Brief review of the Lowepro Pro Trekker BP550 AWII, Part 1

I have just purchased this backpack, having previously used the PD Every Day 30L pack. This review will briefly compare the two, telling a bit about my intended use case. I will follow up within the next few weeks with Part 2, after I have used the pack for an upcoming work trip to Hyderabad, India, in late September.



I purchased this bag to carry the following equipment:

GFX 100S

GF 23

GF 32-64

GF45-100

GF 110

GF 120 macro

GF100-200

GF250

TC 1.4X and MC-18 extension tube

PD travel tripod, pan head, filters, extra battery, etc. (But not a LOT of etc...)

Laptop



A MF camera plus 7 large lenses is more than most people would choose to carry, and I may well throttle back on this in the future, but I wanted to know if this pack would manage all this stuff, and the answer is "Yes in theory so far", though we have to see if anyone will actually let me on a plane! Just to be clear, I used to carry a Wisner 12x20" view camera extensively on foreign travel in the past, so I am admittedly a camera travel glutton for punishment.



Briefly, I chose this pack because it is modular, and allows me to carry a smaller pack under the hood, which can be removed to make the bag carry on compatible. This smaller bag currently holds the GF32-64 and the MCEX18 macro tube. The camera and remaining lenses above, with the 1.4X TC mounted on the GF 250, go into the bag itself.

Here are front and rear shots of the bag with everything on board, including the tripod, camera and all the above lenses. It weighs 38 lb all in when in this configuration:




Front View BP550 with modular bag, cover and tripod in place.




BP550 rear view with cover, modular bag and removable waist belt in place



Now I will remove the waist belt, cover, modular bag (with the GF 32-64 and MCEX 18) and the below equipment, and put my laptop into the bag:




This stuff now comes off the bag and goes into my carry on suitcase; a laptop goes into the bag

This is what the bag looks like front and rear in its carry on configuration. It weighs 32 lb in this configuration, so I will likely need to carry a PD sling bag to take some lenses out of the bag if the airlines is finicky about weight requirements. Then I would check in my suitcase with the tripod, pan head, etc., inside, which I have done before without problems.




BP550 from the front in "carry-on configuration": without the cover, modular bag, tripod and equipment that I usually store in the laptop sleeve (laptop is now in there)




BP550 rear view in carry -on configuration, with waist belt removed.



Advantages of this Lowepro bag over the PD Everyday bag

• It can carry 7 lenses, as opposed to 5 for the PD 30L (as I pack anyway), but due to its modular design, should still be OK for carry-on (we will find out about that soon!)
• It is immediately apparent that the shoulder and waist straps are more comfortable and better padded on the Lowepro than the PD bag

Advantages of the Peak Design Bag:

• Simpler, more elegant design, fewer fiddly straps, etc.
• Easier use: For example, to open the main compartment on the Lowepro, I must unsnap the cover and modular bag; stowing a PD tripod into the side pocket takes 1 second on the Peak Design bag, it is more klungy to strap a tripod on the Lowepro bag, but still very doable

As I get more familiar with the bag, things like snapping and unsnapping the cover/modular bag and pulling out and mounting the waist belt are getting quicker...



I will follow up as noted above about actual use of this bag when traveling, including carry-on use.



For now, I am satisfied with the purchase. I feel I can readily carry all my stuff long distances with this bag in its "full" configuration. We will see how it does with getting onto an airplane!



Best regards,

Nathan

Nice review Nathan. Thanks for sharing.

If we started a poll called "How many packs and/or bags do you have?", I think the mean response will be shockingly high!

Rob de Loe said:

Nice review Nathan. Thanks for sharing.

If we started a poll called "How many packs and/or bags do you have?", I think the mean response will be shockingly high!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words!

I have at least a dozen, some going back 30+ years. One encouraging trend: the quality and usability of camera bags today has improved immeasurably over the decades. This is mostly I think due to camera folks and backpackers communicating better with each other.

Best regards,

Nathan

New to DSC-World said:

Rob de Loe said:

Nice review Nathan. Thanks for sharing.

If we started a poll called "How many packs and/or bags do you have?", I think the mean response will be shockingly high!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words!

I have at least a dozen, some going back 30+ years. One encouraging trend: the quality and usability of camera bags today has improved immeasurably over the decades. This is mostly I think due to camera folks and backpackers communicating better with each other.

Best regards,

Nathan

Click to expand...

We certainly don't lack for good options. And you're right about the quality.

In backpacks I'm using just two: a Wandrd Prvk 21 litre (a "photo" backpack) and an Ortlieb Atrack 35 litre (a backpacking pack). I can't complain about the quality of either. And both are rear opening, which is the only kind I would consider.

great review!

I seem to have settled on a Zpacks ultralight backpack with camera and lenses in lowepro cases.

New to DSC-World said:

I have just purchased this backpack, having previously used the PD Every Day 30L pack. This review will briefly compare the two, telling a bit about my intended use case. I will follow up within the next few weeks with Part 2, after I have used the pack for an upcoming work trip to Hyderabad, India, in late September.

I purchased this bag to carry the following equipment:

GFX 100S

GF 23

GF 32-64

GF45-100

GF 110

GF 120 macro

GF100-200

GF250

TC 1.4X and MC-18 extension tube

PD travel tripod, pan head, filters, extra battery, etc. (But not a LOT of etc...)

Laptop

A MF camera plus 7 large lenses is more than most people would choose to carry, and I may well throttle back on this in the future, but I wanted to know if this pack would manage all this stuff, and the answer is "Yes in theory so far", though we have to see if anyone will actually let me on a plane! Just to be clear, I used to carry a Wisner 12x20" view camera extensively on foreign travel in the past, so I am admittedly a camera travel glutton for punishment.

Briefly, I chose this pack because it is modular, and allows me to carry a smaller pack under the hood, which can be removed to make the bag carry on compatible. This smaller bag currently holds the GF32-64 and the MCEX18 macro tube. The camera and remaining lenses above, with the 1.4X TC mounted on the GF 250, go into the bag itself.

Here are front and rear shots of the bag with everything on board, including the tripod, camera and all the above lenses. It weighs 38 lb all in when in this configuration:


Front View BP550 with modular bag, cover and tripod in place.


BP550 rear view with cover, modular bag and removable waist belt in place

Now I will remove the waist belt, cover, modular bag (with the GF 32-64 and MCEX 18) and the below equipment, and put my laptop into the bag:


This stuff now comes off the bag and goes into my carry on suitcase; a laptop goes into the bag

This is what the bag looks like front and rear in its carry on configuration. It weighs 32 lb in this configuration, so I will likely need to carry a PD sling bag to take some lenses out of the bag if the airlines is finicky about weight requirements. Then I would check in my suitcase with the tripod, pan head, etc., inside, which I have done before without problems.


BP550 from the front in "carry-on configuration": without the cover, modular bag, tripod and equipment that I usually store in the laptop sleeve (laptop is now in there)


BP550 rear view in carry -on configuration, with waist belt removed.

Advantages of this Lowepro bag over the PD Everyday bag

• It can carry 7 lenses, as opposed to 5 for the PD 30L (as I pack anyway), but due to its modular design, should still be OK for carry-on (we will find out about that soon!)
• It is immediately apparent that the shoulder and waist straps are more comfortable and better padded on the Lowepro than the PD bag

Advantages of the Peak Design Bag:

• Simpler, more elegant design, fewer fiddly straps, etc.
• Easier use: For example, to open the main compartment on the Lowepro, I must unsnap the cover and modular bag; stowing a PD tripod into the side pocket takes 1 second on the Peak Design bag, it is more klungy to strap a tripod on the Lowepro bag, but still very doable

As I get more familiar with the bag, things like snapping and unsnapping the cover/modular bag and pulling out and mounting the waist belt are getting quicker...

I will follow up as noted above about actual use of this bag when traveling, including carry-on use.

For now, I am satisfied with the purchase. I feel I can readily carry all my stuff long distances with this bag in its "full" configuration. We will see how it does with getting onto an airplane!

Best regards,

Nathan

Click to expand...

Thanks for the review. I still don't have a backpack I'll be interested in how it does for a carry-on.

New to DSC-World said:

I have just purchased this backpack, having previously used the PD Every Day 30L pack. This review will briefly compare the two, telling a bit about my intended use case. I will follow up within the next few weeks with Part 2, after I have used the pack for an upcoming work trip to Hyderabad, India, in late September....

Click to expand...

Looking forward to your opinion. I've used this bag for over 2 year now and while I'm happy with the size, I prefer the previous AW bag (circa 2005) that I had, as it was more "direct" when it came to accessing the main compartment via a large sturdy zipper.

New to DSC-World said:

As I get more familiar with the bag, things like snapping and unsnapping the cover/modular bag and pulling out and mounting the waist belt are getting quicker...

Click to expand...

I may have to put velcro tabs near the straps that click (snap) together, or fashioning a sizable velcro tab for expediency, and only clicking the top cover shut (as opposed to just velcro'ing it shut) only when I'm on the move.

I will follow up as noted above about actual use of this bag when traveling, including carry-on use.

New to DSC-World said:

For now, I am satisfied with the purchase. I feel I can readily carry all my stuff long distances with this bag in its "full" configuration. We will see how it does with getting onto an airplane!

Click to expand...

I've had it in the Southwest Airlines overhead bin without any issue, snaps, straps, top compartment and all several years ago; not sure of the current restrictions.

New to DSC-World said:

Best regards,

Nathan

Click to expand...

Thanks for the review - good to hear how others use their gear.

Teila Day said:

New to DSC-World said:

I have just purchased this backpack, having previously used the PD Every Day 30L pack. This review will briefly compare the two, telling a bit about my intended use case. I will follow up within the next few weeks with Part 2, after I have used the pack for an upcoming work trip to Hyderabad, India, in late September....

Click to expand...

Looking forward to your opinion. I've used this bag for over 2 year now and while I'm happy with the size, I prefer the previous AW bag (circa 2005) that I had, as it was more "direct" when it came to accessing the main compartment via a large sturdy zipper.

Teila Day said:

As I get more familiar with the bag, things like snapping and unsnapping the cover/modular bag and pulling out and mounting the waist belt are getting quicker...

Click to expand...

I may have to put velcro tabs near the straps that click (snap) together, or fashioning a sizable velcro tab for expediency, and only clicking the top cover shut (as opposed to just velcro'ing it shut) only when I'm on the move.

I will follow up as noted above about actual use of this bag when traveling, including carry-on use.

Teila Day said:

For now, I am satisfied with the purchase. I feel I can readily carry all my stuff long distances with this bag in its "full" configuration. We will see how it does with getting onto an airplane!

Click to expand...

I've had it in the Southwest Airlines overhead bin without any issue, snaps, straps, top compartment and all several years ago; not sure of the current restrictions.

Teila Day said:

Best regards,

Nathan

Click to expand...

Thanks for the review - good to hear how others use their gear.

Click to expand...

Thanks for these helpful comments!

Nathan

Where do you put the things that are not camera gear?

That is what always gets me about backpacks. If you are a landscape photographer heading off into the middle of a wilderness to shoot, you need a bunch of other things too -- waterproofs, snacks, gloves, hat, emergency beacon, torch, first aid, maybe a sleeping bag and bivvi bag, maybe a stove and so on and so forth.

Very few camera backpack makers (honourable mentions to Shimoda, F Stop and Atlas here) seem to allow you any space for that sort of thing at all.

Back in my youth when I was less fat and lazy and less caring of my mortality I did a fair bit of mountaineering (I can claim Mont Blanc twice, the Grossglockner and Ben Nevis amongst many others and completed the Haute Route as a summer mountaineering trip aged 17) and my backpack of choice then was Lowe Alpine.

I don't know if Lowe Alpine have any relationship now with Lowepro or not but in those days their packs were much more comfortable to carry than the more common Berghaus and Karrimor packs of my companions.

Kiwisnap said:

Where do you put the things that are not camera gear?

That is what always gets me about backpacks. If you are a landscape photographer heading off into the middle of a wilderness to shoot, you need a bunch of other things too -- waterproofs, snacks, gloves, hat, emergency beacon, torch, first aid, maybe a sleeping bag and bivvi bag, maybe a stove and so on and so forth.

Very few camera backpack makers (honourable mentions to Shimoda, F Stop and Atlas here) seem to allow you any space for that sort of thing at all.

Back in my youth when I was less fat and lazy and less caring of my mortality I did a fair bit of mountaineering (I can claim Mont Blanc twice, the Grossglockner and Ben Nevis amongst many others and completed the Haute Route as a summer mountaineering trip aged 17) and my backpack of choice then was Lowe Alpine.

I don't know if Lowe Alpine have any relationship now with Lowepro or not but in those days their packs were much more comfortable to carry than the more common Berghaus and Karrimor packs of my companions.

Click to expand...

Good question!

I would say that his pack is designed most for photographic gear, and that it would suit people like me who might do a photo day hike at home or while on work travel, but are mostly concerned with getting their equipment safely on and off the plane. So the rest of my stuff on a usual trip would go into a suitcase, which would be left at the hotel when I go out walking or hiking to shoot photos.

But you are certainly right that there are companies who make bags that "do it all," and can handle photographic stuff and other gear needed for long treks. That just wasn't what I was looking for in this case.

Best regards,

Nathan

Rob de Loe said:

Nice review Nathan. Thanks for sharing.

If we started a poll called "How many packs and/or bags do you have?", I think the mean response will be shockingly high!

Click to expand...

Amen to that as I peer into my "case" closet. Many bags but each serves a purpose depending upon the venue and the gear.

Kiwisnap said:

Where do you put the things that are not camera gear?

Click to expand...

Truck, car, camper, lodge... The essential stuff for hiking in a relatively well traveled area easily fits in or on the bag (water, snacks, notebook/pen, safety stuff..)

Kiwisnap said:

That is what always gets me about backpacks. If you are a landscape photographer heading off into the middle of a wilderness to shoot, you need a bunch of other things too -- waterproofs, snacks, gloves, hat, emergency beacon, torch, first aid, maybe a sleeping bag and bivvi bag, maybe a stove and so on and so forth.

Click to expand...

... gun & ammunition.

When you go that far out I think it's prudent to go with at least one other person, or a small group at a minimum, for safety and for practicality sake. I'm wondering if 'many miles from nowhere' landscape photography is the minority, and if most landscape shooters staying within a few of miles of the well-traveled path, their vehicle, or nearest town.