Posts Tagged camera bag
Mountainsmith Zoom Camera Case
When your camera is an in-between size, you need to hunt a little harder for the right camera case. For super-zoom cameras, like the Nikon Coolpix L120 I reviewed a few weeks ago, a case for a regular point-and-shoot is too small, while one for a DSLR is overkill.
It’s been a while since we reviewed something from Mountainsmith, but they’re a great brand when it comes to hauling things around or keeping gear organized. Our Mountainsmith Borealis camera backpack giveaway was a big hit and Kara loved the company’s modular hauler for road trips.
They make a whole array of camera cases in various sizes, all of them rugged and well-suited for travel. Tiny cases for tiny cameras, up to whole camera backpacks with compartments for zoom lenses.
I’m finding this Zoom Small camera case to be more reliable than the camera I’m putting inside it. I can say for sure I’ll never use the strap that enables you to secure it to your waist, fanny-pack style, but otherwise all the features are useful and appreciated. There’s a shoulder strap to enable you to carry it like a normal case. There’s a flap on the back for attaching it to a belt or backpack strap, and a handle on the top for picking it up or carrying it with your hand. An adjustable bungee cord on the front works for securing other items to the case. “Elastic rigging” on the bottom is hidden away behind a Velcro strap.
Inside the seam-sealed top zipper is a cushioned case with yellow lining on the inside—making it easier to see what’s in there than the usual black. A removable compartment with Velcro enables custom sizing, though for my Nikon it was fine without it. A top compartment can hold memory cards, lens cleaning cloth, or whatever else small you want to take along. Don’t worry, there’s another zippered pocket on the front for spare batteries and two mesh pockets on the sides.
Here’s the cool cherry on top: the bag materials are made from ReDura recycled PET, as in 100% recycled materials. The equivalent of three 16-ounce plastic bottles saved from a landfill with each bag.
Besides that, all the materials on this quality case are above and beyond what you’ll get in a cheapie one, from the pulls on the zippers to the good metal buckles and swivels on the strap.
The Mountainsmith Zoom small case lists for $35. Look around online and you can usually find it for a bit less. Follow these direct product links for eBags, Altrec, and REI.
See more photography gear reviews on Practical Travel Gear.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear on July 28th, 2011
Ultra Sil Pack Cover from Sea to Summit
I was pretty disappointed to find out that the pack cover that came with my Kata Digital Rucksack (reviewed here) didn’t stay put when I any kind of active with the pack on. While the pack keeps my gear safe and is made of sturdy enough material to keep my electronics dry in most conditions, there are times when it’s just pouring rain or there’s crazy over-spray from the water. The pack cover is supposed to add extra protection, right? But it’s got to fit right do so.
Sea to Summit makes pack covers that fit but good, stay in place, and act like a rain jacket for your pack when the weather is just too wet to rely on the pack material alone. The covers are made from waterproof ripstop material that’s lightweight and tough. It’s got a stretchy cord that pulls tight for the best fit. The little stuff sack is sewn to the cover so you can’t lose it (a nice touch). The larger sizes have an additional strap that keeps the sides in place — mine is an XS so I can’t say how well that works or how much of a hassle it is to deal with. There’s a little hook on the end of the cinch strap — I used that to attach it to a loop on my pack just in case it did come loose, but it stayed in place during all kinds of outdoor foul weather activity.
You do have to pull the cover away to get in and out of your pack, but because there’s plenty of stretch, it was easy enough to manage, and I liked the extra protection for my electronics in those wet conditions. The pack covers come in four colors — gold, grey, green, blue and red — and four sizes. The XS fits your standard day pack and the measurements given on the Sea to Summit site are correct; I checked and measured to select the right size for my camera gear pack.
Sea to Summit makes lots of “keep your stuff dry” bags and pack covers and more. The pack covers start at about 35 dollars for the small. Replacing a water damaged camera costs a lot more. Keep your gear dry and get a pack cover at Backcountry.com.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear on April 22nd, 2011
You Well-traveled Practical Travel Gear Readers
We knew you all were a well-traveled bunch, but it really came out in our recent giveaway of a Mountainsmith Borealis AT camera backpack. I wish we could have given away 30 of them, but alas, Brian McVickers was the name that came out on top. Here’s what he’s going to be doing with his camera bag:
This would be perfect for my upcoming overland trip from Panama to Arizona in April! Bringing back our Land Curiser and documenting the entire trip with photo and video.
Wow, can I go too? Well on second thought, my family might not be too thrilled about staying home while I do that…
Here’s just a sampling of what some of our other readers are going to be up soon:
I am off to Thailand for 12 days at the end of March…
I will use the Borealis AT to hold my gear during an Operation Smile mission to China in October. It would work to hold my camera gear and medical gear needed in the OR during surgery.
I will use it to hold my husband’s camera gear on our trip around Europe.
I will utilize this during my next trip to Alaska for a wildlife conservation research project. There will be musk oxen and bald eagles to capture on film.
So I can continue to capture the adventures of hundreds of students as they find their passion for the outdoors and travel here at Costa Rica Outward Bound.
I will take this to Australia to take pictures and study the long billed black cockatoo which is an endangered species that will be a part of my thesis for school.
If I were to win this bag it would carry my lenses down to Medellin, Colombia this coming October. We’d travel down through Ecuador and eventually down to Iquitos, Peru. The bag will hang beside my hammock as we take the slow boat to Manaus.
I am going to Bali for the first time in a few months whether I can find a travel partner or not!
Wow, I’m impressed! Please continue to follow us by RSS, Facebook, or Twitter (click on the right icon top right of this page) and you’ll know what you can try to score the next time around.
Meanwhile, here’s a consolation prize. Please take our quickie 5-question survey and you can win a free copy of the books The World’s Cheapest Destinations or Make Your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune—so you can travel well for less. I’ll be giving away two copies of each to readers who live in the US, Canada, or the UK.
Still drooling over that Mountainsmith camera backpack? Get it at eBags
See info on Luxury Travel in Peru and Costa Rica
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear on March 17th, 2011
Win an Awesome Mountainsmith Borealis Camera Backpack
Are you a serious photographer, the kind that likes to carry around a real digital SLR with multiple lenses? Do you like to hit the open trails and get into the backcountry with your gear for those landscape and nature shots?
Well we’ve got just the bag for you: the Borealis AT Camera Backpack from Mountainsmith. We’re giving one away to one lucky Practical Travel Gear reader in the U.S. Yes, thanks to Mountainsmith, this could land on your front porch someday soon without you spending a cent.
Mountainsmith makes all kinds of rugged gear for the outdoors, like the Modular Hauler Kara reviewed before and found great for car camping and family road trips. They make tents, sleeping bags, lumbar packs, even packs to strap onto your dog.
One thing they’re especially known for is making great outdoor camera bags. This adventure pack has backcountry suspension details for true adventurers. It’s got a dedicated camera compartment on the bottom with adjustable compartments and more flexible storage space up top. There are compression straps in place on the outside for carrying your snowboard or skis up the mountain, plus a rapid-access tripod mount. There’s a padded, tuck-away waist belt to ease the load on your shoulders if it gets heavy.
It comes with a removable storm cover and it has good eco credentials too: the Borealis AT is made with 100% recycled PET ReDura. It has a capacity of 26 liters.
This Borealis camera backpack retails for $189, but for one lucky reader the price will be zip, nada, nothing.
Here’s how you win:
1) Sign up for our RSS stream, follow us on Twitter, or join Practical Travel Gear on Facebook. You’re on the honor system, but we’ve given you three choices, so don’t wimp out on doing this part!
2) Answer this question: Where will you take this pack and your camera if you win? Leave an answer in the comments below, leave a comment on the contest announcement wall post of our Facebook site, or follow us and send a tweet with both @practravelgear AND @MountainsmithCo in the message.
You must be a U.S. resident to win and you must enter prior to Saturday, March 12. The winner will be announced that weekend and notified by e-mail or the platform where you left your message. Good luck!
Follow Mountainsmith on Twitter or on Facebook. Check out their whole line of camera cases here.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear on February 28th, 2011
Vanguard UP-Rise 33 Bag Expands, Protects Gear
Finding a bag that will carry a laptop, digital SLR camera and other travel gear—and fit under an airline seat as a bonus—is no easy feat. So kudos to Vanguard for its latest series of travel cases, the UP-Rise.
I first saw this new series of cases, before the official release, at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. So I picked the UP-Rise 33 to see how it would handle the gear on my must-carry list.
The reason it’s called the UP-Rise is this messenger-style case can be expanded with one tug of a zipper, similar to larger expandable suitcases.
On most trips, I’m schlepping a 12″ laptop, my trusty DSLR with a flash and extra lens, and other assorted goodies like an MP3 player and earbuds, GPS, power adapters and cables in one bag. And that bag needs to fit under the seat on any plane that American Airlines flies, since I’m also toting a carry-on bag and checking two larger bags.
The UP-Rise 33 handles that job well, with a separate, padded section for the computer and other compartments that can be customized for just about any gear. Several pockets on the front of the bag can hold travel documents, memory cards, lens caps and other smaller items.
A top zipper allows easy access to a camera and the front of the bag also unfolds easily. And since the sun doesn’t always shine when you’re on the road, a rain cover is included.
The bag will easily slip over luggage trolleys if you’re also carrying a roller suitcase, or carry it with the top handle or shoulder strap that’s included. There are even protective tabs on the shoulder strap hooks to keep your gear from being scratched when putting it into the bag or retrieving it.
The UP-Rise 33 is very thoughtfully designed and looks sharp, with a bright orange interior to make it easier to find your gear.
And the price is reasonable for a bag this well-built—it retails for $159.99 and is currently available at Amazon for $129.95.
Vanguard also makes two other sizes in this series—the UP-Rise 28 is designed for netbooks, while the UP-Rise 38 will handle laptops with up to 15″ screens.
I really didn’t find anything not to like about Vanguard’s UP-Rise 33. It’s a well-made bag that should hold up for years and many miles on the road.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on July 13th, 2010
