What initially attracted me to the Crumpler bags was the heavy duty construction, well that and the fact that I couldn't find Domke bags in Australia. Since there are Crumpler shops right here in Sydney - I grabbed my gear and headed to Paddington to see just how much stuff I could stuff into one. Once I loaded up a bag and threw it over my sholder I was sold - these bags just fit your body.

First impression:
The Chicken Tex nylon is tough stuff - it's stiffer than any camera bag I've had before. The heavy duty construction and thick fabric actually limits the amount of stuff you can fit inside. I had looked and some comparable Lowe Pro bags (in the Stealth line) and given similar outside dimensions, the Lowe Pro bags are going to hold more stuff, but the Crumpler is going to protect it better. And no matter how much Lowe Pro calls them 'Stealth' they still look like camera bags.

Fitting in the gear:
The bag came with many different sized dividers - with modern digital SLR gear, the dividers are mostly in the way. I ended up dividing the main compartment in half with room for my Canon EOS 10D and a 28-105 lens attached on one side with a second lens on the other side.

Down below, in 'The Darkroom' is a great place to stash a flash and it's even big enough to hold a 80-200 F/2.8 (without the hood.)

The strap:
Like all the Crumpler bags, their camera bags are designed to be warn 'messenger' style, that is with the strap over the left shoulder and the bag on the right hip - this is the most secure way to wear a bag anyway. The length is easily adjustable on the fly with a Quick Flick buckle on the right.

The Third Leg:
The Tallee has a 'Third Leg' strap that is designed to go around your back to keep the bag in check. In the two or three times I've used it (when hiking up steep terrain) it's been great - but mostly the third leg just gets in the way. The shoulder pad is the best ever - I've actually reversed it - I find it more comfortable this way (and works better with the third leg.)

Velcro closer madness:
These photos below show the velcro closers that hold the top flap in place. It's a double closure with with a small, rather useless pocket on the inner flap. This method does a great job of sealing the bag from the elements. The large patch of Velcro at the bottom is great for quickly closing the bag, but opens with a loud rip - a real problem in a quiet setting. The third photo shows how I fold over the flap when I want to be able to quickly and quietly get in and out of the bag.

So, waddareckon?
I gotta say, I was a little hesitant to get this bag - not because of the construction, the strap, the heaps of Velcro, the padding, the dividers or the color (those were all the reasons that I bought it!) The thing that was holding me back was 'The Darkroom'. I've never liked the idea of the bottom compartment as I thought they were too hard to get stuff in and out of. This is the first bag I have owned with such a compartment and after living with it for 6 months, I was right.

If you are thinking about a new bag, by all means GET a Crumpler bag. I can't recommend them enough. But I can't really recommend the Tallee - and based on the new 'Million Dollar Home' line from Crumpler, it looks like they have given up on the bottom compartment too. Good on ya Crumpler.