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My new bag for when I don't want to carry a camera bag is this:
I've thinned the I Saw The TV Glow buttons (pink on black) to just the ghost ones for now, but this is the bag. When I went to Seattle it was my one bag. In that ferris wheel picture it's holding my clothes - including a change of clothes for the event and PJs, my camera with it's biggest lens, my full skincare and make up routine - which is big because some of it has to be in it's original containers to stay good, lunch, dinner, travel utensils, chargers, etc.
Even though I love the look of a black bag with just a touch of iridescent rainbow flair, I felt the buckle was a bit silly at first. Then in Seattle when I was shopping and trying to figure out what to do with my stuff I went, oh, and unbuckled the strap and put the bag on the strap so it was both secure and out of the way. I really put that bag through it's paces in Seattle and I am impressed.
I love my camera bags but they are very structured and are awkward to carry at art pop ups or night markets or the like. So, this is my combo laptop bag / I don't want to carry a camera bag bag. It's just a lot more chill to carry this, whether it's got a camera in it or not.
It came with the matte black buckle next to it, but I upgraded to the rainbow.
* I finally did what I should have done years ago and bought a matador dry-through soap bag. I use soap and/or solid shampoo a lot when traveling and this lets me pack it wet and the bar is fine and dry when I arrive. It wicks out the moisture. I don't need to wait for my stuff to dry. Even if your soap is very soft, the amount of actual water is tiny. So, in most climates the tiny amount of moisture the bag introduces into your toiletry kit is not even noticeable. If you are in a seriously humid region, it clips outside your bag.
I thought the product was silly at first, but honestly for how I travel this is awesome, especially when I am staying multiple places on the same trip as I often do. I can just shower, pack and go. I've also ditched my slice of soap or solid shampoo at the end of the trip because it's wet and hard to pack, so this should pay for itself.
* Also, I finally bought a compression packing cube. A zipper one, not a vacuum one. Vacuum ones are mostly scams. For New Orleans I am going to need at least 8 tops and since I am paying to even have a carry on, fucking paying for a checked bag. Also, I am as usual staying in more than one place so I'll have a day or two with my stuff on me. I bought a Peak Design one because I love that brand and theirs are often considered the gold standard for packing cubes. Even people who think their bags are silly use the cubes.
My travel pack and camera bags are mostly Peak Design. I might do a post of all my bags at a point. PD, at least as of now, has not taken VC money. They finance new products via presales, so monetizing customer trust is how they operate. Also, they just launched a hiking pack I need to consider, especially since I've been using a PD travel pack as a hiking pack since the foam gave out on my ancient full pack.
At this point I've walked with my PD camera backpack for an average of nine hours a week for the past 8 years. Safe to say it was a good investment. I wouldn't have been able to get back into photowalking and use it as injury recovery without how that bag is designed.
I've thinned the I Saw The TV Glow buttons (pink on black) to just the ghost ones for now, but this is the bag. When I went to Seattle it was my one bag. In that ferris wheel picture it's holding my clothes - including a change of clothes for the event and PJs, my camera with it's biggest lens, my full skincare and make up routine - which is big because some of it has to be in it's original containers to stay good, lunch, dinner, travel utensils, chargers, etc.
Even though I love the look of a black bag with just a touch of iridescent rainbow flair, I felt the buckle was a bit silly at first. Then in Seattle when I was shopping and trying to figure out what to do with my stuff I went, oh, and unbuckled the strap and put the bag on the strap so it was both secure and out of the way. I really put that bag through it's paces in Seattle and I am impressed.
I love my camera bags but they are very structured and are awkward to carry at art pop ups or night markets or the like. So, this is my combo laptop bag / I don't want to carry a camera bag bag. It's just a lot more chill to carry this, whether it's got a camera in it or not.
It came with the matte black buckle next to it, but I upgraded to the rainbow.
* I finally did what I should have done years ago and bought a matador dry-through soap bag. I use soap and/or solid shampoo a lot when traveling and this lets me pack it wet and the bar is fine and dry when I arrive. It wicks out the moisture. I don't need to wait for my stuff to dry. Even if your soap is very soft, the amount of actual water is tiny. So, in most climates the tiny amount of moisture the bag introduces into your toiletry kit is not even noticeable. If you are in a seriously humid region, it clips outside your bag.
I thought the product was silly at first, but honestly for how I travel this is awesome, especially when I am staying multiple places on the same trip as I often do. I can just shower, pack and go. I've also ditched my slice of soap or solid shampoo at the end of the trip because it's wet and hard to pack, so this should pay for itself.
* Also, I finally bought a compression packing cube. A zipper one, not a vacuum one. Vacuum ones are mostly scams. For New Orleans I am going to need at least 8 tops and since I am paying to even have a carry on, fucking paying for a checked bag. Also, I am as usual staying in more than one place so I'll have a day or two with my stuff on me. I bought a Peak Design one because I love that brand and theirs are often considered the gold standard for packing cubes. Even people who think their bags are silly use the cubes.
My travel pack and camera bags are mostly Peak Design. I might do a post of all my bags at a point. PD, at least as of now, has not taken VC money. They finance new products via presales, so monetizing customer trust is how they operate. Also, they just launched a hiking pack I need to consider, especially since I've been using a PD travel pack as a hiking pack since the foam gave out on my ancient full pack.
At this point I've walked with my PD camera backpack for an average of nine hours a week for the past 8 years. Safe to say it was a good investment. I wouldn't have been able to get back into photowalking and use it as injury recovery without how that bag is designed.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-06 05:32 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-09-06 05:43 pm (UTC)From:I think it's the Kadet Max sling. I picked it up at their flagship store on Glisan and they did the buckle swap for me. I went in with my laptop to test the sizing/carry.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-06 06:26 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-09-07 09:21 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-09-06 08:27 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-09-07 09:22 pm (UTC)From:I wasn't sure about the buckle at first, but now I think it's amazing.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-07 06:14 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-09-07 09:22 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-09-11 01:45 am (UTC)From:I'd never heard of the dry bag for soap. I can see how that would be helpful, but had no idea such a thing existed!
Nice that there's a company that seems to have good products that are just... good! I'm not familiar with Peak Design as a company, but it's nice to know of companies that don't put out the cheapest thing possible. It sucks to buy a thing and have it dissolve on you a few months later. Or have a major failure on the first outing.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-11 05:04 pm (UTC)From:Matador soap bags are somewhat new and very popular in some circles. But, even knowing they exist probably means you are pretty into ultra-light packing, tech nomad stuff, etc. I am so resistant to buying cool packing tools, but this would have already paid for itself if I'd bought it when it came out.
While things could always change tomorrow, so far Peak Design is amazing. Their business model relies on existing customers giving them money before products even go into production.