Help needed... Tamrac Adventure 9 or Aero 80

[sdreitlein]

I have an upcoming 10 day trip to Tuscany and am looking to get a backpack that can accommodate my modest gear (Canon digital Rebel, 18-55, Sigma 55-200, a few filters) in addition to my Macbook 13" and random things like water bottle, snacks, a book... odds and ends.I do have my tripod as well, but have come accustomed to "hinging" it to the strap of my Tamrac Tek 4372. I love this little pack for wandering around the city and short hikes, but it only accommodates the camera gear strictly.

I have been researching the Tamrac Adventure 9 5549 and 3380 Aero 80 all morning and am having a hard time choosing. I am not opposed to other brands/models, these just seem to fit my needs the best. I need the laptop option as this bag will be my carry on and its just easier to combine camera and laptop.

Seeing as I am a woman and traveling in late May/early June I am hoping someone can tell me if one of these will work for me in terms of comfort as I am 5'8" and will likely be in tank tops and the like. Will either of these be very warm/causing excessive sweat? Too bulky? Im not planning to bring the Tek, but if it fits I wouldnt mind.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[benhasajeep]

My wife has the Tamrac 7 (no computer compartment). And used it all the time. Room for camera a couple lenses in the bottom. And up top a light jacket, maybe some snacks, a water bottle on the outside, and some odd and ends camera stuff like filters, macro extension tubes.

When it was time for a bigger bag she went with a shoulder bag. Figuring she already had the Adventure 7, for hiking and traveling around and it was just fine for that.

For myself I had always used a shoulder bag. But after a trip out west decided to get my self a medium backpack.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Kata-KT-DR-467-Digital-Rucksack/dp/B000VW6KXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1268549865&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Kata KT DR-467 Digital Rucksack (Black): Electronics[/ame]

Nice bag that will hold a decent sized laptop along with a body, some lenses, and other items. The price is right too.
It is my first camera bag that is not Tamrac brand. And it seems to have very good construction comparable to Tamrac. We have 3 Tamrac bags and now the Kata.

 

[JClishe]

For myself I had always used a shoulder bag. But after a trip out west decided to get my self a medium backpack.

Amazon.com: Kata KT DR-467 Digital Rucksack (Black): Electronics

Nice bag that will hold a decent sized laptop along with a body, some lenses, and other items. The price is right too.
It is my first camera bag that is not Tamrac brand. And it seems to have very good construction comparable to Tamrac. We have 3 Tamrac bags and now the Kata.

I agree about the Kata bag, it's an absolutely fantastic bag. My only comment would be, if you decide to go for this bag, get the newer DR-467i. It's what I have and it has a few upgrades over the original 467. Most notably is that the bottom of the upper compartment will zip open so if you're not carrying your camera in the lower compartment, you can have just one big compartment. ie., a regular backpack.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Kata-DR-467i-Digital-Rucksack-Black/dp/B003036CTC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1268577860&sr=8-2"]Amazon.com: Kata DR-467i Digital Rucksack (Black): Electronics[/ame]

 

[myfotoguy]

I love my Kata too. I have a smaller 466. Love it!

 

[sdreitlein]

After much consideration... reading every review on the 2 Tamrac bags and also the Kata DR-467i, watching youtube videos... scavenging for every bit of information... I have ultimately just purchased the Kata bag on Amazon. It will fit my every need, looks very low profile and has a slim build to it. I like that it has several pockets, though I do kind of wish is had some internal mesh pockets in the upper compartment... I can live with this. Thank you to those who replied, I think you steered me in a good direction. It looks comfy, we shall see...

 

[JClishe]

After much consideration... reading every review on the 2 Tamrac bags and also the Kata DR-467i, watching youtube videos... scavenging for every bit of information... I have ultimately just purchased the Kata bag on Amazon. It will fit my every need, looks very low profile and has a slim build to it. I like that it has several pockets, though I do kind of wish is had some internal mesh pockets in the upper compartment... I can live with this. Thank you to those who replied, I think you steered me in a good direction. It looks comfy, we shall see...

Good choice, I think you'll be happy with it. It's very well built and for me is the best compromise that I've seen between camera and lens storage, and other miscellaneous accessory storage.

The only thing I would change is to add large exterior side pockets, but I'm sure that would turn some people off.