A quick disclosure: the product links in this post are Amazon affiliate links, which means if you buy through them, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I bought every bag in this post with my own money and use them all the time.

I own a lot of camera bags. Most of them have a specific job: the big one for weddings, the one that holds lighting gear, the one that only comes out for travel. But the bags I actually grab on the way out the door, day after day, are two small slings.

One is the Think Tank Urban Access 8. The other is the Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L. They do basically the same job. They just feel different doing it, and which one I grab usually comes down to how the day is shaping up and, honestly, what I'm wearing.

Richie and his son in a grocery store, Richie wearing the Think Tank Urban Access 8 sling
The Think Tank Urban Access 8 on a grocery run. This is what everyday carry actually looks like around here.

The quick list

What I actually carry in a sling

My everyday camera these days is a compact Fujifilm X-T30 III. It's small enough that it doesn't need a dedicated camera bag, but I don't love tossing it loose into a backpack either. A sling is the sweet spot: protected, right at my side, and quick to get to.

On a normal day, a sling holds:

And here's the part that surprised me: I carry these slings even when I'm not bringing a camera at all. Pull the camera out and they're just a really well made everyday bag. That's a big part of why they get used so much. They're not "camera bags" that sit in a closet until a shoot. They're my bag, period.

The one I grab most

Think Tank Urban Access 8 Sling

Comfortable, compact, secure

I absolutely love this bag. I use it just about every time I leave the house. It's really comfortable to wear for hours, it stays compact against my body instead of flopping around, and I just feel secure with it on. My stuff is right there in front of me, zipped up, where I can keep an eye on it.

The feature that won me over is the outer water bottle pocket. It sounds like a small thing until you've spent a summer in Central Florida. Being able to carry water on the outside, without it taking up room next to the camera or sweating all over everything inside, is a genuine everyday quality of life upgrade.

It's great for a compact camera setup, and just as great for day to day carry when the camera stays home.

Richie and his son at a donut shop table, Richie wearing the Think Tank Urban Access 8 sling
Donut run, same sling. Compact enough that I forget it's on, which is exactly the point.
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The one I alternate with

Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L

Same setup, different feel

Peak Design makes the Everyday Sling in three sizes, and I use the 6L, the middle one. For a compact camera plus everyday essentials, it's the size that just works. Not so small that I'm playing Tetris with my wallet and sunglasses, not so big that it stops feeling like a sling.

The setup inside is basically the same as the Think Tank: the X-T30 III, keys, wallet, sunglasses, and the little extras. It's just a different feel. The shape, the strap, the way it sits on me are all a little different, and some days that's what I want.

I also got mine in a different color than the Think Tank, which sounds silly, but it's genuinely part of how I choose between them. Some outfits just look better with one than the other.

Selfie of Richie and his son at Epcot, Richie wearing the Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L
The Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L at Epcot. Stroller day, so the sling was all I needed.
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So which one should you get?

Honestly, you can't go wrong with either one. I alternate between them about equally, which tells you how close they are. If I had to split hairs:

Pick the Think Tank if...

You want that outside water bottle pocket, and you care most about a compact, secure, all-day comfortable carry.

Pick the Peak Design if...

You want to pick the exact size that fits your kit, and you like having color options that match how you dress.

Or do what I did and get both. When a bag is the thing you carry every single day, having two that suit different moods and outfits isn't really overkill.

When a sling isn't enough

A sling is perfect until the day needs more: a laptop, extra lenses, or a whole day of supplies. For carrying a laptop and camera gear together, I switch to my Peak Design Everyday Backpack. And for long, all day outings like a full day at the parks, I've got a whole post on how I choose a camera bag for Disney World.

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Got a gear question?

If you're trying to figure out what bag, camera, or setup makes sense for the way you actually shoot, reach out. I'm always happy to talk gear. And if you'd rather leave the camera at home and have someone else take the photos, that's literally my job.

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