Breaking My Kit In Two

I usually haul almost all of my gear (everything except chargers) around in a Tamrac Ultra Pro 13 shoulder bag. The gear really fills the bag and it weighs 30 pounds.

For the next couple of months I decided to separate my gear into two separate kits. I've done this before and always go back to the single bag within a few days. This time, though, my two smaller bags are more suited to their purposes and I hope I'll stick with it longer.

In the past, the smaller bags were either backpacks that had to be taken off to access the gear or slingbags that were so large they couldn't be worn comfortably. My solution at this point is a smaller slingbag and a compact but deep shoulder bag.

The slingbag is a Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW which fits my EOS 5D Mark II without the battery grip with the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens attached. It also fits the EF 17-40mm f/4L and EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lenses together with a 430EX II flash, filters, batteries, remote release and lens hoods. I also picked up a nice, light travel tripod, a Benro A150EXU, which attaches nicely to the side of the bag.

Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW

The shoulder bag is a ThankTank Photo Speed Racer V2.0 which fits my EOS 1D Mark III with the EF 70-200 f/2.8L lens attached with the EF 300mm f/4L IS lens alongside. It also fits a 580EX II flash with better beamer flash extender, EF 1.4XII extender and batteries for the flash and camera.

ThankTank Photo Speed Racer V2.0 

This nice shoulder bag also has a waist belt and is unique for its size in that it will hold a "pro sized" body and longer lenses.

ThankTank Photo Speed Racer V2.0 

While it is possible to carry both bags at the same time, the Speed Racer is the bag I took to New York City for the Photo Plus Expo and it weighs more in this configuration than it did on that occasion. After all, the single bag weighed 30 pounds and the only items of consequence not in one of the two smaller bags from that bag are a 430EX II flash, some light modifiers and a Timer Remote Controller.

The point to two bags is to separate out types of shooting and only bring what I plan on using. I can still always carry both bodies on the dual harness once I'm at my destination.

We'll see how long it lasts this time.

UPDATE: Well, here's the problem with the two bag system. You really need to have both bags anyway. If it's raining or snowing, for instance, and I want to shoot landscapes, I'll want the 1DIII and the 17-40mm lens since both are rain proof. For other purposes I might want the 70-200mm lens to pair with the 5DII.

So all you're doing by storing the gear in two bags is adding another bag to carry. So I guess it's back to one big bag, the Tamrac Ultra Pro 13, for storage with the smaller bags available for the various situations for which they might be useful. This large bag actually holds quite a bit more gear than the two smaller bags combined.

Tamrac Ultra Pro 13