Camera Backpack

[Kayaker72]

Thanks Scott.

I would say I ran into two things:

• Style
• Allocation of the carrying capacity

The style is what struck me as most perplexing, as I really like the styling of many of the "camera cube" packs (Mindshift, Gura Gear, etc). But as soon as you move from the built in camera cube to an ICU set up, that general style mostly evaporated and you are left with what I was calling adventure packs and Urban packs. I get how the industry got there. Fstop, to the best of my knowledge, developed the ICU and they targeted adventure photographers. Then you have all of these kickstarter companies (Boundary Systems, Shimoda, Peak Design, etc etc). With the exception of Shimoda, they tend to gravitate towards a more "urban" style. Given that they are from urban areas, it makes sense (Peak Design - San Francisco, Boundary seems to be NY, etc). After that, you have everyone copying each other with their "me too" products. As an example, the Backlight 45L feels like a "hey we have ICUs too" product to me. Just, they have one ICU....maybe two (but the dimensions do not line up)...not a whole ecosystem of ICUs (like Shimoda, Peak Design, Fstop, PacSafe, etc.....). Or a whole ecosystem of ICU based packs (just the one).

On how a pack's capacity is allocated. With most camera cube packs, the size of the camera cube increases with the size of the pack. My FirstLight 40L is 32L if internal camera space and probably more like 35-36L of camera cube space. However, whether I am traveling by air or a quick day trip by car someplace, I tend to take 10-12L of camera gear, but I would like room for other things whether it be a change of clothes, computer stuff, rain jackets, or all of the above. So, what I really want is say a 15L nice secure space for camera stuff that is removable in case the bag has to be checked and 15-25L volume for other stuff. To me, that is obvious as many people use backpacks for "other stuff" why wouldn't photographers also want the same functionality?

The Fastpack 350 heads in that direction in concept, but their extra space is nowhere near 15-25L even though their camera space is actually very nice. And I am seeing a few Urban packs that also have the Fastpack concept (cube below, space above), but none really had that much space.

Then, I want it to be comfortable.

So, just looking at those two things really narrowed me down to just a few bags.


I was thinking about this...I think my "perfect" bag would look something like this:

• Base volume of ~40L that corresponds to something like 13" wide, 22" tall and 9" deep. That is ~42L, with some contouring so it isn't a box, right around 40L. BTW...my Firstlight 40L is 13.8x21.7x9 inches...right at or below carry on limits. So they do get it.
• Then, have that be expandable to 13" wide, 22" tall and 11" deep. This is a gain of ~10L of volume. Probably with a zipper similar to Peak Design 45L. But this quickly turns into an overnight bag with a good amount of camera gear.
• Internal frame
• Back access
• Computer sleeve in back access panel and larger computer access in rear of pack (Shimoda/Peak Design)
• ICU design with attachment points for the ICU to the frame. ICU is 6.5" deep internally with a range of ICU sizes. I'd probably get a ~12L and ~18L. (Fstop and Peak design both have attachment points).
• Removable padded belt where once removed the belt had some additional functionality like as a shoulder strap for the ICU (as Boundary Systems does with their Prima system). But, I often do not use the belt, so I'd like to be able to remove it.
• 400+ denier fabric, water resistant zippers (all this was pretty common, main exception was PacSafe for the fabric)
• rain cover (not as common as you'd think in this level of pack)
• Reinforced bottom of the pack (pacsafe)
• Organizational panel (Pacsafe, peak design)
• At least 3 compartments (Large for ICU, medium size, and then smaller--really liked the Fstop Tilopa for compartments in a larger bag)
• Compression straps, and straps to hold rain coats, fleeces, etc on outside for quick access (very common)
• rear and side support for tripods. Ice axe loops are common and I have no idea why.
• Some people like stuff sack open for main compartment, I like zippered clamshell access (again, pacsafe/Shimoda 40L/30L).
• Comfortable straps and back support
• Styling that can go from the occasional hiking trip, to family events, to an office meeting (pacsafe/peak design)
• It'd also be nice to have multiple options for packs. I could see ~25L, 55L base sizes in addition to the 40L base size. It'd be nice if they were each expandable/compressable.

So, that seems like quite the list, right? But all those features exist in a current pack, just no one pack has them all. The biggest thing missing from several of the packs (other than styling) is that they have a base level that is carry on compliant. Only Peak Design and Pacsafe had this. Then let it be expandable, like what Peak Design did. Then I would push the limit of the width allowed by carry-ons.

As for flying, yeah, I am in the air 20-25 times per year. Most of it is work. I get to work at home when I am not traveling, which is nice. But it means that I am traveling for internal meetings, client meetings, and then as I am the tech lead, to events to represent our company. Then, I get home and my wife loves to travel. And we are from opposite ends of the country, so there are vacations and trips to see family too.

With all that travel, I often see people having to check their carry ons. I've seen a few freak outs too. I've had to check my carry on a couple of times, but never with camera gear (so I haven't had to freak out). Granted, I was close once. I had to pull things out of my Kiboko so it would fit, much to the chagrin of the flight attendent.

So, I get that I am likely skewed in my needs in terms of "travel," but I have to think a lot of other photographers fly to their destinations with camera gear, so why not adhere to the carry on limits?