Ruggard Outrigger 45: Affordable Camera Bag For The Casual Photographer | Gear Review

The Ruggard Outrigger 45 backpack is a great little camera bag for an affordable price (about $40 on B&H Photo). I love how small and light it is and how nicely it fits the top part of my back. It’s definitely fit for a woman, with its shape and location of its waist and chest straps.

On the inside, the main padded part for your camera is the perfect size for the photographer who travels light. I was able to fit in my camera body with lens attached, an additional lens, microphone, and a few other tools with space left over for more lenses and accessories. In the smaller pockets, there is plenty of additional space for camera accessories and another a special pocket for a small tablet.

One of the most useful features, however, is the pullover rain cover, which works really well in light to medium rain (not so much in heavy or long rains). It’s perfect for locations with very wet weather and made the bag look very professional. Plus, it hides nicely in a little pocket in the bottom of the bag when not in use. The front inside part of my bag was just a little damp after getting caught in a rain shower, but it wasn’t all that bad and the interior of the main compartment with my camera stayed dry.

My only problem with this backpack is its tripod straps, which are located at the bottom of the bag. They don’t secure the tripod in tightly so it ends up either sliding to one side or the other as you walk, stabbing passersby or catching loudly on door frames in the process. Also, it is not easy to get the tripod in and out of there. One of my straps even fell off and got lost at some point, so it would definitely function better with Velcro-rubberized straps or snapping straps.