A few people from the creative team at Surfer Magazine took our new DryZone bags down to a remote area of Baja (we’re not disclosing the spot to honor the surfer’s code of privacy!). Their assignment: to “chase a South Swell” for an upcoming profile on Santa Cruz pro surfer Josh Mulcoy.

Photo editor Grant Ellis and writer Kimball Taylor packed up the DryZone BP 40L and DryZone DF 20L with Grant’s go-to kit to cover this kind of story: Canon 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8, 85mm f/1.2, 50mm, 14mm and 100-400mm lenses. And he included his Hasselblad and Canon 1V film cameras.

“These bags are great for this kind of a trip because you never know what you might encounter. In this case, they were small enough to fit in the plane we flew in – we could wedge the bags in with all our other gear,” Grant said.

“Since we never know if we have to catch a fishing boat to reach a certain spot or encounter a sand storm during the trip, it was great to have the confidence that these DryZone bags would keep our gear safe.”

“On this journey, we encountered 30-knot winds with dust and dirt flying around. The outer shell of the pack and duffel are deep and easy to roll open and closed during shooting. The bags held up great and I can’t wait to get them out there on the next adventure.”

To find out more about the DryZone bags – including the features of each style and how-to seal properly, check out our site. For gorgeous surf shots, portraiture and lifestyle imagery, please visit Grant’s web site. Read intriguing stories, blogs and interviews by Kimball Taylor. And see awesome video and posts from Josh Mulcoy’s world of surfing competition and travel.

Thanks guys!

Vermont-based Dan Bigos, our national sales manager for Photo Specialty, is a frequent traveler, passionate photographer and expert on packing a camera bag to the max. He took the new Transit Backpack 350 AW on a recent trip to Boston, with Ty Wivell (our national sales Manager for Outdoor), also a passionate photographer. The Transit Backpack 350 at Fenway Park – home of the Boston Red Sox and the oldest Major League Baseball stadium still in use – was obviously a highlight. We asked Dan to share his impressions and what he packed.  Here’s the scoop:

“The fast access on this pack is great. I can drop it down to my shoulder, pull out my camera and get the shot with minimal effort. I went from Burlington, Vermont to New York to Boston with it utilizing many forms of transportation and with all, traveling was a breeze.

The access to my 15″ laptop was convenient – especially when going through airport security. I had a lot of personal space that was also easily accessible without having to open the whole bag up; a great feature especially when it’s under the seat in front of you.”

“I carry a lot of gear in my bags. In the Transit 350 Backpack, I load up about 23 to 25 pounds. Want to know what’s in my pack? Here’s the list.”

Nikon D7000
Nikkor 28-300 and 50mm, Tamron 10-24mm
Nikon SB 910 Speedlight
Pentax Optio WG-1
Dell 15.4″ notebook
iPad w/ Acme Made case
Garmin Nuve, stand & charger
JOBY GripTight Micro/Gorillapod tripods
JOBY UltraFit Sling Strap
SanDisk SD cards in Lowepro S&F Memory Wallet 20
Western Digital Passport hard drive
Lowepro S&F Bottle Pouch
Lowepro Lens clothes
Honl Photo Flash bender & gels
Samsung Stratosphere
BlackBerry
Flashlight
Assorted cords, chargers and batteries
Personal items (trusted toothbrush, wet wipes, almonds, etc.)

“This is one of the smallest packs in overall shape, size and profile that can carry all of this gear while offering top level protection both impact and weather. It’s very comfortable especially when walking long distances with the heavily padded shoulder straps. As I travel from city to city people (not even photographers) approach me – unsolicited – and remark that the Transit is a ‘great-looking backpack’ and ‘that’s a really sleek bag’. I’ve tested A LOT of bags and for running the streets with a camera, this is the best backpack available.”

Thanks Dan!

We shot our new Transit AW series in an iconic urban setting: New York City. It’s a pretty amazing setting to test a backpack and sling—both reinvented for the pace of urban life. Along with our colleague Josh and his director of photography Alex di Suvero, we had two photographers work as models.

Daniel Savage, a New York-based photographer, surfer and skater used the Transit Sling 250 AW around town. We particularly like his cool way of swinging around the sling for fast access.

Michael Marantz, also based in New York, works as an independent director, cinematographer and digital artist. He carried the Transit Backpack 350 AW day into night and to the top of world for a nice view of the Empire State Building.

Check out the entire view in our video. Get all the details on the new Transit AW series here.

We were excited to see Tyrone Burke’s recent blog post on the benefits of carrying a messenger-style camera bag that does not shout to fellow travelers, ‘I have loads of expensive gear right here’.

Tyrone is the editor of equipment reviews for Canadian Geographic and an avid traveler, writer and photographer (he just got back from a walking trip in Wales). He knows firsthand the frustration of having gear stolen.

“I’ve been burned a few times. Camera gear has been lifted from me on no less than three continents, with my own inattentiveness playing into the theft in at least one case. After I was robbed of a DSLR and lens by thugs in Peru, I swore I wouldn’t ever let it happen again.”

He reviewed our Event Messenger 250 and gives it good marks for flexible gear fit, light weight, appealing color – and a discreet profile. Tyrone took his images at Major’s Hill Park in the capital of Ottawa, located in the gorgeous province of Ontario. Read his full story here.

Are you planning a trip abroad or in your own backyard in the weeks ahead? Let us know what kind of camera kit and bag you’ll carry to keep your gear secure and please share it here or on our Facebook page.

Happy summer travel planning!

We’re back (as promised in our post from May 1) with Camera Club Los Angeles (CCLA) and some cool images of a photographic artist – shot by photographic artist – while carrying our newly launched Photo Sport Shoulder travel camera bag series.

Both photographers are part of CCLA, a pop-up gallery space for emerging and mid-career artists who work in the photographic arts. CCLA provides spaces for group shows, auctions, critiques and lectures within the city of Los Angeles. Photographer Jacquelyn Drayton (we love her impressions of the bag on the hiking trails of LA’s famous Griffith Park) is the owner and creative director of CCLA.

Photographer (and model in these images) Janna Ireland had her worked featured in the most recent CCLA show, Myths. An MFA candidate in the Department of Art at UCLA, Janna presented her thesis project, The Spotless Mirror, at UCLA’s New Wight Gallery in April. She holds a BFA from the Department of Photography and Imaging at NYU. And she’s heading back to NYC soon. “I move a lot, and my work is often about getting to know a place through photographs,” she said.

Here’s what she said about the Photo Sport Shoulder 18L model she tested out:

“My favorite thing about this bag is that it doesn’t look like a camera bag! I don’t always feel safe walking around with a bag that advertises the fact that there’s a camera inside. This bag isn’t shaped like a traditional camera bag, and the Lowepro logo is very discreet.

I usually shoot indoors with lots of lights, and when I’m out shooting on a hike or camping trip, I want to bring as little with me as possible (one camera body, one lens), so I like the small bag.”

Our thanks to Janna and Jacquelyn. We appreciate their enthusiasm for testing out a new bag and are inspired by their work in the photographic fine arts. If you enjoy photography with a fresh, modern, moody and irreverent take on life, check out one of their shows. Next up, i Heart Boy at Contact Photo Lab Los Angeles on Friday, June 21 from 8 to 11pm.

I’m lucky enough to live in a part of Northern California where there’s plenty of open space for overnight hiking trips. Until recently, I used a standard issue backpack. But with the release of the Photo Sport Pro 30L, I can now transport my photo and camping gear in the same bag, and be very comfortable while doing so.

30 liters might not seem like a lot of space, but on my last outing I was able to pack:

• Pentax K-5 DSLR, two zoom lenses and a Canon PowerShot S90
• Down sleeping bag, inflatable sleeping pad, and tent.
• JetBoil stove, 2-day supply of water, and meals
• Down vest, jacket, and extra clothes
• 10 essentials and emergency gear

The bag is designed to accommodate plenty of extra gear in the top compartment. Meanwhile, my cameras are protected in the lower camera box (that’s removable if I need more room for camping gear or want to stow the cameras in a safe place at night). Plus there are straps and buckles for attaching additional items on the outside of the bag. I typically strap my tent or sleeping pad to the bottom of the pack.

The 30 liter storage limit turns out to be a blessing on the trail because my overall weight, including food and water, was only 32 pounds for an overnight trip. And the pack is so comfortable, that I didn’t even remove it while taking breaks on the trail. (I’m usually the first guy to drop his pack.)

And what do I do once I’m on the trail? Here’s a short movie that chronicles my last overnighter with the Photo Sport Pro 30L.

Where will you explore with your Photo Sport?

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

What’s a perfect platform to test out the light weight, flexibility and accessibility of our Flipside Sport AW series you might ask? Well, you might…

Always in pursuit of active adventures, our multi-skilled UK colleague Tim Sadler and his talented biker/photographer friend Tom Laws donned the Flipside Sport 10L AW and 20L AW (respectively) as they competed in the second round of the Mini Enduro bike race series. Pro photographer Charles Robertson took the great shots we’re sharing here.

For those of you not familiar with this form of mountain bike adventure, let’s describe it as a one-day, live-timed, multi-stage race for riders who like to go fast, ride hard and have fun. The May 12th race took place in the Eastridge Woods of Shropshire. Tim and Tom told us these packs worked really well and “comfortably carried camera gear and inner tubes a plenty”.

The Flipside Sport AW pack is designed with a removable camera insert (so you can use this modular functionality to pack other essentials you might use throughout the day) and a hydration-ready side pocket (so you can always have liquid refreshment right at hand).

Tell us what essentials you carry in your Lowepro bags and please share it on our Facebook page.