Wotancraft Scout Bag Review

hmm morphing perhaps into a lifestyle blog but whatever it is, i just blog what i want to blog about. so we're onto bags now it seems... well a small artisanal maison hand crafting fine leather products has a better ring to it ;) let's have a look shall we... 

there is a watch connection... first i heard of wotancraft is for the panerai straps they do and they do look good. the pricier and nice vintagized range be found here LINK. some of them are reproductions of the classic old skool straps(in the style of those worn by Italian frogmen in WWII) and i nearly pulled the trigger in the past on one in this range but that watch has sailed... uhm i mean the Panerai has dived out of my watchbox on a Maiali or pig which was the nickname for the SLC 'siluri a lenta corsa' or slow running torpedos that the Decima Flottiglia MAS rode on... nevermind... 

what i do have though are cameras and camera equipment and they need a bag. my day to day bag was getting a bit knackered too so i was looking for a camera bag that was versatile enough to use as a day to day bag for when i traverse vast concrete jungles! 

this guy knows all about maialis...

so i think the purpose of this review is 2-fold. it's to address any dissonances i may have for buying it(noting the negatives) but it's also to help others who might not get a chance to have a feel of it, as it doesn't have distributors in many countries noting they are a small outfit, form an opinion in this online shopping 'click buy' day and age... so let's dive right in ;)

positives

(1) modifiable: the bag itself minus the waterproof insert and the strap isn't too heavy... so with another
strap, which i do have on it & no insert, it's a light setup i can take with me daily. you can buy alternate
straps too(and lighter inserts) if you find the one it comes with too heavy but that's added cost to take note of

the heavy & heavy duty strap

(2) it looks great! personal opinion of course. military inspired cum urban style. no shots of me
carrying it and why would you want that when there are shots of her carrying it ;) LINK

i don't typically carry it with it's wotancraft tag but may have it on some time perhaps to change things up

(3) rugged, tough, waterproof: the waxed canvas material has proven to be waterproof after being exposed 
to a thunderstorm i was in recently. if the waterproof insert is used, i think it's safe to say your camera 
equipment will be nice and dry when you need to use them no fluids are getting in there...

and the waterproof insert has good compartments too... to keep your batts and cards

solidly made and nice... u can pull the zippers open from the middle if this tongue is out but 
i normally have it zipped to the side where i can access it easily with my right hand

to note, the current variant has a handle and a zipped compartment on the back of the bag which are pluses that aren't on the version i got. get the version with these upgrades if you are intending to get one of course. 

negatives 

(1) weight: it's heavy with everything on i.e. original strap on and waterproof insert in and 
that's not even putting in your camera equipment in

after putting your camera gear... it's gonna be a lot of weight to lug around. trade offs between
quality & toughness vs weight in this case

(2) price: i'm good with the price for what it is, solidly built good quality, but some folks may not be too comfortable
 with US$259 with regular insert and US$299 with waterproof insert for a camera bag or for a day to day bag... 

one niggle for me is the main closure... was a bit tough to open and close one handed but 
i am gettin the hang of it

JUST THE FACTS... what can you pack in it?

Mid-sized DSLR body with a lens on and 2 more lenses(not the big daddy ones yuh)...

Or M4/3 body with a couple of lens and a flash or several compact cameras if that's how you roll ;) eg. maybe a fuji 

x100/s/t or m4/3 with pancake prime lens setup, plus a ricoh gr(or equivalent), plus a compact zoom

and u can squeeze an ipad imbetween the insert and back of the bag but it will be a tight fit

and that's it. if u're reading to this point, it's likely you're in the market for a camera bag and possibly considering this, so all the best in your hunt for the perfect camera bag for u :) well nothing's really perfect.. for me, this gets the job done and i'm happy with it... for now... 

other sites with good pics/info and alternate viewpoints on the scout
- steve huff with video review
- simply photo
- la vide leica review of 2013 scout & comparo of 2014 and older version
- travel photographer

Note this review is a personal opinion and i get absolutely nothing for doing it. the links are there just if u're keen on picking up one or checkin it out for yerself. 

• Link to the bag on wotancraft site & order page here LINK 
• Link to their retail shop and retail partners in various countries LINK [best would be to check it out in the canvas/leather and assess if it suits your needs/budget before you buy it if you can] - This cost S$365 from their retailers in MBS in SG. 
• The clean, smart looking ryker costs S$550 which might be preferred over this for some folks... it looks good too LINK

but I'm good for now :) cheers, raph