National Geographic Medium Backpack

Not only is this the best camera / laptop bag ever, the customer support from the manufacturer is absolutely outstanding!

I've been looking for bags like this for a while for taking away on holiday with me. I tend to take a camera, laptop, and all my personal electronics (MP3 player, headphones, chargers, etc), but I've been avoiding the cheap LowePro ones you tend to find in places like Jessops which are generally far too big, and geared exclusively for camera (and maybe laptop) only. They also tend to all look the same - Bland and black, and made from what feel like cheap and fragile materials!

This bag has it all. Its robust and hard wearing, it has accessory straps, hoops and loops all over for hanging things off, stowable external water bottle pouches, external carriage of tripod, etc, and it has storage pounches which are actually useful! The 2 external lower front pouches are exactly the right size to take large (or small) filters for example, and there is tons of storage for memory cards, batteries, etc!

The internal camera bag has moveable dividers (they're not 100% configurable but for the kit you'll fit in there, they're more than adequate). At the moment I've got a D90 with a 18-105 lens attached in the central section, a 70-300 lens above it, and a 50mm lens in one of the side sections, leaving me with space for another smaller lens and space for my SB800 flash.

The main compartment isn't huge, but its big enough for all of your cables, a book, some headphones, etc if you're travelling, or a jacket and your lunch if you're out and about. There is a zipped divider between the main compartment and the padded camera compartment, and a velcro flap into the laptop compartment (on the new model bag only!)

There is one drawback to the bag depending on the version you get (and you may not get a choice in this...), and thats around laptop access.... there are 2 models of bag - the old model and the new model, and I think they're being sold as the same model. This only applies to the old model, which only has access to the laptop compartment through the side access zip. That zip will not take a 15" laptop (and possibly smaller sizes, particularly widescreen). My original bag as purchased was too small for my laptop, and despite the blurb saying that you could access the laptop slot through the main compartment, you couldn't. This is a fault with the advertising material, the tag on the bag, and possibly with the seller. BEWARE!!!! This may be a reason some bags come heavily discounted!!!

However the new model will happily take large laptops through the slot in the main compartment.

You'll note I'm suggesting I've had both bags.... That is NOT thanks to the seller. On discovering the laptop access problem, I contacted the seller who, in a 1 line Email, said I should send it back for a refund. Thats fine if I wanted a refund, but I wanted this bag, but with access to the laptop section through the main compartment as advertised! I didn't get a reply to that Email... I get the impression the seller was selling a stock old model bags at reduced prices, but advertising new model features...

So I Emailed the manufacturer (EA Bags?) who, despite this not really being their fault or problem, absolutely bent over backwards to resolve my problem, and ship me a new model bag by Airmail from Israel, and sent me a fantastic National Geographic camera strap (so much better than the rubbish Nikon one!) which clips onto the bag as compensation for not getting the right bag! I have NEVER had such helpful and friendly support as this

Well, I have been pondering for months over a new camera bag but for the life of me I could not find one that I really took a shine too. I dont have much camera kit but what I do have was beginning to become a tight squeeze so I really did need to think about a new bag as I was going out for the day and leaving kit behind to conserve space.

I went into local camera shops but I didn't like the Lowpro, Crumpler or the Kata gear or nothing else for that matter, then after searching on the 'tinternet I came across this one.

I ordered it and its arrived.

First impressions:

1. My kit fits in with space to spare, I have a Nikon D90, a 18-105mm, a 55-200VR and a 50mm f1.8. There is easily space to fit another lens should I get another.

2. The quality is superb, The material is strong and very well lined, the padded compartments are strong and firm I suspect if you were to drop the bag off your shoulder your kit would be fine. Although this is a test I am not prepared to do :-)

3. Laptop pocket - I have read many reviews where people have had difficulty with this but I found it to be no problem I have a Dell Inspiron 1525 and have no problen whatsoever getting it in. It doesnt fit through the side pocket but it sliips in though the top pocket with consumate ease. And that will do for me, the fact I cant use the side pocket means nothing to me, I dont see this as a fault just an added extra if you happen to use a netbook.

4. Day Sack Space. The reason I went for this was to combine space for camera kit and space for walking kit. The space in the top compartment will fit your waterproofs, packed lunch, maps etc, Its not big enough for a weekend away but as a day pack, its ideal.

In summary, I love it and I am so glad I took the time to shop around as opposed to jumping in with both feet and getting a bag that didn't suit me personally.

I love this bag and would be more than happy to recommend it to anyone.

If you have a hang up over the side zip pocket for the laptop pocket then maybe this bag is not for you but if you are happy to exert a tiny bit more energy and open the top flap to access it which would take just 2-3 seconds then go get one. They are brilliant.

National Geographic Medium Backpack
This ruck sack wa fantastic. I bought it for a trip to Africa and it was perfect for the job. It carried my digital SLR with wide angle and telephoto lenses and flash gun with easy access. It has various pockets which were ideal for binoculars, sunglasses, notebooks, water, torch and a larger area at the tops that fits a jumper or waterprrof and any others bits you may need. Great product, comfortable to carry and well suited to travelling about. Brilliant.