What Do You Get When Neurotic Gear Nerds and Outdoor Addicts Join Forces? The Innovative Peak Design Outdoor Line

Known as “radical gear for the detail-obsessed,” Peak Design has a reputation for having a specific purpose for every cinch, strap, pocket, loop, and cord. In this line, Peak Design’s outdoor hikers, climbers, and adventurers paired up with the most detail-oriented gear nerds to bring us their revolutionary "Outdoor Bags" line. I had the opportunity to give the gear a test run for about a month. From traveling with the backpacks on photo assignments to grabbing the slings on my way out the door in my city-slicker life, I’m here to report my feedback on Peak Design’s newest line.

The Inspiration for the Outdoor Line

A Company Designed by Adventurers, Built for Adventurers

The backstory to this line is very telling of the heart of the brand. The owner, Peter Dering, upon returning from a multi-day hiking trip, sensed a need for the perfect adventurer bag. While most of Peak Design’s previous products focused on making outdoor-friendly camera gear, this line reversed their thinking: the perfect outdoor bag that was photographer-friendly.

I was invited to attend a Zoom meeting where Dering and his team talked about the beginnings of the line. Peter expressed:

The whole concept of this company was spurred by my travels—primarily outdoor travels—and my experience trying to carry a camera while wearing a backpack. That led me to the Capture Clip, then strap products, then bags. We decided to begin with the Everyday Line because it was a missing hole in the market, but our hearts and passions have collectively been in the outdoor adventures that we've had over the years and that have driven so much of the innovation and product development over the course of the past 14 years. There is no activity that gives more opportunity for thinking, creating, and inventing than hiking for hours on end. I'm incredibly proud of and excited about the Outdoor Line, and I'm excited to show these products to our customers.

The Main Values of the Peak Design Outdoor Line

Comfort and Adaptability to Your Specific Body Height and Size

This line was born from a hiker’s quest for the perfect tool. Any of us who have hiked for hours and days know that comfort is the make-or-break factor for a bag ending up on your back or in the closet. With the wrong bag, your neck gets sore, your shoulders chafe, and the load feels oppressively heavy. With the right bag, the load is comfortable, utilitarian, and breathable.

One feature I loved about this backpack is that the straps move. The connection points on the strap swivel ever so slightly, which felt like the perfect balance between feeling stable and secure while allowing the bag to move with my body. It alleviated the strain around my neck. Another adaptive feature of this bag is that it has multiple ways to adjust to your specific height and body shape.

As a woman who is six feet tall with a small frame, I need a bag that fits very differently from my work colleague, who is 5’8” and 250 pounds of manpower. This bag can be adjusted in multiple ways to fit each body type, bringing maximum tailored comfort for each.

New and Innovative Entry Design for Quick and Easy Access

The team at Peak Design wasn’t overly impressed with the drawstring and roll-top openings that are found on other hiking bags. They set out to design a new access point that allowed users to open and close the bag with one hand. This led to their unique opening system called the “ultra cinch.” It allows swift and effortless reach inside the bag.

With this design, you can pull open the bag with just one tug and close it up just as easily with one tug. How the bag stays closed with this one simple cinch, I have no idea. I think my creative right brain has completely taken over the left side of my brain, so I can’t explain it. But from having used it, I can tell you that somehow it does.

Continuing with the theme of quick and easy access, the backpack has three built-in Capture Clip points: one on each shoulder strap and one on the belt.

The External Carry System

One thing I’ve learned from owning the Peak Design travel bag and other items of theirs is that every hook, loop, and cord has a specific purpose. You wouldn’t think that watching a YouTube video would be a must for a backpack. However, in the case of anything by Peak Design, I’ve learned that watching their gear video reveals many functions that could otherwise go unnoticed.

This bag is no exception. The exoskeleton of the bag, which looks like a few aesthetically pleasing cords, concealed hooks, and cinches, reveals itself to be a network of attachments that can turn your backpack shell into an organized system to carry more than you ever imagined. From ropes for climbing to sleeping bags or Outdoor Slings, the latch-on options are endless.

Other Bag Features I Loved

One feature I loved was the waterproof pouch for laptops or water bladders.

On my flight to Greece, I stowed my laptop in the pouch so that I could catch up on emails, invoices, contracts, and all the other dreaded non-photography tasks I had put off. Once shoot day arrived, I swapped it out for my water bladder and slid the hose through its designed space. This allowed me to stay hydrated while working without having to stop and reach for my water bottle.

There is one feature of the Outdoor Backpack that has kind of ruined every other bag I loved. It’s slightly annoying. The bag has a mesh pouch on the shoulder strap to put your phone in.

Typically, I ignore my phone when I’m on a shoot, but on some assignments, I’m “team lead” and in charge of up to eight photographers. From answering questions to coordinating lunch breaks or consulting the course map, it seems that I’m reaching for my phone every five minutes. It was so convenient to have the pouch that I’m now contemplating whether any of my friends have grandmothers who can sew something similar onto my other bags.

Something I Was Not Expecting From the Peak Design Outdoor Line

This line is clearly designed and marketed for the outdoor crowd. From hikers to travel photographers, the target demographic is crystal clear. For this reason, I had expected to put the line back in my gear closet until my next assignment or my summer hiking excursions. When I’m not shooting remote races or fast-moving sports shoots, I’m a full-blown Miami-based city girl—not who they designed the line for. I’ve found, though, that the slings have permanently stayed on the hooks by my front door.

They have become the perfect tool for my everyday life. I use the 2-liter sling for my daily run to the gym and back. It’s small, light, and perfectly fits my water bottle, phone, and ear pod case, and it doesn’t bounce around when I run. It’s also perfect for running errands. I can fit my wallet, phone, and a fabric reusable grocery bag.

I found myself using the 7-liter sling when I’m shooting something that requires styling. Aside from sports work, I do product and CPG photography. In this field, we often carry all kinds of trade tools like needle glycerin bottles, spray bottles, tweezers, paint brushes, clamps and more. It’s nice to be able to toss them in my pouch and have them within reach as I work. This saves time by eliminating the need to walk back and forth to my camera bag.

The Peak Design Outdoor line became a part of my everyday life. From being perfectly designed for my scorching shoots in the deserts of Abu Dhabi to my daily life around the city, it seamlessly integrated into various scenarios.

Who Is This Bag For?

Camera bags seem to be one of these cult topics for photographers. When I put the unboxing on my Instagram story, so many Peak Design loyalists replied, wanting all the insider details. Others started unsolicited monologues about this or that bag that seemed to go on forever. Like camera brands, every photographer has features that are most important to them and their particular field. So, who is this bag for?

• You spend a lot of time with your camera on your back. Whether it’s hiking or full-day shoots where you’re constantly on the move, if you have your bag on your back often, this comfort design may be exactly what your shoulders have been looking for.

• You want a bag that fits your body type. Designers seem to have an average body type they design for. Maybe you’re taller, shorter, smaller-framed, broader-built, or heavier-set than the average person. I loved the adjustability of this design. It was intentionally designed for inclusivity, and I appreciated that feature.

• You want a bag you can use for more than one purpose in your life. If your life is siloed like mine, you have a set of tools for work and a different set of tools for everyday life. This line was designed with photographers in mind but not specifically for photographers. It was designed more as “the perfect outdoor bag.” This means you can use the accompanying accessories to safely pack in your cameras and lenses, or you can leave them behind and throw in your snacks, camping bag, and climbing gear—or, in my city-slicker case, your spin shoes, yoga mat, and other gym items. It’s extremely versatile.

Peak Design has great educational videos and this video is great overview. It includes the story around its inception and the many features and buildouts of the bags. As I noted in my previous articles, Peak Design gear comes with a lifetime warranty. This, to me, says, “We know this investment will last.” It builds trust, and like many of you, Peak Design has become a brand I trust. I hope you enjoy their latest design as much as I have.