Cameralogical Baggage - Crumpler Haven (M)

As any photographer knows, how you tote around your camera gear is no small matter. Having a do-anything go-anywhere bag is the ideal solution, and a recent offering from Crumpler may be the key. The Crumpler Haven is a padded insert that drops into any appropriately sized bag, and comes in three sizes. The one I got as a Christmas present for [redacted] is the medium size, which costs $50 direct from Crumpler with free shipping. Let's take a look, shall we?

The Haven resembles a beefed-up drawstring bag, constructed from what appears to be rip-stop nylon on the outside, with soft felt-like material on the inside. The padding ranges from very tough-feeling on the smaller sides to quite plush-y and soft elsewhere. The interior can be segmented using the two included velcro dividers. Elastic webbing on one side of the bag gives you space for assorted goodies. Crumpler says that the exterior is water-resistant, although the opening in the top makes that a bit of a moot point. All-in-all, the Haven looks like one tough cookie.

This is the limited-edition "blue dot print," which appears to be muted and pastel on Crumpler's website - it is not! The colors are more vibrant and fluorescent than I had expected. Oh well - you won't lose it in a crowd.

One of the beauties of this bag is that it makes practically any bag into a camera bag. In fact, it's a perfect fit for [redacted] JanSport Half-Pint. Low-key? Covert? Of course.

It's about the right size for Mai's minimalist setup - her K20D and a 50mm f/2 M plus a charger. ([redacted] says it's the only lens she'll ever need - we'll see about that.) I managed to stuff in a K5 with a Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4 attached, plus a converted Nikkor 135mm f/2 AI, and I bet you could fit more if you're ambitious about it. So, it'll fit a mid-sized DSLR plus two lenses, or one lens and a flash (my Vivitar 285HV fit nicely). 

This is what goes in!

One great thing about this bag is that you can toss it into a bigger bag with your laptop, textbooks, clothes, or whatever, making it easy to take your photo gear with you anywhere.

Pros:
+ Well made and comes with Crumpler's "Til Death Do Us Part" warranty
+ Fits in any bag you already own, allows for tons of variety

Cons:
- Doesn't hold much, depending on your needs - but YMMV
- The colors! They burn! 

We haven't spent much time with it - so far it's only been on a couple of outings. Hopefully sometime in the near future we'll have a long term report on it!

If you're feeling generous and would like to buy this product, 
please purchase it from Amazon through the link on the right. Thanks!