If you’ve watched my previous travel videos on OLJ, then you know how much I love a good carry-on bag.  I like to bring not only the majority of my electronics and photography gear on the plane with me for safekeeping, but also quite a few personal effects.  While I admire the people who can walk on a plane with just a book and a bottle of water, that is definitely not my style.  As much as I love to go places, the actual process of traveling is not my favorite part.  I like bringing a nice variety of things to do ranging from journals and books to knitting and computer work to act as distractions for me in transit.  Since I carry a good amount with me on any given flight, I require a roomy, well-designed, and easy to carry multi-functional bag to put everything in.

I rotate between a couple of different styles of carry-ons depending on my travel needs.  I bought this Case Logic backpack just over a year ago, because I was interested in a sturdy bag designed to carry photography equipment.  I travel out to the family vacation home in Utah about four times a year for extended stays ranging anywhere from two to four weeks, which means I need my dSLR camera and all of its accessories so I can continue filming and taking photographs for my posts while I am in Utah.  I was first introduced to this bag while watching Ingrid Nilsen’s vlogs on her YouTube channel, TheGridMonster, awhile ago.  After checking out reviews of it on Amazon I decided to take the plunge and am so very glad that I did as its proved to be one of my most favorite carry-on bags of all time!

The Case Logic SLRC-206 SLR Camera and 15.4-Inch Laptop Backpack is an extremely well-designed bag.  Even though it is marketed as a camera bag, the repositionable and removable inserts make it so that it can suit a variety of purposes and needs.  The bag is built to last with a heavy-gauge nylon exterior and reinforced zippers with easy to grab pulls.  One of my favorite features of the bag is its water-resistant molded EVA base, which acts as a “helmet” of sorts for the bottom of the bag.  I never worry about storing delicate equipment in the bottom of this backpack!  Plus, it makes it so it can stand upright on its own, which is a nice feature.  The bag measures 17″ tall x 12.5″ wide by 8″ deep and weighs in at just 2.7 pounds, which is pretty lightweight considering just how rugged it is.

When you receive the bag, it comes set up with the removable shelves and walls just like you see in the above photo on the right.  The hammock system is designed so that you can suspend your camera for easy reach in, reach out access while out on a shoot.  The top interior flap is lined with memory foam to help protect the back of the camera when stored in this way.  There are a couple of velcro tabs that close over the main compartment’s zipper about a third of the way down from the top so that if you just want to remove your camera, all of your other equipment stored in the bottom stays secure.  I personally don’t use it in this function, because I take the bag for travel and not on shoots, but it is an excellent feature and easy to recreate if I want to in the future.  I store the majority of the removable parts separately from the bag and just keep one of the walls and one of the shelves for traveling with my Canon T4i and an extra lens.

Other great features of the bag include the “strap management system,” which keeps the excess straps (so that the shoulder straps are adjustable) that would otherwise hang down rolled up and out of the way.  The bright yellow interior makes it very easy to see the bag’s contents.  I also find the bag’s fit to be very comfortable with a good amount of cushioning and airflow design where the bag rests on your back.

The exterior of the bag also features some great built-in organizational components.  One side of the bag has a long and narrow zip compartment with two small mesh pouches.  These are perfect for stowing my iPhone and vlogging camera, a Canon PowerShot S120, for easy access while on the go.  I like that they can be zipped in for extra security.  The other side of the bag features a couple of straps designed to hold a tripod.  I haven’t had an occasion to travel with a tripod as of yet since I already have one out at the Utah house, so I actually use these straps to hold either a tall water bottle (Smart Water fits perfectly!) or a sweatshirt.

There is a shallow compartment in the back of the bag designed to hold a laptop computer.  This feature was a must for me when researching camera backpacks and is surprisingly hard to come by.  The laptop compartment is quite roomy and can comfortably hold my 15″ MacBook Pro with its case by Kuzy.  I can also fit my travel folder and a couple of magazines in there.

The smaller pocket on the front of the bag opens all the way flat and includes several built in slip pockets.  I keep a few pens, extra poopy bags for my dog, feminine supplies, and cough drops in there and not much else.  I don’t like to store too much in this part of the bag for security reasons.

The main compartment’s flap features a few built in zip pockets, including a larger extra padded one that’s great for camera batteries or a small external hard drive.  I generally tuck my password file and checkbook in there.  A smaller water resistant pouch above it is the perfect place for memory cards.

The backpack flap actually opens fully just like a suitcase as opposed to a standard backpack design which you have to reach into.  This is a great feature especially if you’re a fan of vertical packing and organization like me.  As you can see, I have all of my In-Flight Essentials stacked vertically for easy identification and access.  My dSLR camera and extra lens are tucked safely to the side within the padded removable walls.  I store everything else from the top of the backpack to bottom by frequency of use, with my most used items up at the top for easy access when the bag is stowed under the seat on the plane.  This bag also fits in every overhead compartment I’ve ever tried ranging in size from regional jets to much larger ones.

If you’d like a closer look at the Case Logic backpack including how I pack it, please check out my coordinating video:

I am hosting a giveaway to coordinate with this post since I love this backpack so much and want to share the love. The Case Logic Backpack Giveaway will run until Friday, August 29, 2014 at 6 PM CT. The giveaway is open internationally.  All entrants under the age of 18 must have parental permission to enter. Two people will win a brand new Case Logic SLRC-206 SLR Camera and 15.4-Inch Laptop Backpack. You can enter by following the directions in the Rafflecopter widget posted below (check out this blog post for more information on entering Rafflecopter giveaways). I will contact the winners directly though email, as always. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sometimes Rafflecopter experiences technical difficulties. If you can’t enter for some reason, try again later and it will probably work.

I’d love to know what your favorite carry-on bag is.  Please share in the comments if you’d like!  I’m also interested in any requests for other travel and packing posts.
Happy Organizing & Safe Travels!

 * Post contains affiliate links. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own. *