Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II Backpack

Comments about Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II Backpack:

I bought this bag, from B&H, in mid 2005. It was on board coming to the Philippines. It contained a Nikon F100, Mamiya 7II, Contax G2, six lenses, a large exposure meter, a few accessories, and an electric shaver. I have also used it a few times as a general camera bag, because I had this bag only.

This past February, my wife and I flew to Thailand. The Contax stayed behind, But the bag was similarly weighted. I wore it for three days.
It required two days of adjusting, and readjusting the "fit" to make it comfortable. It has a lot of adjustments for a custom fit. When correctly adjusted, to the individual, it is comfortable, fully loaded, walkin and standing for long periods of time.

I have since dedicated, this camera bag, to my Mamiya RB 67proSD with 120 film holder attached. Plus the left hand grip, intstant film holder, 140 macro lens, long extension tube, other needed accessories and ample space for a second lens. Which I have ordered from B&H. A 210mm F4.5 APO. And my wife doesn't know it yet.

Comments about Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II Backpack:

To be honest, I could use the larger size of the Pro Trekker or Photo Trekker, but I make this one work. It holds a D300 with grip attached to a 70-200mm VR and 1.4TC. Beside the main camera is an 85mm f/1.4, a 18-70mm, 105mm VR, 50mm 1.8, 5 singh-ray (Cokin P) filters, an SB600 flash, two Cokin-P holders and a zipper case with memory cards. In zipper pockets are various covers and smaller misc. items. On the outside, large pocket on the front of the pack is a rocket blower, charger, batteries and flash accessories.

As you can 'see', it holds a lot of gear. However, if I add a new lens (200-400mm VR) I will have to relegate my 70-200mm to a side lens case attached to the pack. (Which attaches easily.)

It's also easy to strap my tripod to the sides or front of the pack with the permanent bungee cords.

Highly adjustable with plenty of padding.

The pack is very comfortable, and this coming from a guy who has done a lot of hiking with a large pack (typically 50lbs of gear). The shoulder harness is fully adjustable, which is a very nice touch and something lacking on many camera backpacks.

The downsides: The waist belt is not removable, which makes it a little more complicated to store and put in an overhead bin on a plane. There is only one large pocket on the outside, and it would be nice if there were a few smaller pockets for storage on the outside instead of just one large one. (It would be easier to organize.)

This pack is heavier than some simply due to the great padding. I'd rather have the extra weight than less padding, especially on longer hikes on rough terrain.

All in all a great pack and a recommended purchase.

Note: This pack will just fit a Nikon D300 body attached to a 200-400mm VR lens, which is why I purchased this model.

Between this and offerings by Tenba and Tamrac, you can't go wrong. I simply prefer the overall design and construction of the Lowepro.

Think Tank gear is great, but not as comfortable on the long haul on the trail. This pack is made for real hiking to remote locations.

Comments about Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II Backpack:

I have been using a Lowepro Mini Trekker for several years and I like it a lot. However as the amount of my equipment has expanded, I have been looking around for a bigger bag to transport my gear from place to place.

The bigger size of this bag attracted me, but when I received it, I found that it was not what I was looking for. It's extremely well made and sturdy, but it is too heavy and complicated for me. I didn't like the heavy weight of the bag, the heavy, unattachable waist belt and the numerous straps and other adjustable features.

However, having said that, these feature might be attractive to a photographer heading into the wilderness with all his gear. It seems like a good bag for such a person, but not for someone like me who just wants to simply move his gear from point A to point B (whether locally or travelling by plane).

I wound up by returning the bag and I chose a Think Tank backpack instead.

Comments about Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II Backpack:

This bag holds the D300 with a battery grip, additional lens and flash unit.

Comments about Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II Backpack:

This bag fits my needs as a hobby outdoor photographer perfectly

Comments about Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II Backpack:

This is a very well designed backpack. It is heavier than one would think. It is nice because it is very durable and protects your equipment well. The zippers are well sealed and rain will have a hard time getting to your equipment through the zippers.

I think this would be a perfect bag for someone that would be staying out in the wild for a while and will be doing backpacking as well. I plan on ordering the smaller mini trekker aw.

With that bei9ng said, it is a great bag!