Lets be honest, most camera backpacks look a bit nerdy, wait that is a lie. Most look incredibly nerdy, you end up looking like that guy in your office with the giant bag that came free with your laptop. Keeping that in mind when I saw the Flipside Sport 10L from LowePro it really caught my eye. The Flipside 10L looked like a real backpack, I had to check it out. Right away you notice that it looks great, but I was not sure how it would work for carrying my Olympus OM-D EM5 and lenses on the trail. Short answer, it is the best photography backpack I have ever used.
The left side has a holder for your tripod. If you are not carrying a tripod, it works great for stashing an extra layer.
The straps are the same type that are found on other high end hiking packs, with mesh for increased breathability, D-rings to keep things handy and a sternum strap to keep the pack stable on rough trails.
The pack is padded all the way around, and the back has extra padding on the contact points. You can also see the 1″ webbing waist belt.
The right side of the pack has room for a water bladder and a port to send the hose through.
The inside of this small bag is huge! In this pack is an OMD-EM5, 4 Lenses, a spare battery, canon S95 and remote release, still with room to spare. Nothing moves around and it is very configurable. I was really amazed at how securely it held all of my gear.
A really nice feature is the draw string top, and the whole padded section is removable.
The Flipside gets its name from the fact that it opens on the back side. If you loosen the waist belt, swing the pack around it makes it incredibly easy to open and gives you a nice platform to switch lenses on. And using the waist belt you keep the pack off the ground and dirt off of your gear.
Here is a picture with the pack on, just so you can see it on for an idea of size.
To sum it all up this is the best camera specific backpack I have used. If you want a pack for shorter hikes with all of your camera gear, pick this up. This is the first camera backpack I feel has no compromises for outdoor use. They make 2 large models if you want to carry a bit more gear with your on the trail including some extra layers and snacks.
LowePro Says: http://www.lowepro.com/flipside-sport#prettyPhoto[FS10]/0/
Fits:
- DSLR with attached 70-200mm f/2.8 lens
- 1-2 extra lenses or flashes
- Tripod or monopod
- 1 liter hydration reservoir
- Cables, memory, manual and extra accessories