Pros: Great bag for a smaller rig. The design is great for your back.
Cons: Not as convenient as a shoulder bag.
The Bottom Line: If you are tired of the back aches associated with a shoulder bag, this is the option you should be looking at. This bag is great for a small kit.
ncphototrekker's Full Review: Lowepro Micro Trekker 200 Backpack, Black.
If you are a photographer that likes to hike to your scenic vistas, and hidden forest treasures, getting your photographic equipment into the woods can be a chore. If you are like me, you have been using a standard camera bag that rests on your shoulder. I’ll admit, this is a very easy way to transport your camera kit almost anywhere. However, for those that hike, and carry enough equipment to fill a regular sized camera bag, you will find that your back will start to ache as you get further into the woods. Sure, you can switch shoulders (you do have two of them) as you hike taking the strain off of one side. This might not be convenient though if you are carrying a tripod in the other hand. By carrying your equipment in this fashion, you are risking at least a sore back…telling you from experience here, and possibly a back injury depending on how heavy your kit is.
A great solution to this logistical issue comes in the form of a photo rucksack. They come in all sizes with lots of different details, so there is likely one that will fit your needs within easy reach. For this review, I will be focusing on the Lowepro Micro Trekker 200. This is a small to medium sized bag that is quite flexible and able to carry a good amount of gear. It probably won’t fit your Canon EOS 1DS, or your Nikon D3, but for the average shooter with a Rebel, or D40/70, this bag will do you just fine.
A Quick Tour…
As with most photo rucksacks, the Micro Trekker 200 is well padded all around to protect your rig on the inside. The main flap has an extremely usable pocket with various compartments inside, perfect for pens, paper, manuals, towels, and other odds and ends. It is deep and spacious with a zipper securing the compartment. For some added weather protection, the compartment has a flap with another zippered pocket that will easily fit an emergency poncho, mini Maglite, and other small odds and ends. For added security, there is a nylon strap and a secure clasp that holds the flap down.
Along both sides there are Velcro flapped pockets that are perfect for a compass, snacks, phones, and other items you want handy. I kept my fresh batteries in one of these side pockets so I could access a fresh one without having to remove the bag from my back. Above these pockets are attachment points for Lowepro accessories. While I have not purchased any of these accessories for my Micro Trekker, the attachment points have not gone to waste. I found that they are the perfect size for a Gerber Multi Tool which will slide right in, resting on the top of the lower pocket, while the releases on the handle keep it from sliding through the attachment point. I’ve also been known to clip my phone here as well.
While still on the outside, it is worth noting the harness system of this bag. It is a bit more complex than a normal back pack as there is a waist and chest strap, in addition to the shoulder straps. This is a nice touch for those times you are doing a lot of bending or jumping over rocks. With the additional straps secured, the bag becomes very stable on your back and will not move too much on its own. That keeps your equipment from getting too jostled. For normal hiking though, the waist and chest strap can be left unsecured and really don’t get in the way. The shoulder straps are plenty stout enough to hold this bag in place, and they are nicely padded, as is the back of the bag. Lowepro really put a lot of thought into the comfort of this bag, and it shows. At the bottom, you will find two nylon loops that are designed for a tripod. Being that the bag width is only about a foot, you are kind of limited as to the size of tripod you carry. I chose to not use this feature as none of my tripods would fit without the need for a wide load flag attached (OK, stop laughing)
Moving to the inside where it really matters, you will find a fully customizable padded/Velcro interior. This can be changed around to fit your needs, and the only limitation will be the actual height of the camera. I see no problem fitting a smaller sized DSLR camera along with 3-5 lenses and accessories in the divided areas. I will discuss the equipment that I carried a little later on to give you an idea of the room inside. Lowepro wasted no space in this bag, and even gave you more storage on the front cover which swings completely out of the way, hinged at the bottom of the bag. There are three good sized envelope type pockets that are great for things like lens cloths, memory cards, gray card, white balance card, and any number of small, thin items.
As you can see, this bag is well laid out with lots of places to put things, but how does it all work in practice? As I said before, this is not the bag for you if you are sporting some pretty large equipment. This is a smaller bag aimed more at the hobbyist than the professional. When I had this bag in service I was not shooting with an SLR type camera, so I can’t really make a whole lot of speculation on how this bag swallows that type of equipment. However, the camera that I was using at the time (Sony DSC-F828) was very similar in size to the Canon Rebel with a moderate length lens attached. This was a great bag for this camera as we will now see.
So, What Does it Hold?
The Micro Trekker 200, while it looks very small is able to carry an enormous amount of equipment. In addition to that Sony DSC-F828 I just mentioned, I was able to comfortably fit a cleaning kit, and a film canister that held a spirit level right next to the camera, safely in a padded compartment. I filled the rest of that side with ten 58mm filters in their protective boxes. The center rounded things out with an additional six 58mm filters in their protective boxes as well as a close-up lens set in a leather pouch. All of this fits below the camera which was placed at the top. The left side of the bag held the remote shutter release, lens hood, and accessory flash. Everything fit like the bag was specifically made to handle this kit. You can find a picture of how things fit by typing this into your browser….http://hometown.aol.com/Radar446/images/loweproopen.jpg.
How Does it Work in the Field?
This photo rucksack functions just about like any other back pack style camera bag. There are many positives, and a few negatives to this type of product. In my opinion, the positives far outweigh the negatives, but I’ll let you decide for yourself.
Positives:
Easy on your back and shoulders
Keeps your hands free to either take pictures or move brush out of your way
Keeps your camera well padded and out of the way
Makes it very easy to climb up hills and ravines while keeping your valuable camera safely stowed away
Negatives:
You have to take the bag off of your back to access the camera. This is really the only negative, but might be a big deal to some. I’ve found that this bag is small enough that you can hold it while removing equipment to keep from having to lay it on the ground. Unlike an over-the-shoulder camera bag which sits on its bottom, the photo rucksack must lay on its back to be opened…the same back that rests on your back while wearing it.
For me, the benefits to my back alone are worth dealing with the negatives of this type of bag. The amount of hiking that I do at times to get to the locations that I photograph can exceed five miles. That is a lot of strain on my back and shoulders while using a shoulder bag. I notice no strain at all with this bag over any of the distances; in fact, I usually forget the bag is even back there when the camera is out.
Final Thoughts:
If you do any amount of hiking or even long distance walking in the course of your photographic day, you really need to think about purchasing a photo rucksack. As I mentioned, there are many different styles and makes out there, so you are sure to find one that fits your needs. If you are using a smaller kit, or a prosumer type digital camera the Lowepro Micro Trekker 200 is the bag for you. There are all sorts of little nooks and crannies that are waiting to be filled.
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