Most outdoor photographers - myself included - subscribe to the N+1 theory of gear ownership, especially when it comes to backpacks. Over the last 26 years I’ve carried by camera gear in backpacks by no fewer than a dozen different manufacturers. You name it, I’ve probably worn it. Some were good, a couple were pretty great and a few were downright terrible. My current pack, the f-stop Tilopa, is somewhere between good and pretty great. Even so, when a well-known company launches a new backpack designed for hard core outdoor use, my ears perk up. When that company happens to be one whose products I already use and love, I’m even more eager to dig into the details.

So, when an email announcing the launch of Peak Design’s Outdoor Line landed in my inbox, I couldn’t click on it fast enough. The Outdoor Line consists of two new backpacks, a 25L and a 45L, and two slings in 2L and 7L sizes. The new packs and slings are compatible with Peak Design’s existing line of Camera Cubes and Ultralight Packing Cubes, both of which I currently use. Peak Design is launching all of the new products through Kickstarter. Their success with other products on Kickstarter is somewhat legendary, and as of this post they’ve already far exceeded their funding goal.

The pack that I find most attractive - and the one I’m personally backing - is the 45L. There are so many unique features of this pack that I can’t cover them all here, but some of my favorites include:

- Fully adjustable harness designed to fit a wide range of body types, with built-in storage pockets and built-in Capture Clip attachment points on the shoulder straps AND waist belt. I use the Capture Clip on my f-stop for quick camera access without having to remove the pack and it’s brilliant.

- Access through the back panel, which isn’t uncommon on camera packs but for me, it’s an absolute necessity. If a pack doesn’t have it, I’m not interested.

- Load lifters. Like back panel access, any pack of this size that doesn’t utilize load lifters is automatically DQ’d. If you don’t know what these are, they are straps that attach the shoulder straps to the top of the backpack that allow you to snug the backpack into your back, thus increasing stability and in my own experience, comfort.

- Dedicated hydration bladder pocket with hose routing. There are actually two pockets in which you can carry your hydration bladder, one of which is also padded to protect up to a 16” laptop. Obviously, you wouldn’t carry your bladder and laptop in the same pocket.

- The Ultrazip backpack closure is probably one of the most unique and functional backpack closure design I’ve ever seen. Not only does it offer super fast access through the top of the pack, it allows for pack expansion and the carry of additional equipment on top of the pack. I’m super psyched about this feature!

The Peak Design Outdoor Line 45L pack has the potential to be one of the very best photo packs on the market. If it’s as good as the other Peak Design gear I regularly use, it’ll be fantastic. If you’re wondering what other Peak Design products I use, they are:

- Peak Design Travel Tripod. By far, my favorite tripod for air travel. It packs down very small, weighs next to nothing and has been as reliable as a Toyota for over a year now.

- Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L. I’m on a plane almost every week, and this pack is my go-to carry on. It’s comfortable to wear, looks sharp, swallows more stuff than you would think possible and has stow-away shoulder straps.

- Peak Design Tech Pouch. My job requires me to carry a variety of cables, cords, and other gizmos and the Tech Pouch easily stashes it all in several pockets, making it super easy to organize.

- Peak Design Camera Cube. My f-stop Tilopa came with it’s own Internal Camera Unit but I prefer the Peak Design Camera Cube size and design, so I’ve been using it in my f-stop pack.

If you’re in the market for a new backpack for outdoor photography, definitely check out the Peak Designs Outdoor Line 45L as it might just be exactly what you’ve been looking for.