In the late 1980's, renowned outdoor photographer Galen Rowell and Photoflex introduced a line of photo bags that I believe was the first modular belt system, as it featured interchangeable belts, lens cases, and side pockets. (I also believe it is long overdue for giving them credit for it!) They also sold the MFP Backpack that attached to either the MSB (Modular Shoulder Bag) or the MFP (Modular Fanny Pack) so they could be used in combination or by themselves, separately.

I was hired in 1991 as a consultant designer for a company called Resource International to create a new belt pack system for their client ­ Lowepro / Daymen.

What they recognized was that if the beltpack could be quickly released from the daypack while it was being carried, then the belt pack could swivel or rotate to the front of the body. Such instant accessibility to the photo gear would be a tremendous advantage.

The result of the design project was the Orion AW, which won many awards, including the Industrial Design Excellence Award silver award for design excellence in 1993 (Designer ­ Doug Murdoch, of Resource International. Client ­ Lowe Pro International)

Photographers appreciated the fact that while wearing the daypack/ beltpack combination, the beltpack could be released and rotated to the front of the body, providing access to their photo equipment. The problem was that when the belt pack was rotated to the rear under the daypack it was almost impossible to reconnect the buckles between the two parts by yourself. Over the years I and other designers tried to solve this problem, but to no avail.

When we started Think Tank Photo, we reconsidered the issues of rotation and accessibility and asked the radical question: “Can we create a daypack/ beltpack combination that exponentially increases the speed with which the photographer can access their equipment, with a minimum of effort?”

After two years of intensive effort, Think Tank Photo designer and co-founder Mike Sturm seems to have done the impossible with the release of new rotation360°. In his design studio near towering Mt. Shasta, Mike designed and sewed at least 10 prototypes. Each new prototype had to be evaluated, tested, and then another sample made. Again and again, 10 times before it was perfected.

In doing so, Mike proved false an assumption repeated over and over again in the world of camera bag design ­ that “the disadvantage of a backpack is that you have to take it off and put it on the ground to access the contents inside.”

After two years of intense creativity and labor, his patience and persistence paid off with the introduction of the rotation360° in November 2006. Certainly this is the highlight of his design career, to date.