p.1 #1 · WANDRD PRVKE 31L + Pro photography bundle
Hello team,
I took delivery of my new WANDRD PRVKE 31L a few weeks ago. A pack that I had purchased through their Kickstarter campaign this summer.
I bought it to replace my mid sizes F-Stop pack that was ok but never really convinced me in terms of experience nor in terms of looks when used in an urban setting. I will use it in parallel with a smaller Temba with a similar layout, a Mr. Jan Gear outdoor pack and my large Atlas + 2 large roll suitcases.
I was a bit hesitant because of some negative feedbacks I had read about WANDRD bags, but decided to give it a try anyways.
And so far I am happy I did. The perceived quality and functionality of the pack is clearly a step up compared to the F-Stop bag in terms of looks, materials, zippers, functions and comfort.
Some things I like about it:
- it looks just as neat in reality as in the pictures
- the zippers feel sturdy and reliable
- the roll top compartment gives flexibility I terms of the amount of extra gear that can be carried (photography or other)
- there is also a back zipper giving access to that compartment when needing to quickly retrieve an item
- the roll top compartment is connected with the photo section which gives flexibility but the way it is done is nice and items don't mix between the 2 sections
- There are 2 discrete pockets (one on top, one on the side) to store valuable items such as a wallet, rail pass or reading glasses. The top one has a very descent size but could still be a bit larger,
- the material used for the outer shell is waterproof (but not for the roll top part)
- the pack is comfortable to carry even when fully loaded (Z8, 35mm f1.2 S, 50mm f1.2 S, 85mm f1.2 S, Profoto B10, light meter, light strobe carbon stand, umbrella S, typical accessories)
- There is a convenient rain cover pocket at the bottom of the pack
- I have not used it yet, but the quick side access pocket to the camera may come handy in some situations. The opening flap of that pocket has some easily accessible memory card/battery pockets
- the side pocket is convenient to carry a tripod but the downside of having a side access to the camera is there is only one. Carrying both a bottle of water and a tripod on the side is a bit tricky and compromises the balance a bit. You can't have it all I guess.
All in all, a great photo pack so far combining good looks and good usability for real photography.
p.1 #2 · WANDRD PRVKE 31L + Pro photography bundle
For a 31L photo backpack it sure looks cramped. I would not expect a 600/4 to fit, but a 400/2.8 should fit just about any 30L photo bag. It looks more like a general purpose bag for carrying a bunch of stuff not so much cameras and modern, fairly large lenses.
p.1 #3 · WANDRD PRVKE 31L + Pro photography bundle
EB-1 wrote:
For a 31L photo backpack it sure looks cramped. I would not expect a 600/4 to fit, but a 400/2.8 should fit just about any 30L photo bag. It looks more like a general purpose bag for carrying a bunch of stuff not so much cameras and modern, fairly large lenses.
EBH
I have not tried it with my 400mm f2.8 since I have other packs I carry it with (the Mr Jan Gear in particular), but I think it would fit.
Your comment does apply to most photo packs, doesn’t it? From that point of view my former F-Stop isn’t a photo pack at all. My Temba is even worse for carrying large lenses. On the other hand the Wandrd does have some photo specific features as I highlighted in my short review.
Not sure how you can use that single criteria as the way to categorize what is a photo pack vs what isn’t one. 99% of photography is done without super tele lenses and 99% of photographers don’t own a super tele lens.
p.1 #5 · WANDRD PRVKE 31L + Pro photography bundle
Picture This! wrote:
I have not tried the new version but the previous version was VERY uncomfortable for any kind of hiking.
I personally never hike with photo bags, always with dedicated trekking bags (ULA, Gregory, ZPacks or Aarn typically) so it wouldn’t affect me, but the Wandrd with the optional belt has been comfortable so far for me.
Pack comfort is a complicated topic that is essentially about individual match between a morphology and design. You need feedbacks from many users to draw a generic conclusion IMHO.
Some packs have a design enabling adjustment to different types of morphologies, some custom packs like the ULA enable the adjustment of pack dimensions. I once spent more than one hour in the Tokyo Mystery Ranch store with their expert to try to adjust their large capacity pack to my morphology and he concluded that it was a poor match and advised me not to spent 700 US$. I followed his honest advise.
Most mid sized photo packs allow very little adjustment. So trying in store to confirm if it’s a match is a wise thing to do.
p.1 #6 · WANDRD PRVKE 31L + Pro photography bundle
I also took the bag to a trip in Portugal. Mainly day stuff, commute on train and shooting in and around the city. Absolutely hated carrying the thing. It looks great though...
p.1 #7 · WANDRD PRVKE 31L + Pro photography bundle
Picture This! wrote:
I also took the bag to a trip in Portugal. Mainly day stuff, commute on train and shooting in and around the city. Absolutely hated carrying the thing. It looks great though...
p.1 #9 · WANDRD PRVKE 31L + Pro photography bundle
Picture This! wrote:
IMO this is an extremely uncomfortable bag,. I know I'm not alone in feeling this way It does not carry well. If it works for you great
