I review a lot of general purpose and camera bags here on Gear Journal. As a result, I’m always thinking about what makes the “perfect” bag. Try as might, I’ve never really been able to find one. The closest I’ve come across for my needs is the Billingham Hadley Pro line of bags. I love their nice and compact size. I love the hand made build quality. I love their simple functionality… But they look like purses… and when you got buddies like mine, you don’t even think about rolling with anything that might be mistaken for a purse. Screw that.

So, what to do?

I decided to send a few vintage WWII issued duffle bags to Daniel at W Durable Goods in Ft. Worth, Texas along with some ideas and direction. I wanted a bag that was no bigger than 5″ x 9″ x 14″ and could host both my film and digital kits along with all the accessories needed to make photography happen – including my 11″ MacBook Air. And it can’t look like a purse.

Daniel made it happen. Check it out: