pushing it to include enough clothes for a week. You might consider a standard size carry on bag with a soft camera bag folded inside. Or, if regulations permit, you may be able to carry the cameras in a small soft shoulder bag with a separate carry on bag--this was permitted at the time of my last trip but rules change often.

 

[brennanphotoguy]

Ditch the flashes. Wrap the cameras in clothes. Get a nice backpack. Roll up a small shoulder bag in the backpack to carry your cameras when you plan on shooting.

 

[taemo]

I went to Europe last year for 2 weeks and had my 45L backpack where I was able to put in my clothes, camera gears and a tripod (I dont use flash)

Used one of this to safely store most of my camera gears (film, filters, TLR, ballhead) inside the backpack.

Other than that, the Domke F2 was my everyday bag to carry a camera, water and other accessories.

 

[kriskirk]

All the suggestions of rolling up a camera bag inside a backpack us a great idea. I dont know why I didnt think of that! That seems like he most practical idea instead of carrying a backpack around on my stay. As for the clothes, packing light and doing a laundry load is a great idea too. Thanks alot for all the suggestions !!

 

[FrozenInTime]

Unless it’s a very small feeder aircraft, you can normally get away with a small laptop bag and an overhead bin carry on.
Tops Designs Commuter briefcase for cameras/computer and a pelican air 1535 ( designed as max carry on size ) for everything else. That works for me for a couple of days into weeks.

 

[agoglanian]

I am a serial over-packer.

My goal with this year’s travel plans is to focus on bringing less and getting everything into one bag. Gear wise I bring an M (film or digital) with a 35. It’s just wrapped up inside of a domke neoprene wrap and inside the backpack. I have a small sling bag for daily carry stuff and my camera + batteries (or film) easily fits in side with room for the other daily travel essentials. It’s low profile and hugs to my body to make it easy to keep safe when moving through crowded areas. I also don’t want to be fumbling around through bags all the time either 😉. The particular sling I’m using is called the Chio from Alpha One Niner. It’s fairly inexpensive but very well made and also very packable (which was critical for me to find).

For my backpack I am a huge fan of Goruck bags. They’re expensive but they are super well made and can carry weight very well. I have two of them, one typically is for work but can easily do weekend trip duty and the other is for longer form travel. Both are still carryon compliant and very understated in their design. They air on the “tactical” side but I don’t personally mind that aesthetic. I use the GR1 in 26L capacity for daily use (it’s a bit more space than I need for work but it fits my body better) and I use the GR2 in 40L for travel.

Ultimately the goal is to pack less and stay light. Especially with gear. Unless you’re on a photography-focused excursion I would keep your gear as minimal as possible so you focus more on what’s in front of you rather than what’s in your camera bag.

 

[kshapero]

I travel a lot. last trip overseas for 2 weeks. Brought 5 days of clothes (washed 2 times), Low cut hiking shoes, a pair of Birkenstoks sandels, rain cover and a very pack-able vest. And never forget a hat. I get most of my travel clothes from Outdoor Research or Travelsmith. Bring a small plastic bottle of Dr Bronner's liquid soap (use it for everything, clothes, bathing, brushing teeth, shampoo, but remember to keep it in a sturdy plastic bag). Have an 8" x 8" camera cloth that a wrap my camera and one lens, then throw it in the pack. Ready to go.