Keystone

Kevin - 22 Nov, 2007

I went on a 4 month journey through Europe. I took only two bags with me; one was my backpack with clothes, the other was my Keystone with my camera, lenses, iPod, cables, memory cards, and all my other electronics. Needless to say, it was always fun to watch the security people's faces when they saw that sucker go through the x-ray machine. But thanks to its wonderful setup, it was a simple process to open it up for them to inspect. I love my Keystone, and it proved priceless while in Europe. The thing I liked the most was the way that it opens - while it was on my back, I had absolutely no worries of someone opening it up and taking stuff out. It is very durable and comfortable to wear all day long, and is also very stylish. It helped be blend in with the locals by looking like a normal backpack, not something that shouted "hey, I'm a camera bag!"

Mel - 15 Oct, 2007

The keystone is a class of its own in the world of camera bags. Crumpler has never failed to manufacture strong and lasting bags. I carried it around for a couple of days and it held my Canon 400D with 2 lenses and my 430 flash that I know is well protected. It can also hold a 13" Laptop and allows me to shoot and edit on the go. The only drawback is that when a laptop and the camera fills up the bag space, people like me who love to carry books around might find the bag space a little limited. For those who carries tonnes of stuff like me, I would recommend the Whickey and Cox instead, (which I exchange the keystone for) but for those looking for something small, strong, durable and protects your expensive photography gear, look no further.

Snuggle Monkey - 06 Dec, 2006

I got this bag for a photographic romp through southern Europe and wanted something that didn’t scream, “STEAL ME, EXPENSIVE PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR INSIDE!” This pack looks like any standard school boy book bag, but in actuality it’s a posh protective estate for your photo gear and much more. I roll with a full size SLR (Canon 30D) with a 17-40 zoom lens, a 70-200 zoom lens, a 50mm lens, and miscellaneous support equipment (cables, chargers, cleaning gear, etc). Additionally, I wanted a bag of sufficient size to also serve as an aircraft carry-on/day pack. I looked at other Crumpler gear like the “Customary Barge” and the “Sinking Barge,” but found them to be a bit too big and obtrusive for my needs. Long story short, the Keystone was able to accommodate all my camera stuff as well as books, a sweatshirt or light jacket, an iPod, and an assortment of travel junk. The real selling point for me was security. I like to go off the beaten tourist track when traveling and I don’t want some dubious low-life jacking me for my gear. The Keystone is inaccessible unless you take it off. Consequently, bad people can’t surreptitiously unzip the pack while you are wearing it. The pack does not look like it houses four grand worth of photo gear, and since it’s a backpack, it’s easy to run (as in run away) with it strapped to your back. Those of you who are budget oriented may be thinking, man, these Crumpler bags are expensive. Well brother, you get what you pay for! This bag is rock solid. The construction is impeccable. The straps are thickly padded, the materials are some kind of nuclear grade Cordura type fabric, and the zippers are hurky and seemingly indestructible (and they have that cool Crumpler reggae guy emblazoned on the clasps).The interior is plush and totally modular, so you can set it up to accommodate your needs. The bag has a removable laptop storage/protective sleeve that is adequate for a small laptop, but I elected to use it for books and paperwork. The only complaint I have is the exterior side pockets are a bit small and somewhat difficult to fish out the knick-knacks you put in them. Unzipped, they can handle a small bottle of water and are of adequate size for iPod, keys, change, spare euros, boarding passes, sunglasses, whatever… If you’re an on the go photographer seeking a balance between mobility, security, and flexibility, the Keystone is the bag for you. I had this bag on my back all day, everyday, for over two weeks and it never let me down. I strongly encourage you to check out the Keystone before embarking on your next global trek. Feel free to contact me if you have questions or need more info: SnuggleMonkey@vzavenue.net

Josh - 31 Aug, 2006

Love it! I took it with me on a two week trip to Glacier National Park and it was really nice to have. It held with no probem: a Canon Rebel XT with kit lens, a 70-300mm lens, a 50mm lens, and a big flash. not including the spare memory cards and batteries. And when it was time to leave, it held all that plus my 12" PowerBook with all the basic laptop stuff. I loved it so much i'm buying another crumpler bag for my 35mm SLR!

BBB))) for www.cambags.com - 20 May, 2006

Click the link to read the review.

http://www.cambags.com/canon/350d/backpack/Crumpler_keystone_desc.htm