List Price: $309.99
Sale Price: $249.99
Today's Bonus: 19% Off
I was hoping for a pack that allowed me to carry my camera gear while being out on the trail all day. I will go out for a hike that will take me typically anywhere from 5 to 15 miles into the wilderness. I am disappointed in this pack. I did 8 miles yesterday with it for the first time.
The good. I like the design that allows me to keep my camera and lens put together and the way it is secured. I like the look in that if my tripod is not attached, it appears as a regular day pack without a few thousand dollars worth of camera equipment inside.
Doubts. Durability. Particularly with the strap clips. They are built of a thin plastic and are not your standard clips. I have doubts they will last.
Further, right now I go out with two lens while I am saving up for the 1000 dollar macro lens I want to take with me. I'm not sure where I'd put it. This is because if I put in my little point and shoot with filters and cleaning gear, one side of the storage compartments are full. The middle has camera and extra lens. On the other side are emergency supplies that all hikers should take. The space runs out. When a buddy at work first saw it, his legitimate immediate question was, where does your lunch go? The outside compartment has to fit all lunch/snacks.
Comfort. Just not sure. Feels too much like the design pulls away from your back behind you. It is my job to wear a pack all day so I understand it takes a few hikes to get it adjusted just right. But with a simple design, I shouldn't have doubts.
Things I don't like. Access is cumbersome on the top and difficult below. With the necessary lens hood on for landscapes, it is a chore to get it in and out. Below where the rest of the gear goes, the zipper opening does not provide adequate ease of access. So that there is pushing and pulling on the pack material which raises questions for long term durability.
Water. The design is poor for water carrying. It is set up for a bladder, but bladders leak. I am not going to trust a bladder next to my camera. The side pouches are not large enough for a full 32 ounce typical plastic water bottle. If you are like me and will be out all day, sometimes when it's hot, you must account for water. No room for a filter. So you have to pack two slim water bottles on the side, strap your tripod to the back bottom, and then fit another 32 ounce water bottle to the outside.
Finally, price. I bought the 53. $250. One can get a very nice top quality hiking pack for that cost. I consider that I could fit that better to my purposes. I think for what one gets, this is not a good deal.
If you want a pack that looks like a hiking pack, this is good for short walks. You're at a state park, you're wandering around for a few miles, then this will work fine. But if you're getting into the back country and want to get away and take the pictures most don't get to, I think there can be a better system and I would not recommend it.
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