In the Swamp with the Lowepro Flipside 400 AW

If you know me at all, you know I spend a lot of time in the Everglades and Big Cypress. This means my feet are wet a lot.

As a photographer, this can pose some problems: digital camera equipment and water don’t mix well. There are many types of dry bags and hard case that are completely water proof, and they have their uses, but for hiking(wading) in the swamp, I have found one bag that really works well for me.

The problem with all the waterproof gear arises when I want to swap something out. I only have 2 hands and when there is water everywhere, it becomes a fun little juggling process. You may find a stump to rest things on, but that’s never a guarantee. After some research, I found the Lowepro Flipside 300 AW. Perfect! What sets it apart is that it unzips from the “back”. To clarify, the part that faces your back is what would open up. So, combined with a waist strap, you can take off the shoulder straps and swing it around to the front, and have a “table” to rest things on in front of you. This allowed me to rest my camera, lens, filters, whatever on the back and have a free hand to switch out whatever I needed.

When I purchased the Flipside 300, it was the largest Lowepro made. It was a bit cramped for my gear, but I made do. Then the 400 came out. It was pretty much the same bag, but a bit wider, allowing for more lenses, and now an extra pocket on the “front” of the bag.

This pocket is really a huge upgrade, as the 300 was a bit sparse on storage for the little stuff and extras. This pocket on the 400 will usually be packed with a rain jacket, compass, snack bars, head lamp/flashlight, and notepad. It can really hold a lot. Another thing I consider and upgrade is dual water bottle holders. The 300 had 1 and a zip pouch on the other side for memory cards and small stuff.

Lastly, the 400 now comes with  padded waist straps, which, given its larger capacity, was a necessity. I have done 7 miles through knee to waist deep water with the 400 and it stays moderately comfortable when the waist straps are cinched in tight. I would never imagine doing that with the unpadded straps of the 300. Oh, and the AW in both means you get a packed and attached rain cover that can be deployed pretty quickly when the inevitable summer storm hits. Both also have a tripod strap on the back, its adequate, but not perfect.

Here you can see the 400 packed. Clockwise from top left is the Tamron 180 macro: then Canon 100-400, empty slot sometimes with cable release,  extension tubes, 50 1.8, 5d2 with 16-35, 1.4x, and Tamron 28-75. This is what I regularly take with me. Hope this is helpful, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask.