Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I recently tested the backpack in the Idaho Wilderness. The camera eqpt was well protected and accessible. The bag was very comfortable and fit well on my back. The built in raincover worked well. The way the rain cover is stored in the pack is somewhat inconvenient to access the laptop storage area. That would be the only thing I would improve upon. The top storage area has zippered pockets to put your valuables in and store some of your smaller items. I have gone through alot of daypacks over the years because of both hard use and misuse. This pack is the best that I have used.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

Well equiped.
A bit heavy.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I wanted a photo backpack that combined real backpack carrying comfort with safe & convenient gear compartments. This pack looks as if it's comfortable to carry, but the photo gear compartment is clumsy and suitable only for a camera .a couple of large lenses. It wouldn't work for my collection of smaller lenses and flash. I . sent it back.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I go through photo bags like crazy. I don't wear them out, but I am always in search for the perfect bag for air travel, car rides, walking the city and walking the trails. Some bags are not padded enough for over-head compartments, some are too bulky or don't sit right. This bag seems to be the ideal for 95%+ of scenarios, I like the fit, the comfort, the pockets, and the space for all of my stuff.

Ideally, the waist belt thing would be removable, but you can kind of tuck it into the pack if you're not looking for that type of support at the moment.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

the right size to accommodate comfortably Housing & Accessories

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I loaded this pack with my canon 7d with 70-200 2.0 lens with no problem. I still had room for an 18-135 and a 2x extender. The pack is very comfortable. Walked around the bronx zoo for 6 hours wearing the pack, never felt heavy.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I was looking for a camera backpack that can carry tons of gear, and this one does it all nicely. By lots of gear, I mean not only camera gear but anything non-photography related. It is well constructed and seems bulletproof so far...

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

Living in Montana we spend many days in the field and having a solid pack with camera protection qualities is paramount. One of my more precarious uses comes with shooting skiers on powder days. I would have liked this pack to have offered a seperate and easily accesible side zipper to pull out a lensed camera body without exposing the complete compartment to snow. If I were to have designed the pack the zipper it would have been on a horizontal plane rather than the diagnol one on which its constructed. The problem arises when the top compartment is loaded with gear it makes it more difficult to zip. It may sound like a lot of cons but I'm really happy with the pack overall and I believe over the life of the pack it will serve me well.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I got this pack to carry my DSLR kit as well as some other gear for work and on hikes. I wanted something that would protect my gear and be comfortable to carry. I'm very impressed with this pack. Mountainsmith makes great, bomb-proof gear and this pack is no exception! The built-in rain cover came in handy when it rained and snowed at the same time! Kept my camera and lenses safe and dry.

Highly recommended.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

When this bag arrived I thought, "Wow! This is much bigger than I thought it was going to be!" [...] I really felt it was going to be far too heavy when loaded with gear etc..., not to mention bulky, for me to carry around. For the record, I am a 5'4" female.I wore this backpack for a good six hours with no problem. In fact, I actually forgot I was wearing it at one point, that is how comfortable it is. I love that it has plenty of room for gear, as well as room for any additional items I may want to carry. The only thing missing is a place to carry a water bottle. That's no big deal, I'll just get something and attach it to the backpack in order to carry water.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

Well made, nice features,flexible inconvenient accessing photo gear.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

It is my 1st backpack and this is what I want. I bought it for traveling and skiing. The quality is top. The optics is protected very good, it has a lot of different size pockets and has enough space for other stuff. So it is very good for short travels when you want take all your optics and some clothes.
The one bad thing is that my backpack came with curved frame. So if You buy this backpack check for it 1st.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I took forever in shopping for this. I had a Kata for several years, and they make great bags, but it wasn't quite big enough and didn't have a good tripod carrying setup. I'm very happy with this bag, esp. for the money. Very well made, plenty large (in fact any bigger would be too big), very configurable, and comfortable. One thing small thing I like is that the laptop sleeve has two sections, which is great for keeping paperwork separate from the laptop. Be aware, the details of this bag's design have changed over time, so make sure you look at pics for a current version. There is at least one very detailed overview on Flickr of an older version with a different layout, ie side zipper for laptop (current is top zipper).

I've only had the bag for a couple of weeks, so it hasn't been through all the paces, but so far no negatives. One cool thing the Kata's have that would be nice, esp. since the bag is black, is a reversible rain cover with reflective coating on the inside for hot sun.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I purchased this backpack for a trip to the Caribbean for my 10th Anniversary. I carried it everywere I went and it held everything I needed it to. I kept a Canon Rebel XTi with 18-270 lens, 2 pair of binos, ipod,, HP dv7 laptop, snacks and a change of clothes in it. Although it was heavy, I attribute that to the gear I carried, not the bag itself. For quick access I folded the waist harness away in its storage area. This bag was very comfortable, fit under the seat of all 4 aircraft I flew in and held all the gear I aked it to. For the avid photographer who likes to travel, this bag is perfect. I am 6'1" and adjusting the straps to my frame was simple. My only wish is that the camera compartment had side access rather than fold out access because it is sometimes a pain to open and close it.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I purchased this pack the day before I was to leave for a videography gig, on a bus, in a snowstorm. Long lines and crowded buses were no problem as I had all of my gear and supplies in one, well protected bag. This bag is highly customizable and I would say optimal for the run and gun type. My rig includes a camera with up to five lenses, a monopod, a field recorder, laptop and peripherals. There's a place for everything and the little bumps and nudges associated with travel and hectic behind the scenes shooting aren't a problem. Equally at home back stage at a large concert (where I debuted it), on the streets of a bustling metropolis or on the trail in any season. Comfortable, stable and solid feeling with plenty of weather fighting features. Again, most of my gear was purchased with the emphasis on portable, so if you find that you have larger items like huge zooms or a full sized video style camera you might find it a bit cramped.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I use this backpack for long day hikes. It has plenty of room and fits all my camera gear as well as all my important hiking gear with space left over. It has plenty of adjustable straps that makes it easy to adjust for comfort and as well as for another hiker (spouse) who might want to share the load.

I was surprised by the sturdy construction and by the weight - a bit heavy. However, I'll use that to my advantage by getting a bit more of a work out.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

My one slightly negative comment, thus the 4 stars and not 5, is that the backpack harness is a little small. I am an averate 5'10", 170 pound man, and while the harness fits, it could be a little taller. Other than this, the bag is excellent for camera equipment and a laptop with plenty of room for other goodies. What isn't listed on the product description is that the compartmentalized camera padding in the lower half of the bag is removable (installed with velcro) so if you want to use the bag for a weekend hiking trip you can stuff a sleeping bag in. A very versatile bag with just the right amount of pockets and extras.

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

This is by far one of the best camera bags I've owned. I am a little concerned once I start adding gear to the bag but then I realized that its set up for versatility and modification. If you're wiling to problem solve how to fit your equipment into a conveniently sized bag then this is the bag for you. I'm not saying that it doesn't meet my expectations, it meets them in a way that I hadn't anticipated that all the tools and pieces are there for you to create your own camera work flow that works for you by modifying to your own liking within adequate parameters. Plus it's comfortable. Did I mention it's modifiable?

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

Great photo back pack! Might be a little too small for persons larger than 190 cm...

Comments about Mountainsmith Borealis AT Backpack:

I can carry everything I need and more...