Looking for a Belt Pack

[jfindley]

I'm sure I'm in the same boat as most budding photographers. I'm always looking for a new pack that's more efficient and comfortable for carrying my gear. I'm going on a two week honeymoon in Croatia this year. My new wife and I will be flying into southern Croatia and driving, busing, train riding our way up the coast. We are both taking backpacking packs just cause they are easier to carry in airports and around when we don't have a place to leave our luggage. Since we'll checking our bags I would like an option to carry my camera gear and iPad onto the airplane with me. I also want a small pack that I can carry around town when we do have a small base camp for the locations we are in. I'm planning on carrying my Canon 6D, 24-105, spare batteries, and maybe a prime (would be a 50 or 40mm). I might also carry my Gorilla Pod. I don't know that I want to take a full tripod. Although I've considered renting a small carbon travel tripod. I've toyed with the idea of getting a small backpack that I can compress into a ball or something when on the ground, but for the airplane that I could put my iPad and some other random stuff in. Under that I was thinking a good camera belt pack. It would be useful in town, and I could spin it to the front if I was carrying my luggage backpack. I've looked at a few belt packs and have it narrowed to two brands....LowePro and Clik Elite. I've been looing at the Clik Elite Report, Clik Elite Trekker, and the LowePro's Inverse 100 and 200.

Does anyone have any experience with these three packs? I'm also open to suggestions for more efficient carrying along with comfort and security.

[neuroanatomist]

I had an Inverse 200 AW for a while, it was a nice pack for a relatively small amount of gear - the 6D, 24-105, small prime and gorillapod would fit (and a small flash, if desired).

Another option would be something like a Lowepro Photo Hatchback 22L AW to hold everything.

[Black_Dog]

Four or five years ago I purchased a Lowepro Off Trail II, which has since been replaced by the Lowepro Outback 200. The main compartment of the Outback 200 is more rectangular and slightly larger than the Off Trail II, which was form fitted to a camera body plus lens. I loved it, but the lens pockets are too small for the lenses I now use. However, it would comfortably fit your 6D and 24-105. The side pockets are perfect for extra lenses, mini tripods, snacks, sunglasses and Speedlite, all of which I have toted about with my bag.

The bag is well made and really doesn't show any wear despite me putting it through the war (figuratively speaking). All of the zippers, dividers, padding, belts, etc. are all as good as new. I would presume that the Outback and Inverse models are as well made.

These bags come with optional shoulder straps that as an avid hiker I though I would never use. I was wrong. In fact, I almost never fasten the bag around my waist and have used it nearly exclusively as a shoulder bag. The difference is that with the should strap, you can swing the bag in front of you where you can get at your gear. As a belt pack (fanny pack, really), all of your stuff is behind you. That's great for long walks but not convenient for quickly getting to your camera.

I think any of these bags would be perfect for travel photography. I would go larger even if you don't currently have the camera equipment to fill the bag because you can use the extra space for food, a jacket, sunglasses, etc. You will never wish you had less space.

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your trip.

[jfindley]

Thanks for the feedback.
Neuroanatomist, I did consider the Hatchback as a gear pack. I really like that bag. It actually might be my second purchase to whatever I get to travel with. I do fly in the US frequently with my camera, laptop, and a few other things. I've been carrying the LowePro Photo Sport 200 nearly everywhere I go. It's a decent hiking bag that works for flying too. It's not the most comfortable of straps though. I've even sent feedback into LowePro hoping to see something with a little better system similar to an osprey pack coming out soon.

Black_Dog, I looked at the Outback 200. It looks like a good pack, but looks to be very dedicated in it's layout. It also screams a little louder "I'm carrying a high end DSLR with some lens....rob me". If I wasn't going to an unfamiliar territory I'd consider it, but I need something that's a little more inconspicous.