The Alpaka Flight Satchel: my bag for travel days
The Flight Satchel isn't a camera bag. It's the bag I carry onto the plane: light, tidy and made to sit under the seat in front with a laptop inside. Here's why it works for photographers and how I pack a camera in it.
Some links in this guide are affiliate links. If you buy through them, Carry & Kit may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Why it's in my kit
On a flight day, I want everything I need in the cabin within reach: laptop, passport, water, chargers, a snack. Camera bags are good at cameras and not much else. The Flight Satchel is good at everything else, and it weighs only 570 g, which leaves more of a 7 kg cabin allowance for camera gear.
It also slips over the handle of a wheeled suitcase, so it rides along through the airport instead of hanging off my shoulder.
Who makes it
Alpaka is a Melbourne brand, started in 2016 by two friends who wanted better everyday bags. Its first bag was a messenger funded on Kickstarter, and it now makes slings, backpacks and travel gear, with a flagship store in Docklands. It's nice to carry something designed in my own city.
Main features
- A padded 13-inch laptop compartment that fits a MacBook Air or a tablet.
- A divided front compartment with a key tether, so small things don't sink to the bottom.
- Two bottle pockets, one inside and one stretchy outside pocket, plus an outside pocket with a drainage hole for a wet umbrella.
- A luggage pass-through on the back for your suitcase handle.
- Water-resistant YKK AquaGuard zips and tough ripstop nylon.
- A padded, detachable shoulder strap that adjusts from 90 to 160 cm, so it works across the body.
- Black or green, with lighter Ultradyne fabric versions in a few more colours.
How I carry a camera in it
There are no padded camera dividers, so the camera needs its own protection. I wrap it in a padded camera wrap or slip it into a small padded pouch, and it sits upright in the main compartment beside the laptop sleeve. A mirrorless body with a small lens fits comfortably this way, with a spare lens in a soft pouch.
On arrival, the camera moves to my everyday camera bag, and the Flight Satchel becomes my laptop bag for editing days.
Specifications
| Size | 35 × 24.5 × 13 cm |
| Weight (empty) | 570 g |
| Volume | 11 L |
| Material | Axoflux 210D ripstop nylon outside; ripstop polyester lining |
| Laptop | Up to 13 inches |
| Pockets | Divided front compartment, zip pocket, 2 bottle pockets, umbrella pocket |
| Strap | Padded, detachable, 90–160 cm |
| Travel | Luggage pass-through |
| Price | US$119 on Alpaka's site (it shows Australian prices when you choose Australia) |
What to know before you buy
It's not padded for a camera
Without a wrap or pouch, a camera will rattle around and meet your laptop. Budget for a padded wrap if you don't already have one.
The strap is long
Some owners find the strap longer than they need, even at its shortest. If you're petite, check it sits where you want it before you take off the tags.
The opening is snug with a laptop in
With a laptop and a camera inside, the main opening gets tight. Pack the laptop first and the camera last.
It's a good fit if
- You fly with a laptop or tablet and want one tidy personal-item bag.
- You're counting every gram of a cabin allowance.
- You already own a camera wrap or pouch.
- You want a bag that works for editing days and cafés once you arrive.
For shooting days, pair it with a camera bag: the small Leica M Combination Bag by Billingham fits inside a suitcase, and the Domke F-3X folds down soft.
Where to buy
Alpaka Flight Satchel
A light travel satchel with a 13-inch laptop sleeve and a luggage pass-through, from Melbourne brand Alpaka.
See it at Alpaka ↗Packing for a flight? Read flying with camera gear for weight limits, batteries and film.