What to Look for in a Travel Backpack
A good backpack is an essential accessory that protects your valuable gear, offers comfort during travel, provides easy access to your equipment, and hopefully provides some space for smaller purchases like souvenirs, snacks, or a bottle of water. Preferably, this backpack will be the only bag you need and the one option to carry everything for a day of exploration. Whether you’re carrying a single camera or a more robust set-up with multiple lenses and accessories, there are key features you’ll want to look for.
1. Comfort Over Time
For a travel bag, over everything else, you should consider how comfortable the bag will be to carry. When travelling, you sometimes take thousands of steps daily in hot temperatures. Prolonged comfort can be difficult to gauge without prior experience, as you must consider the weight and duration to get an accurate idea of whether it is comfortable long-term. If you’re reviewing bag options online, look for reviews that discuss continued use to get an idea of how fatiguing the bag is over extended periods. If in store, try on the bag to get an idea of how it fits on your body and to get a general idea of what it would be like to wear for hours at a time. Look at the padding around your shoulders and back to see how thick it is. Thick, firm padding around the shoulders is essential. Most bags are built firmly in the shoulder area, but check the materials that connect the straps to the backpack to ensure they appear durable. The portions where the straps connect to the bag will take the most daily stress, as this bag can sometimes carry a lot of weight and will be handled mainly by those shoulder straps.
2. Easy Access to the Essentials
A backpack is, of course, on your back. It’s not a sling, and it’s not a shoulder bag. For a backpack, you’ll want to be able to access your camera easily enough. One obvious drawback of a backpack is that you need to remove it from your body to access it. Some backpacks have a side compartment that is separate from the main section at the top. A side compartment is lower on the bag, giving the added benefit of having more weight lower on your back to balance the bag. I’d recommend finding a bag with a dedicated compartment for your camera. Since your camera will be the item going in and out of your bag the most, having a dedicated area for it is beneficial. Mainly because you don’t have to worry about your camera getting buried among other accessories and items. These “gear only” sections are usually quite well-padded, and with no other items in that area, your camera is more protected from scratches, bumps, and other things that could occur if you had other items.
My Thule also has a zipper area that sits between the bulk of the storage and my body, and I find this hugely beneficial. Since it is against my back, it’s secure, and I usually carry some cash, my laptop, and my passport in this more secure area of the backpack.
3. Protection
The nature of a camera backpack is that you will carry it everywhere when you are away. Additionally, you will be storing it in overhead storage on a plane or under the seat in front of you, where it’s at risk of getting kicked. Since it houses your valuable gear, you’ll want something that provides adequate protection. Take a look at the inside compartments. Many have adjustable sections due to velcro dividers that can be altered to your liking. Perfect for cameras and lenses, as they come in various sizes. Is it thick enough to provide the protection you need? Remember that this bag will get knocked around on your travels, and you’ll want your gear to be protected in case that happens.
Most camera backpacks are water-resistant, but not all are waterproof. However, having water resistance is essential in my opinion. You could easily be caught up in unfavourable weather, and when the rain starts to fall, you want to ensure your gear is protected from it. The Thule bag I use is water-resistant, and I’ve never been concerned about the weather I have been in. Some bags also come with rain jackets that slip over the entire bag. I had another bag with this and used it in Iceland during one particular downpour on the walk to the abandoned, crashed plane site, and it kept the bag dry without issue.
Conclusion
I’ve had the same backpack for a few years now, a Thule Aspect DSLR Camera Bag Backpack, and it’s been a fantastic bag. However, after years of use, I realized there are a few things I wish were different. The top compartment has too much space without dividers, which means things are a bit loose in that top part, but other than that, I have few complaints about this backpack.
Backpacks can be expensive, so it’s essential to find one that will work best for you in your travel situations. When looking for a camera bag, I recommend thoroughly reviewing your options before deciding. You’ll never be able to replicate your travel without actually using it during a trip, but there are steps you can take to hopefully make the most informed decision.