Steadyhands
05-04-2009, 7:13am
First Impressions
Big, this is a large bag. It is well made, as you expect of Lowepro gear. This bag fits into the middle of Lowepro's Larger Trekker range. It is larger than the Nature Trekker but smaller than the Super Trekker. I plan to use this bag on nature treks, with it's size I can be set up for tele-zoom work (100-400), landscape 24-105, 10-22, and also carry my macro kit, 180L, MP-E 65, tubes and MT-24 Twin Lite.
Size
The depth of this bag makes it larger than the normal carry on dimensions.
Internal Dimensions:
12W X 5.9D X 19.1H in. (30.4 X 15 X 48.5 cm)
External Dimensions:
14.6W X 15D X 21.5H in. (37 X 38 X 54.5 cm)
Weight:
8.38lbs (3.8kg)
Inside the Main Compartment
A large space inside the main compartment can be divided up as you please with the many dividers provided. You can carry two pro sized bodies and several tele-zooms in this area long with some smaller lenses also. The depth of this area is an asset as there is enough room to put smaller items like a rocket blower on top of the tele-zooms. With some smaller dividers borrowed from another Lowepro bag I have I can stack two smaller lenses one on top of the other. This main compartment also totally detaches from the inside.
The inside of the "lid" of the bag has two small and one large see through compartments. These zip closed. These are great for smaller things like lens cleaning cloths.
Front Compartment
There is a zippered front compartment that will store quite a lot of gear, filters, spare batteries etc. All of this will be loosely packed in as there are no dividers or separators. This compartment will also just fit a 15.4" laptop, but there is little padding. You can store the Day Pack in this compartment also - a little extra weight to cart about if you are so inclined.
Outside
The bag is made from water-resistant 600D ripstop nylon and 600D Endura™ nylon. The zips are very solid and look like they won't be a source of any leaks. The outside of the bag has many attachment points, all suitable for attachment of the Sliplock series of small cases. The bag has a solid rubberised handle on the top and one side along with D rings on one side to attach the provided shoulder strap. Small loops exist on the bottom of the bag for the attachment of smaller items like a sleeping bag underneath the pack.
Tripod Attachment
A small pocket attaches to the front or side of the bag to allow a tripod to be strapped onto the bag. This is then fastened to the bag with some of the numerous stretchy straps the bag has. You can also strap the tripod to either side of the bag, but this may change the balance of the bag a bit much for my liking.
Rain Cover
Comes with a rain cover that is stored in a pocket underneath the bottom of the bag. Very easy to get out and equally important, easy to get back in.
Shoulder Straps
It has large thick shoulder straps that are adjustable. Though these straps are not uncomfortable they are not as good as those fitted to my Crumpler Whickey & Cox. One thing that is a very useful feature on this pack is the "Pack Jack". This is a arrow shaped plastic handle that is used to adjust the positioning of the attachment points of the shoulder straps. After use there is a thin pocket that this slips into on the back of the bag for storage.
Belt
It comes with a very wide well padded belt. The waist belt is a very important part of this bag because the bag is so large. With the extra weight you can carry in this bag it is important to get this weight off of your shoulders and onto your hips.
The belt has a dual rail stitched on to attach Lowepro Sliplock lens cases etc to it. The belt attaches back to the bag in two places to provide more even support. I'll probably attach a ThinkTank Lightning Fast Flash pocket and on occasion, a Lowepro LC4 with a 100-400 in it. Depending how these are placed you might get an extra lens case on either side of these.
Day Pack
It also come with a day pack that can be strapped to the front of the main bag. In this configuration the tripod pocket on the main bag would be moved to the side if you needed to carry a tripod. The day pack has a single zippered compartment along with an open pocket at the back. The open compartment is designed for you to store the shoulder straps of the day pack as they unclip from the bottom. You could easily store a re-hydration bladder in this pocket. It would be away from the main part of the bag and your camera gear.
Price
Mmmm, not one of the cheaper bags available. At the moment in April '09 this bag is retailing here in Oz for $564, probably an over inflated price due to the state of the economy at the moment. I picked up mine second hand (perfect condition) for $100:D:p, a deal too good to miss out on.
Pros
The capacity of this bag is one of it's big selling points. It can be set up in any number of ways and will hold a lot of gear.
This is a very solidly built bag that will last. The construction is such that it is not likely to leak if you are caught in a brief shower even if you don't have the rain cover on.
Cons
Weight and size are the main concerns here. The bag can carry a LOT and when fully loaded with a tripod attached it's heavy. I've joked about extending one of the tripod legs and fitting it with a wheel to prevent tipping backwards.:oops: The way I have this bag fitted out for a normal day out this bag weighs 14.5kg.
The front apartment lacks any internal pockets or dividers. It would be good it this area had a few dividers to separate filters, business cards etc.
Web Site
http://products.lowepro.com/product/Photo-Trekker-AW-II,1992,14.htm
Big, this is a large bag. It is well made, as you expect of Lowepro gear. This bag fits into the middle of Lowepro's Larger Trekker range. It is larger than the Nature Trekker but smaller than the Super Trekker. I plan to use this bag on nature treks, with it's size I can be set up for tele-zoom work (100-400), landscape 24-105, 10-22, and also carry my macro kit, 180L, MP-E 65, tubes and MT-24 Twin Lite.
Size
The depth of this bag makes it larger than the normal carry on dimensions.
Internal Dimensions:
12W X 5.9D X 19.1H in. (30.4 X 15 X 48.5 cm)
External Dimensions:
14.6W X 15D X 21.5H in. (37 X 38 X 54.5 cm)
Weight:
8.38lbs (3.8kg)
Inside the Main Compartment
A large space inside the main compartment can be divided up as you please with the many dividers provided. You can carry two pro sized bodies and several tele-zooms in this area long with some smaller lenses also. The depth of this area is an asset as there is enough room to put smaller items like a rocket blower on top of the tele-zooms. With some smaller dividers borrowed from another Lowepro bag I have I can stack two smaller lenses one on top of the other. This main compartment also totally detaches from the inside.
The inside of the "lid" of the bag has two small and one large see through compartments. These zip closed. These are great for smaller things like lens cleaning cloths.
Front Compartment
There is a zippered front compartment that will store quite a lot of gear, filters, spare batteries etc. All of this will be loosely packed in as there are no dividers or separators. This compartment will also just fit a 15.4" laptop, but there is little padding. You can store the Day Pack in this compartment also - a little extra weight to cart about if you are so inclined.
Outside
The bag is made from water-resistant 600D ripstop nylon and 600D Endura™ nylon. The zips are very solid and look like they won't be a source of any leaks. The outside of the bag has many attachment points, all suitable for attachment of the Sliplock series of small cases. The bag has a solid rubberised handle on the top and one side along with D rings on one side to attach the provided shoulder strap. Small loops exist on the bottom of the bag for the attachment of smaller items like a sleeping bag underneath the pack.
Tripod Attachment
A small pocket attaches to the front or side of the bag to allow a tripod to be strapped onto the bag. This is then fastened to the bag with some of the numerous stretchy straps the bag has. You can also strap the tripod to either side of the bag, but this may change the balance of the bag a bit much for my liking.
Rain Cover
Comes with a rain cover that is stored in a pocket underneath the bottom of the bag. Very easy to get out and equally important, easy to get back in.
Shoulder Straps
It has large thick shoulder straps that are adjustable. Though these straps are not uncomfortable they are not as good as those fitted to my Crumpler Whickey & Cox. One thing that is a very useful feature on this pack is the "Pack Jack". This is a arrow shaped plastic handle that is used to adjust the positioning of the attachment points of the shoulder straps. After use there is a thin pocket that this slips into on the back of the bag for storage.
Belt
It comes with a very wide well padded belt. The waist belt is a very important part of this bag because the bag is so large. With the extra weight you can carry in this bag it is important to get this weight off of your shoulders and onto your hips.
The belt has a dual rail stitched on to attach Lowepro Sliplock lens cases etc to it. The belt attaches back to the bag in two places to provide more even support. I'll probably attach a ThinkTank Lightning Fast Flash pocket and on occasion, a Lowepro LC4 with a 100-400 in it. Depending how these are placed you might get an extra lens case on either side of these.
Day Pack
It also come with a day pack that can be strapped to the front of the main bag. In this configuration the tripod pocket on the main bag would be moved to the side if you needed to carry a tripod. The day pack has a single zippered compartment along with an open pocket at the back. The open compartment is designed for you to store the shoulder straps of the day pack as they unclip from the bottom. You could easily store a re-hydration bladder in this pocket. It would be away from the main part of the bag and your camera gear.
Price
Mmmm, not one of the cheaper bags available. At the moment in April '09 this bag is retailing here in Oz for $564, probably an over inflated price due to the state of the economy at the moment. I picked up mine second hand (perfect condition) for $100:D:p, a deal too good to miss out on.
Pros
The capacity of this bag is one of it's big selling points. It can be set up in any number of ways and will hold a lot of gear.
This is a very solidly built bag that will last. The construction is such that it is not likely to leak if you are caught in a brief shower even if you don't have the rain cover on.
Cons
Weight and size are the main concerns here. The bag can carry a LOT and when fully loaded with a tripod attached it's heavy. I've joked about extending one of the tripod legs and fitting it with a wheel to prevent tipping backwards.:oops: The way I have this bag fitted out for a normal day out this bag weighs 14.5kg.
The front apartment lacks any internal pockets or dividers. It would be good it this area had a few dividers to separate filters, business cards etc.
Web Site
http://products.lowepro.com/product/Photo-Trekker-AW-II,1992,14.htm