If you’re carrying around a grand or more in camera equipment, you probably want to keep it protected, right?

Today we have a guest review from Pam Mandel, best known as the woman behind Nerd’s Eye View. See her bio at the end for more and…take it away Pam!

Laptop, DSLR, cables, water bottle, snacks, keys, wallet, maybe a sweatshirt… it’s hard to find a bag that transports a full kit from A to B and back again. I want a bag that’s versatile enough to use as a day pack when it’s not lugging camera gear. And for general security and peace of mind, I want a bag that doesn’t scream “There’s an expensive camera in here!”

There are great laptop bags, great day-packs, great camera bags, but this is my favorite combination of all three. The Kata DR-467 holds my complete collection of travel gadgets and a lot of other odds and ends, and it’s no larger or showier than the average day-pack.

The lower compartment of the bag is a padded camera bucket with dividers. It easily accommodates my DSLR with the mounted telephoto lens, my secondary flash, my video camera, an additional lens, and a handful of cables, chargers, batteries, and flash cards. The dividers are removable, so if I don’t want to carry all my gear once I’m at my destination, I can take out the protective dividers and use the lower bucket for other items.

The laptop sleeve easily accommodates a 15″ laptop — Kata makes larger bags for other sizes, too. The sleeve is on the outside of the pack so I don’t have to open the bag and root around to pull the laptop out — it’s always easily accessible. If you carry a netbook, like I do, there’s plenty of room in that same pocket for your laptop cables and a folder with your travel documents, maybe even your e-Reader. The back of the laptop pocket is the flat, reinforced support for the pack, so not only does your laptop stay put, the pack holds its shape.

The upper compartment has pockets and dividers that will help you keep your cell phone, pens, and other odds and ends organized, plus it’s big enough to hold your sweatshirt or lunch. There are lots of zippered pockets on the outside to hold small items — lip balm, sunglasses, that sort of thing. The zips are sturdy and secure; there’s no danger your items will fall out. The zipper pulls all hide neatly under hoods when they’re closed so they don’t catch on things.

The bag has some other nice details too — a stretchy but secure band across the back allows you to slide it over the handle of your roller bag. There’s a rain cover that folds into its own pouch when it’s stowed — the pack is water resistant, but the extra protection is reassuring if you’re hauling your gear in heavy rain or other inclement weather. There’s a mesh water bottle pocket that can be zipped out of the way when it’s not in use and there are D rings and ties on the outside of the bag if you want to carry a tripod or your sandals or a bike helmet, for example. The bag has both waist and chest straps to provide extra support if the bag is fully loaded or you’re doing some scrambling.

There are two minor issues with the DR-467. First, the bottom compartment, when fully loaded, had a tendency to want to spill open when it’s unzipped. The last thing you want is to pour your expensive camera gear out unexpectedly. Open it towards you, you won’t have a problem. The other issue is with the rain cover — it doesn’t stay put as well as it should. A drawstring to tighten it or some other system to hold the cover in place would be an improvement.

I’ve tried a series of other backpacks in search of the perfect solution to hauling my gear. The other options I tried didn’t protect my camera equipment, were too bulky, or didn’t address my need to carry both a laptop and a DSLR. The Kata DR-467 is the one bag I’ve found that holds everything, neatly and securely, and still keeps a low profile. It’s a tough bag, versatile and easy to carry, and it does exactly what I need my travel backpack to do. It sells for about $80 online. Check prices online for Kata Digital Rucksacks or go straight to the product page at Amazon.

Pam Mandel is a freelance writer, photographer and lifetime traveler. She likes long road trips with her Austrian husband and has an uncanny (and unhealthy) ability to find the best bakery in town, where ever that town may be. She plays the ukulele with more enthusiasm than skill and chronicles her obsession with things Hawaiian on Holoholo Wale. She’s been blogging for more than a decade at Nerd’s Eye View. Follow her on Twitter: @nerdseyeview.