Cameras:

• Nikon D7000
• Nikon Coolpix P6000
• Olympus PEN EPL2 w/17mm f2.8
• GoPro HD Hero 1 & 2 (with pretty much every mount & accessory they make
• Apple iPhone 4S
• Lomography Holga (120 & 35mm models)
• Lomography Fisheye (35mm film)
• Lomography LC-Wide (35mm film)

Lenses:

• Sigma 24-70mm f2.8
• Nikkor 50mm f1.4
• Nikkor 35mm f1.8
• Nikkor 10.5mm Fisheye
• Nikkor 55-300mm VR
• Tokina 11-16mm f2.8
• Lensbaby Composer with pinhole/zoneplate, superwide optics and wide/tele/macro convertors
• various lens adaptors (wide/fisheye/macro)

Other

• Nikon SB-900 speedlight
• Crumpler & LowePro camera bags & backpacks (various)
• Gigapan Epic 100
• Manfrotto tripods (aluminun and carbon fibre)
• various homemade & 3D printed camera rigs, mounts & dollies

Computing & Software:

• Apple MacBook Air
• Apple iPad 2
• HP TouchPad (with Android)
• Apple Mac Mini Server
• Dlink DNS-323 (network storage)
• Drobo (photo backup)
• Apple Aperture (photo editing)
• Apple Final Cut Pro X (video editing)

Basically, someone bought a bag bigger than they needed and I wanted an upgrade so thanks to Craigslist, a deal was made. Both of us had barely used the bags – I only bought mine a couple of months ago and only used it once. I wanted the Brazillion because it’s a great bag to store ALL of your gear at home and for dragging everything to a studio shoot…basically you wouldn’t want to use this for a photowalk (you don’t really need everything when you’re walking around anyways) but it’s great for car trips if you want to take it all with you.

The main difference between the two bags is size…the Brazillion is HUGE. It has a large internal cavity that can be configured using the big pile of inserts any way you need for your gear:

It also has an internal pocket that can hold up to a 17″ laptop. The lid of the bag can actually be used as a laptop stand – it’s quite rigid and has a strap you can put around the laptop to keep it snug. It also has external zippered pockets to hold all kinds of gear like cables, flash units, memory cards, etc.

The one thing it didn’t come with is a manual! Seriously there are a million ways to configure this bag and at least a few example setup photos would be helpful. I’ve been trolling around online looking to see how other people have set up theirs.

Here’s the Brazillion next to my 5 Million Dollar Home bag which I usually use for small photowalks when I only need a couple of lenses and my DSLR:

To give you a better idea of what this bag is capable of, check out this video (the first half anyways) from PMA a few years ago where Ben Richards from Crumpler demonstrates some of it’s features….and check out that snappy tux Ben’s wearing…classy, just like the bags:

I’ll post a photo or two once I’ve got it setup the way I like…which could take awhile.

UPDATE: Here’s the bag fully loaded after my first attempt at configuring it and all the gear that fit inside (click the bottom photo to see the gear notes on Flickr). There is still tons of room inside as well…so it’s not truly ‘fully’ loaded:

Update: Here’s some pix of my configuration –

top layer:

bottom layer:

Click on the photos to see gear notes.

I was particularly interested in the Cork & Fork which is a carry-on bag with a removable camera backpack inside. It was like getting two bags in one…although they are quite pricey, they are in line with the price of their other bags.

The Cork & Fork is basically the Period Charmer bag plus an innovative backpack (which doesn’t appear to be sold separately) meant for carrying camera gear that can be removed from the main bag.

I actually bought the Cork & Fork awhile ago but didn’t have the opportunity to use it on a trip until recently during the holidays.

Most airlines allow two carry-on bags…usually a ‘proper’ carry-on bag (for the overheard compartment) along with a laptop, camera or similar bag that can be stowed under the seat in front of you. As you can see in the photo to the right, the two bags didn’t quite fit into the guide at the airport but I never had an issue from the flight crew onboard. The main bag easily went into the overhead compartment and the camera backpack fit perfectly under the seat in front.

Thanks to a baggage mishap I had awhile ago, I’ve been extra weary of checking anything in my bags except the basics like clothes. I always try to carry on any gear I want to have on a trip.

As you can see, the camera section can carry a lot of gear. It has a large main section along with a small zippered section with a mesh cover so you can easily see inside. This little section is perfect for batteries, memory cards, cords and other small items. For those curious, this shot contains my Nikon D90 with battery grip and 50mm lens attached, SB-600 speedlight, SB-400 speedlight, Kodak Zi6 HD camera, 18-105mm lens, 10.5mm Fisheye lens, Lensbaby Composer, Rocket blower, Gorillapod and Ultrapod mini-tripods, wide/tele lens adaptors, an Airport Express, Belkin travel power adaptor, Sanyo Eneloop + Nikon battery chargers plus a pile of smaller gear in the mesh compartment.

The larger main section is divided into three areas that can be customized with the included ‘snake’ dividers and removable velcro tabs. Unlike other bags, the fact that the velcro can be moved around makes it really easy to customize the layout of the bag for all your gear. It actually took a number of attempts playing with all the options to find a layout that made the most sense for my stuff. The backpack has a number of external pockets and straps for attaching tripods or whatever to it. One external pocket contains a rain cover for the backpack and the other is large enough to fit my Macbook Air or a magazine or two. Not sure if a regular Macbook would fit.

As the backpack section is meant to fit inside the main bag, I’ve found the backpack straps to be a little on the small side and not as comfortable as the other Crumpler dedicated backpacks are to wear. But for lugging around an airport, they work great. The bag also features some very beefy and sturdy wheels.

This is the first wheeled bag I’ve owned that doesn’t fall over when upright regardless of load inside. This appears to be due to some very well placed rubber feet underneth as well as on the back so that you can lay it flat when you want to get something out of it.

The retractable handle is very strong and I used it many times as a coat holder during my unplanned and extended visit to the airport (thanks to a snowstorm). It extends quite far and never feels like it’s going to break or buckle.

The inside of the main compartment of the carry-on is lined with a number of small pockets for stashing stuff and a full size internal pocket you unfurl to cover and zip over the main cavity which I think is meant for dirtly clothes. Since it’s not removable, it can’t be washed so I didn’t use it for laundry.

The outside of the main bag has a number of slot pockets for things like a laptop (up to a 15″ at least), magazines and large, open pocket that is secured by velcro and the outer buckles. You wouldn’t want to put something like a laptop in this pocket but it’s good for a jacket or some other loose item that can’t fall out.

Overall, I’ve very happy with the Cork & Fork. My only issue with the bag is the cost…there is no denying it’s expensive. I even hesitated at first and then I went and looked at other higher quality carry-on bags and it’s actually pretty comparable for a solid bag plus you get the internal camera backpack. Take a look in any ‘outdoor’ store that carries luggage and you’ll see what I mean.

While not really an issue, I would have also liked some more color options for the luggage….baby blue isn’t my favorite color but I can live with it.

Disclosure: I purchased this luggage at a small discount when the luggage line was launched via a special offer because I’ve bought from Crumpler before.

Unfortunately it was only available in Europe. So after a lot of trolling and tracking down, I found one.

Like all Crumplers, it is incredibly well padded and comfortable to wear on your back. It has a unique split zipper design that cuts the bag in half if you unzip it all the way. It has one huge main compartment with one external deep side pocket (great for keys and stuff that you need to access quickly) and one internal mesh pocket perfect for memory cards, batteries, filters and other small gear.

One nice feature is that while it is a Nikon branded bag, the Nikon logo is actually hidden since it’s on the side of the backpack that rests against your back so like other Crumpler bags, it doesn’t scream camera gear inside.

It has a removable camera ‘bucket’ that velcros into the bottom of the backpack which is also branded with the Nikon logo:

It easily carries my D90, 50mm lens, Lensbaby Composer, 10.5mm Fisheye lens, SB-400 flash, Zi6 videocamera and GPS unit with lots of room above inside for some other stuff like a light jacket, lunch, etc. It’s the perfect backpack for a photowalk.

I had initially came across this video on Youtube which sold me on the backpack and shows how it all ‘works’ together:

The only downside with this bag is that because it’s made by a different company than the Crumpler that is available in North America, it’s got a few minor differences. The main one worth mentioning is that all the bags I have from North American Crumpler have nice, solid metal zipper pulls with the logo embossed on them. This backpack (and another bag I have from Europe) has plastic zipper pulls. The North American ones just seem beefier. A minor issue to be sure but a difference nonetheless.

I love this backpack.

Feel free to tag yourself and post your sixth photo on the sixth page of your Flickr account in the comments as cross tagging is already going on, so I’m not going to try to tag anyone else.

This is the next best thing to an Apple Store opening in Vancouver…and just as dangerous.

Check them out in person or online if you’re looking for a cool new messenger bag or backpack – especially for your laptop or camera gear as they have shapes and colours to fit just about anything you’d want to carry. They also have cool, Crumpler branded shopping bags, purses, wallets and even camera straps.

Oh and they are hiring too!

Is it weird for a guy to like gadget bags? I think I have a bag/pouch/container for just about everything gadget I own. I guess I like to protect my stuff. I especially like Crumpler bags.

The latest one I bought a few months back was the Crumpler Keystone which is a laptop and camera bag. It’s very light, small, heavily padded and perfect for running around taking pictures at geek events.

What else can I say, I love the bags that Crumpler makes and keep getting them anytime I see a new one (or get something that needs a bag). I wish there were more companies that cared this much about their products and had such a unique way of marketing them.

Sometimes they send me stuff too (I highly recommend you sign up for their newsletter):

Totally irreverent marketing (who else takes beer in trade for their products?), completely unusable but fun flash website and awesome containers/protectors for geek tech – what more could you want?

More of them of course!