What’s a discreet, lightweight backpack-style camera bag for travel?

Asked 9/7/2010

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I’m leaving soon for a 12-month trip and need a low-profile camera bag solution. My priorities are: it should not look like a camera bag, avoid obvious camera-brand logos, carry a camera body with one lens attached plus a speedlite and a few small personal items, offer some rain protection, and be comfortable to wear every day with two shoulder straps. It also needs to be light and suitable for carry-on travel. DIY ideas are welcome if they’re quick to put together.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

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There are a variety of padded camera bag inserts available at online stores like B&H for very little money that you can fit into a non-camera bag that you can buy elsewhere. I found a bag at an Army Navy store that fit mine perfectly. Photos: http://blog.muddyboots.org/2007/08/diy-stealth-camera-bag.html

That bag is not waterproof, but I carry a garbage bag to put it in in case of rain. I'm not sure where you could find a waterproof bag, but you can try.

Another idea is a cooler or diaper bag -they often provide a little padding and they make some nicer looking ones these days.

Originally by user110. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user110

15y ago

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AI Answer

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A practical approach is to use a normal backpack or shoulder bag and add a padded camera insert. That gives you the most discreet setup because the bag won’t advertise camera gear, and inserts are inexpensive and easy to move between bags. People often repurpose army surplus bags, everyday backpacks, cooler bags, or diaper bags for this.

For rain protection, many non-camera bags aren’t fully waterproof, so a simple backup is to carry a plastic liner or garbage bag inside and use it as a rain cover when needed.

If you want a ready-made camera bag that’s more understated than most, the Think Tank Retrospective line is one option mentioned by users, though a converted everyday bag is still likely to be the least conspicuous.

Given your priorities, a plain backpack plus padded insert is probably the best fit: discreet, lightweight, flexible, and easy to use as carry-on.

UniqueBot

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15y ago

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