Going on an extended trip with both photographic and computer gear can often be daunting, especially if flying.
You don’t want to pack and check your expensive gear, exposing it to being tossed about, unknowingly opened or lost, but if kept with you it indeed must be portable.
On our trip to Alaska I packed my gear in a Tamrac Model 5549 Adventure 9 Photo/Computer Backpack and was overall pleased with its capabilities. I carried the following gear in it for this trip:
- Nikon DSLR camera with extended battery pack and variable zoom lens
- two additional lenses
- 6 filters, 4 CF memory cards, 3 Nikon camera batteries
- 2 Nikon camera battery charger (one for backup)
- Nikon SB-400 Flash
- USB memory card-reader
- Canon SD550 Camera
- Canon battery charger
- an Apple MacBook
- Power supply and mouse for MacBook
- 2 USB Cables
- Lens cleaning supplies
- travel documents
- paperback book
My single complaint was that packed with all the above gear it was heavy, not really the bags fault. Even with considerable weight, the Adventure 9 was easy enough to carry by the handle as a regular bag or to swing to my shoulders as a backpack freeing my hands. It also stowed easily in the over-head bin on airplanes and provided adequate protection.
I especially appreciated how easy it was to get to my laptop when passing through security at the airports, just unzip the side and slip the laptop out.
This photo/computer backpack is a good choice for those seeking versatility and the ability to carry their gear handsfree.