My first Crumpler bag was a XXXL Ben’s Pizza camera bag in charcoal grey. Purchased 2 years ago at a discount from a seller on eBay, it was the most expensive bag I’d ever purchased at the time. I’d heard wonderous things about Crumplers’ build quality, endurance and funky, distinctly un-geeky styling. The bags had nonsensical names, were made from mystical fabrics (Chicken Tex Supreme, anyone?) and had a ridiculous website. And I wanted one so bad.
That Ben’s Pizza bag started a loyalty to and love for a brand that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before or since. Not even since swapping to a Mac. Crumpler allow me to carry my gear in something that is well-made, well-padded and well-designed without screaming “Look at me! I’m carrying expensive camera/computer equipment!”.
In the process of planning a weekend away, I wanted to find a bag that would enable me to be able to carry my DSLR with me during our trip without having to lug around a huge bag or have something with conspicuous NIKON branding all over it. And because Crumpler rocks, I found just what I was looking for:
Jimmy Bo 300
Click the image to view the full-size versions at Flickr.
Camera: Nikon D70s
Lens/Filters: NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 D AF
Focal Length: 50mm
Exposure: 0.008 sec
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO Speed: 200
Fill-in Flash: No
Post-Processing: Minor brightness/contrast adjustment, resized and tagged for web
This is Jimmy Bo. He lets me carry my camera whilst also leaving room enough for other vital gubbins, like my bus pass, a set of eyelash curlers and my medicines that helps sooth The Crazy. I like Jimmy Bo, he’s got great abs. All I’m left to do now is decide which lens I should take to last me the duration: my 50mm prime lens, or my 18-70mm zoom? Any thoughts?
The rest of this post is dedicated to long-time reader and Herfordshire-esque little-green-alien, Imo. A fellow Crumpler-lover, she asked to see the rest of my collection. And given that I’ll just about jump on any excuse to break out my new light tent, I spent yesterday obliging merrily.
My Crumpler Collection
Click the images to view the full-size versions at Flickr.
Are there any other fellow Crumpler lovers out there? What Crumplers are in your collection and why?
And more broadly, regardless of your Crumpler status, what do you use to carry your camera(s) in when you’re out and about?
Care to share?
A full-time wheelchair user since 1998, Claire lives in an adapted bungalow in England with her Partner of 10 years and their two dogs: 
yay what a fantastic blog entry. *Bows down and worships the crumpler queen*. I didn’t realise they did a specific leather ipod one, so I feel a trip to the website to check out the latest collection of crumplers is long overdue. And my ds lite does need a funky home to live in too
And if I ever work out how to get a photo up next to my name when I post, I will reinstate the little green alien
Imo:
Yeah, go on — you know you want to… They do funky, striped leather iPod cases at the mo.
Aw, yes! I second that motion: BRING BACK THE ALIEN! … (Visit/Sign-up at Gravatar.com, upload your alien and every time you post, he’ll be right here!)
have managed to upload the alien onto my gravator account but he’s not on here yet
Imo: Don’t worry — sometimes you have to wait for a bit for them to activate/approve it.
Oooh. I have a thing for bags. Don’t show me new places to buy bags. I have a problem, apparently. I need to leave this entry. Now.
V xx
They’re rather nice, the third one especially, good design. I might have to look into getting one myself.
I own this one in red and I absolutely love it. I don’t think I’ve ever really felt that way about a bag. I just discovered crumbler after buying my nikon d80 and not wanting a camera bag that just screamed “camera bag”, but for some reason they don’t have that many different kinds here in Denmark — so I will probably have to buy them online (which I am not a big fan of) whenever I get the money to do so..
Ummm I am now on a search for a Crumpler that will fit my DS Lite. The only candidate at the moment is a John Thursday 90, which has a bit too much depth
but is the right length and width.
Honestly you’d think by now Crumpler would have a specific design for hand hold gaming.
Well I haven’t sourced one for my DS yet, but have just ordered a ipod nano holder, the white one with orange crumpler man on the front, for.….…. wait for it.….….…..
£2.99
and no charge for P&P 
From a site called Mymemory — turns out I already had an account with them as well, I think I might have brought some memory cards off them at some point — I seem to remember they were cheap as well at the time.
Vixx:
I know what you mean. I bought another one just this week!
(a gorgeous, vintage wool, handmade clutch bag — will show pics soon)
Cecelia: Welcome Cecelia!
That’s exactly why I started buying them — I wanted a bag that was designed to carry and protect my DSLR, but that looked cute and funky.
Imo: What a bargain! I’ve used MyMemory before for memory cards and print cartridges. Sadly, Crumpler have yet to release an updated version of their iPod Nano case (for the latest Nano), so I’ve had to buy a non-Crumpler one temporarily. (However, I did send Crumpler an email about it in October and a nice man wrote back and said their should be one out in a few months time!)
Maybe you could email the nice man at Crumpler and ask about a DS Lite case? (webstore@crumpler.de)
Thanks for the email, here’s the message I’ve just sent — do you think I’ll get an answer
Dear Mr Crumpler
I have been on the search for a Crumpler case that will lovingly encase my DS when I’m not busy shooting cartoon worms, etc.
Maybe this suggestion can be put forward to the new ideas department in Crumpler Land.
Yours a Crumpler Admirer
hi claire,
nice crumpler collection!!!.…i would like to know where did you buy the green bill snatcher? its very very niceeee…