Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black)

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I originally bought the predecessor to this Adventure 9 backpack (red version) about four years ago to travel by airplane back east for a funeral but wanted to bring a DSLR and just a little bit of camera gear. It worked great for those travels, carried onto airplane. Since then I have purchased and used several other day backpacks. I didn't need the laptop compartment and was worried about carrying extra weight. I also always preferred carrying a large camera bag than a backpack. Well age has caught up to me and the days of carrying a 20 lb. shoulder bag for miles are gone due to mostly neck problems. So over the past several years I have used my three different backpacks many times usually on 4 to 8 hour day hikes and sometimes up mountains. The point is I am also comparing this bag to the other two. My first thought was it was too small and inconvenient to access the camera gear. One other bag, totally different design could be used more like the camera bag I was used to. I have found myself using this bag more and more over the others. The extra padding for the laptop is a plus since I have had back surgery and appreciate the soft padding. The two net pocket holders are great for carrying water bottles. I have learned bringing a little less is good and the camera section is large enough for a DSLR with attached lens & hood plus another lens, filters, cleaning stuff, memory cards, spare battery. The upper compartment mainly holds hiking stuff and a light jacket or long sleeve shirt. I always travel with a compass, pocket knife, flashlight, tweezers, maps and/or hiking book and minimal food for three days in case I get lost. The waist strap on this bag is minimal while on the other bag it is very wide, thick and not flexible. I have found that the basic waist straps on the Adventure 9 works a lot better for me since I have a large belly and can easily position the strap for a tight fit in the correct place. I also use the chest straps to keep the backpack from moving around on my shoulders. So when I went on a two week road trip photo shoot last year my car was broken into and the Adventure 9 was stolen. I continued the trip with the other backpack that was left in the vehicle. I wasn't in a hurry to replace the Adventure 9 since I had another backpack. After about 5 months and quite a few hikes I decided to replace the Adventure 9 but was seriously considering the next larger size. (10) In the end, I bought the replacement Adventure 9 again but gray/black this time. The day after receiving the replacement Adventure 9, I hiked all day in the Superstition Mountains and it was a pleasure to have my favorite backpack again.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Build very well and good amount of room.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Perfect bag other than there is not a weather sleeve you can pull over the bag to keep it dry. Living in Oregon that is important, but I love the bag.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I recently purchased a new DSLR and a few lenses to go along with it. I wanted to get a nice backpack that would hold the gear I have as well as my laptop so I decided on this pack.

I was pleasantly surprised with the bottom section for the camera/lenses/flash storage. The padding is substantial, and the ability to move around the dividers in order to fit the specific gear you have is quite nice. The quality of the plastic zip compartments is top notch, and the Tamrac Patented Memory/Battery Tab System is a neat feature. The padding on the shoulder straps is nice and thick, and I can tell the pack will be comfortable to wear over long periods of time.

The main thing I dislike about this pack is how little room there seems to be in the top zip compartment. I haven't taken this pack out anywhere yet, but I can imagine having a hard time fitting all the extras I may want to bring with me in that top section. That probably wont be a huge factor for me in the long run though because I can always bring another small bag along with me for a jacket, umbrella, lunch, or any other little extras I may want.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Although I have not owned this bag very long I can at least share with you my initial thoughts. I was very pleased to see that all my gear that I used have to cram into my slingshot bag fits with relative ease in the camera section of the bag alone. The top section is not very spacious but is adequate so long as you are only on a day trip. The slot for the laptop is found on the side of the bag and at first I didn't like the design but with a little time I can appreciated why it was designed in that way. Just a note that I have a 16" Dell XPS and it JUST fits in the mouth of the slot. Although things stretch a bit after some use I would be doubtful if majority of 17" laptops could fit.

All and all, the bag looks well made, it is comfortable, and the compartments all seem to be well thought out. I intend to enjoy for hears to come!

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Bought this pack for 7 day Alaskan cruise. Carried Canon 7D with battery grip and 24-105L F4 attached with hood on lens, Canon 100-400L with hood stowed backwards, Canon 60mm efs Macro with hood stowed backwards, Canon 430EXII in case, Canon battery charger, Black Rapid R5 strap all in lower padded section. Carried Canon 10-22 EFS with hood in soft case in top section, my droid phone, an Ipod touch, a lenspen, my keys, gum, folding fisherman's cap 4 passports,AA battery charger, 4 spare AA batteries, my XL hoodie and my kids 2 Nintendo DS's. The last 3 items I stowed in the laptop section, I dont use a laptop, and this storage is super padded so you can put anything that will fit in it securely.

All my gear came home in it's pre departure condition. With all of this stuff, it was heavy on the back but the straps and the padding on them kept things pretty comfortable, I brought it on 737's and it definitely fit in the overhead no problem and on one flight it was 1/2 way under the seat and I got no flack from the flight attendants. You do have to take the pack off to get to your equipment, but for the large amount of secure padded storage, the bullet proof quality and the most important thing- it does not look like it is carrying $4000.00 worth of equipment, it is a good pack.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

This pack is great for a day out with a specific shoot in mind with minimal gear requirements. Great piece of gear with the following caveats. The description of what the camera compartment can hold is a bit overstated. It will not hold the lenses it describes with the lens hoods. For the gear described with lens hoods you may want to move up to the Adventure 10.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

This is the second Adventure 9 I have purchased. The first one was ripped off in Italy, along with my camera, flash, and lenses. There are many similar backpacks out there, but this one is perfect for me. When I travel, it's my only carry-on and it is able to handle all my photography equipment, as well as an emergency change of clothes (with airlines,you never know), my Ipod, Kindle and other miscellaneous necessities. Essential for travel, and perfect for keeping all my electronic stuff together.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I needed a combined computer/photo gear backpack and the Adventure 9 appeared to fit the bill. I use it to carry my work laptop and my camera gear to/from work. Previously, I was using a computer backpack and just tossing my camera/lenses into the open storage compartment. I considered the Adventure 10, but it is just too big, IMO, for walking around an urban environment. (Sort of screams "STEAL ME"!) The Adventure 9 is just on the edge of being a tad big (tall, actually). I have been using the Adventure 9 for about a month now (5 days a week) for an albeit short walk of about 10 minutes from my car to my office each day. I've also used it once so far on a 3 hour or so hike in the woods (with camera gear, but no laptop) and it worked great.

The Adventure 9 is very padded both for the computer and the camera gear. The camera gear pocket holds a nice complement of lenses. A large body (7D or 5D), a 70-200mm/2.8, a 24-70/2.8 all will all fit with proper arranging.

I have also gotten a monsterous Pentax 67, a 45mm, a 75mm, and a 100mm lens into it without any problems.

For my smaller old 35mm gear, 4 or 5 lenses ranging from a small 50mm up to a 70-210mm/4, 2 bodies (or 1 body and 1 flash) are no problem. If you double-stack the smaller lenses, you could conceivably get more into it.

I was hoping it would hold a 400mm/5.6 with attached lens, but it is just not quite big enough for that. By rearranging the padded inserts, it will, in fact, hold the 400mm/5.6 without the camera attached (I've found horizontally at the bottom of the pack works best). Other than the camera, however, you are not getting much else in there. (Maybe a 50mm or other similarly sized lens).

It holds a 17" MacBook Pro, but it is a bit of a squeeze to get it into the zippered slot (though plenty of room once it is in there).

Even with all this gear, it is a comfortable pack. It balances nicely, if not a little high, when worn with both straps. It has waist and chest buckles, but you can wear it comfortably without using them. I have also worn it using one shoulder strap, but find it swings a bit and slides off my shoulder (like most backpacks do for me), so I use the belt buckle sometimes and that works too.

A couple of notes/criticisms:

When you want to pull the shoulder straps tight by the bottom buckles, the straps are very hard to grab if they are all the way at the end of the buckle. To adjust one strap requires using two hands, which is really annoying when you have both straps around your shoulders. Tamrac should have made these loops bigger, like what is (strangely) on the top buckle of the shoulder strap - which most people would seem to use less.

The laptop zipper needs to be a bit wider to make it easy to insert (and more importantly) remove a 17" laptop. Yeah, they can advertise that it holds one, but the inserting/removing is not without a bit of difficulty.

I find the top pocket for general items mediocre from an organizational standpoint. The small removable zippered interior compartment is worthless. It is not really tall enough to hold large filters (i.e., 77mm). It seems like Tamrac found a cheap pen case and used it. The feature this pocket SHOULD have is an ability to expand the lower camera gear portion up into it. Then a 400mm with camera attached would be no problem.

The Adventure 9 does not have a tripod strap. To me, this is a significant forgotten feature (and sort of silly with a pack named "Adventure"). If you buy this backpack, you are planning on going out shooting for a full day. It needs a tripod strap.

Despite these complaints, it is a great backpack. I looked at dozens of backpacks (in person) before deciding on this one. If you can realize that no backpack is going to have every feature you want, this does a really good job (with the limitations noted above) of carrying a computer and camera gear for a full day trip. I'm looking forward to using it on full day trips to Washington DC for the cherry blossoms this spring.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

This is a good backpack. I like the adjustable compartments, and that there are slots for memory cards. I like that I can get to my lap top or to the top compartment without disturbing my, and it gives me peace of mind that the backpack is weather resistant.

My only wish would be to have a mesh pocket on the top compartment, and side access to the camera would be nice, so I wouldn't have to remove the entire backpack to take out the camera. But, between this backpack and the Aero Speed backpack with side access, I like that this pack has sternum and waist straps, which make it more comfortable to carry when walking/hiking long distances.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Great for carrying all my camera gear. Could have a bit bigger middle pouch, but overall its great! I'd recommend it to anyone.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

The day of traveling light is upon us... Airlines are charging more and more for second bags and if you fly alot you need a tote that holds all your stuff and more. I hope to get a lot of miles out of my new Adventure backpack and limit the amount of luggage I need to carry. With this backpack I can carry an assortment of camera gear, a 17" laptop, a tripod, water bottle and a change of cloths and light raingear and more all in one carry on bag. Having water proof zippers allows me to take this pack out into the weather and onboard my boat so I will always have my gear with me where ever my travels take me. I live and work in northern Alaska where roads are as scarce as warm days so flying is the norm. Protecting my gear is a essential and I feel this adventure backpack will do well on board a plane as well on my 4X4 or snowmachine in Alaska's wild terrane...

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

The bag is nice and supplies a very nice area with great protection for the camera & laptop though the storage area on top will only hold a light weight jacket and that's about it.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I can travel with all my stuff

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

It fits my camera equipment, laptop and misc stuff and is easy to carry.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Actually, I hate photo backpacks. However this one is different. Holds a lot of gear (D700 and 5 lenses)
plus very roomy storage for other stuff. Nice weather protection. A couple cons, says will fit a 17" laptop? I can stuff my dell inspiron in there, but it is TIGHT. Too tight, I don't use it. Also, I think it could a few outside gadget pockets.
All in all, it has become my favorite travel bag. Going on a trip soon, and will also carry my D300 and 10-24 lens in top section with room to spare. It is heavy but I am a strong lad....

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Excellent, A recommended buy!!. The name ADVENTURE 9 Backpack, is the correct name for this product. As soon as I got the gear, I was off on a job the very same day and RAIN!!!. It was crazy, we are in the middle of a potential Hurricane. And it has been raining, and the fact that the bag was comfortable and WATERPROOF, made the already hectic day a little easier. I love it love it ...it is a worthwhile investment. ORDER NOW!!!

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I ordered this pack along with the new Aero8 side accessible to compare since I couldnt make up my mind. A combo of the two would be perfect. Top half seems to be the same. Ultimately the difference came down to the chest strap and hip-belt straps available on the Adventure 9. The Aero 8 side access was cool but I like the extra straps for hiking. Perhaps these are too much with the side-access which allows to swing around. Gear wise, the Adv 9 seems to orient gear up/down, vs the Aero which orients sideways (to allow access from the side door).
Only missing feature would be a nice build-in rain cover like the LowePro but that can be bought seperate cheap enough. Many comment on the lack of tripod straps but that can be added below it too. Top is ok for lunch and light rain jacket and any extra items but not tooo much. Lap top compartment makes for good storage for books/sketch pad if you dont carry a loptop. Shirts too! Stuff socks in the extra lens compartment and you can travel real light!!

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I do a lot of outdoor photography/videography and I decided to purchase this bag for my new camera. I had a shoot this past week and it rained pretty good so this was my first field test with the bag and it did it's job very well.
It kept everything inside safe and dry.

The only problem I've had with it is that it's a tight fit for my 17" macbook pro and it can be tough at times to get it in and out of the bag. But since it allows me to carry both my camera and my laptop it's only a minor annoyance. This bag is well worth the money.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

This bag is the perfect compromise between too big and too small. I have the Tamrac Aero Speed Pack 75 which is great for day trips in a city but a little too small for long trips or if you need to carry a large lense. I also have a Tamrac Adventure 10 which was just way too big!

The Tamrac Adventure 9 is the perfect compromise. Expected sturdy, Tamrac construction. Plenty of room inside for all the gear you will need and enough room up top for lunch or weather protection.

Waist strap and chest strap make an all day hike up a mountain comfortable. I really like the double mesh pockets on both sides perfect for water bottles of all sizes. I never used the side door on the Aero speed pack.

Very comfortable if worn all day, but not too big that it is cumbersome. I would change only one thing on this bag. I would remove the pop off pocket in the top compartment and replace it with the mesh pockets from the top compartment of the Aero 75.

This will be the bag I use 90 percent of the time now.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I originally bought the predecessor to this Adventure 9 backpack (red version) about four years ago to travel by airplane back east for a funeral but wanted to bring a DSLR and just a little bit of camera gear. It worked great for those travels, carried onto airplane. Since then I have purchased and used several other day backpacks. I didn't need the laptop compartment and was worried about carrying extra weight. I also always preferred carrying a large camera bag than a backpack. Well age has caught up to me and the days of carrying a 20 lb. shoulder bag for miles are gone due to mostly neck problems. So over the past several years I have used my three different backpacks many times usually on 4 to 8 hour day hikes and sometimes up mountains. The point is I am also comparing this bag to the other two. My first thought was it was too small and inconvenient to access the camera gear. One other bag, totally different design could be used more like the camera bag I was used to. I have found myself using this bag more and more over the others. The extra padding for the laptop is a plus since I have had back surgery and appreciate the soft padding. The two net pocket holders are great for carrying water bottles. I have learned bringing a little less is good and the camera section is large enough for a DSLR with attached lens & hood plus another lens, filters, cleaning stuff, memory cards, spare battery. The upper compartment mainly holds hiking stuff and a light jacket or long sleeve shirt. I always travel with a compass, pocket knife, flashlight, tweezers, maps and/or hiking book and minimal food for three days in case I get lost. The waist strap on this bag is minimal while on the other bag it is very wide, thick and not flexible. I have found that the basic waist straps on the Adventure 9 works a lot better for me since I have a large belly and can easily position the strap for a tight fit in the correct place. I also use the chest straps to keep the backpack from moving around on my shoulders. So when I went on a two week road trip photo shoot last year my car was broken into and the Adventure 9 was stolen. I continued the trip with the other backpack that was left in the vehicle. I wasn't in a hurry to replace the Adventure 9 since I had another backpack. After about 5 months and quite a few hikes I decided to replace the Adventure 9 but was seriously considering the next larger size. (10) In the end, I bought the replacement Adventure 9 again but gray/black this time. The day after receiving the replacement Adventure 9, I hiked all day in the Superstition Mountains and it was a pleasure to have my favorite backpack again.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Build very well and good amount of room.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Perfect bag other than there is not a weather sleeve you can pull over the bag to keep it dry. Living in Oregon that is important, but I love the bag.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I recently purchased a new DSLR and a few lenses to go along with it. I wanted to get a nice backpack that would hold the gear I have as well as my laptop so I decided on this pack.

I was pleasantly surprised with the bottom section for the camera/lenses/flash storage. The padding is substantial, and the ability to move around the dividers in order to fit the specific gear you have is quite nice. The quality of the plastic zip compartments is top notch, and the Tamrac Patented Memory/Battery Tab System is a neat feature. The padding on the shoulder straps is nice and thick, and I can tell the pack will be comfortable to wear over long periods of time.

The main thing I dislike about this pack is how little room there seems to be in the top zip compartment. I haven't taken this pack out anywhere yet, but I can imagine having a hard time fitting all the extras I may want to bring with me in that top section. That probably wont be a huge factor for me in the long run though because I can always bring another small bag along with me for a jacket, umbrella, lunch, or any other little extras I may want.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Although I have not owned this bag very long I can at least share with you my initial thoughts. I was very pleased to see that all my gear that I used have to cram into my slingshot bag fits with relative ease in the camera section of the bag alone. The top section is not very spacious but is adequate so long as you are only on a day trip. The slot for the laptop is found on the side of the bag and at first I didn't like the design but with a little time I can appreciated why it was designed in that way. Just a note that I have a 16" Dell XPS and it JUST fits in the mouth of the slot. Although things stretch a bit after some use I would be doubtful if majority of 17" laptops could fit.

All and all, the bag looks well made, it is comfortable, and the compartments all seem to be well thought out. I intend to enjoy for hears to come!

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Bought this pack for 7 day Alaskan cruise. Carried Canon 7D with battery grip and 24-105L F4 attached with hood on lens, Canon 100-400L with hood stowed backwards, Canon 60mm efs Macro with hood stowed backwards, Canon 430EXII in case, Canon battery charger, Black Rapid R5 strap all in lower padded section. Carried Canon 10-22 EFS with hood in soft case in top section, my droid phone, an Ipod touch, a lenspen, my keys, gum, folding fisherman's cap 4 passports,AA battery charger, 4 spare AA batteries, my XL hoodie and my kids 2 Nintendo DS's. The last 3 items I stowed in the laptop section, I dont use a laptop, and this storage is super padded so you can put anything that will fit in it securely.

All my gear came home in it's pre departure condition. With all of this stuff, it was heavy on the back but the straps and the padding on them kept things pretty comfortable, I brought it on 737's and it definitely fit in the overhead no problem and on one flight it was 1/2 way under the seat and I got no flack from the flight attendants. You do have to take the pack off to get to your equipment, but for the large amount of secure padded storage, the bullet proof quality and the most important thing- it does not look like it is carrying $4000.00 worth of equipment, it is a good pack.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

This pack is great for a day out with a specific shoot in mind with minimal gear requirements. Great piece of gear with the following caveats. The description of what the camera compartment can hold is a bit overstated. It will not hold the lenses it describes with the lens hoods. For the gear described with lens hoods you may want to move up to the Adventure 10.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

This is the second Adventure 9 I have purchased. The first one was ripped off in Italy, along with my camera, flash, and lenses. There are many similar backpacks out there, but this one is perfect for me. When I travel, it's my only carry-on and it is able to handle all my photography equipment, as well as an emergency change of clothes (with airlines,you never know), my Ipod, Kindle and other miscellaneous necessities. Essential for travel, and perfect for keeping all my electronic stuff together.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I needed a combined computer/photo gear backpack and the Adventure 9 appeared to fit the bill. I use it to carry my work laptop and my camera gear to/from work. Previously, I was using a computer backpack and just tossing my camera/lenses into the open storage compartment. I considered the Adventure 10, but it is just too big, IMO, for walking around an urban environment. (Sort of screams "STEAL ME"!) The Adventure 9 is just on the edge of being a tad big (tall, actually). I have been using the Adventure 9 for about a month now (5 days a week) for an albeit short walk of about 10 minutes from my car to my office each day. I've also used it once so far on a 3 hour or so hike in the woods (with camera gear, but no laptop) and it worked great.

The Adventure 9 is very padded both for the computer and the camera gear. The camera gear pocket holds a nice complement of lenses. A large body (7D or 5D), a 70-200mm/2.8, a 24-70/2.8 all will all fit with proper arranging.

I have also gotten a monsterous Pentax 67, a 45mm, a 75mm, and a 100mm lens into it without any problems.

For my smaller old 35mm gear, 4 or 5 lenses ranging from a small 50mm up to a 70-210mm/4, 2 bodies (or 1 body and 1 flash) are no problem. If you double-stack the smaller lenses, you could conceivably get more into it.

I was hoping it would hold a 400mm/5.6 with attached lens, but it is just not quite big enough for that. By rearranging the padded inserts, it will, in fact, hold the 400mm/5.6 without the camera attached (I've found horizontally at the bottom of the pack works best). Other than the camera, however, you are not getting much else in there. (Maybe a 50mm or other similarly sized lens).

It holds a 17" MacBook Pro, but it is a bit of a squeeze to get it into the zippered slot (though plenty of room once it is in there).

Even with all this gear, it is a comfortable pack. It balances nicely, if not a little high, when worn with both straps. It has waist and chest buckles, but you can wear it comfortably without using them. I have also worn it using one shoulder strap, but find it swings a bit and slides off my shoulder (like most backpacks do for me), so I use the belt buckle sometimes and that works too.

A couple of notes/criticisms:

When you want to pull the shoulder straps tight by the bottom buckles, the straps are very hard to grab if they are all the way at the end of the buckle. To adjust one strap requires using two hands, which is really annoying when you have both straps around your shoulders. Tamrac should have made these loops bigger, like what is (strangely) on the top buckle of the shoulder strap - which most people would seem to use less.

The laptop zipper needs to be a bit wider to make it easy to insert (and more importantly) remove a 17" laptop. Yeah, they can advertise that it holds one, but the inserting/removing is not without a bit of difficulty.

I find the top pocket for general items mediocre from an organizational standpoint. The small removable zippered interior compartment is worthless. It is not really tall enough to hold large filters (i.e., 77mm). It seems like Tamrac found a cheap pen case and used it. The feature this pocket SHOULD have is an ability to expand the lower camera gear portion up into it. Then a 400mm with camera attached would be no problem.

The Adventure 9 does not have a tripod strap. To me, this is a significant forgotten feature (and sort of silly with a pack named "Adventure"). If you buy this backpack, you are planning on going out shooting for a full day. It needs a tripod strap.

Despite these complaints, it is a great backpack. I looked at dozens of backpacks (in person) before deciding on this one. If you can realize that no backpack is going to have every feature you want, this does a really good job (with the limitations noted above) of carrying a computer and camera gear for a full day trip. I'm looking forward to using it on full day trips to Washington DC for the cherry blossoms this spring.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

This is a good backpack. I like the adjustable compartments, and that there are slots for memory cards. I like that I can get to my lap top or to the top compartment without disturbing my, and it gives me peace of mind that the backpack is weather resistant.

My only wish would be to have a mesh pocket on the top compartment, and side access to the camera would be nice, so I wouldn't have to remove the entire backpack to take out the camera. But, between this backpack and the Aero Speed backpack with side access, I like that this pack has sternum and waist straps, which make it more comfortable to carry when walking/hiking long distances.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Great for carrying all my camera gear. Could have a bit bigger middle pouch, but overall its great! I'd recommend it to anyone.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

The day of traveling light is upon us... Airlines are charging more and more for second bags and if you fly alot you need a tote that holds all your stuff and more. I hope to get a lot of miles out of my new Adventure backpack and limit the amount of luggage I need to carry. With this backpack I can carry an assortment of camera gear, a 17" laptop, a tripod, water bottle and a change of cloths and light raingear and more all in one carry on bag. Having water proof zippers allows me to take this pack out into the weather and onboard my boat so I will always have my gear with me where ever my travels take me. I live and work in northern Alaska where roads are as scarce as warm days so flying is the norm. Protecting my gear is a essential and I feel this adventure backpack will do well on board a plane as well on my 4X4 or snowmachine in Alaska's wild terrane...

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

The bag is nice and supplies a very nice area with great protection for the camera & laptop though the storage area on top will only hold a light weight jacket and that's about it.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I can travel with all my stuff

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

It fits my camera equipment, laptop and misc stuff and is easy to carry.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Actually, I hate photo backpacks. However this one is different. Holds a lot of gear (D700 and 5 lenses)
plus very roomy storage for other stuff. Nice weather protection. A couple cons, says will fit a 17" laptop? I can stuff my dell inspiron in there, but it is TIGHT. Too tight, I don't use it. Also, I think it could a few outside gadget pockets.
All in all, it has become my favorite travel bag. Going on a trip soon, and will also carry my D300 and 10-24 lens in top section with room to spare. It is heavy but I am a strong lad....

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

Excellent, A recommended buy!!. The name ADVENTURE 9 Backpack, is the correct name for this product. As soon as I got the gear, I was off on a job the very same day and RAIN!!!. It was crazy, we are in the middle of a potential Hurricane. And it has been raining, and the fact that the bag was comfortable and WATERPROOF, made the already hectic day a little easier. I love it love it ...it is a worthwhile investment. ORDER NOW!!!

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I ordered this pack along with the new Aero8 side accessible to compare since I couldnt make up my mind. A combo of the two would be perfect. Top half seems to be the same. Ultimately the difference came down to the chest strap and hip-belt straps available on the Adventure 9. The Aero 8 side access was cool but I like the extra straps for hiking. Perhaps these are too much with the side-access which allows to swing around. Gear wise, the Adv 9 seems to orient gear up/down, vs the Aero which orients sideways (to allow access from the side door).
Only missing feature would be a nice build-in rain cover like the LowePro but that can be bought seperate cheap enough. Many comment on the lack of tripod straps but that can be added below it too. Top is ok for lunch and light rain jacket and any extra items but not tooo much. Lap top compartment makes for good storage for books/sketch pad if you dont carry a loptop. Shirts too! Stuff socks in the extra lens compartment and you can travel real light!!

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

I do a lot of outdoor photography/videography and I decided to purchase this bag for my new camera. I had a shoot this past week and it rained pretty good so this was my first field test with the bag and it did it's job very well.
It kept everything inside safe and dry.

The only problem I've had with it is that it's a tight fit for my 17" macbook pro and it can be tough at times to get it in and out of the bag. But since it allows me to carry both my camera and my laptop it's only a minor annoyance. This bag is well worth the money.

Comments about Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 Backpack (Gray/Black):

This bag is the perfect compromise between too big and too small. I have the Tamrac Aero Speed Pack 75 which is great for day trips in a city but a little too small for long trips or if you need to carry a large lense. I also have a Tamrac Adventure 10 which was just way too big!

The Tamrac Adventure 9 is the perfect compromise. Expected sturdy, Tamrac construction. Plenty of room inside for all the gear you will need and enough room up top for lunch or weather protection.

Waist strap and chest strap make an all day hike up a mountain comfortable. I really like the double mesh pockets on both sides perfect for water bottles of all sizes. I never used the side door on the Aero speed pack.

Very comfortable if worn all day, but not too big that it is cumbersome. I would change only one thing on this bag. I would remove the pop off pocket in the top compartment and replace it with the mesh pockets from the top compartment of the Aero 75.

This will be the bag I use 90 percent of the time now.