So, if you’ve read my other gear posts, you know that I have a bag compulsion. I have multiple briefcases for my regular work and have used several different bags (sling, small backpack, and large backpack) for my camera gear. Well, I guess I have to add one more to the camera backpack mix. That having been said, I think this may be my “go to” camera backpack for the foreseeable future. What backpack has finally checked all the boxes? I just purchased the Mindshift Backlight 26L, and I love it!
Why the new backpack? Well, I have a 10 day trip to Hawaii coming up in the not too distant future. What about that requires a new backpack? Well, for a trip that long, I need to take my laptop in case of a work emergency. Although I can respond to email on my phone, if I need to do anything more complicated, a laptop is required. For a 10 day trip, I just cannot risk that I can get by without needing to log into my office. Also, since I’ll be gone for 10 days, I wanted to have the computer to back up the memory cards from the camera to make sure that I don’t lose any photos. Additionally, with a flight that long, I need to take my iPad to have movies on the flight over and the flight back.
Now, with my large Tamrac Expedition 8x I can fit my camera gear and my laptop, but the bag is so large that it would count as my carryon for the flight and have to go in the overhead compartment. That means that I would have to check a bag for my clothing (which I don’t like to do both for the expense, the time wasted waiting for the luggage to be unloaded from the plane at both ends of the trip, and the chance that it ends up lost anyway) on the flight out and on the flight home. Additionally, as great as the Tamrac Expedition 8x is, it doesn’t have a place for a water bottle, a jacket, or any other non-camera or non-computer stuff. So I started doing some research on backpacks that will hold what I wanted to take for the trip while still fitting under the seat in front of me on the plane so that I can use it as my “personal item” on the flight. This would then allow me to bring my carryon suitcase for all of my clothes and put it in the overhead.
Enter the Mindshift Backlight 26L. It will hold my camera bodies (both the D750 and the D3100) along with my 28-70mm f/2.8 and my 70-200 f/2.8. Along with that, it will also hold the little waterproof cameras that I like to take, the battery chargers, spare batteries, lens filters, and memory cards. All of this will fit in the camera bag part of the backpack easily. Additionally, the Mindshift Backlight 26L has two large side pockets for holding water bottles or a tripod. It also has a tripod foot holder that comes out of the bottom of the bag that allows carrying of a tripod on the center of the back of the bag if that is preferred. It has a dedicated iPad pocket and a dedicated pocket for my laptop which are both padded for protection. It also has two pen slots, and two exterior zippered pockets that can hold a light jacket, snacks, sunglasses, and other assorted stuff for a day trip.
Given that I have two photography tours scheduled for my trip, I anticipated needing the ability to bring camera gear along with water bottles, some candy or snacks, sunscreen, and a windbreaker in case it gets chilly or a light rain shower pops up. With the new backpack, I’ll be able to bring all of that with ease.
Now for the bag review:
The Mindshift Backlight 26L is a well constructed bag. The material is sturdy and feels water resistant. The bag also comes with a rain cover. It is large without being unruly. It will hold plenty of gear while having additional dedicated places for a laptop, tablet, and assorted accessories. It also has a hip belt to transfer weight from your shoulders to your hips for longer hikes or a heavily loaded bag. Additionally, the hip belt can be “reversed” around the back of the bag to stay out of the way and allow the bag to lay flat under an airplane seat without being “propped” up on the hip belt.
The zippers are robust and smooth. The zipper pulls are large and easy to operate. In fact, the zipper pulls appear large enough to be operated while wearing gloves if you were traveling somewhere cold.
The feature that I really like about the bag though is that it is rear opening. In order to access the camera gear, the bag opens from the side that is against your back. I like that because it makes it impossible for someone to open your bag and take out your gear while you are walking through town on vacation. I also like it because, if you are out taking landscape shots, you don’t set the part of the bag that touches your back on the ground to access your camera gear. The outside of the bag goes on the ground while you access the gear from the side that will touch your back. No more dirty shirts and jackets during your travels.
The interior pads are thin, but well made. The bag can be configured any number of ways just like any other good camera backpacks, however, Mindshift also provides diagrams with photos for common set ups in case you don’t want to have to think too hard about your configuration.
The shoulder straps are well padded and comfortable. The back panel that goes against your back while you carry the backpack is also well padded and vented. The backpack is quite comfortable to carry even when fairly heavily loaded. While I have not had the bag long, I can foresee it lasting quite a while and being quite pleasant to use. Of course, after a 10 day trip I’m sure I’ll know more. I’ll post about the Hawaii trip when I get back and include a portion about how the backpack did on the trip.