Good camera bags are expensive. You might have payed thousands of dollars for your gear setup. It’s only logical to carry the precious hardware in a worthy bag. There are all kinds of bags, the options are overwhelming, but still not good enough for photographer Allen Mowery who was “just sort of shot in the face with all the options available and the very price points that accompanied them.” He kept coming back to the waxed Domke canvas bags. They are beautiful, durable and looking reminiscent of a bygone era. But too expensive.

Waxed canvas camera bags are durable, water-resistant and take quite a beating when they need to! This quality though comes at a steep price.

So Mowery bought a cheap knockoff imported bag for $20, added a Tenba bag insert for $22. All he still needed was the protection and sense of nostalgia that comes with the more antiquated technique of waterproofing by waxing. Says Mowery: “The wax gives the bag an added visual dimension.”

In this thorough video tutorial he explains in-depth what materials to use and how exactly to wax a canvas bag to make it durable, water-resistent and, well, give it that classic look. Turns any canvas messenger bag into an original!