Imagine this: you’re excited to be going on a trip with your camera gear, and you’ve got everything covered – except a travel photography bag. You figure you don’t really need one anyway, it’s just another unnecessary expense.
You go to unpack at your destination, eager to get shooting, only to hear the sickening sound of broken glass from inside your camera lens…
That travel bag doesn’t seem so expensive now, does it? So much can happen to your camera and equipment while you’re travelling (thieves, breakages, bad weather), that it really makes sense to take the stress out of the equation and buy a properly padded and protected travel photography bag.
Securing Fragile Equipment
Accidents only take a second to happen, and a safe and secure camera bag can make the difference between a working camera and no camera at all.
There are different styles of travel photography bags out there, and the key is finding one that holds your gear safely, and lets you get to your camera accessories easily when you need them.
So, what are the best travel bags you can get?
Backpack-style camera bags like the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L – Charcoal are popular, and for good reason. It doesn’t look like a screamingly obvious camera bag, so you’ll make yourself less of a target for thieves, there’s plenty of space to stow your gear safely, and places to keep your camera accessories neatly. There’s also room for a laptop in it, too.
A larger, travel backpack like the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L - Black is specifically designed to make travelling with your camera a breeze – especially if you’re travelling abroad. This bag meets international carry-on size standards, but expands up to 45L if you need it, and collapses to make a 35L day bag. It’s weatherproof, durable, secure, and three zips make for easy access to those camera accessories.
Having a backpack means your hands are free, and there’s generally enough room to store your camera and accessories securely. The one downside to backpack-style travel photography bags is that you must take them off to reach your camera, but that only takes seconds.
For those who want a stylish travel photography bag that doesn’t look like a camera bag, the Barber Shop "Cesar Cut" Duffle Camera Travel Bag (Grained Light Brown Leather) fits the bill. This seriously roomy fine-grained leather bag can fit up to 2-3 DSLR’s, 2-3 lenses, and your camera accessories.
It’s essential to find a travel photography bag that suits you, your lifestyle, and your gear, so take your time to find the right one.
Securing Your Light Stands
Travelling with your light stands as well as your camera makes it even more essential to have a safe and secure travel photography bag to protect your expensive equipment.
The Hypop 120cm/48 inch Photography Studio Light Stand Carry Bag is ideal for transporting your light stands, umbrellas and camera equipment. It’s sturdy, and the foam-padded walls protect your valuable gear from dents and scratches.
The Hypop 70cm/28 Inch Photography Studio Light Stand Carry Bag is a more compact version of the one above, but still with the same padded walls for your peace of mind.
Checking in Your Photo Equipment
The one thing that will strike fear into the heart of any photographer is having an airline telling you that you must check your travel photography bag into hold luggage! Avoid this, under any circumstances, by making sure your camera bag fits the airline’s carry-on bag size.
If you have to check in your camera and equipment, it pays to have good insurance for loss and damage. Baggage handlers don’t have time to check if your bag contains fragile gear, and it will get thrown on to the pile of suitcases with everything else.
If you find yourself having to travel with your studio strobe lights (either by road, rail or air), you need a sturdy travel bag like the Godox CB-06 Large Flash Strobe Trolley Bag to safely protect your fragile flash heads. This bag fits 2-3 flash heads, with adjustable padded partitions to keep your gear from moving around, and is on wheels for ease of transport.
The smaller Godox CB-05 Flash Strobe Lighting Head Carry Bag will fit 2 flash heads and camera accessories. It has a padded top and bottom, and adjustable Velcro partitions to keep your flash heads secure.
Conclusion
Getting a good travel photography bag is an investment, not an unnecessary expense, and it pays to find the best travel bags for you.
Travelling with your camera and can be nerve-wracking, so here’s a few more tips to make sure your trip goes smoothly and is memorable for the right reasons!
- Take only what you need. It’s tempting to over pack, but carrying all the extra stuff around becomes a pain pretty quickly. Only take what lenses and camera accessories you need to get the job done.
- Make sure you take everything apart before you travel – don’t leave a lens attached to your camera, and make sure your lens caps and body caps are attached securely.
- Don’t forget to pack cleaning wipes for your lenses. They take up little space in your bag, and you never know when you’ll need them.
- Take your camera charger, but not too many batteries if you’re flying. Airline regulations limit the amount of lithium you can take on a plane, and camera batteries contain a lot of lithium.
- Move the partitions in your travel photography bag around so that your camera and lenses fit snugly and can’t crash into each other while on the move.
- As airlines keep lowering their carry-on weight allowances, it can pay to wear your main camera around your neck as you check in, allowing you to keep your travel photography bag within the weight limit. Most airlines won’t even question you about it.
- Do make sure you have adequate insurance in place for your camera and camera accessories.
Enjoy your travels!
