C.S. Muncy is a freelance photojournalist based out of New York City with a client list that includes The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsday, The New York Daily News and The Village Voice. As a freelancer, he’s covered such subjects as the BP Oil Spill, the fight for same-sex civil rights, the takeover of the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin and Occupy Wall Street. A graduate of the Defense Information School, he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2002 and is currently a photographer with the New York Air National Guard.

When I look at picking up new camera gear, the first thing I ask myself is “how much of a beating will this take before it reaches its failure point?” I need to know that I can put my gear through some truly horrific amounts of abuse, and that I can still depend on it to do its job.

Over the course of the last year, I’ve started using sling-style camera straps. These work a bit like rifle slings (indeed, some were directly based off Civil War-era cavalry slings) which allows the user to keep their camera easily within reach.

Last week I was sent two new rigs, the Carry Speed CS-Slim and CS-Pro. The first thing I noticed was that both had neoprene shoulder rests, which made it extremely comfortable carrying even heavy cameras like my Nikon F5 and D3. The material beneath the shoulder had plenty of grip, and with its wide surface area I didn’t find it shifting around as I walked. I also really liked the mount, which featured a ball-bearing connection and heavy-duty metal baseplate with multiple, separate tripod mounts. I appreciated this, as most other brands lack the ability to use a tripod while mounted to the sling.

Unlike other slings, the Carry Speed comes with a quick-adjust strap. Connected to an ABS plastic ring, with a quick yank you can adjust the length of your sling, making it easier to keep your hand within reach. I really liked this option, though if I had a suggestion for the company it would be to add a way to keep this locked in place. I do a lot of running with my gear, and the strap has a mild tendency to creep lower. This is mostly nitpicking- we’re talking about a few inches of movement. Most other brands require you to remove the strap before adjusting its length. The straps also feature two plastic quick releases, which would be useful if you need to get your gear off in a rush.

And how much of a beating can this take before reaching its failure point? The nylon straps are as tough as anything else out on the market (save the Sunsniper, which contains a steel cord built into the strap), and the baseplate is solid machined metal. The only weak point I found was the part that made the strap so comfortable: the wide neoprene shoulder pads. The truth is though, that unless you’re wandering around with the heaviest SLR on the market and an unsupported 600mm lens, you’re going to be fine. Likewise, there’s not a big list of photographers who spend their time shooting in the middle of angry crowds who don’t like having their photos taken.

I recognize that most people don’t approach new gear with these worries in mind. For the average photographer, the Carry Speeds are fantastic. As I mentioned above they’re relatively sturdy, extremely comfortable- more so than any other brand I’ve used. For many shooters, that’s the most valuable feature of any new gear.