What is it?
Without wanting to state the obvious, backpacks come in all shapes and sizes, so where does the Peak Design Travel Backpack fit in? Designed as a premium bag for trips aways, it's not just been made to stuff with clothes - there's space for your tech, lots of sections to stow other stuff, and with some additional accessories, it can double as a camera bag as well.
Available in two sizes - 30 litres or 45 litres, we're looking at the larger 45 litre model, priced at £259.99, while it's available in six different colours. Our review sample is finished in 'Ocean', but there's also black, 'Sage', 'Midnight', 'Coyote' and 'Eclipse'.
What's the Peak Design Travel Backpack like?
The first thing that strikes you about the bag is just want a good looking piece of kit it is. Peak Design has form here, and its Travel Backpack is no exception, especially in the blue colour ours is finished in.
The outer shell is made from 100% recycled 400D nylon canvas shell that's weatherproof, while the bottom liner should offer even more protection from the elements thanks to the tougher 900D waterproof liner, while access points use weatherproof UltraZips to keep your kit protected.
The bag might have a max capacity of 45 litres, but you might not always need that amount of storage, and so the Travel Backpack has three different states - in standard form it has a capacity of 35 litres, but perhaps more importantly, it's carry-on compliant. When you don't need quite so much space, it can be compressed down to 30 litres (loosing 2.5cm of depth internally), while on those occasions when you've got to lug a lot of stuff, the bag can be expanded to 45 litres, growing by 2.5cm internally to a depth of 19cm.
The primary way to access the main compartment is via the back zipper, and is also how you access the laptop and tablet sleeves - you'll be easily able to fit a 15-inch MacBook in there, as well as an iPad in a sub-compartment.
Access to the main compartment can also be gained via dual side access points, as well as the front of the bag. When you open it from the front you'll find what Peak Design refers to as the organisational panel that's zipped round the main compartment to create a subsection of the main bag. Along with numerous pockets, this section can be used for additional clothes - handy if you want to pop a jacket in there and don't want to rummage in the main section. Unzip the organisational panel though and you've got access to the main compartment.
Elsewhere there are to expandable side pockets - great for bottles of water or even a travel tripod, while there are a number of external attachment loops that allow you to lash larger tripods of the outside of the bag securely.
The main compartment in the Travel Backpack is vast, but to make use of all that space properly, you'll want to consider Peak Design's optional accessories. These include packing cubes for clothes, a shoe pouch and wash pouch (which is available in the same choice of colours as the bag itself). Then there are Peak Design's Camera Cubes - available in six sizes, the large one even fills the whole bag to create a dedicated camera backpack if you wish. Thanks to some C-Clips supplied with the cubes, the Camera Cubes can be mounted securely in place to stop them moving around when you're on the go.
Speaking of which, there are two good-sized shoulder straps, as well waist straps if you wish - both sets of straps can be tucked away under magnetic flaps if you wish, with multiple grab handles in the backpack. Fully loaded with some camera kit onboard as well as a laptop and clothes it's pretty comfy despite the weight (and the bag itself is 2kg unloaded). The straps could be a bit more padded - a dedicated camera backpack might be more comfy on the shoulders for prolonged periods, but you don't have the flexibility you get with the Travel Backpack.
Should I buy a Peak Design Travel Backpack?
The Peak Design Travel Backpack 45 is a very good bag. It’s smart, rugged, very thoughtfully designed, and clearly built to last. If you want a do-it-all travel backpack - something that can grow or shrink, that gives you great access and decent protection, and you’re okay with a bit of weight - this is one of the best options out there.
