“Excellent Make”

“Another wonderful bag from Mountainsmith! I haven't used it yet: I bought it to follow this year's Amgen Tour so I don't have to use a book pack as a camera bag in the crowd. I'm just an enthusiast who carries a Cannon Power Shot S3, a 5-year old Sony Handycam and extra battery, and a Gorillapod, but I also like to keep my purse stuff and water bottle in the same bag as my camera items when I'm walking or hiking, and I'm looking forward to having the ability to access these items in a hurry– the flap and lid lift up so you're facing the inside compartments on them - and keep them safe from moisture and jostling from "outside interference". The top padded lid has a 1 x 6 x 12 1/2" zippered compartment with a 5 1/2 x 9 1/2" flap and zippered inner-flap (a combo of honeycombed "reinforcing mesh plus see-through vinyls") pocket; the flap has corner supports so that it cannot fall backward when left open if the lid's hefty 2" lip is pulled down or zippered over the main (camera) compartment. This same compartment has elasticized openings to three-4" mesh compartments for easy storage of camera cards and batteries, but there's plenty of room on top of them for other items. The 6 x 9 x 12 1/2" padded camera compartment has six padded wall pieces you can move around via velcro to customize your own partition sizes; the two 6"-tall pieces leave enough room to be able to get a firm grip on most items before you withdraw your hand from (the safety of) the bag. The lid's underside – the inner top of the main compartment - also has a zippered opening to three-4" combo-vinyl pockets. The there's the outside: a padded, tapered 5+" waistband with adjustable tension straps that appears to be comfortable even when the bag is loaded down; a padded, adjustable shoulder strap that's long enough to keep the bag out of the way when shooting; a padded 6+" pocket on the body's side; an 8 x 12" pocket on the opposite side that unzips to reveal several briefcase-style pockets for things the size of credit cards and pens, plus one long pocket behind them; an underside velcro'd pocket that stores an elasticized nylon pouch you can slip over the entire bag for extra protection, though it is suspended from an elastic band via a tension lock so you can release it or else use as a bag for wet gear that will then stay clear of the bag's sides; an elastic cross-corded loop plus nine more loops, two made with non-slip material; and many more loop options with it's several adjustable straps that can be tucked away if not being used or are too long, reinforced enough to carry a heavier tripod. This is probably overkill for amateurs like me, but I plan to enjoy all of it's possibilities for the variety of times I use cameras, from hiking in rain, to future grandkid-enjoying (meaning I'll need lots of batteries and chargers and patch cords). Having bought Mountainsmith before, I know this bag will last me for years.”