8 Best Ways to Carry Your Camera In a Regular Bag or Backpack in 2024

You can read more about them in my Think Tank Stash Master review, but the TLDR version is: These will be the best options for most people looking for a padded camera cube.

Alternatively, you can use them with any other pack, as long as you don’t mind pulling the ICU out of the bag to get to your gear. Every ICU have a top handle for easy extraction, and if you place the padded cube at the top of your pack, it’s little trouble to get your camera. Most large backpacks can accommodate the three smallest ICU sizes – Micro Tiny, Small Shallow and Small Pro – with the zippered opening facing upwards, allowing fast and easy access to your camera. Those wishing to protect camera gear inside a duffle bag, pelican case or suitcase will find the large zippered access to the ICUs highly beneficial, and likely the perfect solution.

Related Reading: F-Stop ICU Size Guide – Every Model Compared

Perhaps the most crucial difference is the lack of top padding on the Shimoda Core Units. While they all come in a removable nylon sleeve to keep gear in the Unit, it leaves one side of the cube vulnerable. This becomes a feature when the Core Units are used as intended and installed in a backpack like the previously-reviewed Shimoda Explore V2. A heavily padded back panel protects your camera. If you are considering Shimoda Core Unit use outside of the design specification, as we are in this guide, you must take this into account. Packed in a suitcase, pelican case or duffle bag and surrounded by clothing or other soft items, it’s not going to be an issue. In a soft-side hiking pack, it might be.

Related Reading: Which Shimoda Core Unit Is Right For You?

Shimoda Designs has offered Shutter Muse readers a 10% discount on anything purchased through their online stores. US, Canadian, UK, French, or German residents should use the discount code ShutterMuse10 after clicking here to access the store. Australian readers should use the same code on the local Shimoda distributor’s site, Maxxum, instead.

Due to the relatively thin padded offered by this bag, it works best when wedging it into your bag amongst softer items such as clothing or a sleeping bag. It also comes with carabiners to clip it to the outside of your bag if you prefer easy access.

Despite being cheaper than the F-Stop ICUs, they have more features and feel like a slightly higher-end product. Not only do the Cubes open at the top as you would expect, but they also have side openings on both sides, making it possible to use them with a backpack that has a side zipper.

Clever origami-style dividers can be folded into shelves to help stack your gear, and an included divider pocket stores batteries and memory cards. There are fewer size options (S, M, L) than the F-Stop or Shimoda ranges, but they’re great if those sizes suit your need.

While that was my opinion of them when paired with the Mountainsmith Tanack bag, it doesn’t mean I don’t like them for other uses. In terms of modular camera protection, these things offer much more impact resistance than something like the F-Stop ICU. It’s hard to quantify, but I’d say they are roughly twice as hard as an ICU. They have a little bit of flex in them, but you feel like your gear is protected when it’s inside one of these. I would recommend buying one of these if you are pursuing an activity with a risk of heavy impact.

Sometimes, all you want to do is drop some camera gear into a bag amongst other equipment without scratching up your lens or camera. For this, the LensCoat BodyBag range and TravelCoat range is often the perfect solution. The neoprene BodyBag sleeves are available in sizes to suit DSLRs, mirrorless cameras and pro-sized bodies, either with or without a lens. The TravelCoats are lens-specific. As you can see from the photos, I have amassed quite a collection of them over the years, and regularly find uses for them when packing my bags.

For the ultimate camera protection, look no further than a Pelican case. If you are taking your camera somewhere with the possibility of a complete soaking, a small Pelican case, like the Pelican 1120, can be the way to go. The downside of these cases is the bulk and weight, which quickly becomes a problem for larger amounts of camera gear. Still, if you want to guarantee the safety of your equipment, these are a fantastic option.

Related Reading: What Are The Best Pelican Photography Cases?