Adventure Photographers Rejoice: Peak Design Outdoor Bag 45L Review

Peak Design has an all-new line of bags, and it’s specifically designed for outdoor enthusiasts. The Outdoor Line just dropped on Kickstarter, with some impressive intro deals to be had (20-25% off).

More importantly, I got my hands on an early sample of the Peak Design Outdoor 45L Bag. I’ve been using it for about a month, both on some local photoshoots as well as a fly-in off-road vehicle shoot in Colorado.

In short: The Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 45L is a well-refined product ideal for outdoor photographers and travelers alike. It’s lightweight, very comfortable, securely carries a ton of essentials, and will likely hold up to some serious abuse.

Compare the Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 45 L to the rest of our picks in our buyer’s guide to Best Camera Backpacks.

Peak Design The Outdoor Line

On offer at launch in The Outdoor Bags Line are two backpacks and two slings. This includes the Outdoor Backpack 45L, Outdoor Backpack 25L, Outdoor Sling 7L, and Outdoor Sling 2L.

All the bags in this new Outdoor Line are PFAS-free and made of a 100% recycled exterior fabric. Peak Design calls it “Terra Shell.”

Other rad materials in the construction of these bags are abrasion-resistant and super strong “Ultra Zips” as well as slash-resistant UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) cording.

Accessories at line launch include a rainfly for each backpack and a hip belt for the slings. Ultralight Packing Cubes, which launched in June, and Camera Cubes V2, which launched in late 2023, are also perfect complements to the Outdoor Bags.

What’s always cool with all of Peak Design’s products are how seamlessly they work together. As an example, the new Outdoor Slings can be used across the chest or on the hips of the Outdoor Backpacks.

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“Our very first product — Capture — was a clip that let you carry your camera on your backpack strap while hiking,” Peak Design founder and CEO Peter Dering said. “Since then, Peak Design has been synonymous with ‘outdoor photography.’ Yet we still haven’t created true outdoor bags … until now. The Outdoor Line is not only the culmination of everything we’ve learned as bag designers, it’s also a giant nod to our most loyal and longest-tenured customers.”

Peak Design Outdoor 45L Bag Review

This is a big bag, which I need for all the camera gear and general essentials I carry with me on my travels. The Outdoor 45L bag has quickly replaced the Peak Design Travel Backpack that I’ve been using for years now. It’s lighter, more rugged, and more comfortable to carry.

This is a versatile bag that is great for air travel, kicking around town, and weekend outdoor adventures alike.

Carry Comfort

The backpack is internally framed and weighs less than 4 pounds. It can also swallow a lot of heavy gear, and not only carry it all securely but also impressively comfortably.

The harness system on it is customizable to fit a wide range of body styles.

The Shoulder straps have tons of padding, front pockets for snacks or your phone, and have Peak Design Capture Clip mounts built-in. Dual sternum straps and load lifters also help keep this big bag secure and comfortable.

The hip belt is well-padded and offers useful pockets. But, if you’re like me and rarely use hip belts then they can be stowed or removed easily.

The attention to detail that Peak Design puts into all its products continues to impress me. Every zipper pull, buckle, closure, etc. is thoroughly thought out. They are not only functional but feel great when being used.

Carry All the Gear

Besides the expected massive rear-entry zippered back panel, my favorite part of this Outdoor 45L is the quick-access kangaroo pocket and expandable roll-top pack access. The quick-draw cord lock setup on this is impressively simple and usable with one hand but does take a little practice to get good at.

The roll-top is basically a normal drybag style closure but has magnets to help it close with ease. Inside the top access is also a mesh pocket at the back of the pack. It is the perfect size for storing valuables you want to keep secure, like a passport.

Inside the main compartment of the pack, on the zippered access, padded back panel is a pocket that can handle a 16-inch laptop or 3L hydration bladder. If you want to carry a laptop and hydration bladder, the bladder can be put in the front kangaroo pocket.

A key feature of this Outdoor Line is the Cord Hook external carry system. This setup makes it super easy to quickly, securely, and easily attach and detach loads of gear to the outside of the pack, and bulky items on the top roll-top and in the side pockets.

It’s nice to have, but I honestly think it’s a bit overdone. I’m someone who likes to have nearly all of my gear secured in the bag and not attached to the outside of the bag — a tripod and water bottle are my exceptions.

I also love the mesh pockets, two on each side of the bag, which are perfect for water bottles, tripods, light stands, canned adult beverages, and the like.

The two zippered pockets in the front of the kangaroo pocket are also great for those items that you want quick access to. I’ll mostly keep things like business cards and snacks in these pockets.

Peak Design Outdoor Camera Bag

I love that this bag is designed to be tossed on the ground, the back panel zipped open, a camera or two grabbed, and the shooting to begin. The burly outer panel on the backpack is weatherproof and seems to hold up well to dirt and abrasive surfaces — it’s also easy to wipe clean.

I’m a photographer, and I’ll primarily use this bag as a camera bag. Because of that it will most of the time have a Large Peak Design Camera Cube in it, to keep all my equipment secure, protected, organized, and easy to access. The main compartment of the Outdoor Bag 45L fits up to three Peak Design Cube Units (one unit = one small camera cube), so you can configure it in a variety of ways.

Camera Cubes V2

While testing this bag, I was also able to spend some time with the latest Peak Design Camera Cubes V2 — which were updated in late 2023. I’ve got years of experience with the V1 Cubes and Peak Design Travel Backpack, which has been my go-to setup for travel and photography around the globe and in all conditions.

The latest version of Peak Design’s Camera Cubes is just as impressive as the first iteration, just with some great refinements. Weatherproofing is greatly improved through the use of weatherproof Ultra Zips and external seam taping.

Access to the gear inside the cubes has been improved with an expanded opening while finding that gear has gotten easier through a lighter color interior fabric. The interior dividers have also been redesigned to offer even more functionality. Topping off the upgrades are a 360-degree exterior grab handle and a 10-15% reduction in weight.

Peak Design Camera Cubes V2 are now offered in XS, S, SM, M, and L. These new sizes help you dial in your setup to handle the latest mirrorless camera systems and video equipment, like small drones.

Peak Design Outdoor 45L Bag Review Wrapup

Expect a 20-25% discount on the Peak Design The Outdoor Line during the Kickstarter campaign, which is running now and ends October 15, 2024.

Products ordered through Kickstarter will likely start shipping in January 2025. Note that the Outdoor Bags will launch globally through Peak Design stores, website, and dealers in late November 2024. This means that you’ll get the best deal if ordering early through Kickstarter, but will likely get your new Peak Design Outdoor bags after others that snag them late this year at retail.