Mini test

Comfort and convenience make these bags a perfect pick

If you want fast access to your kit, but need the safety of a backpack, try a sling bag…

Backpacks. Messenger bags. Holster bags. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to ways to carry your camera gear. But it’s easy to forget that there is another way: the sling bag. Shaped like a backpack and worn in the same position, slings are distinguished by having just a single shoulder strap that’s worn diagonally across your body, like a car seat belt. This enables you to easily swing the bag to your front in a single move, with its side opening facing up at you. You can then access your gear without having to put the bag down. Accessibility is almost as easy as with a shoulder bag, but despite both being suspended by a single strap, the sling bag’s rearward resting place makes it much more comfortable on those nasty longer excursions.

There’s still only so much weight you’ll want to carry on one shoulder though, so most sling bags are designed to carry just your camera, two or three choice lenses, and essential accessories. This streamlined storage does at least make a sling bag great for slipping through crowded city streets, and you should have no trouble meeting even the strictest airline carry-on size limits.