Photo Pack for NSR Travel

[Supermoon]

I searched on here but couldn't find anything.

I currently have a Dakine Quest pack and a LowePro AWS 200 pack (like a bunch of people on here), but I am looking for something else for a trip I have lined up this fall to Europe, and urban travel in general.

What I'm looking for:
Doesn't scream "tourist with expensive gear"
Comfortable to wear around most days
Fits a fair bit of gear, and 15" laptop, accessories, etc for the plane ride (will cull that down for the daily walkabouts in the city)
Less than $300

I plan on brining my D750 a couple of zooms (24-120 and 70-200) plus a couple of prime lenses plus a travel tripod, a 15" MBP and all the batteries/filters/cables/chargers/external hard drives associate with that.

Current pack likes and dislikes:
LowePro - love how light it is, fits a small amount of stuff easily. Don't like the side access (my D750 doesn't go in and out that easily) can't fit my body+70-200 attached, gets really uncomfortable when heavy because the shoulder straps have no padding, hard to carry a tripd

Sequence - likes: hold a shitload of gear, comfortable-ish when heavy. Dislikes: heavy, somehow my D750 doesn't fit very well the way the pack is laid out (could be user error in how I set up the dividers), waist strap is weirdly unusable and stiff.

Both shout "camera bag!!!!" fairly loudly as well. With each of them I find getting my camera in and out of the pack is a pain, so I end up walking around with my camera out all day which sort of defeats the point of carrying it in a pack.

Looking at the F Stop Dalston right now, but not sure it's big enough. Also looking at the Peak Design Everyday pack, but don't have any experience with either, and not sure I can find a place to fondle them before purchasing.

[/blog]

Alright, what have you got?

[geomorph]

I've been toying with the thought of getting a ski pack with back panel access and then using a separate camera block for this purpose. Something like the Dakine poacher or BCA stash 30. Wouldn't scream photo bag and the back panel access should allow you to swing the bag around and quickly grab your camera. Bonus is you have a good ski backpack too.

[Supermoon]

I've been toying with the thought of getting a ski pack with back panel access and then using a separate camera block for this purpose. Something like the Dakine poacher or BCA stash 30. Wouldn't scream photo bag and the back panel access should allow you to swing the bag around and quickly grab your camera. Bonus is you have a good ski backpack too.

Yeah, the idea of a photo cube or something crossed my mind, but I haven't found any that I have liked for this kind of travel where I want to be able to quickly grab gear out of the pack all day long. The back access is kind of along those same lines IMO. I absolutely LOVED the back access on one of my older packs that I used filming skiing stuff because you could just put the bag face down in the snow, get to your gear, and not get snow all over your back when you pick it back up. For running around a city I don't want to have to fully pull the pack off, dig around in it and then put it back on again.

I actually went and got a look at some Peak Designs stuff yesterday, and pulled the trigger on the Everyday Messenger 15 bag. I think it will do more or less everything I want.
https://www.peakdesign.com/product/b...yday-messenger

That being said, I'm not above returning it if there are other rec's.

[Supermoon]

Update: got the messenger bag and so far I'm liking it. Looks very non-descript, so I think it'll be good for travel. Carries a walk around day's worth of gear really well, and heavy loads fine for short amounts of time like through airports.

Fits my D750 and 70-200 with lens hood just barely along with my 24-120, and 50mm and batteries/cables/etc plus my 15" MacBook Pro.

[skialpy]

My last couple trips I've used a Evoc 12L photo block in my mammut nirvana ski pack. Fold the flap on the evoc underneath and works really nice.

[ACH]

I have a Gura Gear backpack that I have liked quite well.
There are plenty of compartments and lots of flexibility in configuration.
Plenty of room for multiple bodies and a range of lenses.

One thing I like about this pack is that the (pack) straps stow away completely, making it easier to deal with as carry-on luggage.

Overall construction quality on mine is top notch and a rain cover is included.

I think Gura Gear is now Tamrac...