When it comes to preparing for adventure travel, choosing the right bag is essential. And that’s especially true if that bag is going to house thousands of dollars worth of delicate, finicky camera equipment. Fortunately, an opportunity to test the WANDRD Rogue Sling came at the same time as a 10-day trip to Kenya, so I had the chance to put it through the wringer. After muddy drives in open-sided safari vehicles, bumpy bush flights, and visits to remote villages and eco-hotels, it’s clear the Wandrd Rogue Sling Bag is an extremely functional, thoughtfully designed option for real-world travel photographers.
Safari Testing the WANDRD Rogue Sling, a Bag That Helps You Get the Perfect Shot
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Durability is paramount when gear is subjected to the dust, heat, and unpredictable weather of Kenya in the rainy season, but the Rogue 9L Sling proved its mettle. Dust and dirt wiped off the surface easily, and the weatherproof zippers and materials kept my gear sealed away from the elements, even in afternoon downpours. It also resisted wear well, and despite constant contact with vehicle floors and rough ground, it barely has a scuff or scratch, and not a single fraying or loose thread.
Capacity and convenience: nailed it
When fully packed, the main compartment can hold quite a bit of gear. Inside is a camera body, 150-500mm lens, portable Wi-Fi device, packable backpack sunglasses, snack bar, voltage converter, and more. Photo: Suzie Dundas
The Wandrd Rogue Sling comes in three sizes: 3L, 6L, and 9L. Three liters is small for photographers unless you’re shooting with a tiny mirrorless camera and a petite lens, like a fixed 50mm. The six liter is probably big enough for most general or landscape photographers, allowing for a camera body and two mid-sized lenses, plus components like charging cables, memory cards, etc. My camera body is small (a Sony A7IV), but I have a downright gargantuan lens that goes up to 500mm, plus other lenses for everyday use. So I went with the 9L Wandrd Rogue Sling bag.
The bag comes with removable dividers, allowing me to separate and snugly carry the lenses and body separately in transit, but rearrange them as needed each day based on what lens(es) I think I’ll need. Even with my camera and lens, there was enough extra space in the main compartment for items like a charging cube, cords, a few snacks, a headband and comb, and even a pair of socks.
The Rogue Sling can carry quite a bit, especially if you clip items to the outside. Photo: Suzie Dundas
There’s a second large pocket close to the mesh back panel that can expand to carry a laptop (a very useful feature) and both an inner and outer pocket running the length of the bag. Those two smaller zippered compartments provided secure storage for SD cards, extra batteries, cleaning tools, and other essentials for any travel photographer. They’re also large enough to carry items like travel-sized bug spray and sunglasses, though the bag starts getting pretty lumpy if you try to carry anything bigger in the flat-ish pockets.
The fold-out bottom pocket is useful for narrow items like water bottles or tripods. Photo: Suzie Dundas
However, maybe the most useful feature is an expandable pouch on the bottom of the sling bag, with a cinchable tie at each end. I used that to carry a water bottle, though you can also shove a jacket, tripod, or pair of small shoes in there. (It tucks away with Velcro tabs when not in use). And on top of that, the Rogue Sling also has two external tripod straps for front carrying (though they barely were long enough to go around my bulky tripod). I also used carabiners to clip items to the various grab handles, including a packed rain jacket, a bandana, a baseball cap, and other items I was fine carrying on the outside.
Easy access means you’ll miss fewer shots
I used the Rogue Sling on bush walks when I needed my camera gear, but not a full backpack. Photo: Visuals by Koech
The huge amount of stuff this bag can carry actually made it a suitable replacement for a backpack for short hikes, as well as a useful bag for keeping under the seat in front of me on flights, allowing me to put my bulkier backpack in the overhead compartment. Having a sling bag with room for both my camera gear and water was a game changer, eliminating the need for a backpack while still keeping my hands free while hiking. An effortless swing over my shoulder flips the bag to the front, providing quick access to my camera (and making changing lenses a breeze, even while walking.) In the past, I know I’ve missed good shots because I didn’t want to take off my backpack and pull out my camera, but the Wandrd Rogue Sling kicks that excuse to the curb.
The fact that it’s easy to swing to the front means you can grab your camera, switch lenses, or replace a memory card without missing a step. Photo: Suzie Dundas
The padded back panel and adjustable strap made it comfortable to wear for hours, even when fully loaded, and the cross-body design avoids the awkwardness of carrying a chunky bag in and out of tight vehicles and planes. It also ensures it doesn’t slide down your shoulder during heavy activity, and it felt secure whether I was carrying it across my back or tucked under my arm in front.
The only slight annoyance I felt in carrying the Wandrd Rogue 9L is that it’s a little large to try to use within another bag. I initially planned to carry my cameras in the Rogue Sling, then use that as an internal case within my larger travel backpack (the Wandrd PRVKE, $219+ on Amazon). But doing that filled nearly the entire backpack, as the Rogue Sling doesn’t compress very well. I would plan on using it mostly as a stand alone bag.
It’s a useful bag, even without a camera
The WANDRD Rogue 9L is a big sling bag, shown here on a 6-foot, 1-inch guy. Photo: Suzie Dundas
I don’t carry my giant lens unless I know I’m shooting wildlife, but I do usually need some kind of bag (we all know how useless women’s pockets can be). Aside from having a rather technical/sporty look, the Rogue Sling worked well for that purpose. When I left my camera behind, I used it as a day bag, carrying my phone and charger, a notebook, sunglasses, an extra layer, big spray, and essentials along those lines, with lots of room to spare.
The 9L is a large bag, covering most of my back on my 5-foot, 7-inch frame. When wearing it over my shoulder, as I did most often, it extends as wide as my body, so it’s certainly very visible, and felt too big to wear as a hip pack/fanny pack. But it’s not really designed for that, and I’d default to something much smaller and more packable when I just need a small sling bag, like a Cotopaxi Del Dia hip pack. But I appreciated being able to use it as a day bag in a pinch, rather than having to carry a purse or second sling bag.
When moving through hotels and airports, the Rogue Sling was far more convenient than I thought. I wore my travel backpack on my back, and slung the sling over my neck, which kept both my hands free. I was able to smoothly move through airports, dirt paths, and up and down stairs while carrying both bags – in fact, I even carried a big duffel bag at times, too.
The Rogue Sling’s drawbacks
The laptop pocket (grey pouch, bottom right) drops down from behind the back panel. But it doesn’t have any padding, so tread carefully. Photo: Suzie Dundas
No bag is perfect, and the Wandrd Rogue 9L Sling has a few limitations. For multi-day trips or photographers with multiple bodies, it’s not going to carry enough. (The larger PRVKE backpack is better for that purpose). The Rogue Sling is better suited as a day or afternoon camera pack.
Additionally, the 9L Sling is bulky. I don’t mind, as it means extra protection for my camera. But it’s not something you would carry “just in case” you need it, especially as it doesn’t compress very well. So it’ll probably need to count as your carry-on personal item, unless you have a huge bag to pack it into.
Also note that the fold-out laptop carry compartment (above) works well and is very convenient, but it doesn’t fit a laptop in a case, nor does it have padding around the bottom. So be careful with swinging your bag around if you use it for that purpose on active adventures.
After two weeks of field use, I’m into it
The Rogue Sling was my constant companion for a 10-day safari trip. Photo: Suzie Dundas
After dragging it through three contents and pretty much every wet and dirty environment you can think of (including rain and snow at my home in Lake Tahoe) I’m very happy with the Wandrd Rogue Sling. It’s durable, carries enough to make it useful for day trips, and provides the quick and easy access to camera gear that photographers need to ensure they never miss a shot. While it may not replace larger camera backpacks for extended shoots, it’s a perfect companion for enthusiastic travel photographers, content creators carrying drones or video set ups, or even non-photographers who want a sling bag that can fit a full-sized laptop.
It’s a bit pricey as far as sling bags go, starting at $109, but for photographers, it’s nothing compared to the cost of cameras or camera repairs. I have a feeling I’ll be using it quite a bit in the coming years, and hopefully in the coming decade, since it has a pretty legit lifetime warranty. I also love that Wandrd has a pre-owned gear program called “Venture On,” ensuring that with a little extra effort, none of its products will ever end up in a landfill. 