The Best Camera Bags For Travel – 2020 Update

For us, our number one priority is to keep our gear safe and protected. We are full-time travel content creators and have found ourselves relying on our camera bags for everything. A dry place, a place to keep some snacks, a place to hold all of our gear or even a place to launch the drone from.

Updated November 15th, 2019

The past two years have been rough trying everything from the cheapest camera bags possible (not recommended) to the middle of the line bags and finally now what we think is the best bag on the market. All of the bags we have used have all been 20 liters or larger. Necessarily big enough to carry a 15 inch MacBook Pro, DJI Mavic drone, DSLR or Mirrorless camera and even some lenses.

Because we live out of a suitcase and two camera bags, we had to really search for the right ones. One a little smaller than the other but big enough to fit everything we have. These are the three bags we have found that is not only capable of handling our rugged lifestyle but provide our gear with nothing but the best protection in all situations

Table of Contents

• 1 Photocross 15 Backpack
• 2 BACKLIGHT 26L
• 3 Backlight 26L Full Capacity
• 4 FIRSTLIGHT 20L

Photocross 15 Backpack

In recent months we have added another bag to our collection and absolutely love it. The Photocross 15 is a full-size backpack capable of holding our 15inch MacBook pro but also gives us the large side pocket for that slingback feel. I never thought we would like a large side pocket but after months of vigorously testing it, we have actually come to love it. We really only had one difficulty with it, that we always like to carry a drone and spare batteries but don’t want anything sliding or bouncing around. I quickly realized that a simple stationary bag was an easy fix. Allowing us to store our controller, camera strap, drone batteries and much more while keeping everything snug inside. This is a great Minimalist backpack that can store all your photography essentials. Coming in at $169.00 it offers you a very affordable entrance into the best camera bags on the market.

Key features:

• Tripod or jacket carry with included straps
• Dedicated, padded pocket fits 15” laptop
• The waist belt is wide and removable 
• Waterproof, heavy-duty Tarpaulin base
• Back panel with breathable 320G air-mesh keeps your back cool during long days
• Internal zippered pockets for batteries, memory cards or other small accessories
• Easily accessible front pockets for filters, snacks, or a light layer
• T-pulls are easily gripped with or without gloves
• Top and side carry-handles
• Fully-customizable interior dividers for photo or personal gear
• Seam-sealed rain cover included for downpour conditions

 

BACKLIGHT 26L

The Backlight 26L is the bigger of the two bags we have. We have rearranged the inside to fit our main needs.

Backlight 26L Full Capacity

• Holds 1 standard-size DSLR and 4-6 standard zoom lenses, plus a flash
• Holds 2 large mirrorless cameras and 5-7 lenses, plus a flash
• Fits personal gear in the 9L front compartments
• Maximum lens size: 200-400 f/4 detached from the body
• Fuji XT-1 with 50-140mm f/2.8, Fuji X Pro-1 with 18mm f/2.0, 56mm f/1.2, 23mm f/1.4, 14mm f/2.8, 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0, 60mm macro f/2.4 plus optional FilterNest Mini and GP Series cases.
• Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 16-35mm f/2.8, 85mm f/1.8, 100mm macro plus optional FilterNest Mini and GP Series cases
• Nikon D810 with 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, 105mm f/2.8 macro, and 14-24mm f/2.8 plus SB900 flash and optional FilterNest Mini and GP Series cases

Some of the main things we like about this bag are its comfortable feel even with a full load and the fact it opens from the back. For us traveling many countries and big cities, this is ideal for safety and theft. We don’t have as many lenses but we do carry our drone and spare batteries. This takes up the leftover room.

FIRSTLIGHT 20L

The Firstlight 20L is the second bag we carry. We mainly use this for our gimbal, batteries and underwater gear. It is rated to carry 1 standard-size DSLR and 4–6 standard zoom lenses. Holds 2 large Mirrorless bodies and 5–7 lenses plus a flash. Maximum lens size: 200–400mm f/4 attached or 300 f/2.8 attached.

It also has an adjustable inside with a very sturdy frame. This is great for protection in the field or even bouncing around the overhead bins on a plane.

Over the past 6 months, we have been beating these bags up and living out of them. They have been tested in almost every situation, snow to pouring rain in New York, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, we have never had an issue with them. The strong zippers and buckles allow us to be tough and fast when in need.

We are videographers and have to carry some things most don’t have to like a gimbal. Traveling full-time with a gimbal can be difficult unless you’re ok with carrying a hard case. With this workaround, it fits everything we need. We will show you how we organize our bags right here.

Now we can honestly say that we are overall very pleased with these and think they are the Best Camera Bags for travel. They have held up longer than any other bag we have had and we expect them to last us many more years.

 

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