If the laptop bag-making industry has any unsung hero of design, it would be BBP Bags, which years ago released Hamptons — a MacBook carrying case with an ingeniously designed strap system that combined the best features of a messenger bag, backpack, and laptop sleeve into one product. We loved Hamptons enough to keep using it for three years, stopping only when the 11.6″ MacBook Air proved way too small for its laptop compartment. So it’s a mixed blessing that the company’s new DSLR Slinger ($100) has been released with a different pitch: on the back is a zippered and padded compartment with enough room for the iPad, just shy on one corner of the space needed for the MacBook Air, while the front has spacious zippered chambers for a full-sized DSLR camera and four or five lenses of various sizes, depending on the gear you’re using. Three additional zippered pockets are flatter, with space for batteries and media, while the entire face of the cocoon-like bag can be covered with a slick vinyl shield for added elemental protection. This time, BBP has designed the Slinger with a bandolier-style strap that goes across your chest, using the same padded webbing and durable nylon to make it comfortable and secure on your shoulder and back. It’s so thoughtfully designed that we’d certainly call it worthy of the asking price for iPad users who want to tote their tablets and cameras around together; if only it had the room for the 11.6″ Air without significantly increasing the bag’s profile…
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: BBP Bags
Website: www.BBPbags.com
Model: DSLR Slinger
Price: $100
Compatible: iPad (2010)