Perfect Digital Backpack?

I was tooling around the Lowepro site (I'm at work so...) and found this pack:

http://www.lowepro.com/pages/series/trekki...putrekkeraw.htm

What looks to me to be the perfect digital photography backpack.

For consumer digicam shooters, I bet you could fit an Ikelite housing, camera, strobe arms, and possibly even strobes into this pack PLUS your laptop!

For DSLR shooters, you could fit two bodies, an assortment of lenses, and your laptop. The perfect "personal item" for carry on. It also includes a built in all-weather cover for those rainy days or even splashes...

Now to see how much this thing costs...

Cheers

James

I stand by my conviction that this:

http://www.lowepro.com/pages/series/dryzone/dzone.htm

Is the perfect Digital Backpack. Bit more expensive than the one you posted James, but it holds more, and when closed properly the main compartment is waterproof (there's a drysuit zipper around the main compartment). Allegedly, when the main copartment is closed, it will float fully laden (I have yet to try this out :freak: )

My laptop, some power adaptors etc etc fit nicely in the outside pocket.

And the yellow colour is just to die for

Gentlemen,

I have agreed with you both in the past year and have bought both. However I found that the dryzone was too bulky and heavy for longhaul trips, especially once I had added the rest of my dive kit and travelling gear. I vowed that I would use it for short/day trips but it has spent the last 5 mths sitting on top of the wardrobe.

The trekker backpack however has been my faithful companion easily holding three bodies, lenses, batteries+charger and surface flashgun. It doesn't look like a camera bag so I am less nervous when in rough areas which living in Brixton, London is every time I leave the house. It also has enough space for magazines and books for inflight entertainment.

Comfort wise you don't want to be trekking too far with either as you will start to get shoulder ache, that said being smaller and lighter the trekker wins by a short length.

On a side note I have finally taken reciept of my Aquatica S2 and it looks gorgeous !

Cheers,

Rob

Not nearly as fancy as the first two, I use the REI Grad. It's roomy, inexpensive, and provides a large notebook slot that takes the biggest notebooks. I carry my camera gear in my other carry-on an put clothing, toiletries, headphones, and computer in this. If you used Domke wraps, you could carry camera gear in the REI bag. The Lowepro's definitely look better, though.

Well, I would want something I could use for hiking, carry a tripod, etc too. Forgot to say that in the first post. I guess I probably wouldn't take the laptop hiking though!

Cheers

James

Comfort wise you don't want to be trekking too far with either as you will start to get shoulder ache, that said being smaller and lighter the trekker wins by a short length.

 

On a side note I have finally taken reciept of my Aquatica S2 and it looks gorgeous !

Yes. That's why I like the heavy stuff in the roller and light stuff in the backpack. If you can only have one, then I don't know.

Good news on the Aquatica.

Both the lowepro's can carry tripods and the trekker has a waterproof covering. (which I only remembered after I had got soaked !)

If you keep the weight down (I tend to have pretty much everything I own (camera wise) crammed into it ) then the trekker would be ok for 3-4 hr hikes. My main issue was that it hasn't been designed with long distance walking in mind, as such the strap adjustments to shift the loading that you would find on a camping backpack are missing, strangely they are present on the dryzone. But the dryzone feels like you are strapping a chest to your back, if you swing round too fast and knock someone with it they well go flying !

I think I am going to go home and dust off the dryzone and try it again. I bought it back in feburary and thought it would solve all my problems in one so it is definitely deserving another test drive before I ebay it.

Cheers,

Rob

Check out Kinesis Gear. They've got a very modular system, including a backpack, removable laptop case, lens pouches, various sized catch-all pouches, and holster packs.

It doesn't have the same dedicated divider system as the lowepro does, but I'm thinking it might be a better "all around" bag. I tend to carry my laptop, bose headphones, mp3 player, etc, in my backpack along with my camera on occasion. It's a bit pricier overall, but I'm thinking it might replace one or two different bags for me...

Just a thought.

The compu-trekker won't fit my lap top , So I'm still shopping.

I love the dryzone bag, and am still trying to find a dryzone 100 in a store to look at. I'm thinking it is the answer for carrying my backup body, and alternate ports/lenses onto boats...

I could travel with it on my back, and one of those messenger bags for my laptop as my personal item. I just ordered a couple of the shoulder bags from Deep Outdoors to check out.

I like my Lowepro Naturetrekker. Looks similiar to the one that James posted. Fits my whole set-up minus my laptop.

http://www.lowepro.com/pages/series/trekking/naturtr.htm

Check out Kinesis Gear. They've got a very modular system, including a backpack, removable laptop case, lens pouches, various sized catch-all pouches, and holster packs.

 

It doesn't have the same dedicated divider system as the lowepro does, but I'm thinking it might be a better "all around" bag. I tend to carry my laptop, bose headphones, mp3 player, etc, in my backpack along with my camera on occasion. It's a bit pricier overall, but I'm thinking it might replace one or two different bags for me...

 

Just a thought.

The Kinesis pack is really big for a personal item in combination with a carry-on. I'm sure it's nice stuff, though.

I had been using the Trekker AW for several years until going digital. It is a beauty and excellent for organizing. However, after going digital, and adding a large laptop to my necessary gear, and a couple long hikes through airports, I have decided everything must have wheels. My Pro Roller 1 will arrive on Monday. I did see a backpack with wheels at the camera store, I believe it was a Tamarac.

The Kinesis pack is really big for a personal item in combination with a carry-on. I'm sure it's nice stuff, though

Yup, it's probably a little larger than ideal, but it depends on the airline. I carry a backpack that is 16.5 x 17.5 x 8 (in comparison to the Kinesis which is 22 x 14 x 9) and I have no problems taking it and a full dimension rolling carryon (22x14x9) on most flights other than puddle jumpers. The Kinesis pack is sized to exactly the max for a carryon, of course that's also without the harness and belt. From what I can gather, the kinesis bag is probably 4" longer than the Computrekker, and about the same width and depth.

I've got the Trekker Classic - looks a lot like the image James posted.

The large pocket on the back was mainly attractive to me for carrying film, back then - plenty of use for it now, though I wish the zipper were mounted on the top rather than diagonally across the middle of the pocket. The side-mounted accessory pouches are good, though I still spend a lot of time fiddling with the straps.

It would also be nice if there were a separate, smaller pocket somewhere outside for carrying passport, tickets etc., when flying.

Robert Delfs

My main issue was that it hasn't been designed with long distance walking in mind, as such the strap adjustments to shift the loading that you would find on a camping backpack are missing, strangely they are present on the dryzone.

The new Trekker II has the new strap adjustment system. I've done a 3-4 hour hike with the AW fully loaded. I had no problem properly adjusting it for a comfortable fit. My problem was just plain exhaustion. Started throwing lenses off left and right to lighten the pack. Whew!

A tip for new trekkers. Do not carry your tripod on the back Remount the holder on the side.