Planning and Purses.

Our weekend was low-key at best.  The only time we left our little "village" was to head to the next "village" over to go to school.  That's right, school.  Thanks to the snowstorm/snow day we had on Monday we were forced to work on Saturday to make up for it.  No bueno. 

To make things worse, the boy's been battling the plague all week.  The local doctor claimed that it was just a sore throat (and administered a few shots to the bum) but we have our doubts.  I'm pretty sure that he had strep throat.  He couldn't eat, drink, or even sleep because it hurt so bad.  Needless to say, this weekend (aka Sunday) was spent relaxing on the couch, watching Korean reviews of the Grammys, and preparing a teaser for Message in a Barrel.   

We were also able to sort out a budget and make a list of things that we'll need for the expedition.  Since we'll be filming and producing videos and not just traveling I fear that we'll be packing quite the load.  We'll be carrying around a laptop for editing, our two hand held video cameras, my DSLR, our waterproof point and shoot, and our Polaroid along with all of their accessories i.e. mics, batteries, chargers, etc. 

Ideally I'd only like to take one [large] backpack and a little purse or satchel.  Speaking of purses- does anyone know where I can find a good purse-like apparatus for my camera?  I don't want to lug around a camera case that will automatically have me standing out as a foreigner.  I want something that's on the down-low but will also protect my camera. 

I'm a big fan of the Epiphanie camera bags.  They're stunning purses, but they also offer adequate protection for your camera and lenses.  I like the fact that they don't look like a bulky camera bag and they come in a variety of styles and colors.  I'm worried that they might be a just little too flashy for backpacking.  Still, the boy said that he would get me one as my Valentine's day present if I found one that I loved.  (I'm a fan of the "Lola")

I've also looked at Ketti Handbags.  They're just plain beautiful and a little more "natural" looking.  You know what I mean?  These have a more neutral look to them and I feel like it would blend in easier in say, South America or even Southeast Asia.  The only problem is that they're so popular that every bag I want is on back order.  Le boo. 

Still, I might just give up and buy an over the shoulder sling bag as we go and add in padding inserts that can be found here.  Any helpful advice is more than welcomed.  The least noticeable bag, the better.  I don't want to have a big target around me that says "tourist with a plethora of nice(ish) cameras".