I have been looking for a camera bag for a few years now…basically ever since I got my camera and lenses from Stefan. First I was using his old camera bag, but it was a bit too big and just not very practical since it always seemed to be falling off my shoulder and there were no dividers so everything was just sorta jumbled around in the bag. Then I harvested half of an older Polaroid bag which sorta looked like a bug and it was working pretty well for my basic lenses…but there was no room for a flash or much else. And to be honest I haven’t used the external flash at all yet (I generally avoid using a flash altogether and don’t do many night shots) but it just still wasn’t the ideal bag. I will say that it is a very worthwhile bag, though, because it actually saved my camera when we were in the accident (and I fear the older one wouldn’t have since everything was so loose in there) so at least we got our money’s worth in that scenario.

Part of my problem was that I just wasn’t really sure what I was looking for…but I figured I would know it when I saw it. What I thought I wanted was something with more of a messenger bag feel that I could easily get my lenses in and out of, without having to worry that half my stuff would fall out whenever I was changing lenses. But I wasn’t even sure something like that existed. I’d seen plenty of bags from Lowepro and I was leaning in their direction, but none of the bags really seemed perfect for me.

So on Saturday morning in Hamburg, before we met up with everyone at Starbucks, Stefan and I were out looking for some breakfast and we discovered a photo store. It was a relatively small place, but insanely well stocked. And as soon as I walked in the door, I knew I’d found my new camera bag. Sitting in the middle of their wall of bags, was a bunch of Crumpler photography bags…and I’d never even heard of the company before. But I was instantly drawn to the style of the bags and their cool look. There was none of that, “Yes, I’m a camera bag, what else could I possibly be” feeling. These bags were just good looking and built for photographers on the go.

I didn’t mess around with looking very long. I was pretty certain that the first bag I put my hands on was “The One.” But there were two bags that were nearly identical, except one was just a tiny bit larger. I went with the Messenger Boy 6000 Limited in a blue striped fabric, which was the slightly smaller bag. From the current models, it’s most similar to the 5 Million Dollar Home.

Crumpler Messenger Boy 6000 review

There are two hardcore buckles to keep the bag closed, but what is even more practical when you’re on the move and changing lenses a lot are the huge Velcro pieces under the buckles. The bag stays closed (and I really don’t think a thief would get those suckers open without you noticing because they are pretty loud) but you can get in and out really quickly without worrying that you’re going to lose something along the way.

The fabric of their bags is also really nice. It’s not just the usual plain stuff…and it’s not overly funky either. Plus it’s 1000d Chicken Tex Supreme™ hyper performance fabric — which makes the outside of the bag waterproof. I don’t know about you, but it certainly makes me feel more relaxed to know that if I get rained on or something somehow gets dumped on the bag, I don’t have to be concerned so much about the inside flooding. And cleaning the bag couldn’t be more simple because you just dab it dry.

Inside the bag is really nicely padded, has several practical dividers and is lightly colored so you can see what you have in the bottom of the bag. Plus it’s also got waterproofing protection. I LOVE the fact that I can just place my camera face-down in the center, even with my big zoom lens on, and have no trouble closing up the bag. SO practical. Actual sizes are: outside 40.5 x 25.5 x 16 cm, inside 32 x 20 x 14.5 cm. I actually have plenty of space in there with my 2 extra lenses, flash and macros for my Blackberry and wallet…which I think is absolutely fantastic when we’re going off somewhere and I know I’m going to be taking lots of photos. I don’t have to bring any other bags with me which makes me very happy!

Crumpler Messenger Boy 6000 review

The strap is super padded which lets you comfortably carry around all your camera gear all day without cutting your arm off. Speaking of the strap, you also have to check out this super cool one-handed adjustment buckle. SO easy to use yet it completely stays in place!

There are also a bunch of little pockets in the front section of the bag with space for extra memory cards, batteries, a manual or whatever else you might need. They can be a little tricky to get in to — but the stuff I have in there I rarely need so this doesn’t really bother me.

Just to show you that Crumpler really stands behind their bags…they have the Legendary Crumpler ‘Til Death Do Us Part’ Warranty. So if the bag starts to wear or fall apart due to normal use, they’ll replace it for free at any time during your life — not the bag’s.

Crumpler actually makes a bunch of other travel, laptop and casual bags…each of them is cooler than the one before. And I love their fun names like The 6 Million Dollar Home, Considerable Embarrassment and the Baby Anchovy. They’re Australian so they get to be quirky.

So as you guessed, I’m totally wild about this bag and really excited I found it. It’s definitely exactly what I was looking for…and maybe even a little bit more.

Crumpler is going to be at photokina this weekend so I can’t wait to see what they’ve brought with them. If you’ve never heard of photokina (don’t worry, I hadn’t either until a few weeks ago), it’s the world’s largest photography and imaging expo held in Cologne every two years. We’ve decided to drive up on Saturday and check things out…I don’t know who’s more excited: Stefan or me! Who knows, maybe I’ll even come home with a sponsorship or at least some cool free stuff!