By no means have I mastered travel gear. I still believe I have lots to learn and optimize however I have just been abroad for 15 days and have been very satisfied with the camera and carry system I used. I believe it’s versatility and ease of use are unparalleled and would like to share.

The problem

I like to travel light, as light as possible. I will not take extra water or food when I’m traveling. Those things I can find on the road. My essential travel list is basically my wallet, some extra local cash money depending on the country, my phone, and two cameras. A Ricoh GR3 and a Canon AE-1 with a 50mm lens.

As you can imagine, both cameras take up some valuable space, making me think twice how to carry them when I’m traveling.

As a photographer, I need easy, fast access to any of my cameras. I also need to be somewhat mindless of my stuff and the possibility of it being stolen, so the carry system has to be secure. As a light traveler (that let’s be honest, sweats a lot on hot climate) I prioritize products that disappear when you don’t need them.

Both these requirements target radically different people. On the one side, camera gear is generally fast to access but big and bulky. On the other, ultralight gear has no padding and is not intended for fast direct access to cameras.

This left me with a need that had not been solved, so I improvised.

So, what do I travel with?

I use a 1.8l Bellroy light belt bag and my Canon AE-1 strapped with a peak design leash. In my Bellroy bag, I carry my Ricoh GR3 with a Peak Design cuff as well as my mobile phone, my wallet, a small battery pack only the days I believe I will need it and some film, also when I believe I need it. Depending on my destination I can also fit in a small packet of wet tissues.

Why is this such a good solution for me?

It is cumbersome to have more than one strap hanging from your body because it is easy to get them tangled (Remember - Fast access to cameras). But if both are hanging from the same shoulder across my body in a way that my bag fits above my camera and it’s strap is below the camera strap, I have fast access to my Canon without interacting at all with the bag or it’s strap, because the bag container is above the camera and I also have fast access to my Ricoh camera, inside the bag, and my phone, which is stored in the back pocket of my bag.

It is important to realize that the bag sits on top of the camera (so the camera can have a wider range of motion and the bag is more secure) and that when both camera and bag are hanging at the side of my torso, they are tightly integrated. No more than two cm separate one from the other, essentially making the system feel integrated.

I mostly use my belt bag as a sling, because it’s easier to handle and has more ventilation than wrapped around my belt, but wrapping the bag around the belt also serves the same purpose, and everything is also easy to access. Less sweaty users will find this system more comfortable but will lack the integrated feeling that comes when both bag and camera hang from the same shoulder.

For those times I have to switch between cameras at a faster pace than normal, I would unclip the Peak Design cuff from my camera, leaving the cuff strapped to my wrist, and the camera inside the sling with the main zipper open and the clip easily accessible from the outside.

There are also times in which I don’t feel safe, and fear a potential theft, so I would move both the camera and the bag to the front of my body. As both objects have similar dimensions, it is very easy to manage them as they where one. This is what makes the whole system good.

In wide road, or when I don’t feel self-conscious about my things getting stolen, I will slide the camera and bag to the rear of my torso, so they keep away from my front torso, and are more ventilated. In crowded spaces, I will use my right hand to get both camera and bag from behind and place them at the from of my torso, so they stay between my two arms, also at a handy location.

What are the cons?

Honestly, not many. If you are not careful, straps might get tangled from time to time, but a slight adjustment is all that is needed to solve this issue. If you travel with more objects and need a bigger bag, the adjustment of the bag and camera may not work because the bag might interfere with the camera. The camera is unprotected and subject to bad weather or theft.