It was the middle of summer—I had to plan a trip. I needed to transport my camera inside my TSA approved carry on. This carry on has to be approximately, 22″ x 14″ x 9″. I could not use my Crumpler Customary Barge or my Tamrac evolution 8. I had to save weight and space as I wanted to avoid extra baggage fees. Because this particular trip was going to be semiannual, I needed something durable to make it more convenient. In the course of my search, Crumpler sent me an announcement on their ‘Haven L’. When it became available, I purchased one right away.
What Can Go in the Pouch?
Dimensions of the Haven line
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Included in all testing groups are lens pens, wires, extra batteries, filters, extra memory cards and a Blackrapid RS-7
- Group 1
Nikon D90 with Grip with Tamron 28-200
Nikon SB600 speed light
NIkon 35mm 1.8
- Group 2
Nikon N2020 with Tamron 28-200
Nikon50mm 1.8D
- Group3
Nikon D90 with Grip with Sigma 18-50 2.8-4
Sigma 70-300 4-5.6
Construction
The pouch is constructed nicely, and the stitching on it is solid. It comes with three velcro dividers, which helps to neatly organize camera equipment. Padded on all sides, the Haven L has a strong drawstring to close the pouch from the top. When closed all the way, it is water resistant.
In the Field
If you are traveling with a DSLR with a grip attached like the Nikon D7000 or a Canon 7D or a full frame DSLR like the Nikon D3s or Canon 1D Mk IV you would want to take the lens off to pack it. The Haven L is not built for the speedy camera gear retrieval. It is built to safeguard your camera gear while nestled away in another bag. If you know you are going to be out shooting, you take your camera out carefully and connect it to a camera strap like the Blackrapid RS- 7 and go. On my trip I am carrying a sling bag, rolled up tightly in my Roller bag, to carry around while walking.
Practicality
For a trip in which you do not want to carry an extra bag just for your camera, the haven is the way to go. If a pouch or bag insert is needed to carry extra lenses, the Haven L is an excellent. The Haven Series is great or converting good bags in to good camera bags. The Haven L, selling for $60 USD, works best with DSLRs that do not have grips on them. There is more room to work with. The Haven M, selling for $50 USD and The Haven S selling for $42 USD, will work well for Micro 4/3s Cameras or cameras like the Fuji X100 and Olympus EP3.
Conclusion
The Haven L is for photographers with DSLRs on the go who want to protect their gear but who do not want to spend a lot of money. Most photographers will be able to find a use for this this pouch as it has great functionality with a nice height width and depth. For my trip, it is perfect.
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