Everybody has different ways of traveling, and that's why bags, tripods, and even camera gear come in different shapes and sizes. Peak Design took note of that and has come out with more options.
For the last couple of years, Peak Design has offered bags and accessories made to optimize the travel carry experience, primarily for photographers and later on even for regular travelers. The Peak Design travel backpack led the charge toward offering modular carrying solutions to better fit the individual needs of travelers, especially those carrying a camera. Almost eight years since the launch of the first Peak Design Travel Backpack and Camera Cubes, the brand has expanded the travel lineup further with additional size options as well as new bag options altogether.
The Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L
The travel backpack has long been available in 30-liter and 45-liter variants. These sizes have catered to the needs of creatives carrying cameras and even personal items in just one backpack. The 30L version can hold an entire lineup of lenses and camera bodies, while the 45L version offers additional room for more accessories, clothing items, or even more gear. However, the new 20L offers an option that caters to those who like to travel with minimal gear but are not entirely limited in space.
The Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L comes in the same material as the larger versions of the bag, still offering considerable moisture resistance and sealing. However, it currently comes in fewer color options compared to the 30L and 45L. Much like the larger versions, it comes with a zipper that allows you to expand the internal volume of the bag; however, this smaller version only expands the lower half of the compartment, taking it from 20L to 23L at maximum. The upper half of the bag remains as thin as it originally was.
On the front is a similar front pocket that takes up about 20% of the height of the front panel, and this comes with flexible sub-pockets and a pen sleeve. The zipper is aligned with the expansion zipper that continues on to surround the perimeter of the bag.
Unlike the larger versions, the 20L travel backpack also has relatively fewer handles. It has the main handle on top and another one on the left side, while the one on the right has been replaced with a slim flex pocket, supposedly for quick access to important small items. At the same time, this smaller version has also lost the side pockets usually used for water bottles or tripods, and the side access door that aligns with the camera cube access. If such cylindrical items are to be carried, they can either be placed in the main compartment or attached onto the front or bottom using the attachment loops and accessory straps.
The rear panel comes in the same padded build but has also lost the thick rear handle that used to double as a luggage pass-through. Instead, it comes with a thinner strap to serve as the latter while technically also functioning as a less ergonomic handle. Aside from that, it retains the same padded shoulder straps along with the adjustable sternum strap to enhance carrying comfort.
The 20L main compartment is, of course, accessed through the main zipper that lines the posterior rim of the bag. This opens up entirely by using the rear panel as a flap. On the inner surface of the rear panel is a laptop sleeve that can hold up to a 16-inch device and comes with a thin divider in case a tablet is also going to be placed inside. However, it is important to note that whatever is placed in this compartment will bulge into the main compartment, thereby decreasing the available space. On the outer surface of the laptop compartment is another mesh pocket along with a hidden tracker pocket for safety.
The main 20-23L compartment can easily hold an S-Medium camera cube plus an additional XS camera cube or tech pouch. With this combination, it can hold one to two camera bodies with two to three lenses. When expanded, it can be forced to snugly fit a medium camera cube that will allow for about three extra lenses to fit. However, this bag was obviously made for those who are more conservative in carrying gear, which is why the perfect size would probably be the S-Medium camera cube.
The Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is a sensible addition to the travel line and would be a perfect option for those who don't want to bring a lot of gear and would like to keep their backpack small and light. This is probably not the choice for those who carry a lot of lenses and those (like myself) who can never travel without a tripod on the side of the bag. Regardless, it offers the same modularity and convenience in a smaller form.
The Peak Design Travel Weekender
Of all the bags released in this batch, the Travel Weekender is probably the most unique. This bag is technically an oversized version of a sling. It comes with a 25-liter capacity, large compartments, and a heavy-duty strap. Along with it is a pair of thick padded handles that resemble those of the everyday tote, as well as a luggage pass-through sleeve similar to the one on the Everyday Messenger V2.
In front is a long zippered pocket that contains five smaller mesh sub-pockets and a pen sleeve, while at the back is a generally larger pocket that can hold a laptop. However, if used as a laptop compartment, the laptop can be quite hard to pull out if the main compartment of the bag is significantly full.
The main compartment is accessible through the large main zipper that spans three of the four sides of the bag. When fully opened, the bag reveals a much wider opening for better access to the contents. The main compartment is subdivided into two main sections by a long fixed divider in the middle that has a thin zippered pocket within. The internal part of the front panel holds two additional mesh pockets for small items, while the inner part of the rear panel holds a larger single zippered pocket.
This 25-liter bag can easily hold a set of clothes for a three-day trip along with some accessories and even footwear. With any packing cube combination, it can hold about six shirts, three pairs of pants, shorts, underwear, and socks on one side. Given that, the other side can be used for non-clothing items, clothes for another three days, or maybe another person. Alternatively, it can hold a small or S-Medium camera cube to bring a few pieces of camera gear. Regardless, this Travel Weekender bag actually seems like it can carry up to a week's worth of clothing.
The Peak Design Travel Crossbody 3L
The Travel Crossbody is a small personal bag that is perfect to bring alongside a much larger bag when traveling, especially when air travel is involved and you can only have a small bag with you while seated on the plane.
This 3-liter bag has two main compartments and two smaller sub-compartments, along with smaller pockets on the sides. It can hold phones, wallets, passports, valuable items like jewelry, as well as power banks, earbuds, cables, and other small essentials. If you want to have a camera with you in such situations, then a small camera like a Ricoh GR or Sony RX100 can fit inside.
The Peak Design travel line has certainly come a long way and has expanded to fit the preferences of a wide range of travelers. Each bag caters to a different kind of individual, regardless of whether they are carrying camera gear or not, and at this point it is noteworthy that various options have been made available outside of just backpacks and slings.
What I Liked
- More size options for the travel backpack
- Large yet easy-to-carry bag in the form of the Travel Weekender
- Still made in the moisture-resistant recycled fabric
What Can Be Improved
- More color options
No comments yet