Review: Javran ‘Maui Minimalist’ Camera Bag

I actually came across this bag by accident when browsing through his other tactical tailoring projects… and ordered mine the same day. Just take a look at this bag! PALS, a huge velcro panel, Premium Cordura in Foliage Green. What’s not to like? By the way, the choice of color and details is up to you – it will be built to your specs, just like mine was.

THE BAG

The construction is pretty much bulletproof. Tough Cordura outside, high density protective closed-cell foam as a mid-layer and reinforced nylon inside. There is no compromise in the construction. The material has been cut with the bags integrity in mind, not cutting corners or saving on material as it usually is on large scale production bags. The sides and bottom of the pack are one solid piece of Cordura. If that’s not enough for you there is additional 1” webbing going around and under the bag, to which a shoulder strap is attached via oversized carabiners. ‘Super heavy duty’ instantly comes to mind… and yes, it is! Of course that beefy 2” shoulder strap can be easily detached from the Maui bag and the bag itself can be used as “backpack insert” as well. There is also a flat webbing handle on top for in-hand carry, which is also super handy when the bag is used as a pack insert. The heavy duty zippers have been all equipped with custom foliage green paracord pulls, that not only look great but are totally silent as well. The standard metal zipper pulls’ jingle is the LAST thing you want on a wildlife photography trip. Nice touch! And last but not least – the outside dimensions of the bag: W 8.5” x H 9” x D 5”.

COLORS

Foliage Green for me please! It blends nicely with most of my outdoor gear – packs, jackets etc., it doesn’t stand out too much, doesn’t scream ‘expensive gear inside!’ and it just looks good, both in an urban environment and in the great outdoors. Contrary to the outside, I’ve chosen a blaze orange inside so that I can always find the smallest parts of my gear in the bag. The visibility inside the bag is perfect, it almost looks like it’s illuminated. Of course you can choose your own color scheme, so there’s no need to follow mine (but you’re welcome to of course, it works great for me). My interior fabric of choice is the X-Pac super abrasion resistant laminated fabric made by Sailclotch Technology, so long life is guaranteed on the inside of Maui Minimalist too.

INSIDE ARRANGEMENT

There are couple of ways you can arrange the inside of the Javran’s bag (velcro, PALS, dividers, pockets etc.) but I’ve chosen simply one movable divider (on velcro) of about 2/3 of the bag’s height, with a small half-flap on top. Additionally there is a split-open flat compartment on the inside of the main flap, which is just perfect for 2 or 3 filters (depending on size and thickness).

OUTSIDE PARADISE

Let’s be honest, the coolest thing about this bag is the possibility to choose ANY outside configuration you want. Nothing is impossible. Here’s what I’ve chosen: Huuuuge velcro panel on the front… yeah, I’m patch junkie! PALS panel on the back including 4 attachment straps to give me modularity, especially when combined with a bigger PALS equipped pack.

Javran supplied my bag with 4 Secure Straps, which are soft PALS attachment straps with an easy and super secure metal loop closure. It’s a cool improvement over the classic plastic PALS straps. It allows for some flexibility but still bonds the pack and pouch closer… it’s like the pouch is actually sewn onto the pack. Just a really good design.

PALS on the right hand side, which I usually use to strap down my small travel tripod with 550 paracord. Of course I can attach any pouch there including a canteen pouch, dump bag, iPhone pocket etc., just whatever I need on a specific mission, even a knife in a sheath or a tactical folder.

On the left side I asked for an organizer pocket, which is spacious enough for 2 spare batteries, a charger, my Victorinox Farmer pocket knife, LensPen cleaning tool and a couple of SD cards. Two translucent card pockets and an elastic mesh pocket help to organize it all in a proper order.

BAG IN USE

I usually use this bag as a standalone unit on my shoulder. But if needed it can be easily worn together with a pack or actually on a pack, attached directly to shoulder straps via [DIY] strap-lifters. I realized that when I was in the mountains last summer, in quite a wild area, so in the end I had to make my own improvised lifters with paracord. I tied them to the metal D- rings on the sides of Maui bag and attached it to my backpack (baby carrier actually) with a pair of ITW Grimlocks. It worked great! I was able to carry my son on my back and at the same time I had full access to my photo stuff.

Overall the functionality of the Maui Minimalist is top notch. I designed the inside/outside to accommodate exactly my minimalist travel Fuji-X set, which is usually just a body, two lenses, spare batteries and cards. But it is still possible to load the inside with an extended outdoor / travel set, which consists of:

• Fuji X-T1 body (also fits with the L-plate attached)
• Fujinon 35/1.4 standard lens (a must)
• Fujinon 55-200/2.8-3.5 telezoom lens (love this lens!)
• Fujinon 16/1.4 wide angle lens for landscapes (or 56/1.2 when I plan a portrait session)
• 2 filters
• 2 spare batteries
• Charger and cable (for more than 1-day trips)
• Spare SD cards
• Slik Travel tripod

All of that stuff still fits in and on the Maui Minimalist.

The quality of Javran’s craftsmanship is second to none. Maui Minimalist just oozes perfection, every single corner, every single stitch. But that’s what should be expected from a top notch custom maker, right? Yeah, it’s my dream bag. Slightly tactical in overall appearance? Yes, just a bit, but that’s exactly why I wanted it so much. And last but not least… what other bag can you order in proper mil-spec Foliage Green with a huge velcro front panel for morale patches? All in all – it’s highly recommended!