Links: Think Tank Photo Airport TakeOff Rolling Backpack / Think Tank Photo Press Release / Professional Photographer Media Kit / Tech Revu Product Review - StreetWalker HardDrive / Show Official Info /

Have you ever had to run the entire length of the airport terminal with a heavy backpack crammed full of camera gear? Or faced numerous flights of stairs with a loaded roller bag? How about a wheeled backpack that you loaded with your camera bag, but the straps keep getting tangled up in the wheels and consequently seriously damaged?

Having previously reviewed the Think Tank Photo StreetWalker HardDrive, I compared its internal and external dimensions against those of the Think Tank Photo Airport TakeOff Rolling Backpack. The exterior of the Airport TakeOff is 2.5 inches wider (14" to 11.5"), 2 inches higher (21" to 19"), and 0.5 inches shallower (8" to 8.5"). Not surprisingly, the Airport TakeOff is much heavier, thanks to the wheels, telescoping handle, and the reinforced frame required for both. Best of all, both bags are still smaller than the proposed limits (no bag larger than 22 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 10 inches deep could pass through a template at TSA checkpoints) in the bill being considered by Congress. (Source: Airline Carryons )

Knowing that my Toshiba Satellite A70 ML100 15.4" (39.1 cm.) laptop is a big brute of a desktop replacement, measuring 14.37 x 10.83 x 1.54(Front)/1.81(Back) in. (36.5 x 27.5 x 3.9(Front)/4.6(Back) cm.) and weighing 7.98 lbs. (3.62 kg.), I picked it up and attempted to fit it into the laptop compartment.

Unlike the above mentioned StreetWalker HardDrive, the laptop compartment of the Airport TakeOff is so big, my laptop slid in easily with plenty of room to spare. I was so impressed that I put my laptop inside a Pacsafe InfoSafe designed for 15.4" (39.1 cm.) laptops, then attempted to insert this new configuration into the laptop compartment of the Airport TakeOff. Once again it slid in with little effort on my part.

Although designed to hold the Think Tank Photo Artificial Intelligence 15 computer sleeve and lock onto it, the cable mounted 3-digit combination lock inside the clear pocket and underneath the front flap of the Airport TakeOff's laptop compartment was able to lock onto the Pacsafe InfoSafe with no problems whatsoever.

In photo #100_0571A above, the Airport TakeOff contains:

• 2 Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D DSLR bodies with Konica Minolta AF DT 18-70 mm (F1:3.5 (22) – 5.6) D zoom lens attached
• Minolta Zoom xi AF80-200 mm (F4.5-5.6) zoom lens
• Minolta Macro Zoom AF28-85 mm (F3.5-4.5) zoom lens
• Minolta 5600HS(D) flash with 2 spare Konica Minolta NP-400 lithium-ion batteries on top
• Canon PowerShot G9 point & shoot camera
• Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger - BZ103050-TVL
• Belkin Universal Media Reader with cable
• Digital Foci PST-251 Photo Safe II (80GB) with USB cable
• Verbatim 320GB FireWire/USB Portable Hard Drive with FireWire/USB cable
• Verbatim 320GB InSight USB Portable Hard Drive with 'Always On' Display and USB cable
• 1 package of small lens cleaning tissues (100)
• 1 package of silica gel (40 grams)
• 6 plastic battery cases with 4 AA batteries each
• Verbatim Easy Riser Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse with Nano Receiver
• Toshiba Satellite A70 ML100 15.4" (39.1 cm.) laptop inside Pacsafe InfoSafe (not visible in front pocket)
• removable seam-sealed rain cover (comes with Airport TakeOff)
• tripod cup and straps included with the bag

While the Airport TakeOff is designed to be carried as a backpack when necessary (thanks to the padded shoulder straps), it is not nearly as well suited to this purpose as the StreetWalker HardDrive since it lacks the latter's hipbelt and air channel, a necessity on really hot humid days.

Where the Airport TakeOff excels is as a rolling backpack, but with shoulder straps that are easily deployed and stowed away just as easily as shown in photo #PICT4219A above. Another big plus is that it looks similar to any other heavily loaded wheeled backpack.

One feature that did not work for me initially was the positioning of the sternum strap which rode up and was pressing on my throat uncomfortably until I cinched the shoulder straps tighter. This brought the sternum strap down to a position where it was longer an impediment to breathing.

Recently, I took a 2 1/2 hour bus ride on Greyhound and even though the overhead compartment on the buses in both directions were smaller than usual, I was able to carefully slide the Airport TakeOff in and out with minimal effort.

Not only is the Airport TakeOff an excellent wheeled camera backpack, it also serves quite nicely as the personal item one is permitted in addition to the single carry on bag permitted by all US airlines, Greyhound, and Amtrak (28" x 22" x 14"/11" on Pacific Surfliner trains).

Given a choice between Think Tank Photo's StreetWalker HardDrive Camera Backpack and their Airport TakeOff Rolling Backpack, both carry a lot of camera gear plus my laptop, and the deciding factor is whether I need to carry my gear around challenging terrain, or need to travel with it and pull it around with me. My choice is the StreetWalker HardDrive for the former and the Airport TakeOff for the latter.

I strongly recommend the Airport TakeOff to any serious photographer.