How To Choose A Camera Bag For Travel

2/6/2020 How to choose a camera bag for travel | Not a Nomad Blog
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PHOTOGRAPHY
How to choose a camera bag for travel

13 Apr 2019 | 18 min. (3822 words)
travel photography photography photography gear review
I f only I could count how many hours I spent searching the internet for the best
mirrorless camera bag that didn’t look ugly (and frankly, manly). At the same time, I
think when you want to choose a camera bag specifically for travel, there are some extra
considerations compared to people who are just hauling their bag around from one
photoshoot to the next.
Read on for my tips on how to determine which qualities you actually want in your
travel camera bag, how big it needs to be, what materials to choose, and where to nd a
stylish camera bag that’s going to be both beautiful and functional!
https://notanomadblog.com/stylish-camera-bag-for-travel/ 1/23
Fuji lm X-A1 XF16mmF1.4 R WR
Some links in this post are to a liate sites. If you purchase something through them, I may earn a small comission at no cost
to you.
I am very grateful when you use my links to make a purchase!
How to choose a stylish camera bag for travel
Choosing a stylish camera bag for travel is not exactly a piece of cake – for one, quality
camera bags are rather expensive and most of the time you’re going to be ordering them
online rather than being able to try them out in a store.
In order to start narrowing down your own personal requirements for a travel camera bag,
start by answering the following questions for yourself:
* How much equipment am I going to bring?

* How mobile do I need to be?
* How long will I be out most days?

* What kind of weather will I need to endure?
* What type of photos do I want to take?
Understanding the kind of gear you need to bring with you is the most important part of
picking a bag, as it’s going to help to determine the capacity you need.
Let’s take a look at all the important qualities you want to look for in a travel camera bag,
shall we?
Important qualities for a camera bag for travel

✔ Structure – For me this is THE most important part of choosing a camera bag for
travel. You want your bag not to lose its shape when you open it up. You will have a really
annoying time if you try to use a soft structured purse or backpack as a camera bag
because it’s hard to re-zip once the content shifts around.
✔ Quick (but secure) access – You need to balance ease of access for you and di culty
of theft in a crowd. Most bags have a zipper facing forwards or hidden or internal
compartments for your most important items.
✔ Capacity – The fact is, you want to carry not only camera gear but all that other stu
you usually walk around with: a light jacket, wallet, passport, keys, map, phone, you get
the idea. Make sure the bag you choose not only ts your camera gear but extra space for
your daily haul.
✔ Padding – Look for bags with nice, thick padding inside. The best part of having a
dedicated camera bag is you can put your gear “loose” into each compartment. So you
need those compartments to be well padded to keep the gear from getting banged up or
scratched.
✔ Material – It rains when you travel. You meet mud when you travel. You’re in tight
spots when you travel. You are in nature when you travel. All these things mean you need
to pick a material for your camera bag that is not overly sensitive, and you need to be able
to treat the material to make it water resistent. I would avoid canvas unless it’s a dark
color (gets dirty) and instead choose a leather that can be treated to resist water or a
waxed leather or waxed canvas that is naturally water repellent.
✔ Inconspicuousness – Lastly, you don’t want your camera bag to scream “STEAL ME I
HAVE $10k OF GEAR INSIDE”. Opt for something that doesn’t look too much like a
traditional camera bag, especially if you are traveling to a country that is known for
pickpockets or petty crime.
Fuji lm X-T1 XF35mmF1.4 R
You can see that this bag is SO structured, it’s easy to access all your gear and easy to zip back
up. It’s also made of a waxed leather that is easy to wipe dry after rain and clean o mud.
RELATED POST
How to choose the best budget travel tripod (you'll actually use)
Which camera bag suits your travel style?

A lot of which kind of camera bag you will be happiest with depends on how you like to
travel. Too much bag and you’ll be miserable lugging it around. Too little bag and you
might feel sad you can’t t all the gear you need for a special trip inside.
For this reason, it makes a lot of sense to consider what kind of traveler you are to get the
right camera bag for your needs.
Are you…?
* Frugal – You’re savvy about your spending and want something multi-functional.
* Mobile – You’re into active travel and need something that won’t get in your way.
* Minimalist – You don’t want to be weighed down by heavy equipment and like to
keep things simple.

* Fashionable – You want to look great and pack a lot of gear.
Frugal
I’ll just start out with this one – if you don’t want to spend money on a good camera bag
(which is perfectly ne!), you have quite a few options to repurpose your existing bag or
backpack into a camera bag.
Pros – Very a ordable. Most camera bag inserts cost less than $30. You can nd pouches
and bags of varying thickness and water resistence. I personally use similar neoprene
camera pouches whenever I want to use a normal purse and just bring along my camera!
Cons – Bags that aren’t made for the purpose can still make it a bit inconvenient to
access your gear. For instance, most camera bags are well-structured so that when you
open your bag it doesn’t lose shape. So it can get frustrating to re-zip the bag after
getting what you need.
Recommendation: Repurpose an existing bag or backpack
Here are a couple of options. Even though I own several dedicated camerag bags, I also
own camera pouches like the ones by AmazonBasics and use them sometimes. It’s great
for turning any bag or purse you own into a camera bag quickly.
You don’t need to spend a fortune to protect your camera lenses!
ONA Roma Camera Insert
AmazonBasics Protective Pouches for Camera Lenses

GREAT VALUE
Padded Camera Insert for DSLRs
Mobility- rst
If mobility is your number one concern, because you’re going to be hiking, carrying a
heavy load, need to bring along an extra sweater or jacket, your best option is probably a
camera backpack.
Pros – Weight distribution. When you have something heavy, we all know it can be nice to
have it in a backpack. And camera equipment can be super heavy. What’s also nice is some
bags can easily have things attached to the outside, like tripod straps.
Cons – Access is slightly more di cult than with a purse because you need to take o or
swing around the backpack to access the contents. It can also be dicey for having gear
stolen out of your backpack. I always recommend keeping your backpack in front when
you’re in crowds or high crime areas.
Fuji lm X-T1 XF16mmF1.4 R WR
In South Africa I used a backpack instead of my usual camera bag in order to keep a low
pro le. It was less convenient but given theft is prevalent in Cape Town I knew it would be the
safest way to bring my gear with me.
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Recommended travel camera backpacks
I need to make the disclaimer that I’ve never used one of these backpacks, but I know and
trust the brand and plan to buy one of their backpacks in the near future. They are always
ultra high-quality, robust, chic, and don’t “give themselves away” as holding camera gear
which I love.
ONA Camps Bay camera bag
MY FAVORITE
ONA Big Sur camera bag
ONA Clifton camera bag
Backpack Check
Pros Cons
name price
Backpack
Not a Nomad Blog   Check

Pros Cons
name price
* Large capacity
* Holds 7 lenses +
camera with lens

* Easy access to gear * Might be too big for
Camp's * Adjustable some Check

Bay compartments * No full leather price
* Laptop compartment option

* Water resistent
waxed canvas
* Many color options
* Large capacity
* Holds 10 lenses + 3
cameras
* Only available in
* Easy access to gear
black
* Adjustable
* Might be too big for Check
Big Sur compartments
some price
* Laptop compartment
* No full leather
* Water resistent
option
waxed canvas
* Tripod straps for
attaching your tripod
Backpack
Not a Nomad Blog   Check

Pros Cons
name price
* Large capacity
* Holds 4-6 lenses + 1
camera with lens * Smallest option (can

* Easy access to gear be good or bad) Check
Clifton
* Adjustable * Potentially sensitive price
compartments leather
* Laptop compartment
* Many color options
Girl with camera backpack in a park
RELATED POST
The best Fuji lm lenses for stunning travel photos
Minimalist
I love traveling as minimally as possible. When I travel to a city where I know I’m going to
be taking mostly snapshots, I’m always sure to pack light and not over-complicate things.
As someone who owns a lot of gear it can be hard to pick favorites, but no one likes
walking around for 10 hours with a sore shoulder.
Pros – Small and inconspicuous, yet still has enough size to t enough gear and
accessories for a variety of situations. You can easily ride a bicycle with a Messenger-style
bag like this. Super easy to access as it’s around hip height and you have both hands free.
Cons – You risk leaving something behind you would’ve really needed, like a zoom lens or
a bulkier piece of gear.
Girl with camera bag
Inside my minimalist camera bag: camera with lens, extra lens, phone, camera accessories
pouch (containing batteries, memory cards, cables, lens wipes, etc.) It also expands and I can
t a small windbreaker jacket inside as well. Finally, it has a pocket in the front and a zipper
pocket in the back perfect for keys/passport.
Camera bag content
Recommendation: ONA Bond Street
Besides the design and easy access the ONA Bond Street camera bag gives me, I really
appreciate that this bag is somewhat gender neutral in its design. That also helps it look
more low-key and less like it has fancy lady things inside. It’s super well-padded and the
adjustable interior padding is really nice for accommodating di erent sizes of lenses.
The only downside I can think of is that it doesn’t have a ton of extra space inside, so it’s
better suited for Summer when you don’t need to bring an extra sweater or scarf with you
(though I think when expanded it can really t more than you expect).
Fashion- rst (or just a lot of gear!)
I have to raise my hand and say that most of the time, this is the kind of traveler I am. I
like to have all the gear I need for most scenarios – night photography, landscapes, street
photography, portraits – you name it, I’ve got gear for it. But there is nothing wrong with
that as long as you recognize your limits in terms of how much weight you decide to allow
inside your camera bag.
Pros – Fit everything you want. No compromises! Most bags in this category can even t
more than one camera inside, not to mention lenses, equipment, and your personal items
as well. You’ll basically never be in a situation where you think, “If only I had brought that
lens with me!”
Cons – It is extremely easy to pack heavy and give yourself a shoulder ache. Now, ladies, I
know most of us have probably developed sloped shoulders from carrying heavy purses
and think it ain’t no thang, but the reality is that the glass you have inside a camera lens
is not lightweight and you really need to consider if you want to bring it all with you!
Recommendation: ONA Chelsea camera bag
Tragically, my favorite camera bag of all time has been discontinued. For now, you can still
get it on Amazon but there’s no telling how long they will still have it in stock. This bag is
so incredibly well-made, chic, and spacious. I feel really lucky to have gotten one before
they stopped o ering it on the o cial website.
RELATED POST
How to craft a minimalist travel photography kit
Camera bags for women – companies to watch!
If you’re speci cally trying to nd stylish camera bags for women, there are a could of key
brands I would check out. Some of them even have vegan bags in case you do not want to
support the use of leather.
ONA
ONA is the brand I personally have experience with. I own two camera bags from them,
and I can honestly say that even though their bags are quite expensive, the quality and
durability is just unreal. I constantly get compliments on the camera bags I own from
them, and people are completely surprised that they are camera bags until I open them
up. In short: I love my camera bags from ONA and I will de nitely be back for my next
bag with this company.
Lo & Sons
Lo & Sons makes a bunch of di erent kinds of bags, but out of their camera bags the
prettiest one I’ve seen is the Claremont Women's Camera Bag . It has a couple of really
cute features like a quilted interior, SD card pockets, and a spacious rear pocket. It looks
quite similar to the ONA Savannah which actually costs about $50 less but unfortunately
lacks a back pocket.
Kelly Moore
Kelly Moore makes all kinds of di erent bags, including camera bags. The price range is
slightly lower than ONA, but you’ll still be paying a pretty penny for anything in leather.
They have camera backpacks as well as vegan bags if you object to having any leather at
all in your bags.
GATTA
Gatta has some pretty stylish camera bags that look like stu you’d nd o the runway,
though in my opinion they don’t look all that practical. The cushioning is minimal in some
bags or others lack proper dividers. They are some of the least expensive available but I
would look very carefully if the quality is what you are looking for.
Kamrette
Kamrette is a brand I only recently discovered. They have a pretty limited o ering (one
backpack, one purse, and a camera strap). I would look for more online reviews before
making a purchase but worth checking out if you’re on the market for camera bags for
women.
What’s in your favorite camera bag?
Share your thoughts in the comments, I am always on the lookout for my next sexy
camera bag to add to my collection!
Girl taking picture
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Hi there! I'm Monica, an American expat living in Germany for over six years and using
every opportunity to explore the world from my homebase in Berlin. My goal is to
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2/6/2020 How to choose a camera bag for travel | Not a Nomad Blog

Not a Nomad Blog    

travel photography photography photography gear review

stylish camera bag that’s going to be both beautiful and functional!

Not a Nomad Blog    

Fuji lm X-A1 XF16mmF1.4 R WR

I am very grateful when you use my links to make a purchase!

How to choose a stylish camera bag for travel

online rather than being able to try them out in a store.

start by answering the following questions for yourself:

* How much equipment am I going to bring?

* How long will I be out most days?

Important qualities for a camera bag for travel

because it’s hard to re-zip once the content shifts around.

compartments for your most important items.

your daily haul.

waxed leather or waxed canvas that is naturally water repellent.

pickpockets or petty crime.

Fuji lm X-T1 XF35mmF1.4 R

Which camera bag suits your travel style?

right camera bag for your needs.

keep things simple.

backpack into a camera bag.

getting what you need.

Recommendation: Repurpose an existing bag or backpack

You don’t need to spend a fortune to protect your camera lenses!

ONA Roma Camera Insert

AmazonBasics Protective Pouches for Camera Lenses

Padded Camera Insert for DSLRs

you’re in crowds or high crime areas.

Not a Nomad Blog    

Fuji lm X-T1 XF16mmF1.4 R WR

safest way to bring my gear with me.

Not a Nomad Blog    

Subscribe for my FREE travel photography

Send me the guide

Your privacy is important to us. Unsubscribe at anytime.

Recommended travel camera backpacks

ONA Camps Bay camera bag

Not a Nomad Blog    

ONA Big Sur camera bag

ONA Clifton camera bag

camera with lens

Camp's * Adjustable some Check

* Laptop compartment option

attaching your tripod

camera with lens * Smallest option (can

Girl with camera backpack in a park

The best Fuji lm lenses for stunning travel photos

walking around for 10 hours with a sore shoulder.

a bulkier piece of gear.

Girl with camera bag

pocket in the back perfect for keys/passport.

Camera bag content

Recommendation: ONA Bond Street

Fashion- rst (or just a lot of gear!)

inside your camera bag.

Girl with camera bag

lens with me!”

Girl with camera bag

Recommendation: ONA Chelsea camera bag

they stopped o ering it on the o cial website.