Think Tank
Airport
International
by Matt Brandon
My Filipino wife introduces me as “the Imelda Marcos of the camera world”. Okay, so I have a few camera bags, and I believe the old adage of “the right tool for the right job”. Not all bags are created equal. Almost every bag has its designed purpose and, as a result, I have quite a collection. I have one for shooting while trekking in the Himalayas (I lead tours in these historic peaks), one for urban use, a big one, a small one, and the list goes on. I have two holes in my collection; two bags I “need”-one for air travel and one for urban use after a long flight. And as far as air travel goes, I am not alone. If you have read any of the debate about carry-on size in my Lexar blog, then you know there seems to be a great need these days for an international carry-on size bag.
It goes without saying – airlines need to make money. I am all in favor of people making money. But why take it out of our luggage allotment? I guess it’s because it is all that is left. They have already taken our leg space, our meals and now it is our luggage allotment, weight and size. British Airways, and others who will follow suit, is now limiting “World Traveler” customers to one, one, bag apiece for checked-in luggage on most of its routes. If you want another bag, you are going to have to pay for it. But I digress; there was quite a stir last August when BA limited travelers traveling via England to one piece of luggage-and that piece was limited to 7 inches. Well, BA has relaxed a bit and now allows a standard piece of carry-on luggage, meaning 56x45x25cm (22x18x10in). But I have found after the big BA scare last August, all airlines are much more sensitive as to the size and weight of a carry-on. So when I saw that Think Tank Photo produced a gear trolley that met international carry-on regulation size, I was delighted. I called them up and within a day or two they sent me the “Airport International”, as well as a box of low-profile dividers.
Even before opening the box, I was impressed by the size, or should I say, lack thereof. Once I opened the box, I was even more impressed. What I saw was a very well-crafted, nondescript, trolley bag. I quickly grabbed my 17″ MacBook Pro, slipped it into the Incase neoprene cover and nervously brought it to the bag to size it up. It easily fit into the stretchable outer pocket. But I don’t really want my $3,000 laptop readily accessible to anyone walking by. So I tried it inside. The size was a match, but the dividers were too tall to lay the computer on top of the gear inside and still close the bag. Thus, enter the low profile dividers provided by Think Tank. I quickly ripped out the Velcro dividers and replaced them with the low profile ones. At first I was concerned, as they were not really made to accommodate a 17″ laptop. But I soon found that if I replaced some of the dividers at the top of the bag, which Think Tank said to leave in, it all worked well.
This bag is well thought-out. But then, you would expect that from a company named “Think Tank”. I like the small attention to details, like: a stow-away cable to secure the bag to an immovable object. You might ask, “Why would anyone leave a bag full of camera gear alone someplace?” If you travel from Austin, Texas, to Bangkok, Thailand, there is a good chance that while you are in an airport along the way you will want to grab some much needed rest in a lounge area, as I did this trip. I slept well knowing my gear was locked up tight with the rather large cable to the bench I was napping on.
They put a TSA-compliant lock on the main compartment. So if, in a pinch, you had to check the bag, it is as secure as it can be made. Remember, in the US, if you don’t have a TSA lock on your checked bag, security can break the lock and check your bag if you don’t leave it unlocked!
Think Tank even added a small cloth handle on the bottom of the bag. I didn’t notice the handle till I was lifting the bag into the overhead compartment and grabbed the bottom of the bag. My hand naturally fell on the handle which made lifting the bag very easy and natural.
The bag not only fit in the overhead, but got lost in it. On the international flight there was tons of room around it, no issue of size here. On the domestic route, the space was less but still not an issue. It really did not fit well under the seat as you can see from the image, it never really when fully under the seat ahead. But, then, I never use that space if I don’t have to. I like to save it for my feet.
Another small-but well thought-out-detail is the length of the trolley’s telescoping handle. I can’t stand trolley bags with short handles; it seems that so many are made for short people. Not this bag. It extends in four stages, making pulling the bag easy. Even the handle is rubberized and gives you a secure grip when pulling a fully-loaded bag through the airport. One concern I have about the trolley handle is that it seems a little wobbly. With the weight of my camera gear inside and the normal abuse a bag like this will take traveling the world, I am wondering if, over time, it will hold out. But given Think Tank’s reputation, my guess is they will stand by the bag if something were to happen.
While checking in at the airport in Austin on my recent trip to Bangkok, I wore my photo vest, thinking that if I needed to remove a body and some lenses, I would keep them in the vest to lighten the load of the bag. (This is an old trick and it can be a lifesaver at times.) But on this trip, no one even looked twice at the Airport International. For one reason, it was not on my shoulder screaming, “Look at me! I am a huge and heavy photo bag! Weigh me!” The Airport International is as big as most trolley bags and smaller than many. No one would ever know this is a photo bag just by looking at it. It is very nondescript; nothing on it identifies it as a photo bag.
The inside of the bag is like most other photo bags: removable Velcro dividers and a few pockets for light storage. I am a freak for pockets. This bag has just enough for most folks, though I could do with a few more. The front of the bag has a large stretchable pocket, ready for large items such as a computer or, as in my case, file folders and a book. Behind and above that pocket is a zippered one with organizers in it. This pocket is very tight to get into. I wish it was easier to access, but it is still nice to be able to use it for pens and tickets. Then on the top of the bag next to the trolley handle, is another small pocket which can hold a passport and other small, flat items. The bag was more than perfect for my kit-a Canon 5D, 50/1.8, 17-40/4, 85/1.8, 70-200/2.8 IS and various cables and lens hoods. I was even able to include my Jobo 180GB digital storage device. I do wish it had some sort of lashing points. I see no way to tie on, or hang on the bag any extra items like a jacket or, if need be, a tripod.
The wheels look like they will stand up to a great deal of abuse. No flimsy plastic stuff here; they look like high dollar rollerblade wheels. Plus, they are replaceable. One last thing, there is even a rain fly included for the bag.
Pros: Just about everything. Very well thought-out and the functionality of the bag shows it.
Cons: All minor points. The trolley handle might be a tad flimsy, although this may not even be an issue; only time will tell. I wish it had lashing points.
Conclusion: I can honestly say I am very impressed with this bag. The price is hefty, $319, but you will be hard-pressed to find a better carry-on photo bag. My only concern with the bag was the trolley handle which seemed a tad flimsy. Yet this may not even be an issue. Would I recommend this bag? Without reservation!
Now if I can just fine that perfect bag I can stick in my checked luggage and pull out for urban use.
