For almost as long as I’ve been a photographer, I’ve been taking professional camera gear into amusement parks to photograph roller coasters. My camera gear has changed a lot over the years, and so has the way we visit parks. For a long time, we had the luxury of a stroller to throw everything into, but our kids have done this weird thing called growing up – and pushing a stroller around with an almost-teenager just so I have somewhere to put my camera gear feels a little ridiculous.
Most recently, I’d been carrying a small, inexpensive camera bag I bought on Amazon. It wasn’t fancy, but it was lightweight, compact, and just big enough for my camera and one lens. Then, while we were at Kentucky Kingdom, the clip completely snapped.
So, whether I was ready or not, it was officially time to find a new amusement park camera bag.
What I Needed in an Amusement Park Camera Bag
Here’s the problem: what I need from a camera bag is VERY specific.
I typically take my Canon R6 and one lens into an amusement park. Most often, that’s my 70-200mm because I’m photographing roller coasters, although I’ll sometimes take my 28-70mm somewhere like Disney or Universal where I’m photographing more of the overall atmosphere.
And I want the lens to stay attached to my camera.
I’m walking around a park and pulling my camera out whenever I see something I want to photograph. I don’t want to stop, attach a lens, take the photo, remove the lens and pack everything away again.
But my camera isn’t the only thing I need to carry anymore. I also recently added Meta glasses to my park setup, which means I need room for their fairly bulky charging case. Then there’s my wallet, season passes, Band-Aids, ibuprofen and all of the other random little things I want with me for a full day at an amusement park.
And ideally? I wanted room for a water bottle, too.
On a recent trip to Kentucky Kingdom and Kings Island, I realized I was carrying THREE separate bags: my camera bag, a water bottle bag and a fanny pack with my Meta glasses and everything else.
It was ridiculous.
I came home determined to consolidate everything into one bag.
So – I Ordered Almost $500 Worth of Camera Bags
I did a ton of research, asked other photographers for recommendations, searched Amazon and inevitably started getting approximately 8 million camera bag ads.
But the problem with shopping for a camera bag online is that measurements only tell you so much. I needed to physically put my camera and everything else inside these bags and see how they felt.
So I ordered four.
They ranged from around $50 to $175, and one wasn’t technically a camera bag at all. My plan was simple: load them up, see what actually worked and return the losers.
Here’s what I found.
Baggallini Securtex Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag
This was the wildcard because it isn’t actually a camera bag.
I saw a woman carrying one at Kings Island and admittedly spent way too much time staring at her bag because it looked like exactly the size I wanted. I probably should have just asked her what it was, but instead I went home and found it myself.
There was a lot I liked about the Baggallini. It looked good, was a great size and had TONS of pockets, including front and back zipper compartments. Because it’s designed as a travel bag, it also has a sleeve that can slip over the handle of your luggage.
My thought was that if the bag itself worked, I could add some padding and turn it into a camera bag.
Unfortunately, once I had it in my hands, I knew pretty quickly that it wasn’t going to work for what I needed. I still think it’s a really nice travel bag, but it wasn’t going to be my amusement park camera bag.
Verdict: Returned.
PGYTECH OneGo Rope Strap Camera Bag
The internet REALLY wanted me to buy this one. I was getting ads for it everywhere, and admittedly – they worked.
Unlike the Baggallini, this one is specifically designed as a camera bag. The interior has customizable padding, and one thing I really liked is that it doesn’t necessarily look like a camera bag. If you’re carrying expensive gear somewhere and don’t want your bag screaming, “THERE’S A CAMERA IN HERE!” that’s a nice feature.
Unfortunately, there were two big problems for me.
First, it didn’t have nearly enough pockets. I specifically wanted somewhere secure for my wallet, season passes, Band-Aids and other small items, and this bag just didn’t have the organization I wanted.
But the bigger issue was the rope strap and its attachment. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wouldn’t feel comfortable trusting it with thousands of dollars of camera gear while walking around an amusement park all day. Maybe it would be perfectly fine, but I wouldn’t feel confident carrying it, and that was enough for me.
Verdict: Returned.
Peak Design Everyday Sling
I REALLY wanted this one to work.
I already own several Peak Design products, including their tripod, camera strap and wrist strap, and I’ve had great experiences with them. So ordering their Everyday Sling felt like an obvious choice.
And honestly? It’s a very thoughtfully designed camera bag.
The padding is structured but customizable, there are designated spaces for things like camera batteries, and the whole bag feels incredibly protective. It was definitely one of the more structured options I tried.
Unfortunately, that structure also made it feel a little clunky for what I wanted.
But the ultimate dealbreaker was much simpler:
My camera didn’t fit.
Technically, I could put my Canon R6 and lens inside, but with my 28-70mm attached, I couldn’t actually zip the bag closed.
For some photographers, that might not matter because they’re carrying a camera body and separate lenses. But for the way I photograph amusement parks, I need to be able to pull my camera out of the bag ready to shoot.
As much as I love Peak Design, this particular bag simply wasn’t going to work for me.
Verdict: Returned.
Think Tank Retrospective 5 V2.0
I’d never owned a Think Tank camera bag before, despite knowing their reputation in the photography industry. At around $175, the Retrospective 5 V2.0 was also the most expensive bag I ordered.
As soon as I pulled it out of the box, though, I could feel the difference.
This bag feels incredibly well made.
And more importantly, whoever designed it apparently had my ridiculously specific amusement park packing list in front of them.
It’s only slightly larger than my old camera bag, but the organization makes it feel significantly bigger. The shoulder strap is heavily padded, which matters when I’m going to carry it around a park for an entire day. The main compartment can zip completely closed for extra security, but I can leave it unzipped underneath the flap while I’m actively shooting and want quick access to my camera.
And the POCKETS – there are pockets everywhere.
There are zippered sections, interior organizers, a large rear pouch, places to secure small valuables and even an attached waterproof cover. I especially love that the rain cover actually stays attached to the bag because a removable rain cover is only useful if you happen to have it with you when the sky opens up.
There’s also a luggage pass-through on the back and a collapsible water bottle pocket on the side.
But Does All My Gear Actually Fit?
This was the real test.
My camera with the lens attached?
Fits beautifully.
My Meta glasses case?
Fits.
Can I zip the entire main compartment closed with both inside?
YES.
My gigantic water bottle is unfortunately a little too wide for the designated side pocket, but I was actually able to fit it inside the main compartment with everything else. I can’t zip that compartment completely closed with the big water bottle inside, but the flap still closes securely over everything.
If I switch to a slightly narrower water bottle (this is the one I picked up!) that fits into the side pocket, I’ll gain even more room inside and could easily carry another lens if I wanted to.
It officially checked every major box on my list.
The Camera Bag I’m Keeping
After ordering almost $500 worth of bags, the Think Tank Retrospective 5 V2.0 is the winner.
Yes, $175 is a lot of money for a camera bag. But I wasn’t looking for another inexpensive bag that I might need to replace in a couple of years. I wanted something well made that could become my amusement park camera bag for years to come.
For my particular combination of camera gear, Meta glasses and park-day essentials, the Think Tank gives me the best balance of size, organization, protection, comfort and quick access to my camera.
And perhaps most importantly:
I can finally stop carrying three bags around an amusement park.
If you’re also looking for the perfect camera bag for amusement parks or travel, you can watch my full video above to see all four bags in person, watch me load my actual gear into them and hear more about what I liked (and didn’t like) about each one. And I’ve also put together an Amazon list with the bags and other gear I talked about in the video if you’d like to see everything in one place.
