peak design travel 30l review

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2024 peak design 30l travel backpack review [unbiased].

I’ve travelled a lot, both domestically and internationally, and have tried my fair share of travel backpacks.

If you’re also a travel and photography enthusiast, you may have heard of Peak Design and their ever-innovative bags.

Although known for their awesome camera bags, their Travel Backpack is no less amazing!

I’m excited to say that I’ve tested this bag out and (spoiler alert) absolutely loved it.

Today, I’ll talk about my honest review of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L .

This includes the pros and cons, as well as the main features I love about it.

A versatile expandable backpack for everyday use and travel.

Rating: 9/10

Let's go!

Travellerspoint

PEAK DESIGN YOUTUBE REVIEW

Who exactly are PEAK DESIGN?

Peak Design’s origins date back to 2010 on Kickstarter and have made waves since then.

From everyday and travel bags to camera accessories and various organisers, Peak Design’s products are functional and innovative while still appearing beautiful.

They’re fully carbon neutral and donate 1% of their revenue to environmental nonprofits, which I think is always reflective of a company’s values!

Where can you buy the Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack?

The best place to buy the 30L Travel Backpack by Peak Design is through their website .

For US addresses, you can get free and fast shipping on orders above $99.

Meanwhile, shipping outside of the US is just as fast and at an affordable rate.

Their website is also a great place to look for discounts, sales, and coupons !

One benefit of buying Peak Design’s bags is its lifetime warranty , which includes manufacturing defects and breakages that cause part/all of the product to be non-functional.

Quick overview: Technical Specifications

Price: $229.95
Weight: 1.44kg (3.17lbs)
Dimensions: 20.9" x 13.4" x 7" (expandable to 20.9" x 13.4" x 7.9")
Material: 100% recycled 400D nylon canvas external shell, 900D waterproof bottom liner, UltraZips with abrasion-resistant UHMPE thread, etc.
Color Options: Black, sage, midnight
Warranty & Guarantee: Lifetime Warranty with conditions
Capacity: 27L (expandable to 33L)

Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack review

Before even testing this bag, I fell in love with its materials and style. It is simple and does not lose its shape; the rugged shape provides a premium feel that brings you comfort in knowing that your belongings are completely safe inside.

Note that Peak Design also has a gorgeous Everyday Backpack that’s geared more towards carrying a camera!

How well-made is the Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L?

So, let’s discuss the materials…

This Peak Design bag is made from weatherproof, 100% recycled 400D nylon canvas shell with DWR coating, rugged 900D waterproof bottom liner, and ultralight padded foam that surrounds the bag.

We have got Zoom zippers engraved with the Peak Design logo instead of the usual YKK zippers.

What I love is how the bag doesn’t lose its shape when you zip it open. It curves with the bag instead, making it easy to look inside and organise your stuff.

There’s Hypalon throughout the bag for reinforced stress points. This ensures the durability of the bag.

How comfortable is the Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L?

Though there’s not much padding on the back, it’s still highly comfortable overall.

I like the adjustable and padded shoulder straps, which feel solid and don’t really cut into your shoulders.

Plus, this bag comes equipped with axial strap attachments and a stowable sternum strap.

The sternum strap is aluminum and more high-end compared to the basic kind of buckle clips you get.

Not to mention the 360-degree grab handles, so you can carry the bag from whichever angle and position that’s most comfortable.

What makes the 30L Peak Design bag a great travel backpack?

1. great capacity and expandable.

The bag itself is 30L but it can compress to 27 Litres.

You can also expand it out which would bring it to 33 L..

I love the fact that the expansion here isn’t overly done.

In terms of comparing to the Knack bags , they have a bigger expansion, which is great but there was no in-between mark like you have here.

You can fit up to 3 Peak Design packing cubes very comfortably inside.

2. Clam opening

I think a clam opening is key for this type of all-in-one travel backpack.

Packing is an absolute breeze, especially when you’re using it for travelling and need to be super organised.

I love that you can easily find what you need without rummaging through the other content and making a mess of everything.

3. Organisation pockets are JUST RIGHT

I’m not a fan of overly built-in organisation pockets. They can be great, but I also prefer the freedom of storing my belongings where I want instead of in some ridiculously specific compartments.

BUT I can appreciate pockets when I want to.

This bag doesn't overwhelm you with that and allows you to organise the bag as you please while giving subtle directions in where you can place things. Especially if you want to use your own packing cubes.

Bonus point, Peak Design actually made the bag to fit camera cubes that you can get, essentially turning it into a camera bag! The very front pocket also has built in slots for your memory cards.

Peak Design Backpack Memory Card Pockets

The very front pocket on top of the bag has space for extra stuff you need quicker access to.

There’s a side pocket for ID, although I’m not a fan because someone could easily steal from there.

Finally, here’s a drainage hole where your water bottle might be. It fits my 500ml water bottle well!

4. Padded laptop and tablet sleeves

The 15-inch laptop compartment has padded sleeves, which is something I appreciate in terms of keeping my laptop safe. It’s pinned down with a velcro strap.

The bag is suspended from the bottom. So, should you drop your bag accidentally, your laptop and other belongings will be protected.

Inside the laptop compartment, there’s another pocket for your tablet or notepads.

5. Multiple grab handles

There is a hidden hip strap at the back, which makes it not only comfortable for wearing but also handy for placing under the seat in front of you or overhead on a flight.

There are plenty of handles to switch it up with whatever style or mode you wanna put it into.

For example, the back handle allows you to place it over a suitcase. On this note, the fact that the suitcase strap is horizontal makes it a bit of a hassle to get things out when the bag is on top of the suitcase, but this isn’t a big deal.

There are also loops on the exterior for you to hang things like your travel pillow or shoes. Talk about being designed for travel!

6. Simple and classy design

I always love a travel bag that’s not too flashy or touristy, as it lets you blend in with the locals.

Peak Design creates sleek functional practical bags that are undeniably reliable but also not in-your-face in terms of branding and design.

On that account, the 30L Travel Backpack comes in two other colours (sage and midnight) with the brown tag at the top.

I have the black color, which doesn’t has the brown tag. I know I was saying I don’t want it obvious, but I would’ve loved the same tag just to set it apart from other generic brands, albeit subtly.

Who should get the Travel Backpack 30L?

All in all, this backpack is pretty versatile and multi-purpose, so anyone could benefit from it.

Whether you’re an avid traveller, amateur photographer, or just someone who needs a reliable backpack for your everyday errands, this might be what you’re looking for.

In terms of pricing, it may not be the cheapest option, but I do think it’s a worthwhile investment as the build is strong and rugged.

If you’re like me and like to hit the gym, this is also a great bag where you can hang your barbell pad!

Peak Design Travel Backpack, 30L VS 45L

Should you get the 30L or 45L version?

Here’s how the 30L backpack compares to its larger counterpart:

Simplified access: a single rear zip vs side and front access on the 45L
Larger top pocket: internal stretch and zip pockets (45L has a smaller, undivided pocket)
No hip belt: 45L has a built-in hip belt , while the accessory is optional for the 30L version
Less camera-oriented : the 30L can fit PD Camera Cubes when expanded, but I’d recommend the 45L for heavier cameras
No removable internal divider

Cons of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L

My minor complaint is that the front material attracts hair and dust quite easily. My hair sometimes sticks to the bag!

The water bottle compartment could do with more room.

I feel like it could do with a bit more anti-theft features, considering it’s mainly intended for travel. Yes, you can loop your zippers and click it around, but I’ve seen better security design for a front pocket and side ID pocket.

While the attachment for a hip strap is cool, it would have been cool to include it with the purchase like with the 45L version!

Another main drawback for me is that the waterproof claim… is up for debate.

Whilst water flows off easily, nylon is water resistant but not fully waterproof, so this is something to keep in mind.

Although, I’ve personally tested this and found that although the material soaks up a little bit of water, it doesn’t really affect the interior as most of the water runs off.

So, while your valuable will be protected as all the pockets are inside underneath this waterproof material, my thing is that nylon does hold moisture, so I’m not sure how that would affect the front part of the bag over time…

Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack: Performance over time

Here are my impressions in bullet points after using it for the first time vs two weeks.

Very strong
Sibling to the well known 45L from Peak Design
I love the clamshell opening, making it adaptable and diverse
Expands to 33 L and compresses to 27L
No padding on the back but comfort level is high

After 2 weeks:

Still feels strong
Makes for a great all-in-one bag designed for any adventure, from gym and work to travel and more
When packing, I don’t really use the mesh pockets in the clam shell opening as they bulk out the bag more than intended. It’s better to use packing cubes (check out Peak Design’s here! ) or organise it yourself as it fits more
Shape and structure remain even when empty
The straps can be tucked away, which is nice when putting under the seat in front of you on a flight to avoid damage

6 Month Review:

Remains to be a great travel backpack for those wanting a strong reliable backpack
Only having one top loading pocket at the top can become limited for space and find myself wanting more space and organisation
condition remains amazing, made up with great reliable, durable materials

6 month performance review of the Peak Design 30L Travel backpack

Overall verdict: Are Peak Design bags worth buying?

If you need a quick answer to this question, you’re at the right part.

Should you buy the Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L?

peak design travel backpack 30 litres review

My answer is yes!

As a bonus point, this backpack is also sustainable: it’s fair trade certified and 100% carbon neutral.

What else does Peak Design sell?

Peak Design is also popular for their other products and bag accesories.

Everyday Messenger

This messenger-style bag is more than meets the eye! It’s designed with renowned photographer to organise your camera, drone, and other gear.

It can of course be used for everyday use, with sleeves for a 13-inch laptop, tablet, and plenty of internal pockets.

Everyday Toteback

A tote bag and backpack in one, this is the perfect on-the-go bag if you want something more stylish (I love the bone color).

It comes with weatherproof zip, dual access points, multiple pockets, and even FlexFold internal dividers for better organisation.

Everyday Sling

This is the smallest bag in Peak Design’s Everyday Line. With 3L up to 10L size options, you can still fit up to a pro DSLR and small laptop in this bag!

It’s also fit for hiking and biking, thanks to the weatherproof shell and quick-adjust straps.

That’s all for my in-depth review of the Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack.

Don't forget that you can get your bag here.

Check out these other gear reviews:

Stubble & Co The Roll Top Backpack
DRiiBE CITYC Laptop 2 In 1 Travel Backpack
Matein Travel Laptop Backpack

Let us know what you think.

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An Obsessive Peak Design Travel Backpack Review: A 30L backpack, perfect for daily life, travel, and more

Finding a single backpack perfect for “one bag” travel but still solidly suited to be an everyday bag is a tough task. Few travel bags have the storage space, organization, zippered pockets, comfy yet stowable harness system, and other perks that make a good travel bag – while still being small and manageable enough to use as an everyday backpack. The 30L Peak Design Travel Backpack is the exception to the rule – a great bag equally suited to travel as it is to everyday carry.

In my experience I’ve discovered that Peak Design’s everyday carry travel bag is meticulously designed to be your single travel backpack for adventurous wandering, yet suited to be the bag you take out every day, wandering cities, bouncing between coffee shops and coworking spaces, and taking full advantage of the opportunity to travel and wander. On those weekend jumps between cities this backpack is an easy carry on travel backpack

Peak Designs smaller more manageable travel pack expands to 30L to fit enough for weeks of travel, and contracts back to 27L to be used as a perfectly daily carry backpack with enough room to store everything you need for the day.

Over the past few months, I’ve toted this obsessively designed 30L travel bag on week long adventures exploring the best that Indonesia has to offer, by motorbike, with everything I need tucked in this bag and strapped to my bike.

In between, I’ve used the pack for long days of working at coworking spaces, exploring hill country by motorbike, squeezing in a workout, and ending with a sunset dip in the ocean, carrying everything I need for the day of work and impromptu adventure.

The verdict : for minimalist travelers, especially those with tech they need to protect (laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) from rain and the elements, Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack is a great, comfortable, wandering friendly everyday pack…and it just might be the bag for you.

Read on to discover what makes this pack such an awesome travel bag option in this obsessive Peak Design Everyday Backpack review.

This article contains affiliate links

Contents of this Peak Design Travel Backpack Review

Quick Review

Pros of the Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack

Cons of the peak design travel backpack.

Best Use of the Peak Design Everyday Backpack

Quick Rating of the Peak Design Travel Backpack

Quick verdict, full review of the peak design travel backpack, my experience with the 30l peak design travel backpack, function by function review of the peak design 30l travel backpack.

Appearance and Aesthetics
Comfort and Carry

Materials and Build

Dimensions, weight, & specifications.

Carry-On Compliance
Storage and Organization

Packing and Accessibility

Durability & testing.

Price, Value for Money, and Discounts
Final Verdict
Comfy shoulder straps, with solid webbing wrapped in cushion, quickly and conveniently stowable
Sturdy build – great stitching, solid shoulder straps, heavy duty premium weatherproof exterior zippers
Great, durable, weather-resistant materials
Grab handles in very convenient places
Tons of zippered mesh pockets inside make keeping organized easy, whether for long term travel or everyday use
Lashing loops and strap points at all corners of the bag make it strap extras to the outside of the bag (rain jackets, camera tripods) via “access axial strap attachments” or strap the bag to a bicycle or motorbike.
Looks great
Clearly meticulously designed with amazingly stylish accents, and tough features (rivets, reinforcements, and heavy duty steel/webbing in the right places)
Clean, efficient design makes for minimal dangling straps
Dedicated laptop compartment easily accessed via back panel
Rear opening back panel design makes packing for day use and accessing items difficult, compared to how items are normally packed in a backpack and takes some getting used to ( Click here to read more )
I wish there was a better divider between the laptop and packed goods (for protection) ( Click here to read more )

Neutral points to know about the (30L) Peak Design Travel Backpack

This travel backpack seems like an expensive backpack, however, when you account for the high quality materials, great design and craftsmanship, and versatile use, this is a “buy it for life” purchase that delivers function and value commensurate with its pricetag

Best Use of the Peak Design Everyday Backpack: Perfect for Long Term Nomadic Travel (as a weekend bag and daily carry), Paired with The Peak Design Duffel

The Everyday Backpack, the smaller sibling to the 45L Peak Design Travel bag, is packed with all the features you need fro “quick travels” and fits a perfect middle ground that makes it perfect for travel and trips that you pack lightly for – such as weekend trips, or climates where you can pack light – and used as an everyday carry backpack, for work, wandering, and adventure.

This middle ground pack is perfect for the needs of digital nomads that often base in a single big city for months on end, such as Tulum, Chiang Mai, or Lisbon, and take smaller trips for a weekend or a week to nearby locales to make the most of their location independence.

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack is just as perfect for daily use, as a nomad working in co-working spaces and coffee shops, as those leisurely trips out of town.

However, for long term travelers, especially those carrying laptops, tech, and the clothes to thrive in any city or climate, a single everyday backpack 30L big won’t be sufficient for carrying the gear necessary for months, or years of comfortable travel. So, for long term, nomadic travelers, basing in a single city with adventurous trips on the side, I recommend pairing the Peak Design Travel Duffel * with the Peak Design Everyday Backpack for a perfect travel setup .

In reality, most nomadic travelers tote a lot of gear (understandably) that they only move every few weeks or months, making a duffle bag a great option for the other bag to bring for carrying most gear for those bigger moves as checked luggage, to a new base. In between those big moves, for shorter travel and daily life, a solid, versatile bag for daily carry and weekend travel bag is more essential than you think.

So, Consider grabbing the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L size and the Peak Design Travel Duffel (65L size) for a perfect long term travel setup

Highlight Features of the Peak Design Travel Backpack

Premium materials throughout
Ultra clean aesthetics
400 denier Durable Water Resistant coating treated outer keep water out
Large, weather shielded zippers, keep water out
Stowaway Shoulder Straps
Quick access tech pouch (up top, in front)
Rear access design and wrap around zip back panel – great for security
HUGE main bag compartment lined with zippered mesh pockets to keep everyday gear organized
Dual expansion zips, add 10L of capacity expanding the bag from 35L to 45L
Tough, sturdy grab handles on top, bottom, sides, and back
Zippered internal pockets line the interior of the main compartment
Built with weather resistant, durable materials and solid quality construction
Secure zippers all around the backpack with weatherproof seams
Tons of zipper pockets to stay organized
Collapsible side pockets and water bottle sleeves accommodate a standard Kleen Kanteen or slim water bottle
Quick access top pocket, with tons of organization for pens, cards, cash, glasses, phones, etc.
Lots of hidden pockets for valuables (passport, credit, cards, lots of cash )
Stow away external straps that lash in an “X” pattern across the front of the bag, so you can carry more and lash more essentials (camera tripod, rain jacket) to the outside of your bag adds huge external carry capacity
Integrated luggage carry makes the everyday backpack suited to pair with roller carry on luggage, or a duffle bag *
Protected laptop pocket styled as a padded laptop sleeve

Materials and Craftsmanship Highlights

Weatherproof 400 denier nylon canvas outer made from recycled plastics – for water resistance, abrasion resistance, and durability, protecting your valuables from weather and making a bag that will last for years
Huge, tough zippers have weather covers , to protect your goods and your tech from rain and moisture
Fair trade certified
100% carbon neutral
Guaranteed for life by Peak Design

Who Is the Peak Design Everday Backpack For?

From my months of use, I can definitely say the Everyday Backpack is suited very well for a few types of users

Daily commuters and wanders with plenty of gear: Ample size, great organization, and comfortable wear making it great for carrying a day’s worth of goods for work, gym, and leisure without returning home
Weekend travelers, or lightly packed week-long trips: The 30L is a perfect short travel bag or a week+ if packing for a single climat, and paired with packing cubes * can quickly be emptied to use as a daypack
Digital Nomads: A quickly accessible laptop compartment, durable yet comfy shoulder straps to handle the weight, and storage for all of the techy accessories make this a great everyday carry bag specifically for digital nomads
Photographers as a camera bag: The comfort, weatherproof design, and Peak Design’s modular camera storage make the Everyday Backpack a solid camera bag for keeping photography gear safe and comfortably carried

Overall Rating: 4.6/5

Design: 4.5/5 – The inconvenience of a rear opening pack for daily carry gives a slight “ding” to the score
Durability: 5/5 – Durable materials and high quality build throughout
Style: 5/5 – Clean, minimalist, and sleek design elements add up to a very stylish bag
Comfort: 4.5/5 – Though the Peak Design has a durable build, the tough straps may not have enough padding for some people
Value: 4.5/5 – The great function you get and the fact that it will last for years make this bag a great value – but the initial purchase may still sting a little…but it’ll be worth it

Peak Design Everyday Backpack is an excellent, durable, and stylish expression of what it aims to be – a clean organized everyday pack that’s got enough room and organization for travels for a weekend, or a week+ for minimalist packers. Though the pricetag is steep, the materials, craftsmanship, function, and expected durability make it a bag you will use, often, and for life, making it a great investment for travelers, commuters, and nomads.

Digital nomads, on the road for months or years, and basing out of a single location for months with short trips throughout, consider pairing this 30L travel backpack with the 65L Peak Design Travel Duffel for enough space to contain your entire life and still travel easily, and the functionality you need in a daily carry and weekender backpack

Peak Design Travel Backpack Review Peak Design Everyday Backpack

I’m lucky enough to live my life as a full time traveler and digital nomad based in Bali, Indonesia, and every aspect of my life – and making the most of it – involves being on the move and staying on the move. Whether I leave at sunrise and get back before midnight after dropping into cafes and working at coworking spaces, or simply exploring the mountains, hills, lakes and surf spots, having a versatile backpack to keep everything I need close is essential.

For the past few months I’ve also been lucky enough to test the 30L Peak Design Travel Backpack as a daily carry when wandering by motorbike, and a weekend adventure bag when exploring new places and islands by boat, plane, and any other way I can find.

Along the way, the Peak Design Travel Backpack has not only met my expectations for a good travel backpack, but exceeded them. Here’s why…

This backpack is meticulously organized.

Every square inch of the inside of this pack is covered with well organized, zippered mesh pockets, and strap points for organization, allowing me to carry not just the “basics” of a laptop, cell phone, tablet, and extra clothes, but pens, paper, well hidden cash, sunglasses, surf trunks, and anything else I obssessivel carry – while keeping it all organized.

The materials and craftsmanship are awesome.

I am not only insanely hard on bags, dropping them from moving bikes, overstuffing them more than their stitching and zippers may like, and I’ve literally broken (the seams and straps) of several bags. At the same time, I’m cheap and a minimalist – once I buy something I don’t like to buy that item again. “Buy it for life” is my policy.

After wearing this bag for hundreds of hours I can feel how every bit of fabric, all of the straps, all of the handles, all of the stress point stitches, and all of the rivets are sturdy, durable, top notch quality, and made to last a lifetime, as evidenced by Peak Design’s Lifetime warranty .

The pack is comfortable enough for all day wear, yet sturdy in design and construction for years of use

Look closely at this backpack an you realize it was actually design with with a sturdy fabric skeleton, with storage attached (with aluminum rivets and heavy stitching) and coated with foam rubber for comfortable. The shoulder straps use the same nylon webbing common in seat belts that is commonly built to withstand 1000’s of pounds of force. The aluminum rivets attaching the shoulder straps to the just as tough backpanel are even stronger.

And the fabric is tough and top notch too, with weatherproof 400 denier nylon all around and the bottom doubled up with 900 denier waterproof fabric.

The foam rubber wrapping of the shoulder straps and backpanel isn’t as soft and comfy as some backpacks, like the super padded shoulder straps on the Tortuga Outbreaker *, but are perfectly fine if you don’t plan on trekking 10 miles with 65 pounds. More importantly to me, the straps can comfortably carry a bag full of weighty tech – laptop, smartphone, tablet, notebooks, etc.

Not only does the backpack feel good and look good, but its tough. Which leads to the next point, the look and design on this backpack is amazing.

Looks good due to great design

I’ve received more than a handful of complements on the look of this backpack, and trust me, that doesn’t happen often. The clean lines, lack of dangling straps, earth toned fabric, and high quality accents (leather branding badges, stamped aluminum hardware) add up to a bag that delivers function with the sleek aesthetic of a speed boat or airplane.

Rear loading main compartment: The only downside for me

I’ve fallen in love with clamshell opening style backpacks, essentially bags that have wrap around zippers that allow the bag to open fully. The GORUCK GR3 and GR2 backpacks were my first backpacks with that feature, and now I insist on wrap around zippers and fold open design with even my daypacks. However, the Peak Design Travel backpack is the first daily carry backpack I’ve tried with a rear opening panel design.

A rear opening design isn’t inherently bad for travel backpacks, but in a daily carry backpack, rear loading takes some getting used to – here’s why…

In good packing, the flat items and heavy items should be closer to your back, allowing the load to sit close to your spine, and avoiding the risk of the heavy things (laptop) crushing the small things (cell phone) while you wear the backpack. This is why good laptop pockets are just behind the backpanel. However, with a rear opening backpack, wherein the back panel flips up, if you pack correctly then whenever you open the pack, you’ll have to dig past the large items, like tablets and notebooks, to get to the smaller items buried underneath.

This is my one complaint about the bag – rear opening panel design just isn’t the best for daily carry backpacks, and quickly accessing smaller items in the bag.

By contrast, whenever I open my GORUCK GR1, which has a front opening clamshell design, smaller items are naturally on top and larger items on bottom, making everything very accessible.

Thanks to the rest of the extremely positive points of the Peak Design Travel backpack – great materials, good craftsmanship, organized storage, great style – opening style mismatch for daily carry isn’t a deal breaker, and I still happily use the backpack daily. I actually have it with me now as I sit at a coffee shop.

Overall for daily life, the 30L Travel Backpack is a win

Thanks to the comfort and organization, the backpack is not only great for travel, but daily life, as I’ve learned firsthand. The added bonus is that it transitions perfectly to being a weekend travel backpack.

For Travel, the 30L Peak Design Travel Backpack holds its own for weekend adventures

On the many impromptu trips I’ve taken, whether I’m cruising on a motorbike, hopping a plane (and taking this carry on), or hopping a quick ferry to another island, this bag is still solid. With the help of a few packing cubes I can fit in everything I need for a trip and stay organized, with enough dedicated space and protection for my all essential laptop.

The Ultimate Nomad Travel Setup is the 65L Peak Design Duffel Bag, Paired with the 30L Travel Backpack

For the crazy people like me out there, that love to “nomad” from place to place for weeks or months and carry more luggage than a good carry on backpack * allows, a great option is admitting you have quite a bit of luggage and taking a duffel bag to transport your who life, and using the 30L travel backpack for those beautiful week long vacation trips away, exercising your location independence, and daily at your cafes and coworking spaces.

The Bottom Line on My Experience with the Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack: A solid, well designed bag, for daily life, weekend adventures, and nomading

Ultimately, I enjoyed using the Peak Design 30L travel backpack, I highly recommend it, and I’ll continue to use it in the future.

Appearance and Aesthetics: Clean design, modern, and sleek

Throughout this pack, Peak Design does achieve peak aesthetics resulting in backpack that looks as good as it performs.

The durable, weather and abrasion resistant fabric has a heathered look that combines a touch of classic styling with the modern look and design that makes up the rest of the bag.

All haul points (handles straps) use nylon webbing which gives toughness and durability but looks thinner and cleaner.

A lack of compression straps and daisy chain webbing, common in other bags, actually improves the look of this bag, making for a more sleek appearance and fewer loose bits to get snagged on random objects while commuting.

Ultimately the style and look of this bag is great – clean, minimalist, and understated in a stylish and great looking way.

The potential pitfalls: Rear opening design and I wish there was a more substantial laptop divider

Though I really love the comfort, storage space, design, and functional minimalism of the Peak Design Travel Backpack, nothing is perfect – and I have 2 points I would love to see improved in the bag.

Rear opening back panel design makes packing for day use and accessing items difficult, compared to how items are normally packed in a backpack

Clamshell opening backpacks, that fully open while lying flat are by far the best for travel, as they allow for quick and easy packing with packing cubes and easy access to everything in the bag while traveling.

All of my preferred daily carry bags (like the GORUCK GR1 , the GORUCK GR2 , and the REI Ruckpack 28 ) are clamshell style opening, however all of these open from the front. This allows you to stack the heavier, flatter, larger items close to your spine for the most stable packing and most comfortable wear.

However the Peak Design Travel Bag is rea opening. This means that if you pack your backpack with the flatter, heavier items (laptop, notebooks, etc.) closer to your spine, when you open your bag the large items will be on top of your smaller items.

This is noticeably inconvenient during the first few uses, if you’re obsessive about your backpacks like I am, as you will have to dig to get to your smaller items. Additionally, most of the great zippered mesh pockets inside the pack line the front panel, meaning you’ll have to dig under everything to get to those pockets.

If you’re obsessive about your packs (like I am) it will take a few uses to get used to. However, I still use the 30L travel backpack daily now and rarely notice this inconvenience anymore.

I wish there was a better divider between the laptop and packed goods (for protection)

Most backpacks with a dedicated laptop sleeve or laptop pocket store the laptop just behind the back panel – such as the GORUCK GR1’s bombroof laptop pocket and the Tortuga Outbreaker’s laptop and tablet pocket . However, both of those bags offer a more substantial bit of protection between your laptop and the goods in your bag.

In the 30L Peak Design Travel Backpack, the laptop sits in its own pocket, which is essentially a sleeve sewn into the main bag compartment. The sleeve does offer a bit of protection – a ~2mm sturdy foam rubber pad – but I would be weary of the protection if I had a hard, oddly shaped object in my main compartment poking the laptop. The laptop sleeve padding is fine for most uses, however, beware if packing oddly shaped, hard objects with corners.

Let me be clear, though I’m not a fan of these two features, they are absolutely not deal breakers and I still really like this bag for daily use and weekender travel

Comfort and Carry: Sturdy yet comfy shoulder straps, and sturdy handles on all sides

Tough, durable, and comfy shoulder straps attached to the bag with lightweight yet tough anodized aluminum make for a bag that can handle heavy loads, is comfortable to carry, and will last a long time.

Each shoulder strap is made from tough, tubular nylon webbing (the stuff used in rock climbing to hold 1000’s of pounds) wrapped in soft, comfortable, and durable foam rubber for a sturdy yet comfortable carry
The shoulder harness system stows away quickly and smartly, rotating at the metal rivet to stash behind the back panel padding, to quickly allow for a suitcase style carry
Adjustable sternum strap, made of the same tough nylon webbing, has the tough and stylish anodized aluminum accents as well

Tough “Drag handles” cleanly line the top, bottom, sides, and back of the bag, allowing for a quick suitcase style carry when needed, and without getting in the way the rest of the time.

Thoughtful nylon “haul points” dot the corners of the exterior of the bag so you can either 1) strap large or quick access items to the outside of the bag, like a tripod or rain jacket or 2) strap the bag to something else, like a motorbike or the top of a duffelbag .

Removable and adjustable straps that easily hook onto and detach from the haul points make it possible to carry wet or extra gear outside of your bag

Outer Cloth: Weatherproof 400 denier nylon canvas treated with two water repellant methods and made from recycled sources
Bottom Cloth: Waterproof 900 denier nylon along bottom of the pack
Straps: Tough nylon webbing
Rivets and hardware: Anodized aluminum rivets and hardware
Stamped anodized aluminum hardware as rivets at shoulder straps, clips on straps, adds style and lots of durability
Weight: 1.44kg (3.17lbs)
Dimensions – Standard: 53cm x 33cm x 18cm (20.9″ x 13″ x 7″)
Dimensions – Expanded: 53cm x 33cm x 20cm (20.9″ x 13″ x 7.9″)
Laptop Pocket: 40cm x 29.5cm x 4cm (15.75″ x 11.6″ x 1.6″) Fits Macbook Pro 16″
Tablert Pocket: 24cm x 19cm x 1.5cm (9.5″ x 7.5″ x 0.6″)

Carry-On Compliance: Fits most international airlines and budget airline carry on restrictions

At 53cm x 33cm x 20cm (20.9″ x 13″ x 7.9″), the Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack is small enough to fit as a carry on for most international airlines, as well as budget airlines like Air Asia (56cm x 36cm x 23cm) and Ryanair (22 in x 16 in x 8 in/55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm)

Meticulous and Clean Storage and Organization: Large open main compartment, lots of internal zip pockets, top pocket, and water bottle side pockets

Large main compartment lined with zippered mesh internal pockets and a laptop sleeve

Internal zippered mesh side pockets
Internal zippered mesh pockets on back panel
Lightly Padded and protected laptop sleeve style laptop pocket
External water bottle side pockets

Top zippered compartment with organized storage for smaller items

Soft zippered stretch pocket – for sunglasses or the like – with MOLLE webbing storage
Soft, small pannel compartment storage to keep smaller items organized

Internal anchor points and included straps allow you to compress gear from inside the backpack to make sure everything stays in place

And a water bottle pocket that fits the slim Klean Kanteens or a smaller water bottle, but don’t expect to fit your wide mouth Nalgene here.

The full wrap around zip backpanel opens to reveal zippered mesh pockets on every square inch of the inside of this bag and the padded laptop and tablet sleeve.

The wrap around compression zip easily unzips to increase storage by 3L

The front, zippered kangaroo pouch pocket has even more meticulous storage to keep small frequent use items accessible – like sunglasses, wallet keys, pens, cash, etc.

**Hidden within the front panel is a nifty storage spot for shoes or flip flops

Any trip worth taking requires flip flops or solid travel ready sandals, and shoes, which means you’ll need a space to carry the pair you’re not wearing. This cool storage spot allows for that storage while maintaining the small overall footprint.

Its been a few months and the feel of this bag is super durable and rugged.

There hasn’t been a single loose stitch or popped thread.

The straps and and shoulder harness show zero stretch, and the rivets that hold the shoulder straps to the main bag show zero weakness. Even under heavy daily loads (30lbs+).

The water resistant, weatherproof fabric and water protected zippers have performed well, protecting my laptop and documents in the surprise rainstorms that happen in Bali often while I’m exposed on my motorbike.

I’ve tested tens of bags and broken more than a handful, so I can tell a bag with a limited life very easily from a tough built, sturdy, buy it for life bag. From my experience, the Peak Design Travel Bag is a tough bag that, even with heavy, hard use will last a long time, longer than I expect from most backpacks.

Price, Value for Money, and Discounts: Not cheap, but a good value

At ~$230, the Peak Design Travel Backpack seems like its not cheap…but buy cheap, buy twice. If you look at this bag as a daily carry and travel bag (when paired with a good duffle for extra space*) that has a lifetime warranty and expected to last for life, you won’t need another bag, making this bag worth the money.

This travel backpack isn’t cheap, but it is a great value

Peak Design offers discounts to military, first responders, hospital workers, and students, via its discounts page. Visit the Peak Design discount page to learn more

Peak Design Lifetime Guarantee: What Kind of Warranty Does Peak Design Offer?

Peak Design warranties all of its bags with a “no rhetoric, lifetime guarantee.” Straight from Peak Design: “If any part of your Peak Design product* becomes non-functioning or defective, we will repair or replace it with a fully-functioning item in the same or better condition”

Click here to see full details of the Peak Design no hassle warranty

Shipping: Does Peak Design Ship their Bags Internationally?

Peak Design delivers globally for very cheap. Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia, and more.

Click here to learn more about the Peak Design shipping policy

FINAL VERDICT

After months of testing, hundreds of days of use, and hours upon hours of wear, I can confidently say the Peak Design Travel Backpack is a comfortable, tough, and functional daily use, commuter, and travel backpack that I highly recommend.

Travelers will not be disappointed.

Nomads, I highly recommend pairing the 30L or 45L Peak Design Travel Backpack with 65L Peak Design Travel duffle, for a versatile and near perfect travel and adventure friendly luggage system.

Compare Similar Products

Peak Design Duffel Bag *

Essential Peak Design Travel Accessories and Packing Tools to Consider

Sold separately but very worthwhile

Hygiene bag : To keep your toiletries organized and tidy, and protecting your gear from toothpaste explosions *
Packing Cubes *
Tech Pouch : A toiletries bag style organizer, specifically designed to organize your cables and peripherals as a tech pouch

Peak Design Accessories for Photographers to Consider

Camera Cubes and Camera Cube System to keep your camera gear organized and turn your daily carry into a camera backpack.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carlos is a nomad, slow traveler, and writer dedicated to helping others live abroad and travel better by using his 7+ years of experience living abroad and background as a management consultant and financial advisor to help other nomad and expats plot better paths for an international lifestyle. Click here to learn more about Carlos's story.

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Peak Design Travel Backpack Review: My #1 Travel Bag (Seriously)

Written by Dan

Updated on July 28th, 2024

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L in black

The Peak Design Travel Backpacks in 30L and 45L have been my favorite trusted travel bags for photography, and I really mean that. Find out why these backpacks have all the best features for your next trip.

This article may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commissions when you purchase via those links — and it's free for you. It's only us (Becca & Dan) working on this website, so we value your support! Read our privacy policy and learn more about us .

Table of contents

Overview of the Peak Design Travel Backpack and its features
What is the Peak Design Travel Backpack?
Benefits of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
Who the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is for
Drawbacks of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
Who the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45 is not for

Supplemental accessories

How does the 30L compare to the 45L?
Final verdict
Where to buy

The Peak Design Travel Backpack has been my go-to bag since the brand’s Kickstarter campaign in 2018. Being a full-time traveler at the time, I was always looking for the best travel bag to take with me for an extended amount of time.

It’s important to find a durable and reliable bag that is highly functional, and the Peak Design Travel Backpack is it!

Get free shipping on US orders $99+, with 30-day returns!

Shop the deal

Let’s explore some of the features of this handy backpack, and you can learn about all of the pros and cons to determine if this travel bag is right for you.

Let’s jump right in!

Overview of the Peak Design Travel Backpack and its features

The Peak Design Travel Backpack is, in all honestly, my #1 favorite backpack to bring on a trip as my main piece of luggage. I’m a huge fan of the Peak Design brand , and I swear by their quality. All the prices of Peak Design products reflect the incredible durability of everything they make.

The Peak Design Travel Backpack, in 30L and 45L, is designed to be everything: a daypack (kind of), a suitcase, a bag for a ton of camera gear, a carry-on. It is incredible what I have done with this backpack over the years.

I’ll take this backpack for a one-night stay somewhere during a holiday weekend, and I took it to Vietnam , Taiwan , the Dominican Republic , Mexico … the list goes on.

Man walking in an asian city with the peak design travel backpack 45L.

In this section, I’ll walk through all of the features of the Peak Design Travel Backpack and I’ll provide more information about real-life use and practicality with each of them. We’re about to dive straight into the deep end with this overview.

The features are basically the same in both the 30L and 45L models, and I have both!

Peak Design Travel backpack, 2 sizes: 30L and 45L.

Carry-on approved

I’ve taken the Peak Design Travel Backpack on a lot of flights (I can’t even count how many) and I’ve had no problems with it in any airline or airplane overhead compartment.

Some budget airlines might have more restrictions. I’ve flown on United Express and I have only ever taken a backpack, because the airline claimed to have more of a strict policy.

This backpack (in both 30L and 45L) won’t fit under your seat, so you’ll need to put it in the overhead bin. It does well in the overhead compartment because it’s fairly squishy (if it still has room inside) and can rotate on its side if the airline crew needs to make more room up there.

Personally, I always get worried about finding a space in the overhead compartment for my bags. Even with tight squeezes, I’ve always been able to find a place for it.

And lastly, I’ve also been able to stash this bag up above in some overhead compartments on some of the bigger buses in South America and Southeast Asia, not to mention nearby NJTransit trains near NYC .

Zippers and pulls

The zippers are absolutely fantastic. I’ve completely stuffed this bag to the brim and have never had any issues with the zippers breaking. Even the sealed material surrounding the zippers shows almost no sign of wear, since 2019, which is impressive.

Close up of the zipper of the peak design travel packpack

All of the zippers on this bag are the highest quality and are built to last.

The zipper pulls claim to be theft-deterrent. In my experience, if someone wants to get into your bag, they will. This might help stop someone getting into your bag while you’re walking, though.

I’ve tried to combat this by putting locks on some of the external pockets. I had been worried about someone trying to get into my bag when storing it in a hostel/hotel storage closet, or when it’s out of my sight in the storage under a bus.

If you go the route of putting a lock on the bag, make sure you don’t lose the key like I did. Oops. Good thing I can still get into the backpack! One of these days, I’ll try and pick the lock or cut it off. This is a good reminder for myself to get more combination locks.

Luggage tag holder

It’s nice that the bag has an integrated and protected luggage tag holder. Nevertheless, I’ve always put my own tag on the main strap so it’s more visible.

My only gripe with this feature is that it’s kind of hidden, on purpose, and that’s a flaw in my mind. If you look on the bag, there’s a little icon with an ID, but it’s hard to miss.

Someone might easily overlook this and not know that you filled out the card.

I generally prefer my own luggage tag because I have several (OK, maybe a lot) different bags and being able to swap the luggage tag is a nice feature.

Luggage trolley pass-through

If you’re traveling with a rolling suitcase, having a luggage pass-through is a nice feature so that you can take the travel bag off of your back.

With the 45L version, and if you have the bag stuffed, I think that the Peak Design Travel Backpack might be a little too heavy to keep on top of a rolling suitcase.

There have been times when Becca and I traveled, and she was using the Away rolling suitcase and I had my Peak Design Travel Bag. My bag was heavier than her suitcase. In that case, it didn’t make sense to keep my heavier bag on top of hers.

I think the 30L version of the Peak Design Travel Backpack is a little more suited to be pass-through luggage. Or, if you have a modest amount of things inside of your bag, the 45L also could work as a pass-through.

Padded backpack straps

The backpack straps are amazing. They’re super comfy and seemingly haven’t lost any of their padding over the years. If they have, it went unnoticed! I’ve had times when I was walking through an airport for 30 or so minutes or walking from a train station to my hotel and the bag never was uncomfortable.

Generally, weight is well-supported throughout the bag and the straps help keep the backpack supported on your shoulders. The hip belt and sternum strap will help support the bag for you.

Hip belt and sternum strap

I never got onboard with the hip belt with my Peak Design Travel Backpack . Luckily, it’s not in the way, and it conveniently stashes away behind magnet flaps on the bottom of the bag.

I’ve used hip belts with bigger bags and they’re helpful. For hip belts to feel comfortable on me, they need to be pretty big. Imagine a wrestler’s or weightlifter’s belt. That’s what I envision being an effective hip belt for a heavy bag.

Because we’re traveling and not in the WWE, a huge belt isn’t always practical. I choose to always keep the hip belt stashed and opt for the sternum strap to help with the weight.

I like that you can easily adjust the sternum strap and position it higher or lower across your chest, to find a comfortable position.

Grab handles

Probably one of my favorite features of this bag, and what makes it unique from other bags, are the grab handles all over the backpack.

Imagine putting your bag in a trunk. Then, when you’re repositioning other things, your bag gets turned around. When it comes time to pull your bag out of the trunk, you can conveniently pull from the bottom, left, right or top to get it out.

With other bags, you might need to tug from the straps or pick up the bag with two hands.

There have been a lot of applications in which I’ve used the grab handles and I’ve really enjoyed this particular feature.

Technically, the Peak Design Travel Backpack (45L) is 35L, but expands to meet the 45L name. Put another way, you have 35L of capacity and can unzip the expansion straps to get yourself some more liters to work with.

Peak Design claims you can use this as a daypack because you can button up the top, which makes the bag closer to the 35L benchmark. I feel like the width of the bag is a little too much for a daypack. I informally think a daypack should be between 15-25L.

On paper, sure, an extra 10L is great. It’s a little harder to utilize the space, and I’ll explain.

When you pack the bag, assume that you have everything in pouches and packing cubes . You’ll pack the bag and close it. In my experience, you run out of room when you want to throw in an extra pair of shoes or something that’s a little taller.

When you unzip the expansion, you get 10L but only ~4 inches of vertical space. Extra shoes don’t really fit and the footprint of the camera might be a little too tall.

With that out of the way, I’ve found that I can fit a lot more in this bag than in other bags of a similar size. The Peak Design Travel Bag does a really good job of compression because the material is durable. I’ve absolutely stuffed this bag, like, “sitting on the bag and putting my knee on certain segments until I can get it shut” level of stuffed.

I’ve even unzipped the expansion compartment, packed my bag, then zipped up the expansion compartment again. I effectively used the bag as a giant packing cube.

I also like using the tech pouch because you can almost always find a place to put it when packing the main cavity with packing cubes . You can see more about the PD Tech Pouch at my Peak Design Tech Pouch review .

Inside the peak design travel backpack 45L where you can see the tech pouch and camera cube.

Pockets and internal storage

There’s not much in terms of internal storage. I like to say that this bag is BYOS: Bring your own storage. That’s why I like the tech pouch from Peak Design , or generally any other tech pouch option I recommend here .

There are some pockets that you can use. There is a mesh zipper pocket that links to the front cavity, which I like. I stash boarding pass stubs in there, and months later when I use the bag, I’ll find them. It’s kind of like a cool time capsule each time.

Water bottle pockets

The water bottle side pockets are great and fit almost every type of water bottle because of its expandability. There’s even a little secret pocket that you have access to right around that area. It might be a good place for some hydration tablets if you’re traveling to a place where to want to stay really hydrated!

Expandability

Like I mentioned above in the capacity section, you can expand the bag to allow for more storage. I had mentioned that it can be a little awkward to put a pair of shoes in the expandable storage zone. What I have found to be an effective use of the space is packing other smaller daypacks, a travel blanket or a heavier jacket.

Imagine that you’re traveling in the winter to a warm destination, like when I went to the Dominican Republic (hot) from NYC in February (cold): the expandable compartment is useful to be able to put your jacket away when you’re in your final destination. And when you’re going back home, you have your big jacket waiting for you in a bonus compartment.

Laptop and tablet storage

I use this feature a lot, as I often travel with my laptop everywhere I go. It’s typical of me to travel with two bags. I have a daypack and a bigger travel bag. The daypack is the bag in which I’ll put my camera, computer and anything else I need for the day, when I’m in my final destination.

Depending on how I pack, during travel day, I’ll travel with my laptop in the daypack or the Peak Design Travel Bag . If I know I want to use my computer during the flight, I’ll keep my laptop out of the Peak Design bag because I don’t like going into the overhead compartment mid-flight.

4 travel backpacks in a room with a blue wall.

When you’re going through security, the laptop compartment is really easy to open and it doesn’t disrupt your other items. You can open the bag only enough to pull your laptop out, too, without having to open the full bag. This is useful for hectic security lines when you need to get the bins and take all of your electronics out quickly.

Because the back of this bag opens clamshell style, without thinking, it’s possible that the weight of your laptop can cause the top lid to fall back. That hasn’t happened to me because I’m really careful. After a long flight, or if you forgot that your laptop is back there, I can see how it’s a possibility.

A packed peak design travel packpack 45L.

Also, when the bag is fully stuffed, I feel like the laptop has a lot of pressure against the rest of the bag. Sometimes you want to really get it shut and that could introduce all of that pressure.

That’s not really a fault of the Peak Design bag, as it happens with other bags and other positions for the laptop compartment. Some other bags have a small integrated vertical pocket. And when the rest of the bag is full, it usually expands into this compartment.

Weatherproof

The material this backpack is made of is weatherproof and the zippers have some coating features to help stop rain and moisture. I’ve never thrown my bag in a pool, but I’ve absolutely gotten stuck in some downpours while wearing my Peak Design Travel Backpack .

Top of the peak design travel backpack 45L

Everything stayed completely dry and the water beaded off fairly quickly. My most important items were protected. Some of the outside parts of the bag, like the grab handles, backpack straps or the adjustment straps might have gotten a little damp, but my tech was all securely dry.

For most people, you probably won’t be hanging out in the rain with your luggage. You might be going from a car to the airport terminal, or from your driveway into your house.

The little bit of rain will absolutely not be a problem for that case, with the Peak Design Travel Backpack.

For more adventurous travelers, you also shouldn’t really have to worry. You can have this bag on your back during a rainstorm on a motorcycle and your items will mostly likely stay nice and dry.

See for yourself

Head to Peak Design's website to see what else this bag has to offer!

What is the Peak Design Travel Backpack?

This backpack optimizes travel by providing you with an easy way to transport your belongings from point A to point B.

The bag has wide-open access to the main compartment, which allows you to have full visibility into what you’ve packed.

What originally sold me on the bag, and why I bought it in 2018, was the camera cube accessories. I have the small camera cube and the medium camera cube.

The bag has three slots, when you use Peak Design accessories. The small packing cube and small camera cube is one slot. The medium packing cube and medium camera cube is two slots.

When bringing my travel photography setup, I would pack the medium packing cube and small camera cube. I can always find a place for the tech pouch, which is useful for smaller electronics and charging cables.

You don’t need to feel limited to photography, or even Peak Design accessories.

Instead of the camera cube, you can easily pack a pair of shoes. And instead of the medium packing cube, you can use any packing cube, or none at all, though I highly recommend a packing cube if you haven’t used one before.

Benefits of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

What are the major benefits that make the travel bag standout among the competition? Well, let’s see!

The durability and the material are the biggest selling points in my experience. It’s the competitive advantage of Peak Design products, and these two stand out among all of the other travel bags that I’ve owned or tested.

The capacity is also pretty perfect for a carry-on. You never have to worry about it not fitting in the overhead compartment, and you should have enough space for any length of trip. I’ve traveled for several months during a long trip using this backpack, and never felt like I needed more room.

Wearing this bag is a dream, considering all the stuff you’ll have packed inside. When you put it on, you’ll see what I mean. It feels like it fits with your body and it doesn’t feel overly stiff. It wears in nicely and becomes even more comfortable, the longer you wear it.

General features

Based on my breakdown of the features above, you can see that there are a lot of key points that make this travel backpack something unique. Every time I use this bag, the grab handles and zippers always amaze me.

Who the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is for

This bag is for a serious traveler who enjoys quality products and gear. This is not a cheap bag, by any standards. You’re paying for quality and for a bag that you’ll have for many years (maybe for the rest of your life, and I am serious).

As a user of this bag, you’re not too picky about bringing everything. You can travel with one or two pairs of shoes, and you don’t need three outfits per day (unless you get really sweaty, and that’s what a laundromat is for). You’re not a minimalist, but also not a maximalist.

Drawbacks of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

There really aren’t too many negative features that I can think of when it comes to the Peak Design Travel Backpack . I have particular opinions about some of the features, but they don’t take away from the overall essence of what this backpack can do for you.

For example, updating the luggage tag is superficial against its ability to carry your stuff to and from many places around the country and around the world.

Who the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45 is not for

If you don’t care too much about carry-on travel, I can see how you might not want this bag. Additionally, if you don’t want to carry a heavy bag, you might want to look into a rolling suitcase instead. (And for that, I’ll recommend the one from Quince .)

You might have a 20 to 30-pound backpack on your back with this backpack, and if that doesn’t sound comfortable, you can look into other options.

Because of the relatively higher price tag, if you’re on a budget or if you aren’t ready to invest in a long-term solution for a backpack, I can see looking for more affordable travel backpack options.

In my experience, the items below have paired really nicely with the Peak Design Travel Backpack . They have helped me pack more efficiently and are highly compatible with the backpack.

Packing cubes
Camera cubes
Field pouch

How does the 30L compare to the 45L?

The 30L travel backpack shares a lot of the same features as the 45L. To state the obvious, the 30L is 15L smaller. With that said, it might be a better solution for you if you want a more manageable bag or have a second luggage item, like a checked bag. It would also be a more appropriate daypack.

The 45L claims that it can be a daypack. I still think the 30L is a little too big to be a daypack as Peak Design claims.

Here are the features of the 45L backpack, when compared to the 30L model:

The 45L has more zippered access to your items on the sides of the bag.
The 45L has an internal divider to split the top section from the bottom section. The 30L only has 1 compartment.
The 45L has a padded and integrated hip belt to help carry and manage weight (the 30L has an optional hip belt accessory that does not come included).
For use as a day bag, there are compression straps to slim down the entire backpack on the 45L. I seem to have lost mine? You’ll notice on the inside of the bag, there are loops that you can use to connect the compression straps.
The 45L has two hidden external zipper pockets that you can use for storing essentials like a passport. I’ve found these very useful. I mentioned that this also may be a good place to stash away hydration packets because it’s near the water bottle holder.
The 45L has room for three PD cube units, with even more space for tech pouches, packing cubes and clothes or shoes.

Final verdict

I’ll stand by every aspect of this bag that confirms that it’s worth the money and worth all the value I’ve mentioned above. I’ll keep using this bag until it breaks (and it probably won’t), and I’m incredibly happy with all the quality benefits it has brought me over the years as my #1 bag for travel.

Even when I’m not using the backpack for any photography gear, like just visiting family for a few days, I use this travel backpack in 45L, and we’ll pack the 30L one for some other things when we take a little road trip.

If you’re invested in having a travel backpack for life, this could be a great purchase decision for your travels (and your sanity, if you were dealing with any poorly-made bags over the years).

Where to buy

It’s best to buy this backpack directly from Peak Design’s website , and that’s because you’ll get free shipping over $99 in the US, a lifetime warranty and guarantee (this is huge) and 30-day returns if you’re not happy. You might not get these benefits if you buy elsewhere.

Plus, as a bonus, there are options on the Peak Design product page to buy these travel backpacks pre-owned, and you could be saving about $50. As another tip, you can complete your Peak Design kit by getting a bag and two or more accessories (like a packing cube or two) and save 10%. These benefits probably aren’t available elsewhere online.

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Review Peak Design 30-Liter Travel Backpack

For motorcyclists, fun is only one of the reasons to ride their bikes. Sometimes riders use two-wheelers for daily transportation, including getting back and forth from work and completing errands.

While you are out and about doing those daily tasks, you might want to take some things with you or bring something back. For ease of use and pure simplicity, a backpack can be a good idea. So when Peak Design offered me the opportunity to try out their 30-liter Travel Backpack , I thought I’d give it a try to see whether it could be a good solution for those everyday tasks.

The Peak Design 30-liter travel backpack. Photo: Peak Design

Although this particular backpack was designed mainly as a camera tote, it seemed that it could do double duty as a commuter pack. It has some design features that offer motorcyclists some excellent capabilities, but perhaps not in the form that riders may be used to. So, let’s dive in, shall we?

The Too Long/Didn’t Read summary is the Peak Design 30-liter Travel Backpack is a well-engineered, spacious, and well-constructed backpack capable of carrying many things that riders might need for the day or even a few days. Some of its features are pretty standard, but the backpack’s details set it apart from many others.

Lots and lots of storage

Exterior storage.

This pocket is accessible from the outside of the pack and nicely held my laptop accessories. Photo: Mike Botan

Just a little extra security. The backpack’s main compartment pull tabs interlock. They won’t stop determined thieves but could help if someone tries to open the pack without you noticing it. Photo: Mike Botan

Lashing straps

Two removable lashing straps attach to built-in loops. Photo: Mike Botan

Interior storage

The open main compartment with two of Peak’s packing cubes inside. Photo: Mike Botan

Even unpacked, the backpack retains its shape. Photo: Mike Botan

Laptop storage

Even more space, id compartment, expandable side pockets.

My computer accessories case fit snugly inside one of the backpack’s side pockets. Photo: Mike Botan

Wearing the pack

The two shoulder straps and the chest strap can be stowed under the back of the backpack. Photo: Mike Botan

Holds its shape

The backpack holds its shape even when empty. Photo: Mike Botan

Water resistance

This wrapping paper would show whether any water entered the backpack. Photo: Mike Botan

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Travel Backpacks
Peak Design 30L

Peak Design 30L - Review 2024

PeakDesign.com

By: Angela Fulo

We gave our Gear Lovers one job: Find the best and most popular products and review them.

Our review team always considers durability, price, quality, and value in their reviews.

Where to buy:

Where to buy peak design 30l:.

After the 45L Peak Design travel backpack came our way, it left its mark as one of the most versatile travel bags we tested. It really stood out for its design features. Not just many, but unique and useful ones.

With its smaller version, the 30L Travel Backpack, you can go even lighter than you thought before. No compromise with the high-quality materials and construction. Only a few trade-ins over some features and details.

It’ll appeal to serial business travelers, photographers and even presents a compelling urban-weekender hybrid candidacy . It also does pretty well as an everyday pack.

After testing, comparing, and contrasting expectations versus reality, we landed on a few points you need to know. Read on as we deep dive into every detail of the Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack.

Our Overall Review

Things we like:, things we don't like:.

Materials: 400D Nylon with DWR Coating (Shell), 900D Nylon (Bottom), Glass- Reinforced and Anodized Aluminum Hardware, UltraZips with UHMWPE Thread, Hypalon Pulls
Standard Dimension and Capacity: 20.9” x 13” x 7”, 27 Liters
Expanded Dimension and Capacity: 20.9” x 13” x 7.9”, 33 Liters
Weight: 3.127 lbs.
Colors: Black, Sage, Midnight

A Feature-filled Option for the Modern Minimalist

Peak Design continuously innovates product lines that prove sturdy, serviceable, and go head-on with modern trends. With their 45L Travel Backpack’s little bro, the 30L Travel Backpack, you can stay low-profile and lightweight without leaving anything behind.

Even at 30 liters, this pack has a lot of useful features that we haven’t seen in one bag before.

With a retracted capacity of 27 liters, you can quickly add another six in by opening the expansion zip outside. You have almost everything that you’d get from its bigger counterpart, almost.

So, what separates this 30-liter Peak Design backpack from its predecessor and competitors?

Construction and Design

It is out to complement other members of Peak Design’s travel line, such as its small wash pouch and packing cubes, this sized-down version of PD’s 45L travel backpack comes with the same colorways. Available in Black, Sage, plus- Midnight, enjoy the classic minimalist look without giving up functionality.

Black vs. Sage vs. Midnight

Whatever color ticks your preference, this Peak Design backpack provides durability that’s sure to last for a very (and we mean VERY) long time.

Crafted with a 400D nylon shell and 900D waterproof nylon base (where it’s needed), there’s enough rigidity in its build to hold its shape even when empty. That’s an edge over competitors like The Stubble and Co. Adventure Bag where all your items lump out.

PD’s 30L Travel Backpack vs The Adventure Bag

After stress testing, Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack proved its durability against abrasion and being tear-resistance. Thanks to its fabric’s equal weight distribution, that doesn’t stress any particular bag section. The material at the base also feels smoother to touch. Durable Water Repellent (DWR) adds weather protection, so there is no need to worry if you’ll end up soaking even in the lightest showers. That provides stain resistance too.

When it comes to its hardware, this Peak Design backpack comes with anodized tri-glides and UltraZips. A few steps ahead of standard aluminum, these work better on preventing corrosion and are way easier to clean (not to mention how sleek they look). The zippers open and close smoothly, just the way we like them. (We know how stressful faulty zips are!). The Hypalon pulls are also handy, with some security added since you can loop them together.

peak-design-30l-tri-glides-and-zipper-heads

Held together by the UHMWPE thread, there’s no doubt that this 30-liter Peak Design backpack can handle the load without giving up. This thread is roughly forty times stronger than typical aramid yarn. It also has fifteen times better abrasion resistance than carbon steel. We also love how every possible stress point has reinforced stitching acting like a brace.

Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack is an excellent example of a well-made bag with a modern low-profile look and well thought out features. There’s a lot of thought put into the design, mainly how you can give it a cleaner look through its stow-away magnetic panels (more on that in a bit).

Harness System

The harness system of 30L is identical to that of PD’s 45L Travel Backpack . Shoulder straps are densely padded. The top rotates 360-degree, giving a comfortable fit to any body type. You can hide them in the magnetic panel at the back to give it a cleaner look when you want to carry it by the side handle. Lash points are available as well- great for your sunglasses.

Or at least, that’s what it’s supposed to do.

It’s worth noting that the back panel of this Peak Design backpack doesn’t come with strong magnets–almost peculiar for Peak Design. It doesn’t seal up tightly, so the straps still fall out. The back panel also has a dedicated Velcro slot where you can attach hip belts (hip belt not included).

On the other hand, we like how the tri-glide hardware hides under an overhang. There’s also a loop that makes on-the-fly adjustments a piece of cake.

At the ends of the nylon webbing, there’s a reinforced section. If you accidentally pull the webbing out of the tri-glide buckle, slipping it back in won’t be as hard.

External lash points are everywhere. And since this Peak Design backpack comes with a couple of thick adjustable cord straps, you can create your bungee system outside- at the bottom for a sleeping bag , at the front for your waterproof gear , or at the sides to secure your selfie stick .

Now, there’s also a removable and adjustable sternum strap. Like in the 45L Peak Design backpack , the aluminum hook will be a pain to use for some. If you’re married to quick release buckles this might irk you some. In the beginning it’s not as easy as the HEIMPLANET 34L Transit Line for example. But at least you get the convenience of simply removing it if you don’t like sternum straps in the first place.

PD 30L Travel Backpack vs. HEIMPLANET 34L Transit Line

But overall, the harness system of this travel backpack provides an excellent comfy fit. And if you don’t need it, you can instantly just stow it away.

360 o Haul Loop Coverage

Still, similar to its 45L counterpart , this 30-liter Peak Design backpack has grab hauls in every direction- top, bottom, back, and sides. The side handles look way up, but it doesn’t cause much imbalance when you’re carrying it.

The back handle works well as a pass-through sleeve for your rolling luggage as well. It is now becoming a staple feature for travel backpacks . You’ll also see this in the Thule 34L Subterra and Level8 Atlas Laptop Backpack .

PD’s 30L Backpack vs. NOMATIC vs. Thule 34L Subterra

Main Compartment

There’s only one way to access the main compartment of this Peak Design backpack, the 2-way zip that runs around the clamshell opening. It also means that getting/putting items is almost impossible unless you have already reached your destination. It was a bit disappointing since we enjoyed the side access that the 45L has.

But here’s the kicker. You have the entire main compartment to all your clothes, with no dividers getting in the way. But of course, if you like packing cubes , it’ll work well too. We managed to fit in a large packing cube and a small one for the actual storage. Using PD’s Small Wash Pouch would also be a convenient add-on for more organization. Now, Peak Design is primarily a brand for cameras. The 30L travel backpack will only fit in camera cubes when expanded. Opt for its big brother if you’re a photographer for a more camera-friendly space.

30L vs. 45L

When we said the main compartment wouldn’t be accessible unless you settled, this is especially true for the zipped inner mesh pockets. To open this Peak Design travel backpack, you need to have it face down. And since the internal pockets are at the front section, your clothes or packing cubes will bury them underneath. That means, everything you need within reach, you need to settle at the top pocket.

Laptop Sleeve

Just like in the 45L Travel Backpack, the roomy floating padded laptop sleeve has a Velcro snap to keep it in place. It can accommodate up to 16″ computers. If you have a smaller laptop, you’ll have lots of spare room left. There’s also an integrated tablet sleeve inside (with a small Velcro tab as well). They proved their worth protecting our tech.

Another check for the 30L Peak Design backpack for its spacious and well-organized top pocket. Compared to its big brother, it’s roomier. Under the flap, there’s a zippered lining compartment with an elastic daisy chain for small items like your memory cards, USB flash drive, and such. On the other side, there are three sleeves for your mini journal, Bluetooth headphone s, USB charger, and other essentials you need a quick snatch to.

Magnet-Locked Bottom Pocket

Mainly made for the attachment cords included in the package, the magnetic bottom pocket occupies a lot of room at the face of the bag. Like in the back panel, the magnets are not powerful enough. It’s still best to keep the straps hooked on one end if they fall off.

The space it covers could’ve been better if they made it smaller and added a zipped front pocket for more convenience. If you’re searching for a full front pocket, you might want to see AmazonBasics Carry-On and MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack . Both have a big front pocket but are jammed with organizers as well.

The luggage/ID tag pocket is hiding at the back. The standard practice is somewhere where people can easily spot and read it. In the worst-case scenario, if you lose your Peak Design backpack, it’ll take lots of time to find your information and return it (if ever go-knows-who find the pocket in the first place).

Side Pockets

Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack has side pockets with a piece of elastic, so it adapts to your water bottle’s shape and size. That’s a plus if you value staying hydrated. Some bags don’t have side pockets, but you can use a carabiner to attach your bottle like in Able Carry . Others come with zipped side pockets for smaller items like Level8 Atlas Backpack has. It depends on which you value more- hydration, accessibility, or simplicity.

PD’s 30L Travel Backpack vs. Able Carry vs. Level8 Atlas

peak-design-30l-travel-vs-able-carry-vs-level-eight-atlas

With a standard capacity of 27 liters, you can pack up clothes, gadgets, and everything you need for multi-day trips. This Peak Design backpack also expands another six liters via the straightforward no BS expansion zippers outside.

Standard vs. Expanded

With instant six liters in one zip, your souvenirs can go home without needing to be in a checked bag.

For around $230, Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack is a solid bag with an excellent build, from high-quality materials down to strong threads by the seams.

It might not be as camera cube-friendly and as easy to access as its 45-liter brother . Still, this Peak Design backpack has bigger and better top pocket organization, with the same robust overall construction. Other than that, the two are identical- side pockets, a laptop sleeve, rotating shoulder straps, and stow away magnet panels.

And with the optional six more liters, there’s no need to bring another bag to accommodate more load when needed. The lifetime warranty alone is already a deal you can’t pass on!

Although it’s pricier compared to most of its competitors, this travel bag is worth every penny it costs.

Buy this travel backpack if:

You want a travel backpack that is sure to last a lifetime
A light packer and digital nomad
Out for multi-day trips no longer than a week

Related Reviews

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osprey-sojourn-porter-travel-backpack-airport

Frequently asked questions

No machine wash! No rough brushes! No submerging! Spot cleaning only!

Using a soft, damp cloth, rub the dirty spot in a circular motion. If it doesn’t work, add mild detergent and do it again and again (if needed). Let it air dry where there’s proper ventilation, or grab your electric fan and have it directly hit your peak design backpack.

It depends on which plane you’re boarding.

In the US, American Airlines only allows 18″ x 14″ x 8″, which means you can’t fit in the 30L PD Travel Backpack. But for Delta Airlines, 22″ x 14″ x 9″ is the standard. Meaning you have the green light.

Double-check with the airline you plan to fly with for updated underseater dimensions as a best practice.

Compared to its 45-liter counterpart, the 30-liter Peak Design Backpack has a roomier top pocket with great internal organization. You can only access the main compartment via the main zip, while the 45-liter one has front and side loading.

There’s no hip belt included in the package, but the bag itself has a panel if you want to add them. Expansion is there, but not compression (the 45L backpack has snaps at the top to size it down). The 45L bag is ideal for bulky camera gear. And since there’s only one compartment, no mesh divider is present. But for the rest of the pack, it’s identical- rotating shoulder straps, magnetic back and bottom panel, side pockets, grab hauls.

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Everyday Life

How Secure Are the Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L and Camera Cubes?

After years of not owning a camera bag, I now have the Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L. I used it for traveling because of its security; unusually, I was transporting a lot of expensive gear. Here's what I concluded about it.

I live in a very picturesque part of the UK, a little fishing port called Amble by a river estuary, on the coast of Northumberland. I’m about an hour’s drive from the Scottish border. Amble used to be one of the little secret places to escape to when I moved here nearly 20 years ago, nobody had heard of it. Now, it’s appeared on TV shows and this area has been identified as one of the best places in the UK to both live and visit. Consequently, we get a fair number of tourists here and retired people moving from farther south who are seeking a quieter life and benefiting from the much lower house prices.

“What has this got to do with photography and my backpack?” I can hear you ask. Well, many of those who come here do so because of the photography. You can spot them from afar because they are usually bent forward under the weight of their bags so they resemble tortoises trying to stand upright. Their bags are stuffed full of gear ready to change lenses just in case they are going to miss a shot.

Like everywhere else, crime happens here, although it is unusual. Nevertheless, camera bags do identify people as targets for crime. They advertise to the world that you are carrying expensive gear.

I rarely carry more than I am going to use. If I am robbed, I still might lose maybe $4,000 worth of kit. However, on my recent trip to Finland, unusually, I had the best part of $12,000 worth of equipment with me. Finland is a safe country. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to advertise what I was carrying.

Beware Baggage Handlers

I also didn’t want to entrust it all to the baggage handlers and the plane’s cargo hold. Just as well too, as at Schiphol Airport, they failed to get my luggage to my connecting flight to Helsinki. One thing that concerned me is that airlines are becoming fussy about the size of the cabin luggage. I have seen people have their hand luggage sent to the plane’s hold because it was slightly too large, and they have been charged for it. Furthermore, recently an airline changed its rules, and people returning from holiday had to check in their bags that were okay for the outbound flight, and they were charged extortionate fees for doing so.

Furthermore, looking out of the plane window, I could see the handlers throwing the bags onto the conveyor belt with no care for the passengers' possessions.

That Is Why I Traveled With a Peak Design Travel 30L Backpack

The Peak Design Travel 30L Backpack is low-key and it being a camera bag is not obvious. Moreover, it offers some very secure features.

The standard external dimensions are 20.9" x 13.4" x 7" (53 cm x 34 cm x 18 cm), and when you unzip the expansion section 20.9" x 13.4" x 7.9" (53 cm x 34 cm x 20 cm). KLM’s maximum allowable size at the time of writing is slightly larger at 21.5” x 13.5” x 10” (55 cm x 35 cm x 25 cm.) These are the internationally agreed carry-on restrictions, but not all airlines offer the same, so do check who you are flying with.

The Bag's Features

The 30L title is a clever misnomer as that is the average size between its unexpanded (27 L) and expanded (33 L) sizes; the expanded size is still okay for planes’ hand luggage.

On first inspection, it clearly has a high-quality build. It’s rugged and littered with lots of fabulous features that have been well thought through for usability and security. Here follows a guided tour of the bag.

The Rear-Facing Front Panel

I've read confusingly different descriptions of backpacks. Some call the side that faces outwards and away from you when you wear it the front of the bag, and some call it the back. I'm calling it the front panel.

At the top is a large double-zipped padded pocket. The zips are heavy duty, and their pullers are attached with wide metal rings. Those are big enough to attach a padlock.

The rear-facing panel of the case also has four strong eye loops that can be used for attaching straps for carrying extra stuff on the outside or securing the bag in a boat or canoe, using the supplied compression straps. Then, at the base of the panel, is a deep upside-down sleeve held closed by magnets. This would be good for carrying a cagoule, tissues, or a rain cover for the bag, but nothing too bulky or heavy.

The Side Panels

Each side features a reinforced open pocket at the base just large enough to take the legs of a travel tripod or a water bottle. Another eye loop further up can be used to attach the supplied compression straps to stop the top of the tripod from shifting. I did think these pockets would have benefited from being a little deeper. However, that would have compromised the functionality of the carrying handle that each side also sports.

The sides mirror each other, which means that both left and right-handed people benefit from the design when accessing their gear.

The Base Panel

This is reinforced by an extra layer of a thick, waterproof fabric, ideal when sitting the bag on a wet surface. There’s another carrying handle down at that end too.

The Rear Panel

A thick padded section that sits against your back makes it comfortable to wear. A clever feature is the spaces on either side of that section and the bag. These make it possible to hide the shoulder straps away. That’s a good idea if you do need to check the luggage into the cargo hold as straps can get caught in the conveyer belts.

A narrow Velcro-sealed pocket on the side is designed for a name and address label. A small ribbon loop could be used to facilitate attaching that. I saw one review where that pocket was used for a credit card, but I don’t think I would use it for that purpose as the Velcro seal is small and it would be easily accessed by a pickpocket.

Besides the two shoulder straps, the back panel has yet another two carrying handles and, at the base, two more eye loops.

Carrying the Bag

The straps’ quick-release buckles didn’t slip at all in use and pulling the buckle upwards did release and loosen them easily. To tighten them again, I just had to pull down on the tails. I would have preferred the sewn-over ends of the tails to be just a tiny bit longer to make them easier to grab when wearing gloves.

The shoulder and chest straps can be stowed away to prevent getting tangled with the environment.

No matter how you want to carry that bag, there will be a handle that facilitates it. Besides the shoulder straps, there are five unobtrusive external carrying handles. The long top handle is big enough for the handle of a roller bag carrier to fit through.

Inside the Bag

One thing I look for in a backpack is secure access to the main compartment. Years ago, in Nairobi, I had something stolen from a backpack while I was wearing it. It happened without me noticing. The thief even zipped the bag up afterward.

Accessing the main compartment is via a very strong double-zip that runs around the rear of the bag. These zips can be padlocked together. Inside it is light grey, making it easy to see within.

A lot is going on in the bag; Inside are four mesh pockets and webbing loops. However, the main compartment is an open space because it is designed to take Peak Design’s Camera Cubes and the loops are designed to secure those. There are numerous options for how to divide the compartment up using the Cubes. Mel Martin wrote an excellent review of these back in October last year, so I won’t go into full details.

I packed mine with two of the Smedium Camera Cubes , which was sufficient to carry two bodies, three lenses – including a large telephoto – and I squeezed a gimbal in too.

Using the Cubes makes the system very flexible. If you needed to send the backpack into the plane’s cargo hold, you could remove one or more of them with your most precious possessions and carry them onboard into the cabin.

Cubes are supplied with clips to attach them to the bag. When the bag is open, it is lying on its back and the Cubes stay put anyway, but the clips would stop a thief from grabbing a cube from your bag.

I removed the Cubes’ padding from the pocket in the lid. That was redundant anyway because of the ample amount in the top cover of the bag.

Like the top pocket, the bag’s main interior is lined with a rip-stop material and has four internal mesh pockets and is light gray.

Inside the lid is a double sleeve that will take a 16” laptop and my tablet.

The Peak Design Travel Backpack In Use.

I found the Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L comfortable to wear, and the design was unobtrusive. With a cursory glance, it is not obvious it’s a camera bag. For traveling, it is easy to use with confidence, and you do not have to fumble with it to access the contents. Appearing unsure of yourself and your baggage can make you a target for thieves.

The way it is designed with your camera gear behind several layers of rip-stop nylon makes it hard for a thief to quickly slash through the bag and grab your gear. Similarly, the lack of side and rear openings makes it less accessible to someone with their eye on your valuable cameras.

The Camera Cube inserts and the well-thought-through pockets make it easy to organize and access gear.

What I Liked and What Could Be Improved for Travelling Securely

Fstoppers writers have reviewed this bag and the Camera Cubes before. They've mentioned all the environmental advantages of using the Peak Design equipment. So, this review is considering it purely from a security perspective.

What I Liked

Strong build.
Unobtrusive design, especially the black model.
Robust zips can be locked.
Lots of carrying handles making it easy to hold.
Strong 400-denier nylon with a waterproof 900-denier base.
Multiple layers help prevent a thief from cutting through the fabric.
Plenty of places to hide an Air Tag.
Space to fit 2 x Peak Design Smedium Camera Cubes.
Works with The Peak Design Travel Rain Fly , although designed for the 45-liter bag, will still fit.

What Could Be Improved Next Time?

Kevlar or a steel wire in the strap would prevent the bag from being cut from one’s shoulders.
Similarly, a slash-proof material in the most vulnerable areas would give it even greater protection. Perhaps a slash-proof rain cover?
Stronger magnets or Velcro on the upside-down pocket would make it safer.

In Conclusion

Although I don’t use a camera bag every day, I have owned them in the past, including some premium models, and this was better than any of those. After I returned from Finland I did try it for carrying my gear around that I wasn't going to use, and I found it comfortable. For that purpose though, I would recommend the optional Hip Belt.

It could carry more equipment than I needed. It’s also discrete, secure, and easy to use. I found this an excellent backpack and its higher-than-average price is reflected in the quality. It was the perfect solution for traveling with a lot of expensive camera gear and for those who like to carry all their equipment with them.

Nevertheless, in the future, I won’t often be carrying as much camera equipment as I did on my last expedition. But the versatility of the Cube system will still make this the ideal bag for my cabin luggage.

The Peak Design Travel Backpack currently retails at $229.95 .

The Peak Design Rain Fly cover and the Hip Belt v2 are both retailing at $29.95.

A professional photographer, website developer, and writer, Ivor lives in the North East of England. His main work is training others in photography. He has a special interest in supporting people with their mental well-being. In 2023 he accepted becoming a brand ambassador for the OM System.

The Sweet Spot of Comfortable Travel Gear: The Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L and New Camera Cubes V2

Pacsafe bags are a good bet, they have 2 stainless steel wires in the straps and a mesh in the bottom of the bag.

Off topic a bit, but hand baggage is becoming a bit of a lottery, at least with BA, who are a bit generous with size, but on a couple of recent flights between Bologna and Heathrow, there is a good possibility that your hand luggage will end up in the hold.

At Heathrow I was coming back after my mothers funeral with a few bits and bobs, including some china. At the boarding gate I was told that my hand luggage would go into the hold. Luckily I convinced the Cockney chief baggage handler to turn a blind eye and let me board with my bag. My last flight from Bologna, I got to board early as they wanted volunteers to put the hand luggage in the hold. I had just cloths, so it was fine.

So think carefully when taking camera gear within your hand luggage. The boarding staff are pretty inflexible. You may need to stuff your camera gear into a carrier bag or briefcase.

Yes, that's a good point. KLM was asking for volunteers at Schiphol, and I declined. If it had been unavoidable, I would have removed the Cubes from the bag and I would have carried one on and my wife the other. Sitting by a window and watching the baggage handlers throwing the bags onto the conveyor belt, there was no way I was going to entrust my gear to them. Thanks for the great comment.

I think off loading the cubes is a good idea.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-IEw3aO2T40

Good grief.

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Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L Review

Read this Peak Design Travel Backpack Review for travelers and photographers needing an all in one system to carry gear and clothing efficiently.

Bag Reviews | Peak Design Bag Reviews | Photography Gear Reviews | By Mark Condon | Last Updated: January 24, 2024

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I wrote this Peak Design Travel Backpack review a year ago, but have decided to update it for 2024 with some insights from my recent trips.

Peak Design is well known in the photography industry for creating bags that innovate in excel – we’ve reviewed almost all of them here on Shotkit.

Their foray into the travel industry was an eagerly anticipated one, and I was keen to get my hands on their new 45L camera backpack .

Functional, durable, comfortable... and uber cool! A truly unique camera backpack for travel.

My initial review was written after a couple of weeks of testing. It was, admittedly, rather harsh 😐

The Peak Design Travel Backpack deserves at least a year of consistent usage in order to form a balanced opinion – as you’ll see, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye…

Table of Contents

Peak Design Travel Backpack | Intro

camera bag review - peak design backpack

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Writing camera bag reviews is usually a rather simple affair. After all, a bag designed to carry a camera is usually much like any other bag, albeit one with some form of adjustable padding to safely transport photography gear.

Then there are bags like the Peak Design Travel Backpack that require a big step backwards, and a complete rethink of how to broach the topic.

To say that there’s a lot going on with the Peak Design Travel Backpack and the system of Packing Cubes is an understatement.

Luggage redefined: a carry-on Travel Backpack and system of Packing Tools designed around the idea that no two trips are the same.

There are literally so many features, so many nooks and crannies, and so many more large and small design details than you could shake a stick at – this review was a real challenge to put together!

Writing about every single one of the feaures of the bag would result in an enormous post, so I’ve decided to approach this review a little differently, and highlight what I like and dislike about the product.

Summary of Features

Watch the video above to see all the features of the Peak Design Travel Backpack, including practical usage cases.

Despite all the video reviews flying around online, Peak Design is obviously the best at showing exactly what this backpack is capable of in real-world situations.

As you’ve probably gathered, this is no ordinary camera backpack. It’s a complicated product with numerous features that require time to digest, and as such, is best explained in a video by its makers.

After you’ve watched the video, keep reading on to hear more about my favourite features, and those that left me feeling a little confused.

What I Like

travel bag day pack with waist straps and nylon cancas and side access / side pockets

Size comparison – I’m 6ft 4″ (194cm)

While some brands choose to release a range of bags with different design elements to suit a range of people, Peak Design seems to prefer to try and offer one bag for everyone.

With the other bags in the line up, size is the only differentiator – you can have the Peak Design Sling , for example, in 5L or 10L variants.

With the Peak Design Travel Backpack , there’s only one size (45L), but a plethora of built-in storage/carry options designed to appeal to every sort of traveler/photographer.

45L is actually the expanded size of the backpack, with its regular size hovering around 35L, which is in my opinion the perfect size for a travel backpack. It’s also the maximum carry-on size of most airlines.

You can also ‘collapse’ the top third of the backpack, making it 35L and its appearance slightly less bulky. I think the aim here was to transform the bag into a more streamlined day pack, but in reality it doesn’t make that much difference.

The main thing I like about the design of the Peak Design Travel Backpack is how it looks. For all its bells and whistles, it still succeeds in looking understated and cool.

review of nylon canvas backpack 45L travel bag design

I usually opt for all-black bags, but the ‘Sage’ colourway looks great too!

I’m not a huge fan of the appearance of their previous creation, the Peak Design Everyday backpack , even though it’s a hugely popular product.

I much prefer the look of the Peak Design Travel Backpack in both black or ash, which manages to straddle both ‘tech’ with ‘stealth’, whilst still concealing an absolute tardis of internal carry/storage options.

The ‘Ash’ colourway deserves a special mention for being unlike any other bag I’ve owned – it really is a unique colour – kind of a mixture between grey and green, which is attractive and cool. I particularly like the brown leather branding accent on the front.

Recently, Peak Design have been releasing all-black versions of its Everyday line of bags, and I’m glad they went with two one-colour options with the Travel Backpack.

I’m also glad they resisted the temptation to bring other colours in to the various design elements, which may have resulted in a very ‘busy’ appearance.

everyday backpack with huge main compartment - review peak design

Camera cube featuring padded dividers can be accessed via the front flap or side flaps.

Looks are nothing unless they’re built on a solid foundation, and the Peak Design Travel Backpack doesn’t disappoint in this regard.

In fact, every Peak Design product I’ve handled has always featured premium build quality.

The more you use the Peak Design Travel Backpack, the more you’ll appreciate just how well it’s been put together.

The nylon shell looks and feels amazing in its matt finish, and coupled with its concealed padding, it’s built to protect your precious camera gear even if you’re forced to check-in the bag when traveling.

Available separately, the camera cubes add an additional layer of protection, whilst offering innovative side access points which mirror those found on the actual backpack, for ease of access without removing the bag from your shoulder.

As mentioned previously, the bag’s padding feels so robust so I’ve actually decided not to use the camera cube, with all my main gear items stowed away in the main flap’s zippered pockets.

Another example of the incredible build quality of the Peak Design Travel Backpack are the waterproof zippers, that slide solidly, but effortlessly around the inside and outside of the bag.

If you’ve ever wrestled with a zipper when it meets a curve, the operation of this bag will be a breath of fresh air. I also love how the zippers completely concealed when fastened, with the zipper pulls remaining large enough to grab even with gloved hands, but still not overwhelming in the bag’s overall appearance.

The zippers also offer multiple ways to secure the bag from pickpockets.

Modular Tech pouch (reviewed here) and Wash pouch (sold separately) feature numerous organisation options.

Once you’ve got over the sheer multitude of storage options available to you, and realise that you don’t need to use every single pocket and pouch, you’ll have a lot of fun loading and unloading the Peak Design Travel Backpack.

It feels a little strange initially to neglect certain storage options on the bag, but I believe this is essential to use it efficiently.

Leaving pockets completely empty and unused on the Peak Design Travel Backpack is OK! It may seem strange, but really, let go…!

Peak Design has given you the luxury of choice when it comes to loading your perfect travel backpack. This is a great thing, as long as you’re not wasting time looking for items every time you need to use them.

The storage options I liked in particular on this bag were as follows:

Side pockets – these expand to include water bottles or lightweight tripods , and include handy magnetic closures when storing smaller items. They’re also the perfect size to house the awesome Peak Design Travel Tripod .
Internal Main Flap Zippered pockets – I use these to carry small travel cameras and lenses.
Shoulder Straps stowaway – ingenious design which allows you to create a ‘clean’ duffel bag , with the shoulder straps concealed behind the magnetic rear panel.
Belt Strap stowaway – as above, but for a belt strap for when you need the extra support.
Belt Strap zipper pocket – useful for small items, meaning you don’t need to remove your backpack for access.

Shotkit being a site for photographers, I should also mention that that the camera cubes transform the Peak Design Travel Backpack into a fully-fledged camera backpack .

The cubes are available in 3 sizes, and mount securely to the inside of the Travel Backpack via removable clips. The side access points can be tucked away, allowing you to access camera gear from the outside of the backpack via a single zip .

You can fit a ton of gear into the Peak Backpack!

Inside the camera cubes reside a selection of Peak Design’s origami-style dividers and other padded ones, allowing endless organization and customization.

The cubes are sturdily built and offer a lot of protection, almost as if they’re intended to be used on their own. I actually found that the padding of the Travel Backpack was substantial enough to not actually require a camera cube to protect my gear.

I imagine if you’re planning to check-in the backpack, using the camera cube would offer the most peace of mind for protection, but if the backpack is to be largely remaining on your back, it may not actually be necessary (from a protection point at least).

Either way, the camera cubes do provide additional organisation options for your gear, which can be very useful.

As for the tech pouch and wash pouch, they’re both impeccably built and designed, with a multitude of sleeves, pockets, nooks and crannies to organise all your bits and bobs and keep them protected.

I also like the compressible packing cubes and shoe pouch, which weigh next to nothing and help keep the miscellaneous clothing items organised in the backpack.

Camera Cube can be accessed via side opening of Travel Backpack.When you’ve got over the (somewhat confusing) novelty of being able to access the contents of your bag via the front, the back, the sides and the top, you should decide on one or two access options that work best for you.

This goes back to the notion of decision-fatigue, whereby you’ll be forced to think every time you come to open the Peak Design Travel Backpack, since there are so many damn ways to get inside it!

Remember I mentioned muscle-memory? Well, I want to be at a point with this bag where my hands move without thought to exactly where my gear is located.

I’ve chosen to ignore the side entry points completely, choosing to favour front flap or rear panel access. If I need gear, I access via the front. If I need clothes etc., I access via the back.

Once you’ve decided on your access points, you can now enjoy one of the best-thought-out travel bags you’ll ever come across.

No matter which zipper you pull to get into the Peak Design Travel Backpack, you’ll be able to access the interior in a split-second, without tugging stubborn zippers back and forth, or scratching your arm trying to reach through small openings.

Pulling open the front flap or rear panel is a glorious experience, instantly revealing the entire contents of the interior main compartment (or zippered interior pockets, depending on how you have the backpack set up).

peak design review of everyday backpack for travel

Padded rear panel conceals shoulder and hip straps.

With all these innovative design features, let’s not forget what a travel backpack needs to do well – be comfortable while you carry it.

Despite being heavier than other travel backpacks I’ve come across, all that is forgotten when you actually have the Peak Design Travel Backpack on your back – this thing feels great to carry.

The rear panel and shoulder straps are padded just enough for prolonged use, and the axial rivets that secure the straps to the top of the bag allow the straps to rotate freely as you move.

This small design addition results in a backpack that conforms to any shape and size of back, and makes the Peak Design Travel Backpack comfortable and enjoyable to carry.

The stowable waist straps are a great addition too, allowing you to tighten the backpack more securely to your body, to aid with weight distribution and reduce movement when walking or running. There’s also a basic sternum strap, to further reduce bag movement.

I also love the grab handles, which as you’d expect from such a multi-faceted product as this, are located on the top, sides, rear and bottom of the backpack! The back handle also doubles as a pass-through for rolling camera bags, which is a nice touch if you’re traveling with check-in luggage too.

Another ingenious design feature is the rear panel, which folds under itself for increased ventilation and comfort, by reducing the surface area on your back.

What I Dislike

Over-design….

Zippered dividing panel separates bag into 2 compartments, or stows away to create 1 large volume

Watching the video above, you’ll probably be excited about a camera backpack with so many features – several of which you’ve probably never seen on a bag before.

After all, I can’t name any travel backpack or camera bag which offers access from all 4 sides… well actually, 5 sides if you include the regular top access too.

I don’t think I’ve ever come across a bag with so many pockets, zips, straps and attachment points either.

In their own words, the Peak Design Travel Backpack is the result of “2-years of coffee fueled nights and a desire to make the best damn travel system on the market.”

Now imagine an experienced design team consisting of photographers and other creative professionals, with a proven track record of creating a line of truly innovative carrying products, having a 2 year long discussion about what to include in a travel/camera backpack… it’s inevitable they’d create a monster!

The Peak Design Travel Backpack is the first bag I’ve ever used that requires muscle memory!

Is this a bad thing? Well, yes and no. Yes perhaps, if it’s a backpack you’ll be rotating alongside several other bags, without devoting the necessary time to really get used to its multiple storage options – I wasn’t kidding about the muscle memory thing!

Side access point – 1 of 5 ways to get inside the Travel Backpack

…and no if the Peak Design Travel Backpack will be, as Peak Design intended, the only travel/camera backpack you’ll ever need.

By my counting, there are eleven pockets you could legitimately use to carry your passport. ELEVEN!

With this bag, you need to spend time deciding and memorising which pockets you’ll be using for each individual gear item… and never change them!

There’s the OCD part of me that loves being able to organise gear in a compartmentalized way, with a pocket for absolutely everything.

Then there’s the lazy part of me that’s most comfortable with simplicity. Up until now my travel backpack of choice had 3 pockets – one main one for clothes, one laptop sleeve, and one for small items such as passports.

In this I’d throw a camera bag insert, or just the camera gear wrapped up in my clothes. I’d always know where everything was without having to think .

With the myriad of carrying/storage options offered to you by the Peak Design Travel Backpack, you’ll either be excited or overwhelmed.

2024 UPDATE: After using this bag solidly for over a year, I’ve grown accustomed to the location of all the pockets, and have chosen to ignore those that aren’t practical for me. It’s nice to know that there are other storage options, if and when my gear changes.

Front organization panel with dedicated laptop/tablet sleeve opens to reveal main compartment, medium camera cube, wash pouch and tech pouch.

This was almost a deal-breaker for me. One of my bug-bears with camera bags has always been bags that are heavy even when they’re empty.

Camera gear is already heavy – why would we want to add to this burden by using a bag that’s heavy?!

Unfortunately, it’s usually the case that the best looking camera bags are heavier than their rivals. Bags like the Holdfast Roamographer (reviewed here ) or the Wotancraft Commander (reviewed here ) which wouldn’t look out of place on a catwalk are heavy, and that’s why I don’t use them.

As for a dedicated travel bag, well weight becomes even more important, especially if you travel a lot on stingy local airlines with measly carry on baggage limits (7kg in Australia).

Empty, it weighs in at 2190 g (4.8 lbs). Coupled with the Medium Camera Cube which I imagine most photographers will go for, the combined weight is already 2930 g (6.5 lbs).

My goal is to always travel with just one single carry-on item, not only for fear of mislaid checked luggage, but also to do away with the time required waiting for luggage to arrive on the conveyor belt at the destination.

Ironically, the weight of the Peak Design Travel Backpack actually makes it a huge challenge for me to travel without checking in an additional bag.

Depending on your country and airlines, this may or may not be an issue for you, but I’d much prefer to be under the most stringent airline baggage allowances worldwide, for absolute peace of mind.

Pro travel tip for photographers: Over the carry on weight limit? Simply attach your flashes and lenses to your camera bodies and carry them via a strap on your shoulders when checking in. It’s a bit cheeky, but these items won’t count towards your carry on luggage weight.

[Related: travel tips for photographers .]

Fortunately, I use a mirrorless camera system and a couple of small, lightweight flashes and lenses (see my Sony accessories guide ), so shave off a lot of weight in that regard.

However, traveling with the Peak Design Travel Backpack has required a complete rethink of my packing options.

2024 UPDATE: I’ve been traveling carry-on-only with this bag for a year now. Yes, it’s been a challenge on regional planes with stingy baggage allowances, but it has been possible with a little ‘rejigging’ of my gear.

To say that the weight of the Peak Design Travel Backpack is a disappointment to me is an understatement, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice and use this bag over my previous light-weight travel bag for two reasons.

First, protection . Made from recycled plastics, the 400d nylon canvas shell and 900d bottom is weatherproof and extremely durable. The exterior is padded to the extent that I don’t feel I actually need to use the bulky camera cube at all, which shaves off some extra weight to my set up.

The second reason is that I’ve grown to like the wealth of features, which no doubt add to the weight.

Yes, I believe it’s somewhat excessive to have so many carry/storage options, but it’s also great to have a place for each gear item, once you’ve spent the time memorising the location of everything.

Thanks to the exterior padding and multiple zipped pockets on the interior, I’m currently experimenting with my camera body plus two lenses in one pocket, and my 2 flashes and trigger in another – a second zippered flap ensures that my gear is suspended above the main carry compartment.

For those with bulkier DSLR set ups, my pocketed-approach to gear storage to free up the main compartment won’t be possible, in which case you’ll need to resort to the camera cubes, or my recommendation for lighter weight – Domke protective velcro wraps.

It’s also worth noting that if you want a camera backpack with a similar level of robustness and features, it’ll also be as heavy as this one – case in point, the McKinnon x Nomatic Camera Pack , which weighs in at a portly 3kg (6.6lbs) unpacked!

Value for Money + Cost

Despite so many innovative features, the Peak Design Travel Backpack manages to remain understated in its appearance.

So for such a well-thought-out, well-designed backpack , what’s the damage?!

It’s obvious that for this level of quality, you’re going to be looking at pricing that’s above average for a travel backpack, but Peak Design has still managed to keep it competitive when compared to other models by competing brands.

45L Travel Backpack MSRP: $299.95

The various modular packing cubes are sold separately here, giving you the option to pick and create your own individual bag set up to suit your needs.

Compressible Packing Cubes MSRP: Sm – $29.95, Md – $39.95

Wash Pouch MSRP: $59.95

Tech Pouch MSRP: $59.95

Camera Cubes MSRP: Sm – $49.95, Md – $69.95, Lg – $89.95

Shoe Pouch MSRP: $24.95

Rain Fly MSRP: $29.95

All in all, I think the Travel Backpack and accessories are all excellent value for money , and a great investment for those who need a highly functional, good looking travel backpack that is built to last a lifetime

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Peak Design backpack waterproof?

The Peak Design Travel Backpack is built for the elements. It has outer shell made from waterproof nylon canvas and double padding. The zippers are also waterproof.

How big is a 45l backpack?

A 45l bag is the most efficient use of most airlines’ carry-on luggage allowance. A bag measuring 22″ x 14″ x 9″ is 2,772 cubic inches in volume, which equates to 45.2l.

How do I clean my Peak Design bag?

Most dirt can be easily removed using a damp washcloth. The Peak Design Travel Backpack is treated with anti-absorbtion agents, meaning that most stains don’t penetrate very deep. If the stain/order is still present after the first rinse, repeat the hand wash, and gently scrub it with a soft-bristled brush. Rinse and repeat as necessary. Then let the bag fully dry in a well-ventilated area.

Peak Design Travel Backpack | Conclusion

So as you can see, there’s a lot to like about the Peak Design Travel Backpack…

It’s hard to please everyone with the release of a product, but Peak Design has certainly tried to do exactly that with the Travel Backpack.

I love the modular approach, which attempts to simplify travel via the use of dedicated pouches for tech, toiletries and clothing.

Initially I was overwhelmed by the multiple carry and storage options of this backpack, and part of me wishes that they’d neglected some of them, which may have resulted in a lighter product.

However, I’m willing to sacrifice my lighter travel bags for the minor additional weight of the Peak Design Travel Backpack, and what I’m left with is a truly innovative product which is a genuine joy to use.

Congratulations Peak Design for continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in bag design, and in doing so, making one-bag-travel more convenient, secure and fun.

Mark Condon is a British wedding photographer and editor of Shotkit. When he’s not taking photos or reviewing the latest camera gear and software, Mark can be found cycling around the northern rivers.

26 Comments

Great review. I just purchased this bag to be used as luggage but I’m also considering using it as an everyday carry for my camera gear (with a camera cube) as well. I do family photography so I need something to take out with me on client shoots, but am also looking for a bag I can take to, say the zoo or out for an afternoon hike, with my wife and 4 kids. Having 4 kids you can imagine there’s always a lot of extra stuff. Would you recommend this bag as an everyday carry given my use description? I realize I’m asking a lot of one bag.

Hey Chris! As long as you can handle the weight, I don’t see why not! Personally, I wouldn’t use it as an EDC (despite having 3 kids), as would prefer something lighter, even if it is only by a few grams. My personal preference is a smaller camera and no lenses for personal stuff (Fuji X100V, for example). All the best!

Hi Mark! Huge thanks for your review, it was pretty useful. You know, I’ve just bought this backpack (in a really good price by the way), and I’d like to know how well this backpack fits in the overhead compartment and down the seat. I’m currently using the AER travel pack 2 and looks like a hand luggage, fits in everywhere so I’d like to know what ‘bout this one. I’ll appreciate your answer.

I’ve used it several times in the overhead compartment on small budget airlines, Diego, so you won’t have any problems. As for under the seat, it should be fine too.

Hi Mark! I’m thinking about buying this backpack for my travels, however, for my current gear setup, a small cube would be too small and the medium would be too big. Can you detail how you managed too ditch the camera cubes? A few photos would be of great help. Can’t figure out where you fit your camera and lenses, as I’m a Sony shooter myself and only carry 2 zooms with me.

Great review by the way.

Hey Alex, I use the 5L or 3L Peak Design sling instead of the cubes – you should be able to find a review on this site of them ;-)

This backpack seems quite incredible and suits most my needs which made me consider changing a backpack. There’s one problem though that I didn’t see anyone discussing in any review I looked up of this bag – What about suspension systems? It seems to have none. How comfortable is it when you carry it for a long period of time? (Like a few hours?) Especially when you carry so much in it and the bag itself is heavy.

That’s something that really bothered me and I saw nowhere that discusses it, and if I’m going to change my regular backpack for this quite pricey one I want to make sure it’s actually comfortable on your back…Any thoughts? References? Suggestions?

There’s no suspension system, but to be honest, I don’t miss one Gal. This isn’t a hiking backpack though, so if you intend to walk long distances with it fully loaded, you’re probably better off with a suspended hiking backpack, or something designed for that kind of thing.

How has the bag been holding up over the years time that’s passed? Also, can you fit the Sling 5L inside much like their camera cubes? I’d like to be able to use the 5L as an EDC while traveling Europe. Thanks!

It holds up very well – no signs of abrasions, and easy to wipe down when it gets dirty – I find the black version shows dust a lot more than the other colours. I have the 5L sling too and it fits well in either size of the EDB – a perfect EDC as you mention! If you found this info useful, use this link to get it – cheers, and happy holidays in Europe ;-)

Sorry, I was speaking of the Peak Travel Backpack (45L). Were you speaking of the Everyday Backpack?

Ah right, sorry Dean – yep, it can definitely fit in the Travel Backpack! I’ve used it like that before, foregoing the usual camera cube that you can buy separately for the Travel Backpack. Works a charm ;-)

I wish bag reviewers would review a travel bag for what it is for, travel. I want to know how many clothes can fit in here along with some camera gear.

Just click on any of the links or head to the Peak Design site for that info, Jeff.

I like you this bag ok

I’m not going to be seduced by this gorgeous product which I don’t need. The negatives: half the carry-on allowance is the bag. Can you travel with 7# total? No way. And I travel light 6.8 kg with a 1 3/4# bag!. Carry comfort: I’m old and carry comfort is #1 consideration. Peak D EDC sucked IMHO. And I have no reason to think otherwise here. My Osprey Escapist 18 makes the weight DISAPPEAR. Last-once you’ve used a bag for a long time, the features don’t matter-you can make anything work. I use Sil-nylon pouches, know where everything is, can pack unpack in seconds, doesn’t add weight. The number one factor in increasing travel pleasure is getting rid of weight. I bought a PD Field Pouch which I had to re-design and now never use: too heavy/man purse. After all their hype, when I shoot, I have the camera around my neck, spare batteries in my pocket and don’t need ANY BAG. This one loaded is half the price of a Leica M2. (Hey Mark. Would you actually PAY YOUR OWN HARD EARNED CASH ON THIS BAG?)

I agree that it’s not a bag for everyone, Laurence, but for those who don’t care about carry-on allowances, it may be more suited. To answer your question, I’m going to be traveling overseas and interstate (on planes) several times in the coming months for photography work – I’ll let you know after that!

1. How is it that they need a kickstarter when they already have a successful company? 2. I love the design of my peak design backpack. But as a woman, it’s hard to open the side compartments in the sling mode, partially because of my anatomy. Something called breasts get in the way. It opens with the flap in your way. Too difficult to get your camera out that way. 3. But I tried A LOT of packs and I am blown away by the features and craftsmanship. I’m heading off to Europe soon, so I will be able to give a “out in the field” review. (My sis works in design for one of the big three automotive companies and I wow’d her with the manufacturing of the pack.)

I love your website and your reviews. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the kind words Dailyn. To comment on your points: 1. I guess it’s to validate their idea before mass production. 2. haha I guess you should be thankful for those!! 3. Let us know how it fares, and have fun in Europe!

I backed it- I’m going to use it as a bag for all my Fuji gear on a wedding day- use the bag as a base at weddings and go to it when I need to change anything.

Sounds like a good way to use it Murray – I do something similar with my bigger bag.

Wow, a fantastically detailed review of this quite innovative travel backpack! As a Fujifilm X-System landscape and product photographer who rarely travels with more than one body and 3 or 4 lenses (plus of course, a good solid tripod), this bag would be a “bit” large! And, like you, I don’t enjoy bags that are heavy even when empty. (That’s why I avoid all-leather options. Ballistic Nylon or the like is the way to go, IMHO.) So, I find that an 18L size is about right for my kit, such as the MindShift TrailScape 18L Backpack. That said, I do admire some of the innovations of Peak Design, such as the QR camera clips and modules. Again, an excellent review!

Thanks Steve! I think I may have been a little too harsh with my comments on the bag’s weight. Yes, it is heavier than others in its class… but only by a matter of grams, and those other backpacks don’t often nearly the amount of features as this one. Swings and roundabouts!

Nice review! I that you really took real world usage into consideration, a lot.

Glad you liked it Rez. It’s a great bag that deserves an in-depth analysis.

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Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Review

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) is packed with thoughtful design details that work well for camera kits, EDC, and minimal travel—in that order.

Video Review

Our verdict.

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High-quality materials and thoughtful design throughout
Versatile organization using Peak Design’s origami dividers
Plenty of ways to access the bag's main capacity
Bag is only 30L when fully expanded
Top is not secure when using the highest MagLatch
Sternum strap is not easy to adjust or customize

Technical Details

Carry-on compliance.

View 102/145 Airlines

Disclaimer: We take the measurements of the bag provided by the manufacturer and compare them to the allowance listed on airline websites. This should be used as a guideline rather than a rule. Bags can change size as you pack them out, and every airline's interpretation of compliance is different. Just because a bag is listed as carry-on compliant here doesn't mean that the airline will interpret it that way.

Like the Look

Polled on Instagram

Total size depends on which MagLatch is used

Weight (lb)

3.88 lb (1.8 kg)

Without dividers

20.5 in x 14.2 in x 7.8 in (52.1 x 36.1 x 19.8 cm)

Using the bottom MagLatch

Notable Materials

Recycled Nylon, DWR Coating, Polyester, Polyethylene, Polyurethane, YKK Zippers, Aluminum, Leather, Zoom Zippers, Hypalon®

Manufacturing Country

Laptop Compartment Size

Warranty Information

Peak Design Lifetime Product Warranty

Buying Options

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Full Review

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Versatile and packed full of thoughtful details, the latest iteration of Peak Design’s Everyday Backpack 30L is a strong contender for photographers, videographers, and commuters alike.

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) is part of the California-based brand’s Everday Line refresh —hence the “V2” in its name. This new version has all of the features we dig about the original, plus some updates that make it even better. In addition to the 30L pack we’re reviewing, this revamped Everyday Backpack also comes in a 20L version .

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) In Detroit

Now, this bag is a camera bag first—built around “access, organization, expansion, and protection.” But we’ve also found that it’s solid for daily carry (especially if you carry a lot of tech) or minimal one-bag travel.

We’ve been testing the Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) for the last three weeks in Detroit, Michigan, both as a camera bag and an everyday carry backpack.

So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Materials & Aesthetic

Peak Design makes some pretty slick-looking bags, and this one is no exception.

At the time of this review, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) comes in three different colors: Black, Charcoal, and Midnight (dark blue). Each colorway except for the black is made of 100% bluesign®-approved recycled material, which lines up well with Peak Design’s Climate Neutral initiative.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Material

The main fabric on the backpack is a 400D double-poly coated, DWR-impregnated nylon canvas. Basically, that just means it’s some pretty tough stuff. The fabric’s ripstop qualities make it more durable, while the DWR coating helps with weather-resistance and gives it a slightly more rubbery feel.

Overall, we think the new material feels better than the coarser Kodra that was used on V1. And it’s been holding up better during our testing (we’ve found fewer scuffs and marks, so far). We made a whole video comparing the Everyday Backpack V1 and V2 , so if you want more nitty-gritty details, make sure to check that out.

From a visual and branding perspective, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) has a small Peak Design logo on its front tab, plus a logo on the back leather strap. You can also see the PD mark on other minor components of the bag, including the aluminum hardware.

Most of the team at Pack Hacker HQ is digging the Everyday Backpack’s sleek, modern aesthetic. We checked in with our Instagram audience and you (mostly) agreed.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Zipper

Okay, are you ready for some brief Zipper Talk? This backpack features Peak Design’s proprietary UltraZips, which they developed with Zoom Zippers. These UltraZips not only look great (those beveled edges!) but are smooth to operate. They glide around the corners of this pack effortlessly—and that’s not something we can say for a lot of bags.

We have our concerns about the durability of Zoom Zippers, but we’ve had no issues so far during testing this bag and others from Peak Design’s new line. Only time will tell how they continue to hold up—don’t worry, we’ll keep you updated in the Usage Timeline below.

Wrapping up the rest of the materials on the Everyday Backpack 30L (V2), you’ll find aluminum hardware on places like the sternum strap and shoulder strap adjusters. There’s also some nubuck leather on the handle and other design accents. Finally, Hypalon is used on the zipper pulls and reinforcement areas like the back of the strap.

Exterior Components

As per usual with Peak Design, there’s a lot of external components hidden in a sleek package. There’s a lot to cover. So, get comfy, we’re going in.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Shoulder Strap Compared To V1

Let’s start with the harness system—it’s been a hot topic in the Pack Hacker community. To summarize our findings, Peak Design has improved the harness system on the Everyday Backpack (V2) quite a bit compared to V1, but it’s still not the best harness system out there.

At the top of the harness system, there are swivel points that make the shoulder straps easy to move. You can swing the bag out in front of you to access the side pockets or main compartment (more on this later) to grab any gear you may need without skipping a beat.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Shoulder Strap Swivel Points

The shoulder straps themselves are dense, spongy, and comfortable, which is the biggest improvement when compared to the V1 line. The stretchy mesh on the back of the straps has more of a ripstop design, compared to the ballistic-style straps of the V1. We’ve heard some reports that the back of the straps on the original Everyday Backpack get chewed up and start pilling—this small design change should help with that. Of course, time will tell.

Moving down the shoulder straps, there’s nubuck leather that not only looks good but can serve as an attachment point for a carabiner or other small items. At the bottom, some smaller nylon webbing can function in basically the same way.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Sternum Strap

Between those two points is the removable sternum strap, which offers three different areas for adjustment. The aluminum hardware is great to look at (are we the only ones who get googly-eyed over beautiful buckles?) and the design is unique, but unfortunately, we do have some concerns with its functionality.

After three weeks of use, it still takes a lot of effort to fasten and unfasten—definitely longer than a traditional Duraflex buckle. We expect this will break in over time and/or get easier to use once you get the hang of it, but so far, it’s still pretty tight. Also, there isn’t a permanent style of attachment here, so there’s a chance it could get lost. At least the stiffness helps with that, right?

To adjust the height of the sternum strap, you can pop the aluminum clips into one of the three slots. Most bags offer at least four adjustment slots. Some of the best sternum strap adjusters we’ve seen have a sliding rail that allows you to put it wherever it fits best on your body. So, this sternum strap is fine, but it’s not the best we’ve seen.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Shoulder Strap Adjustment

Almost done with the straps—we told you there was a lot to cover. The hardware at the bottom of the Everyday Backpack V2’s shoulder straps is super easy to adjust. Just grab the small nylon loop and pull—the straps glide like butter.

Finally, the shoulder straps on the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) have magnets in them. Those magnets line up with magnets in the back panel so you can criss-cross and stow them—not exactly a necessary feature, but we always like the option to stay low-profile and keep straps out of the way, especially when jamming the bag under an airplane seat or in crowded places and where they could get snagged.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Back Panel & Magnetic Shoulder Straps

Speaking of the back panel, it’s decently padded and will help with airflow to some degree. Behind the back panel is a luggage passthrough, which is also magnetized—a sophisticated improvement over the velcro used in V1. This new version feels a lot cleaner.

Behind the back panel is another improvement over V1 of the Everyday Backpack—a small, velcroed slot at the bottom that allows you to slide in a removable hip belt. A hip belt for a bag this size isn’t necessary, but if you’re hauling around a bunch of heavy lenses and camera gear, it can be nice to have.

The first version’s hip belt was more like a waist strap. With this attachment point, the new hip belt should be more functional and comfortable to use. Although we haven’t tested it yet, the way it’s structured makes a lot more sense than what Peak Design had going in V1.

Overall, we believe the harness system on the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) is a big improvement on the original—especially when it comes to the straps. They’re more robust, cushy, and seem more durable. Still, this isn’t our favorite harness system that we’ve ever tested.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Water Bottle Pocket

Next up, the Everyday Backpack’s water bottle pockets. There’s one on each side the bag that lay flat with magnets (are you sensing a theme?). They stretch out nicely thanks to the elastic loop at the top, and mesh along the back allows you to have a little bit more room. We’re digging that these water bottle pockets lay flat but can stretch out if you want to fit bigger bottles or accessories like a tripod.

At the bottom of each side pocket, there’s a drain hole. Now, a drain hole is a nice feature, but we’re surprised that there’s no eyelet or additional reinforcement here.

Without that reinforcement, we’ve found that these holes can stretch out and become misshapen—which has already happened to some degree in our three weeks of testing, even with the 400D fabric being pretty robust. It’s a super-minor detail, but still surprising given all the other design considerations and attention to detail going on with this bag.

We’re totally nitpicking—but hey, that’s what we’re here for. That said, the side water bottle pockets are great overall.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Side Handle

There are three handles on the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2). The two on the sides are functional, nicely padded, and easy to grab—although if you have a taller water bottle or a tripod on the side, you may not be able to take full advantage of the side handle.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Top Handle

The top handle is also padded and easy to grab. And we dig that nubuck leather accent. Some of the color combinations may seem a bit clashy (is that a word?) when you factor in these leather and Hypalon accents, but it’s a matter of personal preference.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Locked Zippers

If you like security, you’ll probably appreciate that every external zipper on the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) is lockable thanks to the Hypalon pulls and small attachment loops around the bag. Simply unhook the zipper pull, thread it through a loop, and hook it back together.

If you have zippers at the bottom of the laptop pack , they can attach to a small loop near where the strap meets the bag. If you have zippers positioned toward the top, there are loops up there as well. You can also fasten the laptop compartment zipper to one of the main zippers for some added security.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Secured With Padlock

While you can also lock down the top flap with TSA-approved locks at the lash points, we’re surprised Peak Design hasn’t created an integrated way to secure the top flap as they have with the zippers. There may be a way to do this integrated with the bag, but, at the time of this review, we haven’t been able to spot it.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Tripod Attachment

Two lash straps deploy from a magnetic pocket at the bottom of the Everyday Backpack 30L (V2). You’ll also get two other lash straps included in the side pockets on the interior of the bag. The front lash straps can be used to attach something like a jacket, and the bottom ones for something like a tripod. These detachable straps are an effective way to keep a minimal and clean look on the outside, while still adding some additional carry functionality to the bag should you choose to use it.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Lash Straps With Jacket

A bungee-like stretchy key leash also comes with the Everyday Backpack 30L (V2). We have to say, we prefer the V1’s material for this key leash—it was a robust seatbelt-like nylon webbing that felt sturdy. The V2 key leash feels a little, well, cheaper and more like an afterthought since it’s not integrated with the bag at all.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Key Leash

Inside the Pack

Alright, folks. We’ve made it inside the pack. If you need to take a break, we totally get it. Still with us? Let’s dive in.

The laptop compartment sits at the back of the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) and features a pretty slick adjustable laptop sleeve—it’s like a laptop hammock. You can reposition the height of the sleeve to fit different size laptops. Lower it for a 15″ laptop, for example, or adjust it up so a 13″ laptop sits higher in the pocket.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Laptop Sleeve Height Adjustment

This laptop sleeve can be a little tricky to adjust and the velcro tends to get stuck, but once you set it you can pretty much forget it—unless you get a new laptop. We like that the laptop is suspended in the back, protecting it from unexpected drops of the bag.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Laptop Compartment & Quick-Grab Pocket

In the laptop compartment, you’ll also find a tablet sleeve and a stretchy mesh section that’s great for your tech accessories. The tablet sleeve closes with (you guessed it) magnets to keep your tablet or documents in place.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Tech Pocket

The stretchy mesh drop pocket has two divider pockets made from the same material—which feels soft and strong. This pocket is a good place to stash your phone, wallet , keys , and any tech accessories that you carry on the daily. Just keep in mind that the more you fill up this tech pocket, the more it will cut into the main compartment of the bag.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Fully Open

Whew, okay. It’s (finally) time to get into the main compartment of the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2). There are three ways to access the main compartment—the top flap that opens up in a top-loader style and the two side zips.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) MagLatch

Starting at the top, we dig the MagLatch design on this bag. It’s slick to use and fast to access. Pull down on the metal loop to disengage the magnet and open the bag. When you’ve got what you need, simply pull that loop below the desired rung and let the magnets do the rest. Plus, if you find yourself waiting in the airport lobby or stuck on a long bus ride, it’s great to fiddle with.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Top Opening & MagLatch Rails

Now, you should know that although Peak Design calls this Everyday Backpack the 30L version, it’s actually only 30L when the MagLatch is fully at the top. The brand’s marketing is a bit misleading in this regard—it’s kind of an unsexy way to use the bag if the MagLatch is always at the top.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Attached At Highest MagLatch

Also, when the MagLatch is attached in the top position, the fabric on the top of the bag can stick out on the sides and potentially allow rain, snow, or sneaky pickpockets inside. The weather-resistance of the Everyday Backpack’s material is great, but it doesn’t do too well if it’s left open.

We found this gap to be a problem with V1 as well. While V2 is an improvement (the gap is a lot smaller), it’s still an issue. We’ve found the Maglatch is best used on the lowest bar—so if you truly have a full 30 liters worth of stuff, you might want to consider a slightly larger bag.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Side Access

Like we mentioned at the beginning of this section, you can also access the Everyday Backpack’s main compartment from either side of the bag. Remember those UltraZips we talked about earlier? Well, there are four of them (yeah, four) around main access of the pack. With the four zippers, you can keep one the top and one the bottom on each side. That way, you’ll have easy access to both sides, the top, and the bottom of the main compartment.

If you’re using the Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) as a camera bag, this feature is awesome. You can have all your travel camera gear organized inside (more on this shortly), swing the bag around to your front, and get exactly what you need—without taking everything else out of the bag.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Side Flap Pockets

Each side flap opens up to reveal some simple, solid organization. A pocket on top that closes with—yep, more magnets—and a zippered pocket below. Both are made with that same stretchy material.

Inside the bottom zippered pockets, you’ll find two small divider pockets which are a good size for SD cards, dongles, or other smaller bits. This is also where Peak Design stashes the other two lash straps that come with the bag.

Both side flaps are the same, with one small exception. The stitching used on the top pocket is gray on the wearer’s right side and black on the left. Why? So you can keep your charged batteries on one side and your dead ones on the other. Whether or not that’s useful is totally up to you, but we like it. You can use those colors to organize your bag, keeping a mental note about what’s in which pocket—whether it’s camera batteries, sunglasses , a power bank , or anything else. And the black and gray looks cleaner than the red and blue stitching in V1.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Main Compartment Top Access

The Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) comes with three of Peak Design’s signature FlexFold dividers. These origami dividers can be put in all kinds of positions so you can fit your lenses, camera bodies, and any other accessories exactly how you want them. If you’re an organization nerd, you’re going to love these things. They’re great for travel—specifically travel with a camera kit—but they work for your everyday carry needs as well.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) FlexFold Divider

We’ve been using a divider in the middle of the bag as a shelf and separator between the top and the bottom of the compartment. The top flap can be used to access anything on the top, and the side zippers for anything from the bottom compartment.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Full With Packing Cubes

The front and back of the interior are lined with velcro, so you can secure the FlexFold dividers just about anywhere. And they stay in place really well. We also dig the lines on the inside paneling, which help you line things up and get the dividers straight across. It’s the little things, you know?

Finally, there’s one pocket on the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) that’s so sneaky we almost forgot to write about it. It’s basically a smaller version of the stretchy, magnetic pockets on the top of the side panels—but this one is tucked into the inside of the front flap. This secret pocket is perfect for something like a small notebook , passport, or your wallet . It’s similar to the pocket found in V1 but designed a little better and nicer to use.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) Secret Pocket

Actually, while testing V1 of the Peak Design Everyday Backpack, our founder Tom forgot his passport in this pocket, lent the bag to another tester who took it on a trip around the U.S.—his passport was still tucked in there when they returned after a month without even knowing about it. We aren’t kidding when we say this pocket is easy to forget (though we recommend keeping better track of your passport).

Durability & Testing

We’ve been testing the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) around Detroit, Michigan for the last three weeks as both a camera bag and an everyday carry backpack. It’s a versatile bag that can be used in a lot of different situations, however, we think it’s best for video and photo equipment.

Using this bag for travel depends on your style and how much you want to bring along with you. Our friend Jon, who we interviewed over in the Pack Hacker Travel Styles section , has used the original Everyday Backpack 30L as a one-bag travel backpack long-term—and it’s worked great for him.

We think most people will get the best use out of this bag as an everyday carry backpack or paired with a smaller piece of luggage, or Peak Design’s duffle .

Throughout our testing and usage, we’ve been impressed with the Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) overall—especially all of the little design details that go along with it.

We’ve had no durability issues with the bag itself, but we’ve found a lot of loose threads and fraying edges on included FlexFold dividers. They’ve been getting a lot of use—switching around camera gear and organizing the pack—but still, we’re shocked. It’s never a good sign to see this much wear and tear after such a short testing period. We’ll make sure to keep you updated in the Usage Timeline below.

Usage Timeline

Condition: Excellent

Tons of great organization all over this bag
Smart use of magnets on this bag keep straps and flaps tight to the bag
Harness system is greatly improved from the original Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L

The bag is solid, but we’ve already noticed a lot of wear and tear on the edges of the FlexFold Dividers—not a good sign after only a few weeks of testing.

Get your questions about the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L (V2) answered from our team and the Pro Community right here on the page. Plus, join discussions with other members about gear, guides, and more.

Review – Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L

by WideScenes | Jul 7, 2022 | Blog Posts , Peak Design , Software & Reviews

The Peak Design Travel Backpack – 30L

Introduction.

If you’ve read any of our previous posts you will know that we generally don’t carry backpack camera bags anymore – well, we occasionally do, but rarely. Usually, we’ll use a backpack camera bag only when in transit between destinations. We will then revert to the Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L (V1 & V2) for our day-to-day use. So, when the Peak Design Travel Backpack range was originally released it didn’t really pique our interest. Everyone has different methods of carrying gear and what works for us does not necessarily work for someone else. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if this backpack bag can be utilised in our travel photography.

For this review, Peak Design has kindly supplied us with the Travel Backpack 30L – Sage (colour).

Straight out of the bag, our first impression is that this is a dual-purpose bag that is not solely designed for photographers. Based on the information on the Peak Design website, it is not promoted as a camera bag. It seems to us that Peak Design has tried to find some middle ground with this bag by keeping both photographers and general users happy.

Based on its 30L size, the bag is predominantley designed for the *short-term traveller and photographer and is designed to be used with Camera Cubes and Packing Cubes that can fit neatly inside. Unfortunately, we did not receive any cubes to test in the bags, but every indication is that they will indeed fit comfortably in the bag.

*There’s a 45L version of the bag that may be suitable for longer trips.

The big plus for this bag is the fact that it conforms to aircraft carry-on regulations as far as the size is concerned. This will make it easier for those that want to take those short-term trips and use budget airlines that charge like wounded bulls when it comes to adding fees for checked-in luggage. Keep in mind though – the bag may conform to aircraft carry-on regulations in size but just watch the weight of the packed bag. Some airlines only allow a maximum of 7kgs per bag. So once the bag is packed with some gear, clothes, shoes, tripod, and accessories, you may be struggling to conform to the weight restrictions for carry-on luggage. We circumvent this issue by splitting our gear between a backpack camera bag (or this bag) and the Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L or Peak Design Everyday Tote 15L – V2 , as these bags are classed as a bag for personal items and can sit underneath the seat in front of you.

When reading this post, please keep in mind, that we always travel as a couple and therefore we are able to carry a lot of gear between us. This is why we can use the smaller Everyday Sling Bag 10L that under many instances would be too small for a single photographer. Therefore, we will review this bag as if we were a single photographer to give it more relevance to the majority of photographers.

BAG EXTERIOR

Peak Design has always used quality materials in its construction and this bag is no exception. The shell is constructed using the same specifications as the popular Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L .

The bag’s shell has been constructed using *weatherproof 100% recycled 400D nylon canvas and is impregnated DWR (Durable Water Repellant). This is a coating that makes the fabric water-resistant. It is also double PU-coated (coated with 2 layers of polyurethane), making the fabric water-resistant, lightweight and flexible. The bottom of the bag, which is usually the most vulnerable area of a bag, has a more durable 900D waterproof liner protects it from the extra wear and tear.

As with all the Peak Design bags, the exterior is clutter-free. Camera bags can sometimes turn into a messy tangle of straps, and as much as we love our Vanguard Alta Rise 45 backpack camera bag it does have a tendency of getting messy. The Peak Design Travel Backpack shoulder straps neatly pack away behind the back support while the sternum strap can be quickly and easily secured to one of the shoulder straps. If you are using a hip belt (sold separately) then this can also be tucked behind the back support. The results are a tangle-free and streamlined bag that is easily placed into overhead storage on aircraft.

* Weatherproof (aka water-resistant) – usually the material has a coating that will cause water droplets to bead on the surface giving it added protection, however, it will not make the bag impervious to penetration by water. To produce a bag that is Waterproof would mean a completely different material thus adding considerable weight to the bag. If this is a concern, we suggest you purchase a rain cover for the bag. You could also try spraying the bag with a fabric protector, however, we’re not sure how that would react with the material’s current coatings. We could not find any information on their website saying that this would be an issue.

Above: The Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L – Black . This is the rear view of the bag. The right-hand shoulder strap has been packed behind the back support for illustration purposes

All camera bags will have 1 or maybe 2 handles. Even travel luggage will have multiple handles to make life easier when lifting the bag, however, the Peak Design Travel Bag 30L has 5 handles !!!. Yep, you read correctly! There are large low-profile handles on the back (which can also be used as luggage handle pass-through), top (more like the top of the back of the bag) and bottom. There are smaller recessed handles on the left & right sides of the bag, however, access to these could be hampered by what you are using in the expandable side pockets of the bag eg. a tripod, large water bottle etc.

There are 2 included straps that are located in an inside pocket when you first purchase the bag. These can be used for connecting to the 10 reinforced loops scattered around the exterior of the bag when attaching extra equipment.

There’s also a small compartment on the right-hand side of the back of the bag that is not mentioned in the documentation but serves as a place to store a luggage tag or some form of identification if the bag is lost.

The shoulder straps are comfortable and well padded and as mentioned previously, store seamlessly behind the back support when in transit. The straps are easily adjustable by pulling downwards on the nylon loops attached to the bottom of the buckle. The shoulder straps also contain a well-designed fully adjustable sternum strap. Both sides of the sternum strap can be secured to the right-hand shoulder strap. When using, pull on the attachment with the nylon hook to remove it and hook onto the left shoulder strap. Tug the nylon hook to secure it in place. The sternum strap can slide up or down to the most comfortable spot. This feature is used on several of their Everyday Bag range and works really well.

On the front of the bag towards the bottom is an inverted magnetised pocket that is quite deep. At first, we were a little baffled about what this pocket would be used for but after a bit of research, we realised that this pocket has been designed to accommodate the 2 included straps that attach to the bag to hold exterior items. When not in use the straps can stow away in this pocket, although, you could also stow a waterproof cover for the bag here as well.

Peak Design has opted for durable #10 UltraZip zippers. The UltraZip zippers have been customised for Peak Design and have the PD logo engraved. The zippers are also equipped with theft-deterrent pulls attached. The main compartment zippers can be interlocked using these or even better, secured to one of the attachment loops at the bottom of the bag for extra security. The main compartment entry zipper is located at the back of the bag as this makes it difficult for thieves to access the main compartment when the bag is being worn. You will find the main compartment zipper just above the handle at the top of the bag. This is the only access point for the interior of the bag. The larger 45L version of the Travel Bag also allows side access. Further forward, and closer to the front of the bag is the only external storage pocket in the bag. Peak Design refers to this as a “ Quick Stash Top Pocket ” (more about this in the Bag Interior). There is one more zipper on the exterior of the bag that allows the expansion of the bag from 27L to 33L. You will need to expand this if using the packing cubes inside or if you are using it purely as a luggage bag and need a bit of extra space. When closed this zipper sits unobtrusively at the very bottom of the bag.

That’s it for the bag exterior, and if you are still awake, we’ll now delve into the interior of the bag.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L + Waist Belt

Above: Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L with the Hip Belt (not included with bag). We attached the waist belt we use on the Peak Design Everyday Backpack Zip 20L .

BAG INTERIOR

Peak Design Travel Backpack - 30L - Quick Stash Pocket

As mentioned earlier, the entry point to the main compartment is guarded by two durable UltraZip zippers at the top of the bag just above the beginning of the shoulder straps. The zippers open the bag completely. The interior of the bag will seem a bit boring as there really isn’t that much to it, but keep in mind, that this bag was primarily designed to be used with packing cubes . The bag will also need to be in the expandable mode to use the packing cubes. The 30L bag is designed to take a maximum of 3 cubes. This could be one small camera cube and two small packing cubes or one medium camera cube and one small packing cube. The configuration will depend on how much gear as opposed to clothes you are trying to fit into the bag. The ball is in your court as to how you want to utilise the space!

Above: Peak Design C amera Cube V2- Small (V1 pictured)

Above: Peak Design Camera Cube V2 – Medium (V1 pictured)

Above: Peak Design Packing Cube – Small

Above: Peak Design Camera Cubes – Small , Medium, & Large . Please note that Peak Design has now launched V2 of the camera Cubes. These are now available in XSmall , Small , SMedium , Medium , and Large sizes.

At the bottom of the interior storage are two large zippered mesh pockets. These are ideal for those items that are not frequented that much as you will need to remove any items in the bag to access them. Along the inside edges are more zippered mesh pockets. It’s within one of these pockets that you should find the 2 straps for exterior attachments to the bag. Unfortunately, if you are using the camera and packing cubes, they will have to be removed to access the mesh pockets. Around the edges, you will also find 8 loops that have been strategically placed to allow the attachment of camera cubes for those that want to set the bag up for camera gear.

Last, but not least, the inside of the lid of the bag has large dedicated velcro-sealed sleeves that can fit a laptop up to 15” or a small tablet. Unlike some of their other Everyday bags, you cannot adjust the internal height of the sleeve for smaller laptops so if you have a 13″ laptop it may sit further down in the sleeve.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L with Cubes

Left: The Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L can take the large camera cube but this will take up most of the interior space. Depending on how much gear you want to carry will determine the configuration of the camera and packing cubes. If you want to combine both then an ideal combination would be a medium camera cube + small packing cube. If you are a minimalist photographer then you could use a small camera cube and two small packing cubes.

CAMERA CUBES

These are purchased separately as well as in sets, and as mentioned above, can be configured to the bag purchased. However, as useful as these are please note that while the Camera Cubes have side access, only the 45L version of the bag has a corresponding side access zipper. Therefore, your gear can only be accessed from the top of the Camera Cube when using the 30L bag. If you plan to utilise the travel backpack as your main camera bag when travelling we would suggest you consider the 45L version as the removal of lenses in the field is not ideal with the 30L bag. It will mean that you will have to remove the bag from your back, open the bag, and then open the Camera Cube to access your gear. This is not an issue for us as we would not be using the 30L bag as our day-to-day camera bag. We would use the Medium Camera Cube with the bag for some of our gear in transit but use our Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L for our day-to-day use.

Once the Camera Cube is secured in place with the provided plastic clips, both the zippered mesh pockets on the sides and base of the bag are difficult to access without removing the Camera Cube first.

The Camera Cubes are extremely well made. The Flex Fold dividers are very rigid and perfect protection for your gear. A Medium Camera Cube will generally hold the following –

1 full-frame DSLR with an attached 70-200mm lens + 6 lenses or
2 mirrorless camera bodies + 8 lenses

As mentioned earlier in the post, just remember, that the bag may conform to aircraft carry-on regulations in size but just watch the weight of the packed bag. Some airlines only allow a maximum of 7kgs per bag. We are pretty sure that both configurations above combined with clothing, shoes etc may exceed the carry-on allowance of 7kgs. If the carry-on allowance is 10kgs then you might be OK.

Above: Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L + Medium Camera Cube – Open

The image above shows the Medium Camera Cube V1 in the bag. The Medium sized cube will take up two-thirds of the interior space. Inside the cube is the following –

Sony A7RIII + attached Sony FE 70-200 f/4 lens
Sony FE 24-105 f/4 lens
Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-Distortion lens
NiSi Close-up Lens Kit (below Flex Fold divider)
Samyang AF 35mm f/2.8 FE lens
Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro + adapter
Samyang 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens
Sony FE 16-35 f/4 lens
Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 FE lens (below Flex Fold divider)
Samyang AF 35mm f/1.8 FE lens

As a solo traveller/photographer, you may want to consider the Small Camera Cube and utilise the rest of the space with Packing Cubes .

SIZE, COLOUR, & DIMENSIONS

The Travel Backpack bag is available in the following sizes, colours, and weights –

30L (30-litre capacity) which is actually 27L that is expandable to 33L
45L (45-litre capacity) which is actually 30L that is expandable to 45L
30L version is available in Black, Sage, & Midnight colours.
45L version is available in Black & Sage colours
30L version is 1.44kgs/3.17lbs unpacked
45L version is 2.05kgs/4.05lbs

Above : Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L – Black

Above : Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L – Sage

Above : Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L – Midnight

EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS

Standard: 53cm x 33cm x 18cm (20.9″ x 13″ x 7″) Expanded: 53cm x 33cm x 20cm (20.9″ x 13″ x 7.9″)

INTERNAL DIMENSIONS

Standard: 49cm x 36cm x 14cm (19.3″ x 14.2″ x 5.5”) Expanded: 49cm x 36cm x 16cm (19.3″ x 14.2″ x 6.3”)

Standard: 56cm x 33cm x 24cm (22″ x 13″ x 9.5″) Expanded: 56cm x 33cm x 29cm (22″ x 13″ x 11″)

Standard: 53.3cm x 33cm x 16.5cm (21″ x 13″ x 6.5”) Expanded: 53.3cm x 33cm x 19cm (21″ x 13″ x 7.5”)

PROS & CONS

Great looking bag
Well designed
Very functional
Great for that short getaway
Carry-on luggage size
Not ONLY for photographers
A waist belt is not included. Personally, we would prefer this to the included sternum strap
Packing and Camera Cubes are an optional extra which, if purchased, adds a considerable cost to the bag
If using the camera cube and/or packing cubes access to the interior mesh pockets is limited unless the cube is removed
No side access to the Camera Cube when used with this bag

PRICING & SHIPPING

Like most of Peak Design’s products, they are not cheap, however, you are paying for premium quality and the fact that their products have a Lifetime Warranty is worth the extra money, in our opinion.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

HELP SUPPORT US

Peak Design rarely offers discounts on its products so i f you find this review helpful, please click on the links if you want to purchase. It costs you nothing extra to purchase the item using these links, but will help support us so we can continue writing these reviews.

Thanks so much for your support!

* US Customers – Free Standard Delivery in the US for orders over USD$99.00, however, taxes may apply.

Australian Customers – AUD prices exclude taxes and shipping. As there is a global warehouse in Sydney the shipping price will be calculated at domestic rates.

Worldwide Customers – For shipping costs worldwide check out the rates here

THE FINAL WORD

Peak Design has once again designed a great bag that is ideal for both photographers and general use. Its design allows you to use it with or without the packing cubes so it really becomes an all-purpose bag.

The bag has been designed primarily for the short-term traveller that wants to grab their gear and minimal clothing and head off for a few days either by air or even for a road trip. For more gear and longer trips, the 45L version may be more appropriate.

Would we use this bag? It’s a great bag, and we will certainly be looking for excuses to use it in our travel photography. Although we try to avoid carrying backpack-type bags at all costs and solely rely on using our Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L bags, this bag really has us intrigued. We’re sure that there will be instances where this bag will be utilised for what it was designed, but only time will tell.

If you have any comments or questions about this product then we’d love to hear from you.

RATING : HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

If you're interested in reading any other Peak Design reviews click on the links below. To read our other equipment or software reviews click here .

Peak Design Capture Camera Clip Peak Design Everyday Sling Bag – 10L (V1) Peak Design – Shell Peak Design Slide Camera Strap Peak Design Everyday Sling Bag 10L (V2) Peak Design Lens Kit Peak Design Travel Tripod Peak Design Travel Tripod – Is this the best travel tripod? Peak Design Everyday Totepack 20L - V2

Peak Design Everyday Backpack Zip 20L Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L – V2 Peak Design Field Pouch V2 Peak Design Cuff Camera Wrist Strap Peak Design Leash Ultralight Camera Strap Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L Peak Design Micro Clutch Peak Design Tech Pouch Peak Design Everyday Tote 15L - V2

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Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above

No comments · Posted by Sergei Rzhevsky in Nature , Photos , Regions

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug or simply Yugra is located in the heart of Russia – in the north of Western Siberia. It is the main oil and natural gas region of the country and one of the largest oil producing regions in the world (about 60% of Russian oil).

Yugra climate is equivalent to the climate of the Far North. This region is the native place of indigenous peoples of the Khanty and Mansi. Photos by: Slava Stepanov .

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above, Siberia, Russia, photo 1

The confluence of the Irtysh River in the Ob.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above, Siberia, Russia, photo 7

The Ob is the longest river in Russia and the second longest in Asia.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above, Siberia, Russia, photo 8

The Nazim River.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above, Siberia, Russia, photo 10

Swamps occupy about one third of the region’s area.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above, Siberia, Russia, photo 12

Khanty-Mansiysk – the capital of Yugra.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above, Siberia, Russia, photo 15

Surgut – the largest energy center in Russia, one of the first Russian cities in Siberia, founded in 1594. Surgut GRES-2 is Russia’s largest thermal power plant.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above, Siberia, Russia, photo 16

Yugra cable-stayed bridge across the Ob River – one of the longest in Siberia.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above, Siberia, Russia, photo 17

Nefteyugansk – the third largest city of the autonomous region.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above, Siberia, Russia, photo 21

Tags: Khanty-Mansi okrug

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KHANTY-MANSI AUTONOMOUS OKRUG: RUSSIA’S MAIN OIL-PRODUCING REGION

Khanty-mansi autonomous okrug.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug is usually called Yugra or Ugra for short. It is named after two indigenous groups native to the region — the Khanty and the Mansi, known collectively as Ob-Ugric people. It covers 534,800 square kilometers (206,500 square miles), is home to about 1.53 million people and has a population density of 2.9 people per square kilometer. About 91.5 percent of the population live in urban areas. Khanty-Mansiysk is the capital, with about 80,000 people. The largest cities are Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, and Nefteyugansk.

As of the early 2010s, about 51 percent of the oil produced in Russia and 7.3 percent of the world’s supply came from Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, making the region very important economically. More than 10 billion tons of oil has been was recovered from the okrug’s fields so far . The okrug contains around 70 percent of Russia’s developed oil fields, about 450 in total, including Samotlor, which is the largest oil field in Russia and the sixth largest in the world. Gas was first found in the region in 1953 and oil began to be produced in 1960.

As far as tourism is concerned this autonomous okrug combines unique historical, cultural and natural resources, the most important of which is the way of life of its indigenous peoples. If you visit a nomad camp, you can ride on a reindeer sleigh, live in a chum tent, learn to harness a deer, ride a sled and taste stroganina (slices of frozen meat) and patanka (thinly sliced frozen fish). In the Sub-Arctic Ural Mountains, it is popular to climb Mount Narodnaya — the highest peak of the Urals — and go fishing.

The winter in Khanty-Mansiysk is cold. Snow lies on the ground about 200 days of the year and temperature of -50 degrees, C are not unusual. The summer are short but sometimes can get surprisingly hot, with temperature over 30 degree heat. The best time to visit is May or or September, when it is not yet cold and the annoying mosquitos, no-see-ums and midges are not out in full force.

Getting There: By Plane: The flight Moscow or St. Petersburg to Khanty-Mansiysk is about three hours. To Surgut, three and a half. To Nizhnevartovsk, four hours. The cost of an adult round-trip economy class ticket is from 8,000 to 12,000 rubles, depending on the airline. The airport of Nizhnevartovsk. Website: /nvavia.ru. Phone +7 (3466) 49-21-75. By Train: you can reach Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, Yugorsk, Nyagan and Kogalym. Trains do not reach Khanty-Mansiysk. The nearest station to it, Demyanka, is located 240 kilometers away. From it to the capital of Ugra there are minibuses. A round-trip ticket for a berth in a compartment from Moscow to Surgut is 14,000 rubles. The trip takes two days.

By Car: Two roads lead to Yugra. The main one is the Federal highway R404 Tyumen-Khanty-Mansiysk. This is convenient if you are going to the eastern part of the okrug. If you need to go to the western part or to the capital, it is better to go by the Northern route — through Perm, Serov, Ivdel and Yugorsk. The road quality on both routes is pretty good, but there is much less traffic on the northern one. If you are traveling in Ugra by car, do not forget to refueling. The distances gas stations can reach 200 kilometers or more. It is a good idea to have a canister of fuel in the trunk just in case. Regional Transport By Bus: From Khanty-Mansiysk to Surgut is 300 kilometers, Bus tickets range from 1100 to 1400 rubles. From Surgut to Nizhnevartovsk — 220 kilometers — bu bus costs about 1000 rubles. From Surgut to Kogalym — 80 kilometers — is about 500 rubles. The bus station in Nizhnevartovsk. Website: www.nvav.ru. Phone: 8 (3466) 45-72-97.

Accommodation in the Region: In all major cities there are a lot of hotels. The level of service is high everywhere, but the prices are also high: starting from 5,000-6,000 rubles for a standard price double room. It is much cheaper to rent apartments, at 1,500 to 2,500 rubles.

Khanty and Mansi

The Khanty (pronounced HANT-ee) are a group of Finno-Ugric-speaking, semi-nomadic reindeer herders. Also known as Ostyaks, Asiakh, and Hante they are related to the Mansi, another group of Finno-Ugric-speaking reindeer herders. Only about 60 percent of Khanty speak their native language and a much smaller percentage live in the forest. In the Khanty-Mansiisk District they are fa r outnumbered by other ethnic groups. [Source: John Ross, Smithsonian; Alexander Milovsky, Natural History, December, 1993]

There are about 23,000 Khanty. They live primarily in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug , a region along the northern tributaries of the Ob River in northwestern Siberia about 1,100 miles northwest of Moscow and 200 mile south of the Arctic Circle. Their cousins, the Mansi, also live there. The region has been damaged by oil and natural gas exploration and production.

The Mansi, known in the old days as the Voguls, are close relatives of the Khanty and live primarily in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.. There are around 8,000 or so Mansi. The Mansi have traditionally survived by fishing, hunting and gathering, The hunting methods they employed and the animals they went after was determined by what was available. Often they relied chiefly on fishing and dried enough fish during the summer to last through the winter. They hunted elk, bears, wild reindeer with spears, bows and arrows and traps until the 19th century when the began using firearms. Elk were caught with a system of traps and triggered bows.

Many Mansi still hunt. They use dogs and firearms and go chiefly after muskrats and squirrels. Sable are hunted with nets and guns by a pair of hunters: one who flushes the sable from its den into the net and the other who shoots the animal. Their traditional religion is often aimed at securing a successful hunt.

KHANTY factsanddetails.com ;

Oil and Natural Gas in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Oil was prospected in the West Siberia from the beginning of the 20th century. Local people reported finding discharges on the surface from time to time. The first Soviet prospectors arrived to Ugra in 1935. They confirmed the presence of natural oil seeps on the Ugan river in the Surgut area. Over 2.5 tons of equipment were delivered to the drilling pad by air. Other supplies were hauled by horses, since the nearest railroad ran about 1,000 km away from the prospecting site. The place was very remote and was only accessible during the winter. The early workers lived in a camp under extremely cold conditions. [Source: Technologies Department of Ugra]

In 1953, natural gas was found for the first time in Western Siberia, in Berezovo, about 300 kilometers northwest of Khanty-Mansiysk. in Berezovo. In 1960 the first oil was found in the vicinity of Shaim. Soon after oil fields were discovered in Megion, West Surgut, Pokur, Vatinsky, Mamontovo, Salym, Pravdino and other places. The biggest discovery was in 1965, when the first oil gushed out from the marshland at Samotlor. One of the largest oil fields in the world, it has already produced 2.67 billion tons of oil.

Oil quality in the region is quite high. Some is light, some is black, but most of it is brown. Its characteristics and composition can differ significantly even within the same field. In 2013 255.1 million tons of oil were produced in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and eight new fields were brought into development. Total gas production in Ugra was 33,0 billion cubic meters in 2013. This was mostly associated petroleum gas.

Owing to its explored and proven raw hydrocarbons resources, production capabilities, industrial infrastructure and oil fields commercial viability Yugra will remain Russia’s main strategic raw hydrocarbons resource base for the next several decades. Over 475 oil and gas fields have been discovered in the territory of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. Total length of the region's pipelines network is 107,000 kilometers.

Ob River (flowing northeast of Novosibirsk and Tomsk) is the forth longest river in the world if you include its major tributary the Irtysh River and the seventh longest without it. The westernmost of three great rivers of Asiatic Russia, the Ob is 3,650 kilometers (2,270 miles) long and is an important commercial waterway that transports goods back and forth between the Trans-Siberian Railway and the resource rich regions of northern Siberia. Since it is frozen over half the year activity on the river is concentrated mostly in the summer months. The Ob-Irtysh is over 5570 kilometers (3461 miles) long

The Ob and the Irtysh River begin in the Altay Mountains, a range located near where Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia all come together, and flow northward. Although the Ob and the Irtysh begin at points within a couple of hundred miles of one another the two rivers don't join until the Irytysh has traveled over 1,600 kilometers (1000 miles). Once the two rivers have dropped down out of the highlands the meander lazily through open steppes, then rich farmland, and meet in flat, swampy plains, where the width of river ranges between a half a kilometer and a kilometer and a half. The Ob then passes through fir and spruce forests of West Siberia, then through Arctic tundra before finally emptying into the Kara Sea, an arm of the Arctic Ocean. The Ob is one of the great Asiatic Russian rivers (the Yenisei and the Lena are the other two). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it has the longest estuary (550 miles long and up to 50 miles wide) and is widest river that freezes solid. The mouth of the river on the Arctic Ocean is ice free only a couple of months a year. Huge flood sometimes form in the spring when high waters fed by melting snow and ice meet still frozen section of the river.

The main city on the Ob is Novosibirsk. Parts of the Ob are very polluted and nearly void of life. At the mouth of the river so much land has been degraded by gas exploration that huge chunks of permafrost land have literally melted into the sea. [Source: Robert Paul Jordan, National Geographic, February 1978, ♬]

Traveling on the Ob and Irtysh Rivers

There is a regualr ferry the Ob and Irtysh Rivers that travels between Omsk – Tobolsk – Khanty-Mansiysk – Berezovo and Salekhard (Yamal Nenets Autonomous Region). Omsk and Tobolsk both have train stations on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Khanti-Mansiysk is accessible by bus from Tyumen, which has a train station. After Khanti-Mansiysk you are beyond the road network. As well as the major stops listed on the route above, the boat also stops at plenty of isolated indigenous villages in between them. Salekhard is the only city in the world located exactly on the Arctic Circle.

The name of the ferry is the Rodina. It travels three times a month in June and September and four times a month in July and August. Going from Salekhard to Omsk: Day 1): departs Salekhard at 5:00pm; Dat 2) stops at Berezovo for 30 minutes ay 7:30pm; Day 3) stops at Oktobraskaya Market for one hour. Day 4) stops at Khanty-Mansiysk for two hours at 8:00am; Day 6) one hour stop in Tobolsk at 7:30. Day 9) arrive in Omsk at 3:00pm. Traveling the other direction, with the current, takes one third less time.

On the Salekhard - Tobolsk - Omsk trip on person posted on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forum in 2013: “I'll start by saying that this boat is amazingly good value for money. Here some example prices. The first is for beds in the common area, similar to platzkart on the train, the second is for a bed in a private 4-, 6-, or 8 bed cabin and the third is for a bed in a private 2 bed cabin. 1) Salekhard - Omsk (8 days): 1162 / 1437 / 3926 roubles; 2) Salekhard - Tobolsk (5 days): 774 / 969 / 2632 roubles; 3) Tobolsk - Khanty-Mansiysk (2 days): 429 / 526 / 1394 roubles. Children go half price!

“Tickets can be bought in advance at the airport in Salekhard or on the boat itself an hour before departure (it's apparently never full). Most people get off at one of the stops in the first 24 hours when going south from Salekhard, leaving only one or two people in most of the cabins for most of the route. The beds are comfortable , both longer and wider than on trains. Everything is cleaned several times a day, there's a shower, laundry, restaurant with simple but tasty meals and alcohol. Breakfast about 70 roubles, lunch and dinner 150 - 300, beer 50 - 80, wine, vodka and so on also available. Theres also a small room where films are shown starting in the afternoon and a shop selling all sorts of useful stuff such as toiletries, mugs, books.

“You can walk around on deck as much as you want or sit and read a book on the benches up there. The scenery is more or less the same all the way - endless taiga forest with absolutely no sign of civilisation. There are a few villages such as Pitlyar for which the boat is their only access to the outside world and a couple of towns where you can get off the boat and walk around - Beryozovo 24 hours after Salekhard and Khanty-Manskiysk 3 days from Salekhard. From Khanty Mansiysk there are regular buses to Tyumen on the Trans Siberian which take 8 hours. At Tobolsk the boat stops next to the stunning kremlin, the only one in Siberia.

“Anyone can freely sail the whole route between Omsk and Pitlyar, a small village of 500 and the last stop before Salekhard. Salekhard and areas north are closed to outsiders, Russian or otherwise, unless they get a temporary permit. See the Yamal Peninsula link in my signature line for how to get this permit. Permit in hand, you can continue the journey north from Salekhard a further two days to Antipayuta, well beyond the Arctic Circle, with a similar level of comfort and price.

“It sails the whole route from June to September and once in October from Khanty-Mansiysk to Omsk. Check www.irsc.ru for timetables and fares. Only about half the boats from Salekhard go as far as Omsk, the rest stopping in Tobolsk. Eg in July and August, the most frequent sailing months, 6 boats go from Salekhard - Tobolsk each month but only 3 continue to Omsk. Check the timetable carefully when planning if you want to sail all the way to Omsk!”

Khanty-Mansiysk City

Khanty-Mansiysk is the capital of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug and home to about 80,000 people. Despite its remote location and relatively small size, it has a Norman Foster skyscraper, world-leading medical center that is free and has hosted international film festivals, major sports events and political summits. How is this possible?: Oil wealth and close ties between local politicians and Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t hurt.

Khanty Mansiysk has showy headquarters for Russia’s main oil companies: Rosneft, Lukoil and Gazprom-Neft. Not far away enormous drilling towers rise and gas flares burn above the birch forests and pipelines cut through the landscape. Around 90 percent of the city’s economic revenues are tied directly to the oil and gas industries.

The city is located in a picturesque area of the West Siberian lowland, where steep hills overgrown with age-old dwarf pine, rise up from the right bank of the mighty Irtysh River. Two of the largest rivers of Siberia — the Irtysh and the Ob — merge twenty kilometers from the city. Not far from town the “Coniferous Urman” ski complex with a cable car. The cedar forest of the Samarovsky Chugas Park has trails for cross-country skiing and hiking. For children there is a water park and a small zoo in the village of Shapsha 20 kilometers from the city. In the summer, there are boat tours to the confluence of the Ob and Irtysh, where you can see the floating chapel-lighthouse.

Places of interest to tourists the gold domes of the Church of Christ’s Resurrection; the gallery of the artist Gennady Raishev; the Geology, Oil and Gas Museum, which traces the history of Western Siberian oil and gas development; and the open-air Archeopark, which has bronze sculptures of Pleistocene animals like mammoths and woolly rhinosl a sporting venue that hosts international ice and skiing events. A new triple concert hall dominates the center of the town. Servicing villages that cannot be reached by road, is an ultra-modern hospital ship that cruises Ob and Irtish rivers treating the sick on board. Complex operations are supervised by surgeons from the central hospital in Khanty-Mansiysk using TV monitors that relay pictures by satellite.

Accommodation: There are several hotels of different levels in Khanty-Mansiysk. The best service and, accordingly, the highest prices at the Ugra valley Valley Complex. At the Tarey business hotel prices start from 4800 rubles per night; at the Olympics Hotel, from 3000 rubles per night. If you want to save money, it is better to rent an apartment: a one-bedroom can be found in the area of 1500 rubles per day.

History of Khanty-Mansiysk City

The first written mention of the town of the Khanty Prince Samara, where the modern city of Khanty-Mansiysk is located, dates back to 1582. In 1637, a settlement of Russian coachmen was formed in the place of this town. It was named after the Prince Samara — Samarovsky Yam.

By the beginning of the 19th century, Samarovsky Yam turned into a large village of Samarovo and became the center of crafts and trade thanks to the favourable location on the river trade routes. In 1931, a few kilometers from the village of Samarovo, a workers settlement Ostyako-Vogulsk was built, which became the district center of the Ostyako-Vogulsk national district. The settlement began to be built up with new industrial enterprises, administrative buildings, apartment houses, public and cultural institutions. By the end of 1950s, pebble roads were laid in the settlement.

In 1940, Ostyako-Vogulsk was renamed Khanty-Mansiysk, and the district was renamed Khanty-Mansiysk, since at that time Ostyak tribes began to be called Khanty, and Voguls tribes — Mansi. In 1950, Khanty-Mansiysk received the status of a city, including Samarovo village. Since 1977, Khanty-Mansiysk has become the administrative center of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug formed from the national district.

Sights in Khanty-Mansiysk

Torum Maa Open Air Museum (Ulitsa Sobyanina, 20, Khanty-Mansiysk) is located on one of the seven holy hills, in the Samarovsky Churas Nature Park, and features authentically reconstructed buildings and dwelling of indigenous peoples of the North, including a Mansi winter camp and traditional Khanty residential and household structures dating to the early-mid-19th century. You can learn more about hunting culture of the Khanty and Mansi on a special hiking trail.

At the museum you can find a 15th-17th century smithy, reconstructed using materials from archaeological excavations of Emder city; displays of idols and protectors of this land. The museum is especially active during traditional holidays of the Ob river Ugric people when Khanty and Mansi come from all over to celebrate. The most popular of these are: Tylasch pori (the Rite of Offering to the Moon), which takes place in February or March when the moon is waxing; Crow Day, which symbolizes the beginning of spring and is celebrated in April; the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, which is celebrated globally on August 9; and the main holiday for the museum staff and visitors — the anniversary of the Torum Maa Museum on October 30.

Archeopark Cultural and Tourist Complex (in Khanty-Mansiysk) covers 3.5 hectares near a rock outcropping and includes a geological monument, the Samarov Villiage Archaeological Monument (dating from the 11th-18th centuries), and a the Sculpture Park with giant bronze sculptures of mammoths and other Pleistocene-era animals and Paleolithic humans.

The park was set up where the bones of mammoths and other pre-historic animals have been found. The first large bones and tusks were found in the 19th century, when the northern region came to be called the “elephant homeland.” For local inhabitants, the archaeological findings along the river banks were not so uncommon. The bones had been in demand as a decorative material and therapeutic powder.

All the sculptures were created in cooperation with paleontologists, who made sure that the ancient inhabitants of this area look as authentic as possible. Some of the sculptures, for instance, rhinoceroses, were made in life size, while others are two to three times larger. The height of the largest sculpture in the Mammoth composition is eight meters. The sculptures are lit up at night. The little mammoth is named KoJourka. The sculpture probably has the world's only sign that prohibits mammoth climbing.

Sights Near Khanty-Mansiysk City

Floating Chapel-Beacon in Honor of Saint Nicholas (20 kilometers Khanty-Mansiysk) opened in 2013 near the confluence of two mighty Siberian rivers — the Ob and Irtysh. Blessed by Bishop Pavel of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut and consecrated by Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus, it is Russia's first floating chapel-lighthouse. The chapel is eight meters high, it weighs 10 tons and is fixed on a pontoon. Below the cross crowning the chapel there is a beacon light. There are eight illuminated alcoves with icons. The chapel is not intended to hold a service inside. Only maintenance personnel looking after the power supply can moor to it.

Originally the idea of building the chapel was suggested by S. Sandulov, president of the local branch of the Association of Ports and River Transport Owners. For river transport workers the Ob-Irtysh confluence is a special place. And for the local people — Khanty and Mansi — this is a sacred area. However, for a long time there was no monument or sign to mark the place. At the confluence of the Ob and Irtysh people have traditionally made a wish by throwing a coin into the water. The water here is considered to be sacred and many tourists wash themselves with the water of the two rivers.

Silava Ethnographic Center (near Uray, 250 kilometers east of Khanty-Mansiysk) and the Ela Hoth community of indigenous peoples "was founded in 2008 to preserve features of the traditional culture and way of life on the site of the former village of New Silava. Visitors can participate in Mansi ceremonies and celebrations and Mansi cooking and engage in recreational activities such as skiing, sledding, tubing, ice sliding and riding a snowmobile "Buran" in the winter; and pick mushrooms, berries, medicinal plants and go boating in the summer. The center may difficult to get to.

Swimming is possible in the cold Konda River. You can also go hiking on eco-trails and participate in various types of fishing and children's entertainment programs. The community has assembled a small museum of household items and fishing items. You can see how fishing camps were set up and a functioning bread oven and a machine for weaving mats and try grinding flour at the mill and baking bread.

Priobskoye Field

The Priobskoye field (65 kilometers east of Khanty-Mansiysk, and 100 kilometers west of Nefteyugansk) is an oil field that occupies an area of 5,466 square kilometers (2,110 square miles. It is located along both banks of the Ob River, and is serviced by the town of

The field was discovered in 1982. The northern three-quarters of the field was controlled by YUKOS via unit Yuganskneftegaz, and began oil production in 2000. In 2004, Yuganskneftegaz was bought by Rosneft, which is now the operating company of that portion of the field. The southern quarter of the field was controlled by Sibir energy, which began a joint venture with Sibneft to develop the field, with volume production beginning in 2003. Sibneft subsequently acquired complete control of the field via a corporate maneuver to dilute Sibir's holding. Sibneft is now majority controlled by Gazprom and renamed Gazprom Neft.

In 2007, the field was producing 675,000 barrels per day: 550,000 barrels per day in the northern Rosneft area and 125,000 barrels per day in the southern Gazprom Neft area. For 2008, Rosneft reported a growth of production to 680,000 barrels per day, while Gazpromneft's share grew slightly. In 2009, Gazprom Neft produced 160,000 barrels per day in its share of the field. In September 2019, Russia’s finance ministry approved tax breaks for developing the Priobskoye oilfield, Russia’s largest, to oil giants Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, Alexei Sazano.

Surgut (300 kilometers east of Khanty-Mansiysk by road) located on the Ob River and is one of the few cities in Russia that has a larger population than the capital of its federal subject. It is home to about 375,000 people compared to 80,000 in Khanty-Mansiysk. Surgut is home to the largest port on the Ob River, the largest road-railway junction in northwest Siberia. Two of the world's most powerful power plants — the SDPP-1 (State District Power Plant 1) and SDPP-2 (State District Power Plant 2), which produce over 7,200 megawatts — are also there supply most of the region with relatively cheap electricity.

Surgut's economy is tied to oil production (the city is known as "The Oil Capital of Russia") and the processing of natural gas. The most important enterprises are the oil firm Surgutneftegaz and Surgutgazprom (a unit of Gazprom). The Surgut-2 Power Station providing Energy for the city is the largest gas-fired power station in the world. In addition, there are factories: gas processing, stabilization of condensate, motor fuel. Enterprises food (meat processing, dairy, etc.) industry, timber industry. Manufacture of building materials (production of reinforced concrete structures, etc.).

The city is served by the Surgut International Airport, which offers flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Dubai, Irkutsk, and a number of other cities. Through Surgut are trains to the east (in Novy Urengoy, Nizhnevartovsk), to the south-west (in Tyumen, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg). Road P-404 connects Surgut with Tyumen. Places to stay in Surgut include the Ob, Den, Ark, and Center hotels

Old Surgut is a historical and ethnographic complex with 14 restored copies of wooden houses that once stood in the city. Among them “house of nature”, “House of local historian”, “house of Cossacks”, “House of indigenous peoples of the North” and others. Every winter, the center hosts a festival of ice sculptures.

Barsova Mountain Tract (west of Surgut) is located he state natural and archaeological park. Barosova Gora stretches for eight kilometers along the right Bank of the Ob river. Along the tract there are remains of ancient buildings, sanctuaries, burial grounds, some dating back to the Stone Age. In total, there are more than 400 archaeological sites on Barsova Mountain. It is better to visit this place in the summer or early autumn. The standard tour lasts about three hours.

Nefteyugansk

Nefteyugansk(30 kilometers west of Surgut) is located to south of the Ob River and is home to about 125,000, people. It was founded on October 16, 1967, after an oil field had been discovered on a small forest clearing in the middle of the taiga marshland in 1961. The main and the only big enterprise in the city, Yuganskneftegaz, was founded in February 1966. The name 'Yugansk' comes from the indigenous Khanty name of a small river near the city, neft' means oil in Russian, and gaz is natural gas.

The economy of the city remains petroleum-based, and was a major center for the Russian oil enterprise YUKOS, which owned Yuganskneftegaz. In fact, the "Yu" in "YUKOS" comes from the "yu" in "Nefteyugansk" and therefore from "Yuganskneftegaz". The other three letters come from the oil-refining factory "Kuibyshev-Org-Sintez", situated in Samara.

Nefteyugansk has been at the center of violence and drama involving YUKOS. On June 26, 1998, city mayor Vladimir Petukhov was shot dead on the way to his office. Before his murder, Petukhov had been on a hunger strike demanding that the chairmen of municipal and district tax offices be dismissed from their positions and a criminal case against Yukos be filed on counts of tax evasion. Petukhov's widow later on called for an investigation into Mikhail Khodorkovsky's role in events. Back then Khodorkovsky was head of Yukos. On September 20, 2005 Dmitry Yegortsev, acting mayor of Nefteyugansk, was assaulted and wounded with a knife. After the stabbing of Yegortsev, Igor Gribanov took over City Hall as acting mayor. Just a few months later, he died of carbon monoxide poisoning at his home on January 6, 2006. Since January 2005, Yuganskneftegaz has been owned by the state-owned oil company Rosneft. [Source: Wikipedia]

Hay Al Ruv Ethnographic Center of Indigenous Peoples of the North is an 1.5-hectare open air ethnographic which recreates the Khanty camp and has a house, storage shed, traditional tent, "red" tent for visitors and a bread oven.

Nizhnevartovsk

Nizhnevartovsk (220 kilometers east of Surgut) is home to about 250,000 people. Since the 1960s, the town has grown rapidly in the coat-tails of the Western Siberian oil boom due to its location beside the Samotlor oil field along the right bank of the Ob River. The presence of the petroleum industry has made it one of the wealthiest cities in Russia. Accommodation is available at the Hope, Aviator, Venice and Waters hotels.

Nizhnevartovsk is situated in the Sredneobskaya Lowland of West Siberian Plain, in the middle course of the Ob River on its northern bank. It remained a relatively small settlement until the 1960s when the Soviet authorities began widespread prospecting for the petroleum industry in the Western Siberia region, discovering the Samotlor oil field, one of the largest oil fields in the world, beneath the nearby Lake Samoltor to the north of Nizhnevartovsk. During the early boomtown years, Komsomol volunteers were brought in from across the country to construct the city, whose population soared from 2300 people in 1959 to 15,663 in 1970.

Lake Samotlor is the home of the massive Samotlor oil field. A visit to the lake is part of a local oil tour, during which you can see how oil is produced, and study the history of the development of fields in Western Siberia. Tourists visit the Samotlor oil field, the school of drilling masters and eat in the dining room with the oilmen. The tours are hard to arrange on the spot, They need to booked in advance through a travel company. Oil tours can be combined with a visit to a Khanty camp.

Samotlor Field

Samotlor Field (near Nizhnevartovsk) is the largest oil field of Russia and the sixth largest in the world. Owned and operated by Rosneft, it is located at Lake Samotlor in Nizhnevartovsk district and covers 1,752 square kilometers (676 square miles). The field was discovered in 1965; development began in 1967 and first oil was produced in 1969. Nearby Nizhnevartovsk went from being a small village into a booming oil city as Samotlor became the most important oil production base of the Soviet Union. After breakup of the Soviet Union the field was owned by Samotlorneftgaz and TNK-Nizhnevartovsk, which later formed TNK-BP.

At Samotlor Field a total of 2,086 well clusters (containing more than 17,000 wells) have been built and about 2.6 billion tons of oil has been produced. The peak production occurred in 1980 when Samotlor produced 158.9 million tons of oil. Production has been in decline ever since, although according to TNK-BP the field production has stabilized over the past few years.

The proven reserves are approximately 44 billion barrels. The field is 80 percent depleted with water-cut exceeding 90 percent. At the end of the 1990s, production rate dropped to 300,000 barrels per day. However, through an aggressive exploration program and application of cutting-edge technologies TNK-BP had raised production up to 750,000 barrels per day. TNK-BP plans to invest US$1 billion per year for maintaining oil production at the level of 30 million tons per year. The production of oi in 2012 was 332,782 barrels per day. The estimated oil in place is 4 billion barrels. The oil comes from Cretaceous formations.

Ural Mountains

Ural Mountains are the traditional dividing line between Europe and Asia and have been a crossroads of Russian history. Stretching from Kazakhstan to the fringes of the Arctic Kara Sea, the Urals lie almost exactly along the 60 degree meridian of longitude and extend for about 2,000 kilometers (1,300 miles) from north to south and varies in width from about 50 kilometers (30 miles) in the north and 160 kilometers (100 miles) the south. At kilometers 1777 on the Trans-Siberian Railway there is white obelisk with "Europe" carved in Russian on one side and "Asia" carved on the other.

The eastern side of the Urals contains a lot of granite and igneous rock. The western side is primarily sandstone and limestones. A number of precious stones can be found in the southern part of the Urals, including emeralds. malachite, tourmaline, jasper and aquamarines. The highest peaks are in the north. Mount Narodnaya is the highest of all but is only 1884 meters (6,184 feet) high. The northern Urals are covered in thick forests and home to relatively few people.

Like the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States, the Urals are very old mountains — with rocks and sediments that are hundreds of millions years old — that were one much taller than they are now and have been steadily eroded down over millions of years by weather and other natural processes to their current size. According to Encyclopedia Britannica: “The rock composition helps shape the topography: the high ranges and low, broad-topped ridges consist of quartzites, schists, and gabbro, all weather-resistant. Buttes are frequent, and there are north–south troughs of limestone, nearly all containing river valleys. Karst topography is highly developed on the western slopes of the Urals, with many caves, basins, and underground streams. The eastern slopes, on the other hand, have fewer karst formations; instead, rocky outliers rise above the flattened surfaces. Broad foothills, reduced to peneplain, adjoin the Central and Southern Urals on the east.

“The Urals date from the structural upheavals of the Hercynian orogeny (about 250 million years ago). About 280 million years ago there arose a high mountainous region, which was eroded to a peneplain. Alpine folding resulted in new mountains, the most marked upheaval being that of the Nether-Polar Urals...The western slope of the Urals is composed of middle Paleozoic sedimentary rocks (sandstones and limestones) that are about 350 million years old. In many places it descends in terraces to the Cis-Ural depression (west of the Urals), to which much of the eroded matter was carried during the late Paleozoic (about 300 million years ago). Found there are widespread karst (a starkly eroded limestone region) and gypsum, with large caverns and subterranean streams. On the eastern slope, volcanic layers alternate with sedimentary strata, all dating from middle Paleozoic times.”

The fauna of the vertebrate animals in the Reserve includes 19 fish, 5 amphibian and 5 reptile. Among the 48 mammal species are elks, roe deer, boars, foxes, wolves, lynxes, badgers, common weasels, least weasels, forest ferrets, Siberian striped weasel, common marten, American mink. Squirrels, beavers, muskrats, hares, dibblers, moles, hedgehogs, voles are quite common, as well as chiropterans: pond bat, water bat, Brandt's bat, whiskered bat, northern bat, long-eared bat, parti-coloured bat, Nathusius' pipistrelle. The 174 bird bird species include white-tailed eagles, honey hawks, boreal owls, gnome owls, hawk owls, tawny owls, common scoters, cuckoos, wookcocks, common grouses, wood grouses, hazel grouses, common partridges, shrikes, goldenmountain thrushes, black- throated loons and others.

Mount Narodnaya: the Highest Mountain in the Urals

Mount Narodnaya (700 kilometers northwest of Khanty-Mansiysk) is the highest mountain in the Urals. Also known as Naroda and Poenurr and "People's Mountain", it is 1,894 meters (6,214 feet) high. It lies in in Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug but is only 500 meters east from the border of Komi Republic. The name is derived from the nearby Naroda River.

Mount Narodnaya is the highest point in European Russia outside the Caucasus and rises 1,772 meters (5,814 ft) above the landscape. Narodnaya is located in the Ural mountains water divide, and therefore on the border between Europe and Asia: The mountain is formed with quartzites and metamorphosed slates of the Proterozoic Eon and Cambrian Period. There are some glaciers on the mountain. Also, there are sparse forests of larch and birch in the deep valleys at the foot of the mountain. The slopes of the mountain are covered with highland tundra.

Mount Narodnaya was identified in 1927. If you ascend from the territory of Ugra, you first need to get to the village of Saranpaul (by helicopter from Berezovo, in the winter you can snowmobile), then about 180 kilometers to overcome by all-terrain transport to the camp site “Desired”, where you can climb Narodnaya and Manaragu. The cost of the tour, depending on the time of year, transport and service varies from 15,000 to 200,000 rubles, with a lot of the cost depending on whether you use a helicopter or not..

The easiest route to the summit is a technically easy hike on the moderate north-west slope. Depending on snow and ice conditions, crampons may be required. The south wall of Narodnaya is steeper and less commonly used to reach the summit. Accommodation: The cost of living at the camp site “Desired” — from 2300 rubles per day. In the forest in tent-for free.

Numto Natural Park

The Numto Natural Park (400 kilometers north of Surgut) is in the center of the Western-Siberian plain. The park covers 7,217 square kilometers and was created in 1997 to preserve the unique natural complexes of the Siberian Uvaly and protect the places where the the northern Khanty and forest Nenets live and work. The area is also inhabited by many animals and birds included osprey, white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, red-footed falcon, gyrfalcon, and others.

Because of its remoteness and difficulty to access, the Numto lake area remained a “blank space” during the development of Siberia. It was explored properly only in the early 20th century. It was first described by A. Dunin-Gorkavitch, who reached the place with reindeer teams in November 1901. He wrote: “Thus, during this journey I was able to explore the Kazym River and the watersheds of four other rivers: Kazym and Nadym on one side, Pima and Trom-Yugan on the other, as well as the Samoyed Lake Numto, known as “the lake of God”. The lake is located at the following coordinates: 63°30'N 41°30'E. It's oval in shape and has a narrow sandy spit from the northwest”.

The traveler gives a rather detailed description of some of the area's features: “...to the south from the lake, some 35 kilometers away, there is a watershed of four- rivers, from which the Kazym River begins. The watershed area is actually a tundra with huge hills up to 64 meters high with bogs in between. And these very bogs have springs and that is where the rivers Kazym, Nadym, Pim, and Trom-Yugan begin”.

Numto Lake was a kind of a sanctuary for peoples of the northern Ob. It was worshiped like a living creature. Even fishing was prohibited there. Some of these religious bans still exist; for example, it is not permitted to chop ice with an axe, fix anchoring poles in the lake bottom or block the connection between the lake and the Ukhlor Gulf with nets. With the coming of the winter, the Khanty and Nenets people come to Holy Island to offer a deer in sacrifice.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation (official Russia tourism website russiatourism.ru ), Russian government websites, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Yomiuri Shimbun and various books and other publications.

Updated in September 2020

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Welcome to the land of sheer silent whiteness. Its vast expanses are filled with fresh Arctic air, howling winds, and the spirit of true adventure. Come with us to the lands of the ancient Khanty and Mansi tribes that survived in this harsh climate of the Nether-Polar Urals . See the mountains that defy any logical or geological reason for their existence. Experience the wonders of this sparsely populated land where you can hardly see a human trace. Welcome to Yugra!

Flora & Fauna

Water resources, landmarks and tourism, major mountains, mount narodnaya, mount zaschita, mount neroyka, the pyramid mountain, samarovskaya mountain, ski and sports facilities, protected sites, reserves, national and natural parks, rivers and lakes, major cities, khanty-mansiysk.

The Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area – Yugra (KhMAO) is located in the central part of the West Siberian Plain, stretching from west to east from the Ural Range to the Ob-Yenisei Watershed. The vast areas of this plain, as well as the Lower Priob region, are considered one of the most recently inhabited areas.

The Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area (KhMAO) was established in 1930. Its name comes from two main northern indigenous peoples – the Khanty and the Mansi. From 1944 it was legally part of the Tyumen Region , but in 1993 the Area received autonomy and became a full-fledged territorial entity of the Russian Federation. It is a part of the Urals Federal District. The administrative centre is the city of Khanty-Mansiysk , whereas the largest city is Surgut. The word Yugra was introduced to the name of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area in 2003 to pay tribute to the old name used by the locals to call the territories lying beyond the North Urals.

The KhMAO borders the Komi Republic in the north-west, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District in the north, the Krasnoyarsk Area and the Tomsk Region in the east and south-east, the Tyumen Region in the south and the Sverdlovsk Region in the south-west.

The area of the territory is 534,801 sq.km, the length from north to south is 800 km, from west to east is 1400 km. The population of this huge territory is 1,674,676 people as of 2020, which is the same amount as people living in Barcelona or Munich.

The main part of the territory is a huge, poorly dissected plain where absolute elevation marks rarely exceed 200 meters above sea level. The western part of the KhMAO territory is characterized by low and middle mountainous terrains with some Alpine relief featured in the Subpolar Urals. Here are ridges and spurs of the mountain system of the North Urals and the Subpolar Urals. The maximum absolute elevations are on the border with the Komi Republic . Mount Narodnaya (1,895m) is the highest peak.

More than 800 species of higher plants grow in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area . Almost the entire territory is covered by taiga forests that occupy about 52% of the area. Spruce, fir, pine, cedar, larch, birch, alder grow here. In the northern parts of the area, the composition of the vegetation is greatly influenced by perennial permafrost. Light lichen grasslands which are used as deer pastures are widespread there. Tundra dominates in the mountainous and hilly areas. River floodplains and lowlands are characterized by meadow vegetation, the so-called water meadows. High floodplains of large rivers are mainly covered with woods that mainly feature willows, birches and aspens. Forests and swamps are rich in berries and various valuable plants, most of which are used in traditional indigenous medicine.

The animal world is typical for the Russian taiga zone. There are 369 species of vertebrates. Mammals are represented by 60 species (28 of them are commercial species). The most common and valuable of them are wild reindeer, elk, fox, sable, fox, squirrel, marten, ermine, Siberian weasel, polecat, mink, weasel, otter, hare and others. Wolverine and West Siberian river beaver are included in the Red Book of Russia.

There are 256 bird species in the region, including 206 sedentary and nesting species. Some rare bird species are listed in the Red Book. There are 42 species of fish in rivers and lakes. Of these, 19 species are commercial, among them are starlet sturgeon, lelema, muksun (whitefish), pelyad, chir, lake herring, wader, tugun, freshwater cod, pike, ide, roach, bream, fir, perch, ruff, golden and silver crucian carp, carp (carp is grown in the cooling ponds of the Surgutskaya and Nizhnevartovskaya hydroelectric plants). Sturgeon is listed in the Red Book. There is an abundance of mosquitoes and gnats in the area, the greatest activity of which is in the second half of summer.

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area. Reindeer

Yugra can boast of over 2 thousand large and small rivers, the total length of which is 172,000 km. The main rivers are the Ob (3,650 km), the Irtysh (3,580 km). These are some of the largest rivers in Russia. Other significant rivers include the tributaries of the Ob (the Vakh, Agan, Tromyogan, Bolshoy Yugan, Lyamin, Pim, Bolshoy Salym, Nazym, Severnaya Sosva, Kazym rivers), the tributary of the Irtysh (the Konda River) and the Sogom River. Ten rivers are over 500 km long. All the Yugra rivers with the exception of the rivers in the Ural part of the region are characterized by rather slow currents, gentle slopes, some surge wave phenomena, spring and summer floods. The Ob River basin extends over a distance of 700-200 km from the mouths of its tributaries. Such abundance of water facilitates the appearance of floodplain swamps and seasonal lakes.

The region's swamps are predominantly of the upper and transitional type. Those water basins occupy about a third of the region. About 290,000 lakes with the area of more than 1 ha are surrounded by swamps and forests. The largest lakes are Tursuntsky Tuman, Levushinsky Tuman, Vandemtor and Trmemtor. The deepest lakes are Kintus (48 m) and Syrky Sor (42 m). However, most of the lakes (about 90%) are modest and quite small and have no surface runoff.

The area is rich in resources of fresh, mineral and thermal underground waters, which are still insignificantly used.

The climate is moderately continental. Winters are harsh, snowy and long, and summers are short and relatively warm. The territory is protected from the west by the Ural Mountains but its openness from the north has a significant impact on the climate formation because cold air masses from the Arctic freely penetrate the area. The flat character of the terrain with a large number of rivers, lakes and swamps also has its impact. Most of the precipitation falls during the warm seasons. But even with a small amount of precipitation, their evaporation is very low, which as a result contributes to the formation of the zone of excessive moisture throughout the Yugra. The snow cover is stable from late October to early May, its height varies from 50 to 80 cm. The region is characterized by a rapid change of weather conditions, especially in transitional seasons (autumn and spring), as well as during the day. Late spring and early autumn frosts are rather frequent and can happen even until mid-June. Average January temperatures range from -18ºC to -24ºC (0 F to -11 F) and can reach -60ºC to -62ºC (-76 F to -80 F) when the northern cold air masses break through. The average temperature in July, the warmest month of the year, ranges from +15ºC to +20ºC (+59 F to +68 F) and on very rare days can reach a maximum temperature of +36ºC (+97 F). The prevailing wind direction is north in summer and south in winter.

The weather in the mountains is quite changeable and cool even in summer. The best time to visit the region's mountains is between July and mid-August.

The Yugra of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area has a huge natural resource potential. These are oil and gas deposits, forests, gold and iron ore deposits, as well as bauxites, copper, zinc, lead, niobium, tantalum, brown and hard coal deposits, rock crystal, quartz and piezo quartz, peat deposits, etc. The region has plenty of natural resources. In terms of natural gas reserves, the Yugra ranks second in the Russian Federation after the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District .

The industry is dominated by oil and gas production, power generation and processing industries, including woodworking except for pulp and paper production.

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area. Pump-rocking

The Khanty-Mansi area has very developed tourism of all kinds. There is a modern infrastructure for cultural exploration as well as for active recreation.

Fans of sports and eco-friendly tourism will be able to conquer majestic mountains and raft down picturesque rivers, enjoy the beauty of nature in nature reserves and natural parks. The hills and mountains of this area open up endless opportunities for skiing and snowboarding.

The mountainous part of the Subpolar Urals located on the territory of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area is very beautiful. The highest peaks of the Ural Mountains are situated here.

Being the highest point of the whole Urals, Mount Narodnaya (1,895 m), also known as Naroda and Poenurr and translated as People's Mountain is territorially situated in the Subpolar Urals, on the border of the Yugra Area and the Komi Republic . It is the highest point in European Russia outside the Caucasus. This leads to its large topographic prominence of 1,772 metres (5,814 ft).

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area. Mount Narodnaya

The top of the mountain is half a kilometre from the border towards Yugra. As for the name of the mountain, scientists could not come to a common opinion for a long time, so there are two versions. According to one version, in the Soviet years, an expedition of pioneers gave the mountain a name in honour of the Soviet people - Narodnaya (the stress is on the second syllable). According to the other version, even before the arrival of the first Soviet tourists, the peak was named after the River Naroda (the stress is on the first syllable) flowing at the foot of the mountain. The Nenets peoples called the River Naroda Naro, which means a thicket or a dense forest, and the Mansi peoples called it Poengurr or Poen-urr, which translates as the top, or head. The maps used to refer to it as Mount Naroda or Mount Naroda-Iz. Nowadays, it appears everywhere as Narodnaya.

In the 1980s, someone set a bust of Lenin on the top of the mountain. Its remains can be found there to this day. There is one more symbolic relic there – some Orthodox believers erected a worship cross on top of Mount Narodnaya after a Procession of the Cross.

The slopes of the mountain are steeper in the north-east and south-west and there are many steep rocks on them. The south-eastern and northern parts of the mountain are more gentle but they are also covered with scree. Be vigilant and careful when climbing! On the slopes of the mountain, there are many not only boulders but also caverns filled with clear water as well as ice. There are glaciers and snowfields. From the north-eastern part of the mountain, you can observe Lake Blue near which tourists and travellers like to make bivouacs.

Mesmerizing with its beauty and inaccessibility, it attracts many tourists and fans of active recreation. This majestic mountain is quite remote from the settlements, so getting to it is not an easy task. The mountain is located in the Yugyd Va National Park , so it is necessary to register in advance and get a visit permit from the park administration. How to get to the park administration and get a permit, read the article on the Yugyd Va National Park .

Mountain Zaschita (1,808 m) is the second-highest peak in the Ural Mountains, after Mount Narodnaya . Mysteriously, the name of the mountain, which roughly translates as Defense or Protection Mount, does not correlate in any way with the Mansi names of the nearby mountains and rivers. The origin of the name is unknown. There are some speculations but we will consider just one of them. On the map of the Northern Urals which was made by the Hungarian researcher Reguli the closest peak to Mount Narodnaya was called gnetying olu. Its location coincides with that of the present-day Mount Zaschita . The name gnetying olu in the Mansi can be deciphered as a mountain on which there is some help from ice. The mountain is believed to protect deer grazing on glaciers from mosquitoes. So, early topographers called the mountain more briefly – Mount Defense. Indeed, the slopes of this mountain are covered with a lot of snow and glaciers (the Yugra, Naroda, Kosyu, Hobyu glaciers and others). And it is here that the Mansi shepherds bring their deer which can rest on glaciers and snow. Summarizing all the above, we can say that Zaschita Mount is to some extent protection for deer from mosquitoes. The very name Zaschita appeared on maps with the beginning of hiking tours in the Subpolar Urals.

Mount Neroyka (1,645 m) is 100 km from Neroyka village, the closest tourist base to this peak. In the 1950s, people who were engaged in quartz mining near the mountain worked and lived in this base. Later, a gravel road was built from the village of Saranpaul to the mountain for large-scale development of the quartz deposit. In recent years, the road has not been much used and is practically not cleaned from snow in winter. There has been a plant built 20 km down from the mountain for primary processing of quartz with the use of nanotechnologies. There is an annual big camping event near the mountain. It is organized by the Tourism Department of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. You can have a 1-hour helicopter ride to the mountain from the village of Saranpaul. Should you wish to fly from the city of Khanty-Mansiysk , be prepared to fly over the taiga for 2.5-3 hours.

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area. Mount Neroyka

Quite inquisitive tourists happened to discover, by a lucky chance, a Pyramid similar to that of Cheops but four times bigger. It is located on the territory of the Narodo-Ityinsky Ridge. The closest to the pyramid is the village of Saranpaul. The sizes of the found pyramid are as follows: the height is 774 m, in comparison to the Egyptian pyramid which is 147 m; the length of a lateral edge is 230 m whereas the Egyptian pyramid is 1 km. The pyramid is located precisely according to the cardinal directions, there is not a single degree deviation at that. The origin of the pyramid is unknown, scientists are still making assumptions. No traces of human activity were found near the pyramid. The only way to get here at this time is by helicopter.

Samarovskaya Mountain is another wonder that is baffling many people. It is dividing the city of Khanty-Mansiysk into northern and southern parts. Few now living residents know that in the old days the highest part of the modern city used to bear a plural name of the Samarovsky Mountains among which there were Mount Palenina, Komissarskaya, Miroslavskaya, Filinova, and Romanova. Originally, there was a village called Samarovo amidst these mountains. Until now, many issues bewilder both residents and scientists. How could a mountain form in the middle of the West Siberian Plain? What is inside it? Won't the weight of the buildings erected on the top of the mountain affect its height? The uniqueness of Samarovskaya Mountain is that it consists of numerous large stones, boulders, rocks that are absolutely foreign to this area. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on the mountain’s origin.

The Yugra is very famous for its ski resorts, the main of which are:

The Cedar Ravine ski resort (Surgut city, Naberezhny Ave. 39/1)
Three Mountains (Trekhgorie) ski resort (30 km from Nizhnevartovsk, Ermakovsky settlement)
Stone Cape (Kamenniy Mys) ski resort (near the city of Surgut)
Pine Urman ski resort ( Khanty-Mansiysk , Sportivnaya Str., 24)

The far-away lands of the Yugra are the blessed sanctuaries for many animals as the area is rather hostile to a human There are reserves, natural parks, wildlife sanctuaries here that aim to protect the national treasures of the lands. Having visited these regions once, you would crave for coming back again and again to feel that unique sense of unity with nature, to forget about the urban fuss and and hustles whatsoever. The harsh but beautiful nature of this extraordinary area leaves an indelible trace in the soul of every person.

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area. Samarovsky outlier. Archeopark

On the territory of the district there are 25 specially protected natural areas, the most famous of them are:

The reserves are two: the Malaya Sosva Reserve and the Yugan Reserve, the latter was established in 1982 as the largest reserve of taiga landscapes. The purpose of the reserves was to study unobtrusively and carefully preserve the endemic flora and fauna without disturbing natural processes. Hunting and economic activities are prohibited here, which is important for the preservation of natural ecosystems.
The natural parks are the Samarovsky Chugas Nature Park, the Siberian Sloping Hills (Uvaly), the Numto (also called Lake Numto), and the Kondinskie Lakes.

These reserves and natural parks offer tourists their own excursion programs to make visiting their territory much more enjoyable and educational.

The Samarovsky Chugas Nature Park is located in the center of Khanty-Mansiysk , on a small hill between the Ob and Irtysh rivers.

The territory of the Siberian Sloping Hills (Uvaly) natural park is 350 km away from the city of Khanty-Mansiysk . You can get there by helicopter or by plane. The office of the park is located at 7a Pionerskaya Street, Nizhnevartovsk.

The Kondinskie Lakes Natural Park is located 380 km from Khanty-Mansiysk . Half of the park is covered with swamps, but there is also a recreational area. There you can rest, swim, do some amateur fishing, picking berries (cowberries, cranberries) and mushrooms is permitted. There is only one independent walking route here, it runs for 3 km in the deep forest. It is a cool place for kids since the park is equipped with sports grounds, a pool and a small zoo where the kids can interact with brown bear cubs. What else, try the TaiPark, it is a rope course running at the height of 2.5 meters, having 15 stages, the full length is 125 meters. There is an opportunity to order water walking tours in the town of Sovetsky, which can be reached by train from Khanty-Mansiysk .

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area. Kondinskie Lakes

The Numto Nature Park is located almost in the center of the West Siberian Plain, in the Beloyarsk district of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, 300 km from the city of Surgut and 200 km from the town of Beloyarsk. It is located on the border of Yugra and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area. The administration of the park is located at 2, Beloyarsky micro-district, 4a. The territory of the natural park is a treasure trove of archaeological and ethnocultural monuments. As of today, there have been discovered 20 architectural monuments, including fortified and not fortified settlements, places of worship abandoned by the peoples who lived here from the Stone Age to almost the present day. Researchers have also found 65 monuments of ethnic value, the main of which are worship objects, sacred places and cemeteries.

The Malaya Sosva Reserve includes several subordinated territories and sanctuaries, including Lake Ranghe-Tour. The reserve offers a 4-km walking guided route that gets the visitors introduced to the typical features and characteristics of flora and fauna of the region. The route is called Bear Trail and you can spot bears there (don’t come close though, we’ve already written how to behave if you meet a bear in the wild). Also, you will see the River Malaya Sosva, some marshes, ancient cultural monuments and other nice sights. Permission to visit the reserve can be obtained from the administration of the reserve at Lenina Str. 46, town Sovetskiy.

As to the Yugan Nature Reserve , it is inaccessible to common hikers who are afraid of flying since there are no roads to it. The only way to get there is taking a helicopter ride. You also must obtain a permit in the administration of the reserve, go accompanied by employees of the reserve, and only on special transport of the reserve (motorboat, snowmobile). The central manor of the Reserve and the administration are located in the village of Ugut. To get to this village, you should first go to the town of Surgut, then go to the town of Pyt-Yakh, and from it there is a road to the village of Ugut. It is about 100 km from Ugut to the southern border of the reserve i, and another 25 km to the nearest cordon. The administration works from Monday to Friday. You can request a permit via mail at [email protected] , order a guided tour at [email protected]

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area. Yugan Nature Reserve

The Yugra lands are heaven for water sports aficionados. They can have some awesome fishing or go rafting along such rivers as: the river Naroda, the Deep Sabun, etc.

The Naroda River is 140 km long. It is the left tributary of the Manya River located in the Ob River basin. The river has its origin on the south-western slope of Mount Narodnaya . It is a mountain-taiga river with rapids, swifts, numerous rolls, which attracts interest among water tourists. However, it is usually not rafted very often.

The Deep Sabun River flows through the territory of the Siberian Sloping Hills Nature Park. The park has developed multi-day water routes. It is possible to raft along the river in summer and to go skiing along it in winter.

The Kondinskie Lakes are a system of lakes along the left bank of the Konda River. The largest lake is the Arantur, with pine forests on the northern side and sandy beaches well equipped for a nice relaxing me-time. The water heats up well in summer. The small river Okunevaya and the river Maly Akh flow into the lake. The Maly Akh comes in on the west side and connects lake Arantur with Lake Pon-Tour. This lake is the richest in fish, and there is also a parking lot for fishermen here. The streams connect Pon-Tour with small lakes Krugloe and Lopukhovoye. When you look at Lopukhovoe lake, you feel as if you have found yourself in a fabulous place: more than half of its surface is covered with white lilies, as well as yellow flowers of the water-beans. Then the river Big Akh, which flows into the river Konda, connects all the lakes into a single system. Along the river there are many archeological monuments such as forts and settlements which have paths to them. The southernmost lake of the park is Ranghe-Tour.

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area. Rivers and Lakes

Yugra is not the easiest destination and not the most accessible, but the effort is well worth it. You should first get to the capital of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area – the city of Khanty-Mansiysk either by air or by train.

Khanty-Mansiysk is based on the premises of the former village Samarovo founded in 1582. It used to be the territory of the Khanty people and a pit stop for coachmen who rode their wagons across the country. The village was founded by Russian Count Samara, thus the name Samarovo. The modern city actually began to develop in 1930 because amidst the Siberian taiga there finally started to appear stone houses on the high bank of the Irtysh River. In 1940, the village was renamed into Khanty-Mansiysk by the name of the peoples living on this territory – the Khanty and the Mansi, and in 1950 it received the status of a town.

The city has several attractions. Mount Samarovskaya is probably the biggest natural and scientific wonder. It divides the city in two parts and causes many concerns for urban developers who always wonder whether this mountain can move making the buildings slide or even sink in.

Another beauty is the century-old cedar grove that is within the city limits. The grove is a part of the natural park Samarovsky Chugas. The word chugas in the language of the Khanty means a lonely hill in the low river floodplain.

The park is one of the main attractions of the city, it hosts an open-air ethnographic museum called the Torum Maa, a cultural and tourist complex called Archaeopark, a biathlon center. Kids and adults, nature lovers and fans of culture love this place dearly.

A memorial sign to Yugra's discoverers is installed on top of the Samarovsky Chugas. It is a tall stele pyramid divided into three portions. On the lower level, there is a restaurant, on the second level is a small museum, and on the third level there is an observation deck, 40 m above the ground, with a magnificent view of the Irtysh River and the river port. The pyramid is decorated by the bas-relief depicting the discoverers of the region, from the 16th-century Count Samara to the geologists of the 20th century.

Another trademark of Khanty-Mansiysk is the State Museum of Nature and Man. The museum hosts a gallery and a workshop of a famous artist G. Rayshev.

The city has a lot of small monuments generously spread around the city. There is the Khanty family resting on a camp, this monument is near the airport building. You can take a pic at the Golden Tambourine located at the intersection of Gagarin Street and Mira Street. Connoisseurs of culture should also visit the Sun – the Theatre of Ob-Ugrian Peoples, it is the world's first professional theatre of Khanty and Mansi peoples. And if you are travelling with kids, the Khanty-Mansiysk Puppet Theatre is a must-visit. In the period from May to October, you can take a boat ride to the confluence of two rivers – the Ob and the Irtysh. Yugra Service Co. operates such cruises, you can find more information locally at their address Tobolsk Trakt street 4, Khanty-Mansiysk .

Explore Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra with the PeakVisor 3D Map and identify its summits .

Department of Subsoil Use and Natural Resources of Ugra

Department of Subsoil Use and Natural Resources of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra (Depnedra and Natural Resources of Ugra) is the executive body of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra (hereinafter referred to as the Autonomous District) performing the functions of implementing the unified state policy and regulatory legal regulation, management of state property, provision of public services in the field of geological study, use and conservation of the subsoil, modernization of the oil and gas complex and rational use of hydrocarbons; forest and water relations, use, reproduction, protection of wildlife and their habitat, organization and functioning of specially protected natural areas of regional importance.

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Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above · Russia Travel Blog
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug or simply Yugra is located in the heart of Russia - in the north of Western Siberia. It is the main oil and natural gas region of the country and one of the largest oil producing regions in the world (about 60% of Russian oil). Yugra climate is equivalent to the climate of the Far North.
Khanty-mansi Autonomous Okrug: Russia'S Main Oil-producing Region
The largest cities are Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, and Nefteyugansk. As of the early 2010s, about 51 percent of the oil produced in Russia and 7.3 percent of the world's supply came from Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, making the region very important economically. More than 10 billion tons of oil has been was recovered from the okrug's fields ...
Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug
The Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area (KhMAO) was established in 1930. Its name comes from two main northern indigenous peoples - the Khanty and the Mansi. From 1944 it was legally part of the Tyumen Region, but in 1993 the Area received autonomy and became a full-fledged territorial entity of the Russian Federation.
Department of Subsoil Use and Natural Resources of Ugra
Company:Department of Subsoil Use and Natural Resources of Ugra, Government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, State, Oil industry, State and social structures, Russia, Ural Federal District of the Russian Federation, Khanty-Mansiysk