- The Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L
is a 30 liter bag that is mostly geared towards
photography carry,
however it can work well for everyday carry
and minimal one bag travel as well.
I'm Tom, the founder of Pack Hacker,
your guide to smarter travel.
If you're new to the channel, consider subscribing.
Nathan our content creator, video editor,
and videographer has been testing this bag
for the last three weeks in Detroit, Michigan,
both as a photography backpack
and an everyday carry backpack,
and make sure to head over to https://packhacker.com/
link in the description below to see
the best buying options
and the full review in written format,
let's dive in.
(upbeat electronic music)
At the time of this review,
the 30 liter version of this bag
comes in three different colors.
We have black, charcoal,
and midnight navy.
Each colorway except for the black is made of
100% bluesign approved recycled material.
This lines up well with
Peak Design's climate-neutral initiative.
The main fabric on this bag is 400D,
there is ripstop qualities that's gonna
make it a little more durable,
and has a slightly rubbery feel due
to the DWR coating as well,
which helps with weather resistance.
Overall, it feels a lot better in the hand
than the V1 corduroy material that they used prior,
this has a bit more of a rubbery feel
whereas the corduroy was a little bit
more coarse to the touch.
We found that the new material in V2
is a little bit better than the material in V1,
it seems to mark up a little bit less as well,
and if you wanna see a full comparison
between the V1 and V2 bag,
we will leave a link to the Pack Hacker Quick Hits
comparison video in the description below.
From a visual and branding perspective,
we have a small Peak Design logo on the front tab here,
and then we have the logo on the
back leather strap as well.
You can also see the PD mark on a lot of other
bits and pieces of this bag,
including the aluminum hardware as well.
Most of the people on the team
think this bag looks really nice,
however beauty is always in the eyes of the beholder,
so we polled our Instagram audience over at @packhacker,
to get their thoughts,
if you wanna be involved in future polls be sure
to go give us a follow on Instagram.
To wrap up the rest of the materials on this bag,
we have Peak Design's Ultrazips which they have developed
with Zoom Zippers, this is their
proprietary version of zippers,
overall so far they are very smooth to operate,
and they look nice too.
There have been no problems with the Ultrazips yet
in three weeks of testing of this bag
and other bags within the line,
but of course time will tell how they continue to hold up.
We have aluminum hardware on places like the sternum strap
and the strap adjusters.
We have nubuck leather on the handle,
as well as other design accents,
and then we have hypalon used on places
like the zipper pull,
and reinforcement areas like the back of the strap here.
Kicking it off with the external components,
let's start with the harness system,
which has been a hot topic in the Pack Hacker community.
To summarize our findings,
Peak Design has improved the harness system quite a bit
when compared to V1,
but it is still not the best harness system out there.
To get into more details,
the straps themselves are spongy and comfortable,
this is the biggest improvement
when compared to the V1 line.
The stretchy mesh on the back of the straps has more of a
ripstop design than the ballistic style straps of the V1,
so we have had some reports of that getting chewed up
and kind of pilling on the back here,
we think that the design considerations on the
new version will help with that quite a bit
just based on looking at it,
and of course time will tell with testing.
Moving down the straps we have nubuck leather on each side
that also serve as great little accessory attachment points
for a carabiner or other items.
At the bottom there is some smaller nylon webbing
that can basically function in the same way, too.
And in between both of these, we have the sternum strap,
which offers three different areas for adjustment.
The aluminum hardware is beautiful,
and the design is unique,
however we have some issues with the functionality.
After three weeks of use,
it still takes a lot to fasten and unfasten,
definitely takes longer than a traditional duraflex buckle.
Additionally, there isn't a permanent style
of attachment here, so we have some fear
that it could be lost as well.
There are three separate spots for you to
pop in the aluminum clips and adjust the sternum strap,
most bags offer at least four,
and the best sternum strap adjusters that we've seen
have actually like a rail that allows you to slide it
and put it wherever it best fits on your body.
So the sternum strap is fine,
however it's not the best that we've seen.
Moving down to the bottom of the straps,
we like how easy it is to adjust these
by grabbing this little nylon loop here.
Great stuff going on here,
it just glides when you're ready to adjust it.
At the top of the harness system,
these straps easily flip around and adjust,
this makes it easy to swing the bag out in front of you
and get access to the side pockets to grab
any gear that's inside.
The straps are magnetic, which allow you to criss cross them
and stow them as so.
This isn't necessarily a needed feature,
however we like that it keeps the straps out of the way,
especially if you have this bag on the ground,
you know, in a crowded coffee shop,
or on the subway or the train or the bus,
it's nice to kinda keep everything compact in a low profile,
and it's harder to snag on stuff that's laying around.
The bag has a decently padded back panel
that will help with airflow somewhat as well.
Behind that there is a luggage passthrough,
we like that it's magnetized versus in V1 it was velcro,
it feels a lot cleaner magnetized.
There's also a small slot at the bottom that is velcro
that allows you to slide in a hip belt,
and this is a big improvement on V1,
V1 the hip belt was just kinda like a waist strap,
however since it actually now velcros to the bag,
and it's behind this slot,
it's a lot better to use
and will be a lot more comfortable to use.
We haven't tested it yet,
but the way that it's structured in there
makes a lot more sense than what they did with V1.
And having a hip belt for a bag this size isn't necessary,
but if you're hauling around a bunch of heavy lenses
and heavy camera gear,
it can be nice to have.
So overall we think that this harness system
is a big improvement on V1,
especially when it comes to the straps,
they are more robust, they're cushy,
and we think they're gonna hold up for longer
on the back here,
however this still isn't our favorite harness system
that we've ever tested.
Next up the water bottle pockets on the side
that stretch out very nicely with
this elastic loop at the top,
and then you have mesh back here that allows
you to have a little bit more room.
And we really like that these
water bottle pockets lay flat,
but they really stretch out if you wanna fit bigger bottles
in the side, or accessories like a tripod.
There's a drain hole at the bottom
of each of these side pockets,
and we were surprised not to see an eyelet
or some additional fabric reinforcement.
Without an eyelet or additional reinforcement,
we have found that this can kind of stretch out
a little bit and become misshapen.
We're surprised that with all the other little
design details and considerations going on with this bag,
the bottom seems to simply be a little piece that
has been cut out for drainage from the water bottle pocket.
Now keep in mind that this fabric is robust and 400D,
and has some ripstop qualities to it,
however we're surprised just not to see some additional
reinforcement as it has stretched out a little bit
in our three weeks of testing.
Again, this is a really small detail,
and we're totally nitpicking here,
but we figured we'd bring it up,
overall the side water bottle pockets are really great.
There are three handles on this bag:
two on the sides which are functional, nicely padded,
and easy to grab.
Keep in mind that if you have a taller water bottle
or a tripod on the side,
you may not be able to take full advantage
of the side handle.
The top handle is nice to grab as well,
and we like that it has that nubuck leather detailed accent.
Quick side note on the look of the leather and the
colorway and the black hypalon,
overall there are kind of a lot of colors going on.
So you have the black here with the
MagLatch and the hypalon,
the leather and this midnight blue,
it looks decent here but we found that this
combination looks a little bit funny on other
Peak Design products, especially in the bone colorway.
But we kinda understand why they did that,
in the testing of the V1 version,
we saw that a lot of the nubuck leather
starts to fray around the edges,
especially on the zipper pulls,
so this will create a cleaner look over time,
however the colors together can
seem a little bit clashy at times.
Next up, every external zipper on this bag is lockable.
The zippers at the bottom of the side pockets
can attach to a small loop near
where the strap meets the bag.
The two zippers at the top can attach to the loops as well.
The laptop compartment zipper on the wearer's right side
can also loop through the fastenable hypalon zipper point
for additional security.
You can also lock down the top flap with something like
TSA-approved locks at the lash points.
Just keep both sides locked, because with one locked,
it's still easy to undo the MagLatch and get a hand
up inside of the bag.
We have found that you can sort of fasten this down
with the included lash points,
but we're surprised Peak Design hasn't created
a very obvious and integrated way to lock down the top flap
like they have with the zippers.
There may be a way to do this integrated with the bag,
but we haven't been able to spot it.
We have two lash straps at the bottom of the bag that
deploy from the magnetic pocket at the bottom,
and then two other included lash straps on the
side pockets on the interior of the bag.
Use the lash straps at the front of the bag to
attach something like a jacket,
and use them at the bottom to attach something
like a tripod.
We think this is a nice subdued way,
it keeps a minimal clean look on the outside,
but still adds some additional carry functionality
to the bag should you choose to use it.
And one more thing,
there is a bungee stretchy keychain that
comes with the bag as well.
We like the material in Version 1 a little bit better,
we think it feels a little bit slicker 'cause it's that
seatbelt-like nylon webbing that feels robust,
this bungee one feels a little bit cheaper
and just kinda seems like an afterthought overall,
it's not integrated with the bag at all.
Let's start with the laptop compartment
at the back of the bag.
First of all, the area for the laptop is adjustable,
which allows you to have different
sized laptops in the back.
It is a little bit hard to adjust,
and the velcro can kinda get stuck,
but the good news here is that once you set it
you can kinda forget it unless you get a new laptop.
For 15 inch, you could put a little lower,
or if you have a 13, bring it up a little bit higher,
and everything is gonna fit in there nice and snug.
We also like that the laptop is suspended in the back here,
protecting it from unexpected drops of the bag.
There's another magnetic partition that works well
for tablets, too.
Then there's a stretchy mesh drop pocket
with two stretchy mesh divider pockets as well.
This is nice to have for a phone, wallet, keys,
any tech accessories that you wanna store back here,
however just keep in mind that the more you fill this up,
the more it will cut into the main compartment
of the interior of the bag.
This pocket is a nice touch,
but overall we like quick access and drop pocket positioning
a little bit better in a lot of other
bags that we've reviewed.
There are three ways to access the main compartment
of this bag, we have the top flap here that opens up
and is a top loader style,
then of course the side zips open right up too,
and give you access to the main compartment.
Let's talk a little bit about the MagLatch
before moving forward.
Overall, we dig the design of the MagLatch,
we think that it is slick to use and just fast
to access as well,
so you just kind of pull it down, boom, it's strapped on.
Although Peak Design claims this bag is 30 liters,
it's actually only 30 liters when the MagLatch
is fully at the top.
Their marketing is a bit misleading in this regard,
and it is kind of a unsexy way to use the bag
if the MagLatch is always at the top.
So if you have truly 30 liters worth of stuff,
you might wanna go with a bag a little bit larger in size.
When the MagLatch is attached in the top position,
the fabric on the top of the bag can stick out on the sides
and can possibly let in moisture.
Now, we found this to be a problem with V1 as well,
however it has been improved in V2,
and that gap is a lot smaller,
although it still can happen.
The weather resistance of the material is great,
but it doesn't do too well if the sides
are a little bit open,
definitely can get moisture inside of the bag.
Overall the MagLatch is best used on the lowest bar.
Each side flap opens up and reveals
some nice organization as well.
There are two stretchy mesh pockets at the top,
which pretty much just act as large dump pockets,
there's a magnetic closure as well,
and we like that clever use of magnets.
On the wearer's right side,
we have gray stitching,
and on the wearer's left, black stitching.
This looks a little bit cleaner than the red and blue
stitching in Version 1 that indicates charged
and dead camera batteries.
Now whether or not this is useful is totally up to you,
I think it's a nice mental model for you to
just get in your head and always understand
what is in which pocket,
whether it's dead batteries or maybe you have sunglasses
on this side, battery bank on this side,
and you can kind of use those colors to organize your bag.
Below that, we have two similarly sized pockets,
but these ones are closed with a zipper
as opposed to a magnet.
And inside, there are two mesh stretchy
divider pockets as well,
great for camera batteries or smaller accessories.
And just to note, this is where Peak Design includes
the other two lash straps that come with the bag.
The main compartment features options for Peak Design's
signature origami shelving.
These dividers are optimized for camera travel,
so you can fit your lenses and your camera bodies
and any other accessories inside
exactly how you want them,
however these are great for everyday carry
and travel needs as well.
We've been using the divider in the middle of the bag
as a nice separator for the top and the bottom of the bag.
You can use the top flap to get
access to anything on the top,
and then the side zippers to get
anything from the bottom compartment,
so if you wanna have some nice separation,
and just know where everything's at,
it's a nice option.
The dividers are velcroed on and
they stay in place really well,
and we dig the lines on the paneling on the inside here,
so you can kind of line things up
and get them straight across.
Lastly, there is a pocket at the top that is so sneaky,
I almost forgot to talk about it.
This has a magnetic mesh pocket that's similar to
the top pockets on the side,
and it's just right in the front of the flap here,
perfect for something like a small notebook
or a passport or your wallet.
This is similar to V1,
but designed a little bit better in my opinion,
it's a little bit nicer to use.
The funny thing is,
when I was testing Version 1 of this bag,
I actually left my passport in here,
lended it to another tester who took it
on a trip around the U.S.,
and they came back with it
and the passport was still in there,
and it was lost for the total of about a month,
and I finally found it.
So it is a pocket that is so sneaky and so hidden
you may even forget about it.
Nathan, our content creator and videographer,
has been testing this bag around Detroit, Michigan
for the last three weeks.
It's a very versatile bag,
and can be used in a lot of different situations,
however it is the best for video and photo equipment.
In terms of using this bag for travel,
that will totally depend on you, your style,
and how much you wanna bring along with you.
We interviewed out friend John over on the Pack Hacker
blog in the Travel Style section,
and he has used Version 1 of the 30 liter bag
basically as his exclusive one bag travel backpack
for a long period of time.
We think that most people will get the best use
out of this bag when paired with
a smaller piece of rolling luggage,
or Peak Design's duffel.
Overall in our testing and usage,
we've been impressed with the bag,
especially all of the little design details
that go along with it.
So to wrap this thing up with some pros and cons,
high-quality materials and thoughtful design
are used throughout.
You get some great versatility
with Peak Design's origami dividers.
There are excellent and customizable access point
options across the bag.
On to some of the cons,
the bag is only 30 liters when it's fully expanded,
and this is a bit misleading in their marketing.
The top isn't very secure when the MagLatch is
attached to the very top bar.
And lastly, the sternum strap isn't easy to adjust,
and not very customizable.
At the end of the day,
the Peak Design Everyday V2 is a joy to use,
and we love all the small thoughtful design details
that add to the functionality.
The bag is suited best for photographers first,
everyday commuters second,
and one bag travelers third,
but it's a really versatile bag
that works in all of these categories.
Our pros greatly outweigh the cons of this bag,
and we think it's a solid addition to the new V2 line.
So there you have it, our review of the
Peak Design Everyday 30 liter V2 backpack,
we would love to hear what you think of this bag
in the comments below,
so be sure to let us know.
Thanks for keeping it here at Pack Hacker,
your guide to smarter travel.
We'll see you in the next video.