That time of year again ~ thoughts on camera bags and packing gear

In consideration of an upcoming lengthy winter road-trip, I’m thinking about camera bags again. This subject comes up every year, mostly because it feels like none of my current bags can do everything competently enough to satisfy me. I like shoulder and crossbody bags because they get out of my way and allow me to carry enough gear for a day out. I can pull out a camera and put it away when I’m done very quickly. The main problem is one of space and dimension ~ a bag that’s too small just doesn’t allow me to carry enough gear, and one that’s too big and bulky is going to be too cumbersome and heavy. I’ve decided that my largest shoulder bag - the Lowepro Nova AW 200 - is about the biggest size bag I can take away, but it’s not one I can comfortably carry around for a day. And it’s certainly not a good bag for a hike. But a svelte 5 or 6 litre capacity bag just doesn’t carry enough gear for my general use case either. This year, I’ve decided on three possible options: the Lowepro Nova…