Caden K1 Triangle Shoulder Camera Bag (Khaki) by Mystery

This is a very good camera bag. It has four pockets on the outside and a cavernous interior. The interior can be rearranged as needed with three velcro panels or walls that stick to the interior and each other. There are also two pockets that could hold SD cards, two pockets that could hold batteries or a small notebook and a pencil holder.

Each pocket is protected by a big parachute clip so it would be pretty hard for enterprising pickpockets to get into your bag in an airport or amusement park line.

The padding is thick, the velcro pads are super sticky. I would not be afraid to stick my camera in this bag and toss it in the back of my car. I wouldn't throw it off a cliff, but this bag is more than enough for normal wear and tear on a camera.

There is a shoulder strap that adjusts easily and can go from hand bag length to full purse length. There is also a waist or chest strap. The waist/chest strap could also be used to slide over a luggage handle. 

Lastly, the bag has a little raincoat to cover the area that would be exposed if you were wearing the camera bag during a rainstorm. It is kept on with elastic and a little strap that clips around the shoulder strap so you don't lose the little raincoat.

This bag does not need to be restricted to cameras. On a long trip, this would be a great bag to put your phone, your passport and anything else you want to be kept near you.

I rate this camera bag 5 stars out of 5.

Note: I received a free camera bag so that I could write an honest review.

As of the time of this review this bag cost $22.85 on Amazon.com. Click here for current pricing: Caden K1 Triangle Shoulder Camera Bag by Mystery.

Winkine Durable Vintage Casual Lightweight Canvas Backpack - Travel School College Shoulder Bag / Bookbag / Daypack by IBSound

    I Am Torn When It Comes to This Bag. 

I am torn when it comes to this bag. First off, let me tell you that I was offered a review copy of this bag from IBsound so I paid nothing for it in exchange for an honest review.

Second, I have to tell you that I actually received two copies of this bag. The first one I received came without two of the three magnetic belt cinch straps that are used to close the pockets. I was sent another one right away. I would not even have mentioned the problem with the first bag (mistakes happen and they fixed it right away) except that the second bad also had an issue. The loop handle at the top was not sewn correctly - there's no way that anyone would have purchased it at a store the way it was sewn. But, I just took the belt straps from the new bag and put them on the old bag and between the two of them I had one complete bag. But, I felt that I had to report that both copies that I was sent had problems.

My high school-aged daughter loved the bag on sight and she used it for 4 show choir events to keep her personal items in. These show choir events are literally all day events (18+ hours long) so she really got to know the bag well. She siad that she would rate it a B/B-, which I interpret as 4 stars on the 5 star scale that I use.

But, when I told her he price of this bag she was troubled. At the time of this review the asking price for this bag is $28.99. (Check here for current pricing:Winkine Durable Vintage Casual Lightweight Canvas Backpack).  She said that she would pay no more than $15 for this bag, especially when compared the $45.58 price tag of her heavy duty school backpack that gets a real workout every day (she goes to a large high school and does not have the chance to go to her locker between classes so she carries everything in it) and looks as good as the day she got it.

The bag is made of a lightweight canvas. The straps, buckles and loop at the top are all made of a plastic leather-like material (I call it "pleather"). This pleather is better than the pleather of the past but is not fooling anyone within 5 feet of it. The main pocket has a cinch top. Inside, there is a additional zipper pocket to hold something small like a wallet or some change. My daughter put her battery to re-charge her cell phone in it. The leather straps are meant to look like they cinch shut but the buckles are merely decorative and the pockets are actually held shut by a magnet. If you do not overfill them, they will stay shut.

This is a lightweight bag. Don't try to use it as a heavy duty bag to carry a bunch of textbooks - it was not designed for it and it will not hold up. 

Considering everything, I have to rate this bag 3 stars out of 5.

SOLO Urban Universal Tablet Sling

A very well made, basic laptop bag.

My job has provided me with an 11.6 inch Chromebook and I was just sliding it in a cloth satchel I have and protecting it with the papers I carry home to grade. But, that never seemed to be a smart choice. So, when I was offered a chance to test this computer bag I was glad to actually carry my Chromebook properly.

Positives:

-This bag is well-constructed. The stitching seems strong, the zippers feel solid. 

-The bag is padded but not overly so - it does not feel like it would take a fall from a tall building but it has enough padding that you can plop the bag down on a desktop and not worry about cracking open your laptop.

-It is sized for the smaller laptop, which is good if you have one - small laptops just slide around in the bigger bags and scrunch up your papers.

-The shoulder strap adjusts easily but does not move on its own.

-The two smaller outer pockets are generous enough to hold my wireless mouse, my cell phone, my kindle and the charger cord for the Chromebook.

Negatives:

-The bag does not have a lot of extra space for anything besides the laptop in the main pocket. You can bring a legal pad and a folder or two but not much else.

Bottom line, this is a very well made, basic laptop bag.

Note: I received a free bag through the Amazon Vine Program in exchange for an honest review. 

At the time this review was written, this bag was $29.99 on Amazon.com. Click here for current pricing: SOLO Urban Universal Tablet Sling, Grey (UBN210-10)

I rate this bag 4 stars out of 5. 

Sherpani Nuage Ultralight Luggage by Sherpani

I am giving this carry-on bag five stars, but it is a qualified five stars.

The Nuage Ultralight with all of the zippers
unzipped and the telescoping handle
extended. Photo by DWD.

Let me offer an analogy:

Luggage is kind of like cars and trucks - there are big trucks that are designed to carry lots of freight and have little concern about creature comforts (in the luggage world this would be a trunk). There are pick-up trucks that try to carry a lot and offer durability and some comfort (in the luggage world this would be an old-fashioned Samsonite suitcase). Then, there are little sports cars that are all about the driver's experience but only have two seats or limited trunk space. This piece of luggage is the little sports car of the luggage world - it is light, nimble and perfect if you're not bringing a whole lot of extras with you.

Sherpani says that this us "ultralight luggage" and they fulfill that promise. Rolling along empty at a mere 3.9 pounds this luggage has been stripped of anything that might make it heavy. The shell is composed of a light nylon-type fabric filled with 8 zippered pockets and compartments - two inside the lid, one that sort of flops around inside, a shoe pocket in the bottom that zips (I never noticed it at first), a big pocket in the back/bottom to hold maps or a portfolio or a laptop and pocket inside of that pocket. The double layered "lid"also zips open and there is an outside pocket on it as well.

All zipped up. Photo by DWD.

The single column telescoping handle does not inspire confidence. It feels loose, but I've had handles like this fail before and feeling loose really had nothing to do with it. To its credit, the handle goes all of the way down and connects to the axle that connects the two wheels. Yes, unlike some cheaper bags that I've owned, this one actually has an axle between the two wheels even though it must have been tempting to not do that to save weight. It also has a metal tube frame that goes all of the way around the back/bottom of the bag, including a stand to protect the cloth cover of the bag when you stand it up as you are rolling through the airport.

Besides the telescoping handle, there are two other very comfortable handles - one on top (like a backpack has) and one on the side, like a traditional suitcase.

The manufacturer makes it clear that this a carry-on and only a carry-on. The lifetime warranty is voided if this bag is checked by an airline. Unlike some carry-ons that can be checked, this one would not do well being tossed around by the baggage handlers.

So, to sum up: this bag is fantastic for what it is - a lightweight bag perfect for overnight trips.