Today we are taking a closer look at Peak Design’s Everyday camera backpack. But just as the brand’s marketing would suggest, and after testing it out for myself for the last couple weeks, it’s really a great backpack for just about anyone. It has more than a few interesting elements you won’t find on a bargain bin carrier, with a price to match, so we thought we would put it to the test to see if its modular organization system was really as good as it sounded. Head below for our hands-on impressions of Peak Design’s Everyday camera backpack.
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Hands-on with Peak Design’s Everyday Zip camera backpack
The Everyday Backpack Zip is one of a number of the latest entries to the brand’s Everyday Line V2. It, much like many of the other pieces of kit the brand crafts, is geared towards photographers and could be considered a camera backpack. But in my testing, also just makes for a great backpack you can safely and neatly store just about anything in.
It is made of a 100% recycled 400D weatherproof shell, features the brand’s modular FlexFold dividers for customized organization options, a MacBook sleeve, accessory pockets everywhere, and that’s just the start of it.
The Everyday camera backpack on display here today comes in two sizes and four different colorways at $189.99 shipped.
Take a closer look at the specs:
- Top and dual side access via a single 270-degree wrap-around zipper
- Protective laptop sleeve with pockets for tablets and documents
- 15L holds 13” laptop, 20L holds 15” laptop
- Vented, quick-drying mesh back padding for breathable comfort
- Weatherproof, 100% recycled 400D nylon canvas shell is DWR impregnated, double PU-coated.
- Quick-connecting, stowable sternum strap
- Luggage pass-through for easy and secure roller-top carry
- 3 padded grab handles for upright or briefcase style hand carry
- Stretchy, waterproof internal side and top pockets for cards, cords, and peripherals
- internal slip pockets for wallet, passport, and important items
- Dual external side pockets stretch to fit water bottles, tripods, etc
gadgetnewsonline’ Take
As you might be able to tell from the long list of specs and features above, this isn’t your typical backpack. While it might be a “simpler” version of the brand’s Everyday Backpack, the Everyday Backpack Zip is still loaded with additional pockets, a dedicated home for your MacBook with bonus accessory slots, and a weatherproof exterior in, what will likely be for many, a more universal and carry-able form-factor. It is essentially what I would call a one-size-fits-all, medium-sized backpack that has a whole lot more organization capability packed inside than it appears from the outside.
Before we dive into the wonders found within the main compartment of the Peak Design Everyday camera backpack, let’s quickly go over the rest of it. There are side pockets for grab and go water bottle action, luggage pass-through, three padded grab straps in addition the main backpack-style straps, and loops everywhere for hanging additional goods or strapping additional carry to the outside of the pack – I’m not a big fan of this practice, but they are there if you need them in abundance, and don’t look out of place if you don’t. There’s even an included Anchor Link key tether strap you can tuck away in the external pockets that remains secure and accessible without detaching it from the bag entirely.
Next, the MacBook/laptop sleeve. Every good camera backpack or otherwise needs one of these if you ask me, and the Everyday Backpack Zip has a good one. The 15L model supports smaller MacBooks like the 13-inch (a tight squeeze for a 14-inch) while the larger 20L variant is more suitable for the 14 to 16-inch category.
It’s accessible via the top of the bag, separate from the main compartment and is split into two sides: first, a sort of shallow compartment for smaller goods with three additional stretchy organization pockets for chargers, and second, a main full length MacBook slot with a bonus fold over flap on the inside to protect your machine even more. you can even get a tablet and some documents in there was well.
One of the elements of the design that stands out from much of the competition out there is the Peak Design internal FlexFold system. On the interior you’ll find rugged, almost industrial-grade velcro lining both the front and back to support the brand’s FlexFold dividers. This bag comes with tow of them – they are like mini shelves you can place inside of the bag anywhere along the velcro-lined interior to create a personalized modular interior shelving system for your gear.
The FlexFold dividers are also unique in that they are made with a sort of foldable origami-like design – they remain stable enough to indeed act like shelves but they can also be folded on either side to wrap around precious goods, creating almost like a half width shelf within the bag if needed. With both of them in place, it stops your belongings from getting packed down to the bottom of the main compartment – I mean you could for whatever reason or other have something particularly delicate at the bottom of the bag, or in the middle, without the weight of everything else you have stowed bearing down on it.
This modular shelf system also plays very nicely with the 270-degree zipper system. The entire main compartment can almost open entirely flat, which makes both packing the bag and unpacking particularly easy. However, the particularly utilitarian and notable feature is this; you can open up the entire side of the bag while accessing each of the three shelves you have created with the FlexFold system from the side really quickly and neatly (you can get into the side of each shelf without even fully taking the bag off). This means you can access the very bottom-most and middle of the bag without removing anything from the top.
This kind of grab and go action allows for quick access to a whole lot more than just your laptop (you can slide it out from the top without opening the main compartment as well) and whatever is in the smaller, exterior pockets like you would find on many other backpack solutions out there. It is a wonderful and super-accessible organization system, and I really like it.
Buy the Peak Design Everyday Backpack Zip
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