I’ve been using the Peak design backpack now for a couple years now and I feel comfortable giving a detailed review of this backpack. I’m going to walk through the pros and cons, some of these are personal preference and does come down to my equipment and shooting style. Before this bag, I had a ProTech backpack which was far too big for my kit. It had a small space for my camera gear and a large open area for jackets, clothes, water bottles, etc… As I added more gear to my kit I had to get something else. I picked up this Peak Design backpack as a city backpack when I didn’t want to take all my gear with me. It turns out it’s the perfect size for all my gear if I wanted to bring it all.

pros

Durable

Let’s start with what I think is one of the most important aspects of a bag. Like all Peak Design products this bag is extremely durable. I’ve had it for two years and it looks as good as when I bought it. The fabric is extremely resistant to tears and stains. One very important aspect of backpacks is the straps. Before being a photographer, I was a musician and had to carry around instruments and gear, I must have gone through 4 or 5 different backpack brands because the straps eventually give out and tear. Peak Design has figured it out and have made the straps extremely durable.

LightWeight

This bad is extremely light. It doesn’t have any bulky items, has light padding, it’s a great minimalistic bag. When I take my basic camera kit I can make it pretty light even with a full water bottle. This is important for me because I hate having a bulky heavy backpack on my back while traveling. This is a great camera bag for travel. It is compact enough to fit under any airplane seat and can hook over your luggage handle so you don’t have to carry it on your pack while you’re walking around the airport.

Water Resistant

I live on the West Coast of Canada in a place that gets A LOT of rain, It had to be important that this bag be water resistant. It’s water-resistant but not waterproof (I’ll explain that more in the Cons below). I’ve taken this bag out on multiple day hikes and city walks out in the rain and none of my gear got wet. They did a great job picking some pretty water-resistant fabric and they’ve added rubber around the zippers to help seal those from water.

Easy of Access

This is one of the easiest camera bags I’ve used that allow you to quickly access your camera gear without even having to put your bag down. You can flip down your bag on your shoulder, unzip the side and easily access all your gear inside. This becomes extremely beneficial when trying to quickly grab your camera to get a shot or if you don’t want to put your bag down for example if the ground is muddy, dirty, or wet.

cons

Not completely waterproof, no rain cover.

Now let’s talk about waterproofing. I mentioned in the Pros that this bag is water-resistant but not waterproof. What I mean by that Is, it can take some light rain for an extended period or heavy rain for a very short while. I took this backpack to Tofino where it was pouring the entire time I was there. The bag held up pretty good but by the end of the day the fabric was starting to absorb water and the inside of the bag was getting damp. It’s impressive for the amount of rain there was, but a good thing to keep in mind if you’re looking to go out multiple days in the rain you might want to get a rain cover.

Not much room for customization

I love the design of the bag, but it doesn’t leave much room for customization. There are dividers that you can take out and move around depending on how big your gear is, but you don’t have much flexibility when it comes to compartments. The dividers do have some flaps you can pull down to make some separation between lenses, but you don’t have a choice on where these are, they are built into the dividers. The longest lens you can fit in this backpack is a 70-200mm lens. You can’t fit the camera in the bag when it’s attached to the lens though. The 70-200mm lens has to be separate from the body.

Not for long hikes, no waist strap

This bag is not designed for long hikes or treks. I’m sure everyone could guess that, but I think it’s important to note. The straps are comfortable but can make your shoulders sore after a few hours. Also, this bag doesn’t have a choice for a waist strap so the full weight of the bag will be on your shoulders. If you’re looking to do long hikes or treks, this is not the bag for you. With the lack of waist strap this bag isn’t great when you’re running. It’s not often I’m running with my camera gear, but I tend to do it often in airports when I’m forced to run between gates to make connections. It’s not a great bag for that as it bounces around a lot.

limited padding

I’m extremely overly protective of my equipment and I’ve never had any problems, but this bag doesn’t have much padding. The walls are thin, and the base isn’t padded much. You must be careful not to drop your bag especially since you will have your lenses on the base. Like I said, I’ve never had any problems, but I could see if you dropped the bag or you took a tumble there might be a chance your gear could get damaged.

Overall this is a great camera backpack! If you’re looking for something light and durable that allows you to access your gear quickly, then this is a good option for you! If you’re looking for more of a backpacking style backpack for your gear for your hiking trips, this can work but it’s not ideal.

Product Review: Peak Design Backpack