Need a good camera bag. Thinking of the Slingshot?

Question

I'm looking for a good camera for air travel (carry-on) and general hiking/day-trips/etc. Currently I have a Canon gadget bag which holds everything fine but sucks for travelling due to the shoulder strap. I have a Rebel Xti, 70-300mm zoom lens, 17-85mm lens, 50mm lens, Speedlite 430EX (coming soon!), and various filters, accessories, etc.

So I'm thinking of getting the Lowepro Slingshot 100 which seems really comfortable and will fit my stuff well. The only drawback I can see is that there is no strap for a tripod. I'd hate to have to carry it. Anyone been able to jerry-rig something to strap the tripod on? Or can you recommend a different bag that will fit my needs and carry a tripod? I'd really like to get a sling style pack but I guess I might have to go the MiniTrekker route. Looking to stick around or under $100

Answer 1

Yeah, I hate how it has no tripod holder. If you're going to be hiking and walking around a lot more, I would actually go with one of the Fastpack series. You have a bit more room, and it has the same quick-and-easy side-opening, too. Plus, with a real backpack, you'll have a lot more support and you'll feel more comfortable. The sling type bags are generally best for when you're bicycling.

You could always go with the bottom one in the Vertex series for the tripod holder, but then you could only carry camera gear and you wouldn't have any misc. room. I would just rig it on there in some way. If you're serious, you could just sew on some strong cord and make your own tripod holder out of one of the water-bottle holders on the side. (That's actually what I plan to do with my Fastpack).