I have recently returned from oversea travel that involved 7 flights and 9 security screenings so a bit of negotiating airport security with plenty of camera gear. In my planning for this travel I researched options to maximise carry-on capacity while appearing compact. In addition I wanted a solution that would let me top load 2 camera/lens combos while using a dry bag for Zodiac work and accommodate a Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 800mm f6.3 VR S attached.

I have previously written about my travel strategy with the Nikkor Z 800mm f6.3 VR S using the MindShift Gear Backlight 45. I still really like this solution but it doesn’t accommodate the lens mounted on a camera and doesn’t top load well. The NYA-EVO XL Removable Camera Insert accommodates my needs while being easily carry-on sized. This insert only works with the NYA-EVO Fjord 60-C which is also rated as carry-on sized. I managed to get the backpack through my local supplier ProGear but they were unable to get me the XL RCI in the time frame needed so I was lucky to to get one of the last from the first production run directly from NYA-EVO.

The smaller NYA-EVO camera inserts come with loops for the option of attaching a carry strap so I emailed to ask about this for the XL in terms of adding back pack straps but this was not an option from the factory. They advised that it had a top handle and the XL insert inside the Fjord-60C was carry-on compliant from a size perspective.

My concern was that it may well be carry-on compliant size wise but once fully loaded is way over the weight limit and the less obvious it appeared the fewer debates with airline staff would be needed. Loaded, my XL RCI contained, a Nikon Z9 and Z8 with 800mm f6.3, 100-400mm, 24-200mm, 14-30mm, 1.4x teleconverter, spare Z9 battery, x2 spare Z8 batteries, GoPro with 2 spare batteries, a pouch with Z9 charger, Z8 charger, cables and USB charger and another pouch with cables, charger and power bank for phone charging.

I planned a DIY backpack strap arrangement so I could adopt the approach I have used with my MindShift Backlight 45 and simply take the loaded camera insert as my carry-on. I had started planning to make straps and a harness when I found the ThinkTank Shoulder Harness V2 listed. This saved me a lot of fabrication as it attached easily to the top handle of the XL RCI only needed a webbing harness to attach to the lower part. Some webbing, a buckle and some time hand stitching had a quick solution.

Attaching some webbing loops to the side of the RCI would be a simple and more permanent solution and would be unlikely to affect the function of the RCI in the bag so I will look into this. It would be a simple factory addition which could be leveraged with a factory harness in place of my hybrid brand solution.

So how did it work? I had trialled it on a trip within New Zealand and it functioned well and attracted no attention. The NYA-EVO insert is better than the MindShift insert as it has more capacity and is better padded. Being black it is also less obtrusive than the light grey of the MindShift insert. The Think Tank straps are more comfortable than the thin webbing straps built into the MindShift insert. Internationally my carryon was weighed twice. On the first occasion I easily removed a Nikon Z9 body and 100-400mm from the top access to achieve the weight before replacing them! On the second occasion supporting the bag on the scale to prevent it toppling reduced the weight to an acceptable level. The RCI and strap combo was compact and easy to carry and very easy to store in overhead bins along with my laptop bag. Peculiar to Norway it seems, camera gear needs to be removed from bags for screening and this was easily achieved. All in all my travel was smooth compared to stories I heard from fellow photography travellers I encountered.

My second requirement was a top loading solution that I could use in a dry bag to access camera/lens combos while in a Zodiac. Online research led me to the Sea to Summit Big River 50L as a good size match to the NYA-EVO XL RCI.

With the Dry backpack safely located between your legs when seated it is simple to open the bag and access gear via the top access of the XL RCI and then fold the dry bag top over to shield the contents.

The lens/camera combos I used were the Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 100-400mm with and without the 1.4x teleconverter and the Nikon Z8 with 24-200mm attached simultaneously – swapping between the rigs depending on the subjects. This was definitely the best solution I have had for Zodiac work.

It would be possible to use the Nikkor Z 800mm VR S attached to a a camera body as long as the lens hood were reversed but this is an awkward lens to work with from a bobbing Zodiac so I stuck with the 100-400. The Nikkor 180-600 would probably also work well but is heavier than the 100-400.