First is the Shootsac by Jessica Claire — I just love this bag!! I got my first Shootsac about a year and a half ago. It stayed in my storage closet for a few weeks before I decided to brave it for a session. I must say this bag rocked it for me!! I can throw quite a bit in this handy bag - lenses, memory cards, keys, my blackberry, a flash and if I'm not carrying too much, a bottled water. This great bag conforms to me when I'm running and crawling around for a session. I typically leave on the entire time! Shootsacs are made of neoprene (the material used in making wetsuits) and is super light. I just throw my must have gear in and I'm good to go for a session. The bag offers 6 pockets that are pretty roomy, I can even fit my 70-200 lens in there easily. A nice, long adjustable strap that I wear across my chest like a messenger bag and I'm set! And to make it ultra customizable, you can order from a large selection of different replaceable covers that Velcro in. Different styles and colors help to make the Shootsac customizable to your brand and sense of style.
Jessica also recently came out with the HipSlip - it's a Shootsac for your laptop! I don't currently own one because I have yet to cave to buying my own laptop. I know, sometimes it's like I live in the stone ages!!
The other bag I just can't live without is from ThinkTank and it's the Airport AirStream. I initially purchased this bag for my trip to Chicago for the Unleashed Pet Photography Workshop. I was in search of a small carry-on bag that would safely and comfortably hold my gear, yet wasn't screaming photo bag. After a lot of searching and reading reviews I thought that the AirStream would work for me. It was just small enough to fit as a carry-on for a regional jet flight, yet would hold a body, 70-200 lens plus some additional lenses and flashes. When I first got my AirStream I couldn't believe the quality, in the last 2-3 years I've had over 5 different camera bags, but I definitely noticed the better quality in this bag. This bag includes TSA combination locks, cables & locks to secure to a fixed object, an area for that laptop I still don't own and sturdy wheels for when I'm running across the airport. This bag came with a ton of Velcro inserts to adjust the available space to fit the needs of my gear, which was definitely a bonus. After my trip to Chicago, I got rid of my previous camera bag and now the ThinkTank AirStream is my daily bag for carrying my equipment from session to session.
I love the combination of the AirSteam to carry everything and the Shootsac to carry just what I need on each session. Talk about the best of both worlds! These are definitely two highly recommended bags for your money!
Full Disclosure: Commission earned on sale of ShootSac via my link.
