MindShift Gear BackLight 26L Outdoor Adventure Camera Daypack Backpack (Charcoal)

Tldr: I absolutely love this camera backpack; quality, fit, size, durability, etc.I researched and compared more than a dozen bags for a solid week before deciding on this and I've never looked back. I've travelled the US and Europe with it multiple times within the almost 2yrs I've owned it and have had zero issues. I was initially concerned that the seams or zippers wouldn't hold up to the weight after loading it to the tilt, but all seams and zippers have held strong.::Transportation::- Airplanes: Fits under airline seats when fully loaded and I'm not talking just the camera section. I've stuffed Audio Technica noise cancelling headphones with it's case, change of light clothing, 15" MacBook Pro and power adapter, snacks, REI 1400ml nalgene water bottle, and a few toiletries.- Buses: If carrying only gear in the camera section, it will fit in any bus overhead bin. Takes some wrangling to make it work with personal items in the two front pockets, but it's doable.- Trains/Metro: Never had an issue with size taking this on trains or the subway/metro.::Environments::- I've been to beaches, dusty, sandy, and high wind environments and have never had an issue with said elements getting into the bag.- I've been in rain with this, but not torrential type downpours. I just stop, pop on the included rain cover, and go on my way. Bag has always stayed dry.::Security/Access::- It's not obvious that this a camera bag. This is probably the number one thing. There's no Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc logo written across the thing. MindShift isn't a household name, so people will probably thing that this is just a hiking/trekking bag.- Whether you are going through airport security or event security, it is a breeze with how the main compartment is designed. Simply swing it off, lay it down, unzip the main compartment, and bam, everything is there to see.- You don't have to worry about your camera gear being pick pocketed as the only access is against your back (when wearing it of course)- The zippers have covers/flaps which is really nice. While the green loops are a clear indication that there's a zipper, it's evident that no one can easily reach in and take something.- The zipper loops also allow you to place a TSA approved lock through them if you want to go the extra mile to deter theft.::Fit::- This is perhaps the most important aspect of any camera backpack; if I can't wear it for hours on end, I'm not interested. I have literally had this on my back, fully loaded for 12 hours and I don't feel like I'm going to die.- Use the hip straps, should be at about the waist, to bear a majority of the weight.- Use the shoulder straps to stabilize; if too tight, you'll transfer the weight to your shoulders by lifting the backpack higher. This negates the hip straps.- Padding is adequate; not too much to where it gets in the way and certainly not too little- There is some airflow between you and the back pack, but not much. Make no mistake, if you're in a warm or hot environment for a decent amount of time, you will sweat.What gear I can fit in the camera section and have carried multiple times:- Full Frame Nikon- 300mm f/4- 70-200mm f/2.8- 24-70mm f/2.8- NN6 Pano head- NN EZ-Leveler with case- Battery grip- Two Nikon battery chargers- 4 additional batteries- Included rain cover- 4 single filter cases/holders- Tripod plate- Quick release clamp- Blower (for glass elements)- Small bottle of lens cleaner and cloth- As many SD's as you can fit- You can squeeze a flash in all of this as well, but you have be clever about arranging all of the gear and it's really pushing itMiddle Compartment:I can comfortably fit a 15" MacBook Pro with power adapter and a 11.6" field monitor with all cables and hood.Front Compartment:The material has more room to expand due to being on the front, so I'm able to get irregular shaped items or a just a lot of different things in this.

I was looking for a bag to replace my 15 year old KATA R103 backpack, which is built like a tank, but no longer holds all my gear and is heavy and awkward by today's comparisons.My goal here was to (hopefully) be able to hold all of my current gear for storage and/or transport, give me some "day-pack" space to take a jacket, some food, etc., and (again hopefully) give me a bit of additional expansion for one more lens or body if ever necessary. AND... be comfortable to carry and not be so heavy I couldn't wear it for more than 100 yards. Big goals (and pretty much impossible to satisfy in a single bag). I also am not a professional photographer, so spending $500 for a bag was out of the question too.I ended up trying 7 bags of various sizes for this, based on other online reviews of bags that seemed to fit my criteria: LowePro Protactic 350 AWII, LowePro Protactic 450 AWII, Think Tank Photo Backstory 15, Vanguard Alta Sky 45D, Vanguard Alta Sky 51D, MindShift Gear Backlight 36L, and MindShift Gear Backlight 26L. All of these bags have their pros and cons, and I won't go through each one here. But for me it came down to 3 finalists: the AltaSky 51D, Backlight 36L and the Backlight 26L.The configuration of the AltaSky 51D was very unique, but I think it might prove limiting in the future. It is by far the most protective-feeling, with think padding everywhere. It was also bulky, stiffer, and more awkward to get into the main compartment due to the big stiff straps and zipper locations, and was the heaviest of the finalists. Fully loaded it was a beast. So, it came down to the two MindShift Backlights, the 26L and 36L. Both were comfortable when loaded, although the straps seemed to hit me better on the 26L, and the 36L gave me the extra room for expansion. But the larger form factor, and the slightly heavier weight simply made it feel even "bigger" than it was. And in reality, if I filled the extra room with an additional lens or two I'm not sure I'd be able to carry it anyway. So... the 26L was the winner by default. Still plenty of day-pack room, fits all my gear, and if I really needed to carry another lens I can attach my hanging ThinkTank lens pouch on it.The slide-around feature of the Backlight bags, to access the contents and use the bag as a platform without taking it off or setting it down, is a great feature. Access to the main compartment is quick and easy due to the flexible (though well padded) straps and the placement of the main zipper. The bag is comfortable and feels lighter than it is, and the interior configuration is well padded and well thought out. The bag fits in overhead compartments as a carry on, and the straps (shoulder straps and waist belt) conveniently wrap around the front and buckle to give a cleaner form for storage. The built-in tripod holder, and numerous attachment points are great functional touches.All in all, this is a great bag, is comfortable, and can hold a lot. Very happy with it.

Good:I really liked the bag, my lens and the camera fit perfectly, and were protected well.It's also, one of the few bags that fits a 15 inch MacBook while fitting under the seat in flights (To be considered as a personal item).Bad:My only problem with the bag was that, aside from my 3 lenses and camera and some camera tools, my 15 inch MacBook , almost nothing else can fit into the front pockets.I only wish the front pockets were a little bit more flexible.