Camera Bag Backpack

After having booked our trip to Hawaii over Christmas I knew that I would have to figure out a backpack to hold all the essentials INCLUDING camera equipment. I looked all over online and all camera backpacks are so expensive. I eventually found this Osprey one on sale. It was great because of the size/ pockets/ "camelbak" water capability. BUT there was no obvious way to safely store camera equipment in it. I looked for "packable camera cubes" but none of those really seemed to be exactly what I wanted. SO, turned to Pinterest for some inspo. I eventually came up with an idea for how to keep it all organized with a little DIY bag insert. I was inspired by THIS post.

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I ended up measuring every part of the opening in my new backpack to create a pattern that would seamlessly slide into the bottom of the bag.

I chose a water-resistant nylon fabric and a thicker foam for protection. Once I had the pattern pieces to cut out the material it was pretty easy to put it all together.

My mirrorless camera is small enough it fits in the center pouch. On one side I have the charger and extra batteries, and on the other side I have a longer zoom lens.

This whole little insert just sits in the bottom of the backpack perfectly. I created a little "lid" on it that can velcro closed and other backpack items could sit on top without falling in.

I created a little prototype out of card stock and tape to make sure it all fit together right into the bag.

I finished the seams by serging them and hand stitched velcro into place so that each of the dividers are able to be removed.

I felt a lot better about storing my camera equipment in this way as we were hiking in Hawaii. I had peace of mind that it was cushioned and had several layers of water resistant fabric for protection.

I also love that when I don't need the backpack to work for a camera bag I can simply remove the insert. 

Hope this inspires someone to try this out! It was an inexpensive solution for sure, and I love how it turned out. This one isn't a "cute" DIY, but definitely functional. Let me know if you have any questions!