Hazard 4Unisex's Sling Pack

… & good enough that this is the second one I’ve bought. I carry bodies (cameras) in pairs & own 4 DSLR’s - this means I can simply grab the pack, change a couple of bits of glass & go.The main shell, Cordora (fabric), is pretty damned rugged - but - I would NOT call it ‘waterproof’; ‘light rain / shower’ - certainly & not cover … THAT’s my ONLY FAULT FOUND … though, personally, I don’t regard that as an issue; most of my photography is portrait focused & not in the rain.The first version I bought of this was approx. 5+ years ago & it hasn’t really changed. Only two, tiny, technicalities:i). Changed the release buckle from a straight forward pinch to one that now locks … a genuine improvement, though, I’d still trust the original on my back & the back of my Harley.ii). Provided a D-ring buckle which you can buy a screw to mount your body on to, much as you would a tripod plate, though I think it’s a gimmick… as I certainly wouldn’t want a Canon MkIV & a £2,000 of glass swinging around freely on my waist.I can, comfortably store a pair of these cameras (with handgrip attached) in the backpack & 3x shortish lumps of L-glass (double that if standard stm or older glass), memory cards, spare batteries (x4) & a flash In the pack … with a 45-60cm (folded) tripod strapped to the side.If you need to - using standard Molle webbing - buy additional Hazard4 padded pouches (I believe they also sell ‘hard-shell’ versions) to attach too.The padding is thick on the main pack & the shoulder strap spreads the weight of it, loaded, well. The section to wear against you back is padded but vented to save you sweating like a fool & the whole thing is comfortably worn & walked with by me for an hour … I’m nearly 50 & though relatively fit - I’d not want to march all day wearing it, because, if you want access to a camera from the side … it can ONLY be worn over your left shoulder (I’m right-handed, as are most people, so ‘right’ is my stronger arm & shoulder).For ‘run & gun’ (street photography), or convenience to carry from A to B for a shoot, I wouldn’t look for anything more perfect. If carrying EVERYTHING… I’d want a trolley bag/case.Hope this helps some of you.One last thing - it’s a bonus that it looks slightly unusual - a great ‘ice-breaker/conversation-starter’! ;-D

Ok where to start.*****Construction***** - This bag is bulletproof ( not literally) but the stitching the zips the material are all of the highest quality. I suspect this will last a long time of abuse.-The material is also water resistant which means to an extent your year is fairly safe from the rain. Please not that it is water resistant NOT waterproof so there may be a time you need a water proof cover dependant on conditions.****Design ****- The compartments and premise of this bag are spot on. The quick access pouch is ideal for grabbing your camera quickly, and the front pouches are easily accessible when the bag is pulled round. This means your camera, lens cloths, memory cards or any other essentials are always to hand. The bag is easy to move from your back to your front thanks to the grab handles on the bottom and on the main strap.-A downside I have noticed with the design, it takes a bit of playing around to configure the straps to your body type. At times the bag can feel it is slipping off your shoulder until you find a strap length that works for you.-Another downside, when this bag is full and a tripod strapped into it you will suffer. I suspect this is not a problem with this bag but more the shoulder style of bag. Thanks to the number of compartments and mollee attachments it is possible to configure this bag so that the weight is spread evenly and it is not so bad on the shoulders.-The design of the pouches are solid with netting and velcro to allow organisation. However the smallest pouch (the pouch where you can attach a morale patch) does lack this organisation. For me this is not a problem however some people may miss this feature.-The overall design of this bag is great I feel, it's tall construction ( opposed to the wider style of bags which are more common) allows it to easily fit into tight spaces and makes it very easy to travel with.The mollee system also allows for a huge amount of customisation, which for me is a great design plus.****Real world experience****So I have had this bag a few months, and with it I have been up munros, on flights, In busy crowded areas, crammed in the back of land rovers just to name a few situations. I have over packed this bag and suffered for it. I have walked miles with the straps the wrong length and felt it is going to fall off. But there have been times I have got a shot I would have struggled to get with any other bag I feel. The speed you can go from being packed up to unpacked with camera in hand is the reason I picked this bag and it does not dissapoint. Now I have the straps set up for me, I know the weight I can get away with, and often I still over pack, despite it being not as comfortable as a rucksack style bag I would rather suffer the extra weight and get the shot than be a bit more comfortable and miss the shot. After all my time with this bag I would more than recommend it to anyone doing a lot of field photography such as wild life or landscape. Even for wedding or event photographers who need access to their gear fast I would recommend this to, as easy access and speed are the focus of this bag.I have given this 4 stars instead of 5 as it took me a long time to get this bag set up the way I want, there were a few occasions I was close to sending it back. My advice would be to play around with this bag a lot and try the straps at a number of different lengths. Try it with different weights and mollee set ups. This bag has loads to offer and the quality from hazard4 is superb.