Travel Photography - My custom camera/laptop rolling gear bag

I posted about this project inside another thread, because someone was asking about modding their overnight bag, and some of the techniques I used were useful to him. But then I realized, I never shared this project with my friends on TheMagicInPixels.com (http://www.themagicinpixels.com/forum/) or Dgrin.com (http://www.dgrin.com/), both of which are full of rabid, er, avid photographic enthusiasts who travel a lot, so I typed it out complete and posted it on those other forums. But I thought I'd like to give it its own thread on FT, too. I hope my little project can inspire others to find custom DIY solutions to their own equipment carrying dilemmas.

Chapter I: In which my ridiculously picky nature creates loads of work for me
I travel with a laptop and a lot of camera gear, and I've never liked carrying a camera bag AND laptop bag. I wanted a bag that would carry all my electronics stuff, carry-on size, but with rollers and a handle. But a decent bag with the features I wanted would cost me several hundred dollars, and even then, the possibility that they might not actually do what I wanted when I got one made me very hesitant to spend that money. So I decided to buy an empty bag of the proper size and create my own custom camera/laptop bag.

The basis for this project was a 22" American Tourister roller, which I bought at WalMart:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_001.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_001.jpg)

I chose this bag for several reasons:
1) It's cheap and readily available.
2) It's the max size allowed by most airlines for carry-ons.
3) It includes a laptop sleeve and separate zipped opening on the side,through which you can remove the laptop without opening the main compartment.
4) It has wheels and an extendable handle that is tall enough for me to pull comfortably, despite my 6'-4" height.
5) It's not a camera bag, it's just a suitcase - which means it doesn't have "STEAL ME!" written on it in big, red letters like Pellican or Lowepro or Tenba bags.

Once I had the bag, I modded the living cra... I mean, I extensively modded it to fit my specific needs.

First, I added two U-bolts to it to act as mounting points for a shoulder strap (for those times when I need to carry it instead of rolling it). I drilled through from the outside of the bag, fed the U-bolt ends through, and secured them in place with washers and locking nuts on both sides of the hole.

To make the U-bolt interface stronger, I drilled the holes through the wide plastic bar in the top of the bag which. This plastic bar is there to act as an anchor for the built-in carry handle, which is riveted through the bar. I figured that the plastic bar is strong enough to hold the weight of the bag when I pick it up by the handle, so it ought to be strong enough to hold the bag from a shoulder strap, too.
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_003.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_003.jpg)http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_006.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_006.jpg)

Later, I also added a couple of small web straps to the outside of the bag, to use for my phone, water bottle, or other small items that have belt clips. I used the same technique to attach them to the outside of the bag as I had with the U-bolts, except that I drilled through the plastic hard shell, and on the outside of the bag I used decorative finish washers to give the heads of the machine screws a neater, more pro-like finish.
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_007.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_007.jpg)http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_008.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_008.jpg)

And the coup de gras was when I bought a piece of 4" furniture-grade foam, cut out custom openings for my camera gear, and made an insert that filled the entire bag. My laptop fit into the bag through the bag's original side zip laptop compartment, which put it between the foam and the back of the bag where the handle retracts.
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_011.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_011.jpg)

But that became a problem - the laptop was banging up against the metal handle while in the bag. Solution: I unzipped the liner and inserted a piece of 1" furniture-grade foam beneath it, insulating the laptop from the handle. The black lines I drew on the foam indicate where the handle is beneath it.
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_010.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_010.jpg)

I used the bag in this configuration for several trips over two years, and it was perfect. I was ablt to roll it around airports and hotels easily, it fit in the airplane overhead bins perfectly, and it carried all of the equipment I need in safety and anonymity.

Very clever! Thanks for sharing this! ^

Chapter 2: In which I ditch the foam for something more refined

After about 2 years, I got a new camera (A Canon 50D), and a few other new odds and ends, and found that the foam insert just didn't cut the mustard any more. I could have made a new foam insert, but I wanted something more flexible, as befitting my constantly-changing equipment, moods, and attitudes. I decided to try my hand at creating customizable, Velcro-equipped, foam inserts for my bag, just like those found in a store-bought camera bag.

After a lot of research on the net (I had no idea how many people have created their own camera bag inserts), I settled on a basic design idea and began collecting materials. I bought a foam camping pad from WalMart, some cloth from Joann Fabrics, and some two-sided Velcro from Harbor Freight Tools. I already had thread, and I had bought a nice sewing machine for my camera harnesses about a year ago, so I was equipped with the tools and the materials to get the job done:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_012.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_012.jpg)

I started by cutting the foam mat to size for the bottom and sides of the bag and trying them out for size:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_013.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_013.jpg)

Then I use some scrap cloth to figure out the sizes I needed to cut to cover the various pieces. Once I knew the sizes I needed, I laid out the cloth, ironed it flat, and marked it off for cutting, using a template I printed up with the proper measurements:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_014.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_014.jpg)http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_017.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_017.jpg)

The sides and all of the dividers would have two strips of Velcro along their lengths, and strips on the end tabs, so they could all fit together and be re-configured as my needs change. This is a common configuration of for store-bought camera bags. To get the Velcro on the sides, I sewed it onto the cut out cloth pieces while they were still flat:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_020.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_020.jpg)

Once the lengthwise Velcro was on, I folded each piece over with the Velcro on the inside, and sewed it to make a tube. The tube was then turned inside-out, bringing the Velcro outside:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_021.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_021.jpg)http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_022.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_022.jpg)

Next, I slid the foam pads into the tubes. Because I had measures carefully and made a couple of prototypes out of scrap, the tubes fit perfecely, nice and tight around the pad, which made it necessary to bend the pad a little to slide it into the tube:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_023.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_023.jpg)http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_024.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_024.jpg)

Once the foam was in the tubes, it was time to close up the ends. I folded the ends inside and pinned them, forming a nice, neat end piece, and sewed it together:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_025.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_025.jpg)http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_026.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_026.jpg)

Once the ends were closed, I added a strip of Velcro to each of them. NOTE: on the sides, the loop (fuzzy part) of the Velcro is out, but on the ends, the hook (plastic part) is out, so they will stick together:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_029.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_029.jpg)http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_030.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_030.jpg)

The bottom of the bag received a cloth cover, too, but this one was more like a pillow case that slides on and off easily. The only Velcro I put on the bottom piece was on the bottom surface, in an outline, so that the sides could be adhered to it with a few strips of loose Velcro:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_032.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_032.jpg)http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_033.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_033.jpg)

And then I fit the pieces all together in a bench fit:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_031.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_031.jpg)

Since it all fit, I shoved, er, placed it carefully into the bag:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_039.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_039.jpg)

And filled it with my camera junk:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_036.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_036.jpg)http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_037.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_037.jpg)

When packing it for travel, I top it off with a neoprene laptop sleeve. The sleeve doesn't have my laptop in it, though; it's there to act as an impact cushion:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/thumbs/th2011-05-02_038.jpg (http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02_038.jpg)

The full set of pics of this project can be seen here:
http://www.willcad.org/photos/2011/2011-05-02/2011-05-02.html

I haven't used the new dividers during travel yet, but I'm looking forward to my upcoming Walt Disney World trip in October as a trial by fire.

Very interesting idea. Thanks for sharing.
Where did you get the furniture foam, and who custom cut the holes for you?

Excuse my ignorance but can you explain what you pack into all those compartments? What is the list of gear you bring with you for photography? Thanks in advance for enlightening me.

Your projects certainly look quite clever and creative, and are much cheaper solutions than retail bags.

Sorry for the delay in relying, folks, but I had no electrical power for a day after Hurricane Irene swept through Maryland. Fortunately, though, damage was lighter than expected and power is being restored very quickly thanks to the valiant efforts of hundreds of utility company crews, many of whom were actually out working while the storm still raged.

My own power was out for only 17 hours.

Very interesting idea. Thanks for sharing.
Where did you get the furniture foam, and who custom cut the holes for you?

Not to sound flippant, but I got the foam from a foam store!

There is, strange as it may seem, a store in East Baltimore which sells furniture-grade foam rubber. I guess there is more of a demand for it than I realized; lots of people buy foam pads to use as mattresses, or when creating custom furniture projects, or in craft projects like mine. The piece I used in the bag cost about $20, as I recall.

The person in the foam store cut the foam to size for me, but I cut all of the holes for the gear myself, using a couple of sharp, straight kitchen knives. A few of the edges are rougher than they appear in the photos, but I wasn't terribly concerned with looks when I made the foam insert, I just wanted cushion for the gear, and it worked perfectly.

Excuse my ignorance but can you explain what you pack into all those compartments? What is the list of gear you bring with you for photography? Thanks in advance for enlightening me.

Your projects certainly look quite clever and creative, and are much cheaper solutions than retail bags.

Yes, I supposed it is a lot of stuff. Okay, here's what's in bag in the pics (it's different now, I've changed up some gear), by column, from top to bottom.

Lid:
Camera harness
Camera neck strap

Left Column:
Canon Speedlite 220EX flash
Canon Speedlite 420EX flash
Remote shutter release cable
USB interface cable
Various microfiber lens cloths
Padded hand strap
LED flashlight

Middle column:
Bag of keychain flashlights
Canon EOS 50D camera with Canon EF-S 18-200 IS lens
Canon BG-E2N Battery grip for 50D
4 AA Batteries (spares for Speedlites)

Right column:
Canon SD1400IS point & shoot camera in carry case
Canon EF-S 55-250 IS lens
Battery chargers for Canon BP-511 batteries
Carry case (black) for spare batteries and memory cards
Storage case (white) for spare batteries

I've changed my equipment somewhat since that pic. I no longer carry the 55-250 lens; with an 18-200, it just doesn't make sense to carry the extra weight for 50 more mm. I also have a different P&S now, and I don't carry both Speedlites. Recently I added a Gorillapod SLR Zoom with ball head to my lineup, and I'm very pleased with it, but I had to re-arrange the bag somewhat to accommodate it. Which means that I'm happy that I made the bag so easy to reconfigure!

Awesome project! I may do something similar for my wife's camera for our upcoming vacation.

Awesome project! I may do something similar for my wife's camera for our upcoming vacation.

How about posting some pics? I love seeing other projects, they give me ideas for my own.

I have been wanting to improve my current bag for a while and I think you just gave me the inspiration to do it!

That is very cool! But would security not have a problem.. going throough it all?

That is very cool! But would security not have a problem.. going throough it all?

No more so than any store-bought bag with similar dividers. People take them on planes all the time.

No more so than any store-bought bag with similar dividers. People take them on planes all the time.

That's great! Really love you handy work! :)

Great write up! Thank you for sharing this - I will use it to beef up one of my older bag which has been banged up quite a bit.
Thanks again.

You could have saved me a lot of money. Well, maybe. I don't think I have the necessary fabrication skills. Kudos to that for sure!

No more so than any store-bought bag with similar dividers. People take them on planes all the time.

Nope, if anything, I swear the guy running the xray machine is muttering under his breath that he really doesn't want to deal with it when he sees mine on the belt if anything. The most I've seen them do is back it up once on the belt and that's it.

You could have saved me a lot of money. Well, maybe. I don't think I have the necessary fabrication skills. Kudos to that for sure!



Nope, if anything, I swear the guy running the xray machine is muttering under his breath that he really doesn't want to deal with it when he sees mine on the belt if anything. The most I've seen them do is back it up once on the belt and that's it.

Well, let's see:

Bag $40 when I bought it; most similar bags are about $50-$60 now.

U-bolts, machine screws, lock nuts, & washers, about $10

Camping mat $6

Cloth $12

Velcro $7

Thread $4

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Total materials: about $79+tax. Total labor: about 18 hours (multiply by whatever hourly rate you feel appropriate).

Is it still cheaper than your bag?

It's possible but I guess to be somewhat fair, I'd also have to add in the cost of sewing in some backpack straps that can hide away as I often find it easier to carry my bag over longer distances like that. Which means finding someone who can do an extra burly sewing job. Finding a seamstress would be one thing, finding someone to do the heavy duty stuff would be quite another around here.

Wow! This is fantastic -- making a fully customized case at low cost.....great idea to start with an "anonymous" bag for less attention.....and with a laptop compartment means taking all the delicate and valuable stuff all in one carry-on!

For others thinking of doing this, but don't have the sewing/drilling skills...... local shoe repair or luggage repair shops often have the heavy-duty sewing machines and hole punches to add staps, pouches, etc if you bring them the raw materials. Or, at the fabric supply shops (look for local non-chain stores) there's often a bulletin board with names of local sewers who take on projects. Also, check with furniture upholstery/recovering shops which have the heavy-duty sewing skills and materials.

For the foam block-and-velcro inserts --- maybe wrap the foam blocks you cut to size with a plastic-y or plastic-backed fabric which you can fold around the foam like wrapping a present, and glue the edges closed. Strips of Velcro comes with a stickly adhesive backing in long rolls at hardware stores and some fabric stores.

This reminds me of a project many years ago when those starfish-shaped conference phones were an expensive high-tech item, so I had to travel with one. Using thick foam cut to hold the 3-armed phone and accessories, and a sleeve made out of fabric already quilted with padding made a safe, customized carrying case for daily air travel. Big fabric/sewing stores are just like a good hardware store..... lots and lots of raw materials (fabrics, straps, grommets, etc) to aid your imagination for practical custom projects.

It's possible but I guess to be somewhat fair, I'd also have to add in the cost of sewing in some backpack straps that can hide away as I often find it easier to carry my bag over longer distances like that. Which means finding someone who can do an extra burly sewing job. Finding a seamstress would be one thing, finding someone to do the heavy duty stuff would be quite another around here.

Any seamstress can create a good padded strap for you. It's attaching it to the bag that's the stopping point - but it doesn't have to be.

Sewing onto a completed bag is difficult, but look over my project - I didn't sew a single thing to my bag. Not one stitch.

Everything that attached to the bag itself is attached by drilling holes through the side or top panels, and using screws, U-bolts, nuts, and washers.

For backpack straps, I'd add the U-bolts to the top the way I did on my bag (which will allow you to use backpack or shoulder straps), and add a short stub to the side panels, with a buckle on the end. Your backpack straps will have a snap-hook on the top, to clip onto the U-bolts, and the opposite end of the buckle on the bottom, to attach to the stub. Easy to install, easy to attach and detach on the go, and replaceable if damaged or lost or you simply want a new set.

You also have the option of choosing a large wheeled backpack as your bag, then adding the dividers to it. The one drawback to this plan is that wheeled backpacks don't seem to be available in sizes as large as a 21" roller, but if you don't need that size and want a smaller bag anyway, this can be an advantage. I chose the 21" roller because I needed a lot of space for my gear.

Wow! This is fantastic -- making a fully customized case at low cost.....great idea to start with an "anonymous" bag for less attention.....and with a laptop compartment means taking all the delicate and valuable stuff all in one carry-on!

For others thinking of doing this, but don't have the sewing/drilling skills...... local shoe repair or luggage repair shops often have the heavy-duty sewing machines and hole punches to add staps, pouches, etc if you bring them the raw materials. Or, at the fabric supply shops (look for local non-chain stores) there's often a bulletin board with names of local sewers who take on projects. Also, check with furniture upholstery/recovering shops which have the heavy-duty sewing skills and materials.

For the foam block-and-velcro inserts --- maybe wrap the foam blocks you cut to size with a plastic-y or plastic-backed fabric which you can fold around the foam like wrapping a present, and glue the edges closed. Strips of Velcro comes with a stickly adhesive backing in long rolls at hardware stores and some fabric stores.

This reminds me of a project many years ago when those starfish-shaped conference phones were an expensive high-tech item, so I had to travel with one. Using thick foam cut to hold the 3-armed phone and accessories, and a sleeve made out of fabric already quilted with padding made a safe, customized carrying case for daily air travel. Big fabric/sewing stores are just like a good hardware store..... lots and lots of raw materials (fabrics, straps, grommets, etc) to aid your imagination for practical custom projects.


I've never used fabric glue, so I don't know how well it holds up to repeated use, but it's an option for those who don't sew.

I will say this, however - I hate, hate, hate adhesive Velcro! The adhesive is always weaker than the hook and loop, so when you stick it to something and try to separate the hook and loop, the adhesive gives way and both pieces come off instead of separating. The adhesive also breaks down into gummy gunk over time, particularly when exposed to multiple heat/cold cycles, and makes a heck of a mess.

I sometimes walk around the fabric stores, craft stores, and home centers in my area, just looking at stuff and getting ideas.

Ah, ok. I'm currently using a 21" roller/backpack combo camera bag. It can be done, I guess it just has to be purpose built. I needed bigger but then it would fail international carry-on standards. So now I have to pack my computer separate from the camera gear.

Great work!

Great work!

Thanks a lot

I recently had to retire the original bag, because I bought a new laptop which didn't fit. I replaced it with a slightly larger bag, same width but taller and deeper, and the inserts work beautifully in the new bag, too.

Wow, this is great. I think you could easily market and sell these. Really good idea.

Very nice. I've seen reference to your bag in a couple threads but never looked at this thread until now. I don't have enough gear to warrant something like this but for those who do that's a great DIY solution.

There is something like this for sale at any retailer?

There is something like this for sale at any retailer?

Sure, there are lots of nice camera bags of similar size on the market. But most of them go for $200US or more, and I simply didn't have the money. Also, since I put it together in stages, the cost was spread out a bit and I didn't have to buy it all at once.

Thanks for sharing this steps.I am trying to make it by my own.