Cons: No laptop storage space (who cares?); no ready camera access
The Bottom Line: The Lowepro Mini Trekker AW is a versatile camera backpack with a lot of storage space and protection for multiple camera bodies, lenses, and flashes.
kedsand1's Full Review: Lowepro Mini Trekker Aw All Weather Camera Backpac...
Recently, I reviewed the Lowepro SlingShot 200 AW, which is a wonderful slingpack for the light-traveling photography enthusiast or semi-pro photographer. With a slingpack, you get on-the-fly camera accessibility with some degree of stability when carrying the pack, but you sacrifice storage space, which in turn sacrifices versatility (i.e. you carry fewer lenses). Thus, the SlingShot 200 AW, though a superlative pack, is a bundle of compromises that does not meet the needs of serious photographers who carries numerous lenses, flashes, and other accessories. Though not in complete contrast to a slingpack, the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW backpack represents a more classic approach to conveying one’s camera gear. As a backpack, the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW features voluminous storage space for the working photographer, sufficient protection of one’s gear, and stability on one’s shoulders when wearing the backpack.
As when I reviewed the SlingShot 200 AW, I will review the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW using five criteria: looks, storage capacity, camera accessibility, gear protection, and comfort. Looks
As a backpack, the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW looks rugged and professional with its black fabric and plastic clips. The main compartment of the Mini Trekker AW is secured both with a heavy-duty zipper with two straps, which clip on each side of the main compartment flap. The flap of the zipper opens the flap from the bottom left-side of the face of the backpack all the way around to the bottom-right side of the backpack. In the lower-middle part of the backpack is a tripod pocket than can be un-Velcroed and extended to accommodate the lower-end of a tripod; likewise, extendable cords in the medial and upper positions of the backpack further secure tripods. The sides of the backpack have loops to further accommodate accessory lens pouches, available from Lowepro. And, as expected, the Mini Trekker AW features backpacks straps for each shoulder.
Ultimately, one can only design a backpack so many ways, so the Mini Trekker AW looks and feels as a backpack can be expected to feel. It is not overly stylish and innovative-looking, per se, but there are many conventions on the Mini Trekker AW that indicate that much thought and research went into the development of the backpack. Also, unlike many garishly-colored backpacks out there (for cameras or otherwise), the Mini Trekker AW conveys confidence and professionalism and would not be out-of-place on the back of a wedding photographer or on a family shoot. Score: 8/10(it’s not the most stylish looking backpack, but it looks professional and rugged)
Storage Capacity
The Mini Trekker AW boasts interior dimensions of 11” width by 4.9” depth by 14.6” height – this equates to approximately 787 cubic inches of cargo space. This amount to about 180 more cubic inches in storage space than the SlingShot 200 AW, which does not sound like much. However, unlike the SlingShot 200 AW, the Mini Trekker AW has only one compartment in which all that space is measured, which makes for a lot of unified space for storage.
In the Mini Trekker AW, one can configure the foam-velcro dividers to accommodate up to 8 flashes and/or lenses standing upright at a length of less than 4.9”, along with one major division for the camera body and an attached lens of 5” to 6” AND another division for a second camera body with a smaller lens. Alternatively, besides the 6 to 8 configurable sub-divisions, the central division can house a camera body with an 8” to 10” lens attached, which means the wayward Nikon shooter can house a D300 with an attached 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (which is over 8 inches long) along with those extra lenses and flashes! That’s an impressive amount of space!
Beyond the main compartment, the inner part of the main compartment flap feature two smaller pockets and a large pocket, all enclosed with zippers. The outer part of the flap also feature a long, capacious pocket with numerous smaller pockets for carrying manuals, batteries, memory cards, chargers, and the like. The one minor quibble is that the Mini Trekker AW does not house a laptop computer. But, personally, I’ve never liked carrying my laptop in the same bag as my camera because if my backpack is stolen, I lose both my camera AND my laptop. So, I carry two bags, but I digress…
The Mini Trekker AW is not short on storage capacity and will meet the needs of professional shooters who carry a reasonable amount of lenses and flashes. This is not to say that the Mini Trekker AW matches the carrying capacity of, say, a wheelie suitcase, but it carries a lot of gear and is fully configurable to accommodate whatever gear must be transported. Score: 9.5/10 (this backpack is all-purpose and can meet the needs of the amateur and the backpacking professional)
Camera Accessibility
The lone failing of the Mini Trekker AW is inherent to most backpacks that feature an appreciable amount of storage space is that one does not have ready access to the camera inside on-the-fly. Sling bags and slingpacks like the SlingShot allow for easy access to the camera without having to remove the bag, but the Mini Trekker AW, as with other backpacks, requires the wearer to remove the backpack to safely access the contents. This is understandably regrettable, but inherent to backpacks.
Despite this, once one removes the backpack, the contents of the Mini Trekker AW are fully accessible thanks to a main compartment flap that opens widely to expose the contents. Fully open, any lens or flash can be removed from the Mini Trekker AW with no impediment. Of course, even partially open, it is very difficult to remove the contents without some wrangling; but, some may view this as an ancillary benefit that ensures the security of the contents and ensures prevention of drops.
Thus, camera accessibility ranks somewhat low because of the nature of the backpack. Granted, some of Lowepro’s other backpack offerings, like the FastPack, allows for side access to a camera body and attached lens, but storage space is sacrificed. Score: 6.5/10 (this pack is not about accessing the camera on-the-fly – it’s a backpack)
Gear Protection
The Mini Trekker AW is as secure of a backpack as one can find. Regarding the main compartment, the foam-velcro dividers can be configured to house lenses and flashes snugly inside; and, the main compartment is nicely padded on the sides. Moreover, the main compartment flap is not only secured by a zipper, but by straps and clips on each side, which ensures that if zipper is not closed, the straps and clips (if buckled) will provide an additional means of securing the flap and, in turn, the contents. The padding in and around the backpack also absorb punishment from falls and drops.
In addition, the AW in Mini Trekker AW stands for “All Weather,” which means that the Mini Trekker AW comes with a retractable all-weather plastic cover that can be drawn over the exterior of the backpack. This cover protects the backpack and gear from rain, sleet, and snow. This kind of weather protection should be standard on any camera backpack, but it is not; this makes the Mini Trekker AW superior to most backpacks.
Needless to say, the Mini Trekker AW inspires confidence with how well it protects one’s gear. Score: 10/10 (camera bodies and lens are sufficiently protected and secured)
Comfort
The Mini Trekker AW is a well-balanced and comfortably padded backpack that sits squarely on one’s shoulders and back. There is some built-in lumbar padding, and the shoulder straps are sufficiently, not overly, padded. Also, there is a lower strap that clips around the waist and is padded at the flanks, which engenders a hiking-backpack feel; this further implies carrying stability.
Admittedly, backpacks can get uncomfortable, pinch at the shoulders, and lead to bad posture. Despite that, if more non-camera backpacks were built like the Mini Trekker AW, then more people would wear backpacks to carry gear. Then again, at $140 retail, one pays for comfort with this backpack. Score:10/10 (a very comfortable pack to wear)
Final Score: 44/50
Once again, applying scores to a product like the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW obfuscates the considerable strengths of the product beyond a relatively subjective number. The Lowepro Mini Trekker AW features wonderful storage capacity, professional looks, backpack comfort and stability, and more-than-adequate gear protection. The Lowepro Mini Trekker AW is THE backpack for the professional photographer who is shooting on-site, whether at a wedding or a family shoot. Granted, he or she would not be able to put all their lighting, reflectors, stands, and umbrellas in the backpack, but lenses, flashes, and camera bodies would be adequately transported.
Outside of the pro shooter, though, the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW more than meets the storage and transport needs of the amateur and semi-pro photographer. Last August, my wife shot a wedding with the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW carrying most of her camera gear, save her tripod and reflectors; this setup included the Nikon D300, a 50mm f/1.4 lens, a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, an 18-200mm Vibration Reduction lens, a 24-85mm lens, an SB-800 flash, a Gary Fong Lightsphere, and a Nikon F100 camera body to boot (for extra 35mm film shots). She had also tons of room for extra batteries. Throughout the shoot, the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW did very well to move the gear from one spot to another, and came away unscathed.
Without steeping into hyperbole, the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW is the finest mid-sized camera backpack out there. If on-the-fly camera access is not a priority, any wearer would gain storage capacity and stability with this backpack.
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