In recent years, my photography has leaned further and further toward minimalism. This beautifully functional sling bag is the perfect match, as proven by a recent vacation to America’s West Coast.
In May 2025, I flew from France to California to casually photograph a friend’s wedding (unpaid, in case the U.S. government ever reads this), hit the beach, hike a few mountains, and explore the desert. Traveling with checked baggage would have made flights too expensive, restricting me to a 26 lb (12 kg) carry-on bag and a personal item, so with this in mind, I wrote to Bellroy a few weeks ahead of my trip to see if they could send me their Venture Camera Sling 10l. My Wandrd Hexad (discontinued) would be the perfect carry-on for the overhead compartment, and the sling looked to be an ideal companion to keep close to hand.
A year ago, I bought myself a Bellroy Sling Mini, the smallest sling bag in their range, seduced by the clean form and an ingenious design that dramatically reduces its profile when it’s not packed out. The shoulder strap cinches each end of the bag, compressing the overall volume. In short, it’s big when it needs to be big, while the rest of the time it stays compact.
The Venture Camera Sling doesn’t quite offer the same level of compression, but it seemed to offer the size and versatility that I was after, and Bellroy kindly sent me the bag in my preferred color, Ranger Green.
The Exterior
Bellroy describes the "Baida Nylon" as "durable, water-resistant ripstop fabric," and having dragged this thing through the brutally coarse granite boulders of Joshua Tree National Park for three days, I can definitely confirm its capacity for rough treatment. The desert didn’t lend itself well to testing how well it stands up to rain, but I’d certainly be comfortable taking it out in a downpour, especially given the lining on the zippers. It’s worth noting that Bellroy (a B Corp) uses nylon made from recycled industrial offcuts, and their polyester comes from recycled water bottles.
Slings seem to fall into two categories: those that hold their shape (like the overwhelming majority of camera slings) and those that crumple. Another of my bags, the Peak Design Everyday Sling is in the first category; it’s not a completely rigid shell, but it’s designed so that its form is consistent, regardless of what you’re carrying. This gives you confidence that your gear is protected, but the flipside is that you’ll carry a big bag of air with you whenever it’s not packed out to capacity. As a result, my 6-liter Everyday Sling can sometimes feel like a protrusion, and the rigidity means that the small front pocket can be annoyingly hard to access.
The Venture Sling is a crumpler. Consequently, it doesn’t feel like it offers quite the same level of protection, but the padding is sufficient that I never felt concerned, and I appreciate the trade-off.
The strap is comfortable and easy to adjust, can be removed at either end (though I don’t know what for), and one side of each buckle is metal while the other is plastic. The website claims that it can be adjusted one-handed, but I’ve never managed this, and I struggled to make changes while wearing it. Admittedly, I might be doing it wrong.
The way it attaches to the bag is ingenious. Bellroy describes the attachments as "self-compressing gussets" that adjust to your load, and paired with the crumpling design, it means that the bag has a lower profile when not heavily laden, making it better suited to everyday use.
The strap readily accepts a Peak Design Capture Camera Clip, but the angle means that you won’t be able to slide the camera into place vertically as you would when using the dedicated strip of material on the Peak Design sling bags.
There is no grab handle.
On the underside, you’ll find a pair of detachable carry straps, ideal for a tripod or a jacket. They’re lightweight and quite basic, and although they don’t feel as premium as the rest of the bag, they’re functional and simple to adjust.
The Interior
The main compartment is accessed via a double-ended zipper, and the generous opening means that a camera can be pulled out or replaced with one hand. The compartment is split into three by two dividers, and while these are stitched in and cannot be removed, they offer some flexibility; both can be pushed to each end of the bag to create a large, single compartment, and the divider on the right folds over to create a shelf. These dividers are nowhere near as rigid as other sling bags, facilitating the crumpling design described above but offering less protection. Again, I never felt concerned.
Each end of the bag features an elasticated slip pocket, easily accommodating a large filter or a sunglasses case. There is a small zip pocket that runs horizontally just underneath the main zip, again big enough for sunglasses, and with more stretch pockets for camera batteries or memory card cases.
Notably, there is no internal pocket that uses the full height of the bag, and the internal dividers entail some harsh restrictions if you want to carry a tablet. Forget about carrying anything larger than an iPad mini, and there is nothing to divide a tablet from whatever else is occupying the main compartment. Fortunately, for my trip, I had only my old-school Kindle; otherwise, this could have pushed me toward a small messenger bag instead of a sling.
The other zip on the bag’s exterior gives you access to a second, slimmer compartment, deep enough to accommodate an iPhone with ease, and probably large enough to accept an iPhone Pro Max. There are two stretch pockets for smaller items and a cord with a plastic clip for attaching keys. Unlike other slings, I never felt like I had to fight to get into this compartment, though, of course, it becomes more difficult as the bag fills up.
In Use
For the flight, I had my main camera stowed safely overhead in my Hexad, freeing up the Sling for a bottle of water, notebook, Kindle, a pen, my Olympus XA, various cables, a power bank, and my travel documents. The front pocket is the perfect size for a passport and boarding pass, and the various internal pockets kept my smaller items nicely organized.
For the wedding, I wasn’t carrying much: my Sony a7 III with the Samyang 35mm f/1.8 and the Sony nifty fifty, a blower brush, and my Olympus XA with a few spare rolls of film. There was plenty of room to spare. It would be a squeeze, but I think you’d be able to accommodate a large camera body with a 24-70mm lens, plus a meaty wide angle zoom and a fast prime.
In the desert, the sling worked well as a supplement to a rucksack when out exploring, offering quick access to all of my gear.
The Best Bag I’ve Ever Owned?
High praise, no doubt, and this is as much because of the type of bag as the bag itself. The various slings I own have added a level of convenience and minimalism as my photography has drifted from events and the occasional commercial shoot toward more casual dalliances with film and exploration.
The Bellroy sling might suit me perfectly, but that’s also because it’s carefully designed, hard-wearing, and beautifully made. It’s comfortable to wear, and the ease of access makes it effortless to use. Paired with the versatility of the dividers, the carry straps, the stretchy internal pockets, and the reduced profile when not filled to capacity, this bag is the perfect everyday carry.
What I Like
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Hard wearing
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Self-compressing gussets reduce the bag’s profile when not packed out
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Very easy access, even to the smaller side pocket
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Good protection
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Comfortable
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Sleek, minimal design
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Uses recycled nylon and polyester
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6-year warranty
What I Don’t Like
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No grab handle
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No tablet pocket
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At just under $180, it's not cheap
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The non-removable dividers might not suit some photographers
Bags are so subjective, ten years ago I bought a Timbuk2 messenger bag with their Snoop insert which is essentially this Bellroy bag. I found it to be so versatile and inconspicuous that I bought another one in small to complement the large that I originally owned.
VERY subjective, so thank god there's so many of the bloody things. ;) Those Timbuk2 bags look great. For me, the Bellroy's ability to shrink when not packed out would be a clincher, however.
I use Compagnon .... 100% waterproof German made from recyclable materials. And I stand by their bags and no, I'm not sponsored by them in any way but they are high-quality and I would not use anything else having used one now for about a year
They look amazing, but ouch, they're a bit more money. Lifetime warranty, however, so a worthy investment if it's the right fit. Nice choice.
Yeah I went with that. Honestly I trash my bags. I have the bigger backpack as I shoot landscapes but I'm thinking of adding the smaller one for just day trips as well. I live in a cooler climate where rain and moisture are regular so I needed something that is actually properly waterproof and these are not water resistant waterproof. You could put your camera inside it and turn on your garden hose and it will stay dry. That's the kind of reassurance I need. My cameras are worth $8000 so for me a $600 bag is a small price to pay in terms of protecting that camera. That's how I look at it.
Yep, sounds like an excellent choice given your needs. Buy smart, buy once.
Slings are OK if you don't carry much equipment, otherwise they give you back problems.
I travelled the same area than you for three weeks, in 2014, with a LowePro sling filled with a Nikon D610, a 80-200mm f/2.8 AFS, a, TC-14, a 24mm, an 18mm and a 50mm 1.8. The last four days in SF were really painful.
Same for commuting with my Peak Design Everyday Sling 10l V1 with one body and 2 lenses and my laptop.
It's OK for a week-end when I know I won't shoot much, or to carry my 300mm f/2.8 which doesn't fit in my backpack.
Absolutely. I mentioned the ability to pack this out with a full-frame body and a couple of big lenses but honestly, that would get pretty uncomfortable after a couple of hours, I suspect.
never ever put a water bottle into a bag with expensive camera gear.
Which proves that commonsense is not so common.
Lol. Find me the expensive camera gear in that photo. 😆🤦🏻♂️