Camera bag inserts

[ShutterbugGail]

Bdrey, one of our forum moderators, contributed an article about camera bag inserts. They are something to consider if you use a bag, such as a hiking backpack, rather than a traditional camera bag to carry your equipment and accessories:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/accessories/camera-bags/domke-dslr-camera-insert/

[dimitrz]

Thats a nice and very useful tip from bdery.

My 2 cents - use sometyhing like this inside your normal backpack/daypack and give those Trekking/daypack camera bag combinations from companies like Lower pro a big miss.

I bought a mail order trekking lower pro bag and soon realised that there was nothing great to justify the cost - a simple bag insert like the one shown by bdery would have saved me a lot of money and given me more space to carry essential clothes and trekking gear.   

[bdery]

I believe the only time when a dedicated camera backpack is a good choice is when you want a direct access to your gear through a separate pocket. A regular backpack will not offer you this. But for me it doesn't justify the other trade-offs.

[dimitrz]

Not entirely true dery .... there are many backpacks that come with a middle or lower body chain and a flap inside to convert the backpack into separate the two sections ( though not completely sealed off....   if one buys such a bag and ask the local tailor or whosoever to seal of these two sections completely  - then the below section can be used as a direct access Camera bag.   

An example from an Indian trekking goods manufacturer / retailer is below

There is a chain below the purple line at the bottom which opens up the bag from that side - Ideally that's meant to retrieve boots or rain wear on an urgent basis without disturbing the top load

[bdery]

Very interesting bag Gail! I haven't seen the likes of it in stores around here.

I have seen divided lower sections in larger bags (like on my 75 litres bag made for week-long hikes) but not on smaller, one-day hike bags. Maybe I didn't look hard enough