Peak Design has announced their recent travel collection, featuring four different bags including two different sizes of backpacks, a crossbody bag, and a weekender duffel-style bag. These bags are designed with travel in mind, but can they work for photographers as well?
I got my hands on the Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L and the Travel Crossbody 3L and have worked with them to see if they are just good for travel or if they function as camera bags as well. This travel line continues the direction of Peak Design moving into the travel space with their Roller Pro Carry-On and XL Packing Cube.
In this amount of time, the backpack has become a go-to if I'm traveling without a lot of camera gear. If I'm editing on the go, or traveling and just carrying around my Fujifilm X-T30, then it becomes something that works quite well, is sleek looking, and not overly bulky. The easy-access front pocket makes storing any everyday-carry essentials extremely easy, and the biggest thing I love about this backpack is that the straps magnetically stick to the back of the bag whenever it's not on your back — meaning the straps aren't bouncing around all the time. It also has a strap to cling onto the handle of a rolling bag, which is always a bonus. While this isn't a dedicated camera bag, if I am bringing a laptop, iPad, and small travel camera, it seems to do the trick.
As for my time with the crossbody, I would equate it similarly but in a smaller form factor. Being a 3-liter bag, it does have more space than some crossbody bags but isn't as large and bulky as others. The size is a solid mid-point in my opinion, with dividers allowing for sunglasses, your phone and wallet, etc. Personally, I'll usually throw my shades in here, a portable battery for my phone, and if I am bringing around a small camera, I have found that it holds it quite nicely without being too bulky. If you're the type that likes to carry around a Leica, or something like a Fujifilm X100 or X-T30, I have found that those bodies will just fit in this bag, allowing you to not have a large bag on you as you're traveling around.
From everything I've seen and come to expect, these bags are built solidly, look great, and for light travel, are fantastic. If you're looking to use these strictly as camera bags, I would advise you to look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a solid travel bag where you can carry some tech, and maybe even a small travel camera, then these bags — the Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L and Peak Design Travel Crossbody 3L — may be what you'd be looking for.
1 Comment
just need a sling bag over the shoulder or over the head. two zipper pockets one for the camera and lens the other for extra lenses, blower, battery charger. two bags one for day and the other for night. Easy to have on vs on the floor while you eat somewhere. Easy to hide in your car under a seat or both bags in a SUV tire storage area also. But easy to carry into a hotel also as just another bag. I put in a thick wire so no one with a knife can just cut the strap. The water pocket is for bear spray! most of you are carrying $5K to $7K with all things combined a lot to loose! Have to be discreet also.