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I love how this bag slides around the torso to allow quick access into the top of the unit. Holds my 72" tripod with ease. This bag met all my requirements. I went with this bag for the price point, meeting all my expectations and blew away the other sub $60 bags out there. I can't wait to hit the trails with this bad-boy. I needed something a bit bigger than the bag I was currently using, which was a standard shoulder camera bag. I also wanted something in a backpack-style so I could have hands free to take shots.
It also weight a ton with limited carrying space. You can remove the liner and use it as a regular bag, but what's the point. 95% of photographers wouldn't need this bag. The strap is also strange and it is hard to wear it on your shoulder. There are other better bag out there for everyday's use.So, this is really for special applications. Unless you plan to carry your gear under Niagara falls or deep inside the Amazon rain forest, this bag is useless to you.I have never seen camera bag built this tough. No chance for any water to get in, or out for that matter thanks to a thick red plastic liner.
The chest straps will hold the bag securely to your person, but the way the straps are arranged may make women uncomfortable or self-concious: one strap goes between the breasts, which has the effect of mimicing the old Jane Russel brassiere commercials about "lift and separate." The internal compartments aren't huge, but sufficient to hold some extra lenses and other accessories. If you do a lot of photography in marine environments, this is an excellent bag for protecting your gear. The internal bag offers some pretty good wetness protection by itself, and the surrounding box offers a strong cushion against shock and vibration.
I would recommend for serious travel. This bag is for the serious photographer who carries a lot of equipment. Not much to add to the other reviews that have been posted. It protects the camera and other equipment and is comfortable to carry. It is big and bulky. But it is a great waterproof design and will hold a tripod.
Inside that is an orange dry bag. But if you're looking for a general-purpose camera bag I think you'd best look elsewhere. This bag is built like a tank. then this bag might be a good choice. In that configuration the bag is a bit more practical for running around (obviously without the waterproofing), but still not terribly convenient.So, if you happen to fit the use-case for the bag go for it, there's nothing like it that I've seen and you'll be absolutely confident that your gear is safe. In fact that's really the only use-case: hiking specifically to take pictures in wet/muddy conditions. No way that's coming open accidentally, but on the flip side it is a heck of a tug and a lot of noise to open.
Inside the dry bag is a padded series of compartments.Although I sometimes venture into wet conditions, I didn't have any immediate plans to do so, so I pulled the compartment padding out of the dry bag and set the dry bag aside. Both would be considered negatives in a river dry bag (the folded corners tend to wear out and leak faster than a circular bottom), but since the dry bag is always protected by the outer padded bag I suspect neither will be much of an issue in this case.
But it does carry easier than a Pelican case, so if you have a long walk between picture-taking stops this might be a good choice. The material is a bit lighter than my river dry bags, and is constructed in the "grocery bag" fashion with folded corners at the bottom.
If you're going to subject yourself, camera gear in tow, to a lot of water, mud, rocks, etc. The design is very similar to dry bags used by boaters.
And if you're looking for a waterproof way to transport your camera gear that doesn't involve hiking, I'd get a Pelican case. The traditional choice for those conditions would be a Pelican case, and I generally would still choose a Pelican case as getting into and out of this bag in fully sealed mode is a time-consuming chore.
The bag isn't really big enough to hold your lunch along with your camera gear, and you can't carry the bag and a knapsack, so you'd have to be on a photo-only hike.The basic design is a padded outer bag accessed via a big flap with a huge patch of velcro.
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