Laptop/dSLR Backpack Recommendations

[icephoto]

Thank you all for your inputs. I appreciate your experiences and will take some of your suggestions and research a bit further.

Warm regards -j

[chrisjackson]

Crumpler and Lowepro have both worked out great for me.

I've had the Lowepro Orion Trekker II - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...II_Camera.html - for over two years and I just got the Crumpler Karachi Outpost - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ack_Grey_.html - a couple of months ago.

[CaptainTom]

I have been watching this thread and since my recent car repair was tolerable, I went to Fort Worth Camera and looked at the Tamrac series 8.
It is huge, and can hold everything I currently have, plus the laptop. It has straps for things I don't understand, but something to do with accessories.
Ft. Worth Camera has a sale on this weekend for 20% off and it cost me $145 out the door. It is model 5280 or something ( it was referenced earlier in this thread.

[Pascal]

I travel frequently and you can carry one backpack and a laptop bag. I carry a Thinktank Antidote and a standard laptop bag.

The Kata bags are nice, but not the most practical in the world. They sure look pretty with the funky yellow foam inserts. But that's where it stops (that and the high price of course).

I used to carry LowePro for 8 years (heavy travel as I was a field service guy at the time) on flights and when it came time to get another one, I hesitated as the quality of the new Lowepro's is pitiful. The older bags were "Made in USA" and the quality was there. But most (if not all) of the lowepro's today are made in china (I have nothing against anything made in china or the country itself) - I just don't prefer the quality of today's lowe pro bags - that's all.

Tamrac products are still good. I have the Tamrac 759 which fits a laptop in the back. It has a lot of room and it is sturdy. However, it is a bit wide - due to the laptop sleeve in the back and the bag can feel heavy after a while. They made a similar version - slightly bigger with wheels - which I use when I travel international. But it too can get big and heavy and in a couple of cases, did not fit on a small airplane.

I looked around for almost 8 months before I finally picked "the replacement". Once I choose a bag that I like - it usually sticks around for a few years. So I had to be picky. The best one I could find that was compact and could still fit all my gear was the Thinktank. It is an excellent bag and you can feel it's quality once you start using it - let alone when you inspect it at the store. Barring a couple of things I would have liked added on, this bag did the trick for me. The inside and outside is well thought out and regardless of where they made it, they did make sure they give the consumer a high quality product. (And no - I don't work for them or sell their bags :)).

Here's what my bag setup looks like - for my next trip. I will not be taking the 1Ds body or the 70-200mm f2.8 L IS with me. In it's place will be a 4/3rd camera and 2 Olympus/Leica lenses.

[venchka]

Captain Tom, what are those white tubes in the middle of the front cover? Grinning.

[CaptainTom]

Those are great !
If you put some pennies in them, your cats and puppies will play with them for at least a minute ore so.
I don't remember how you get them, but something makes me think they are not cheap....