Aide de Camp: My Travel Companion

Bag: Aide de Camp Valencia Camera Travel Tote
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland & Stinchcombe, England (July 2014)

If there’s anything important to a female photographer other than her gears, it’s the bag she carries. Before I got the ADC bag, I’ve always had to carry bulky backpacks or slings (think Crumpler) that were unisex and not designed specially for females. It’s so hard to pair that along with a nice outfit for plans after a session, but with the ADC, it’s no longer a concern! (What, just because we’re doing a hot and sweaty (male-dominated) job doesn’t mean we can’t look good while doing it!).

Anyway, I recently went on a one month trip to Europe & UK, and obviously brought along way too much photography gear (think 1 body, 3 lenses and 1-2 film cameras) than I needed. Thankfully with my new chic camera travel tote kindly gifted to me by the wonderful team at Aide de Camp, I was able to carry all my important electronics with me while still looking stylish!

ADC uses premium lightweight, water resistant nylon exterior and genuine cow leather trim and handles, as well as 14-karat champagne gold plated hardware for all the different styles that they currently have. The center of the removable cross body straps are also made with soft neoprene which provides comfortable cushion for your shoulders. As for the travel tote, it is the only design that comes with a detachable camera pouch that doubles up as a day bag! If that is not enough to tell you how functional and stylish-looking their designs are, read on for a peek into my personal experience with the Valencia Tote!

I’ve been using the bag ever since I got it – bringing it to shoots, school and most of all, for my travels. What I like about this bag is that it’s so big and spacious that it can fit my gear, laptop, iPad, notebooks, clothes, shoes… Heck, just name it and you can fit it! The back of the tote features a slip pocket that you can conveniently put over the handle of your luggage, making it super easy to bring around! The slip pocket has been a great help for me especially since I was traveling solo sometimes, and I had no help with my baggage.

Most days I would only bring out just the camera with an attached lens and my personal belongings to roam about in the city. This is when camera pouch comes in handy. It is light, detachable, and has removable padded compartments that you can easily fold away and store, converting it into a regular day bag. Just attach the cross body strap and you’re ready to go – how convenient! I did this especially when I was on a short weekend road trip in Scotland to the Isle of Skye. I would use the tote to store all my clothes, shoes and toiletries that I would leave in our hostel, while I went out with my camera and other personal belongings in the smaller pouch.

Oh, and I have a shocking testimony to share too: When I was in Iceland in the earlier part of my trip, a cup of hot chocolate accidentally tipped and spilled all over my bag. (Cue: extremely sad face) Thank goodness my bag was zipped and I wiped it all up before opening the bag to check the interior. Surprise, surprise…! The hot chocolate didn’t even manage to get past the material or the zips – talk about putting the water resistant exterior to test, huh?

I can’t put together enough amazing words to describe how multifunctional and spacious the Valencia Tote is, so I’m going to end off with this video done by the ADC team! Have a look and you’d be amazed (as was I, and still am)!

Well, if you’re still looking for a stylish camera bag to bring along with you wherever you go, look no further. You’d swear by ADC and would never want to take it off your shoulders!