Tamrac Adventure 9 Photo/Computer Backpack (Grey/Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Having greatly enjoyed the fine quality and convenience of Tamrac's Adventure 8 Photo Backpack , I eagerly purchased the Adventure 9 as a more versatile travel bag. I was especially interested in being able to consolidate my camera bag and computer bag into one unit.
The Adventure 9 certainly has more room than the Adventure 8, especially in the top compartment. The bag is sturdily designed and comfortable, and Tamrac have introduced some nice extra features. I like the removable inner pocket designed for carrying laptop and electrical cords, although it would be more convenient to have it adhere directly to the bag via Velcro, rather than having the cumbersome Velcro straps that lash to inner loops.
The padded camera compartment is easier to access than the Adventure 8, although one must be careful not to spill lenses and other equipment out on the ground.
The Adventure 9 is not all good, however. The see-through lined compartment has limited uses other than as a "collect all" pocket. Tamrac's special "Memory and Battery Management System" is pretty useless if if you utilize a memory case such as Gepe's CardSafe Watertight Memory Card Case . The memory management compartment just take up otherwise needed space.
Despite its larger size, the Adventure 9 has fewer compartments than the smaller Adventure 8. There are times when I would like extra compartments in order to stash small items and extra goodies, such as small bottles of sunscreen, hand sanitizer, and lens cleaner.
As a word of caution, the padded camera compartment is deeper than it looks in the advertisement photos. If your equipment is of standard size (in other words, not gigantic), you may have to be creative with the padded inserts in order to keep your gear from shifting or flopping around inside the compartment.
When accessing the camera compartment, the top quick release buckle tends to constantly flop down into the compartment. I'm constantly annoyed with it, shoving it out of the way to get to my gear, only to have it flop back into the way.
Both the Adventure 8 and Adventure 9 backpacks have waist straps. However, the Adventure 8 has a rear sleeve in which to stash the waist straps when not in use. For some unknown reason, this sleeve was not included in the Adventure 9 pack, leaving the straps to dangle needlessly below the bag. If it didn't reduce the bag's resale value, I would probably cut the straps off just to be rid of the annoyance.
According to the Tamrac website, the rear computer compartment holds 17" laptops up to 15 1/2" x 11" x 2". Most Apple notebooks run a bit slimmer than that, so access is not a problem. My computer, however, runs those exact dimensions and will not fit due to the compartment's zipper limitations. Tamrac should have designed a wider zipper opening for easier access. I'm fearful of forcing the computer, as it may tear the zipper or the compartment.
In conclusion, I was hoping that upgrading from the Adventure 8 to the Adventure 9 would allow me the same functionality as well as the added bonus of hauling a laptop. In the end, the bags shortcomings left a bad taste in my mouth.


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The Adventure 9 is a modern backpack designed for the SLR photographer with a pro digital or film SLR with a grip and 5 inch lens attached, several additional lenses, a flash, accessories and a laptop.The completely foam-padded lower compartment protects photo equipment, while the large top compartment holds a light jacket, lunch or other necessary items.Inside the top, a Pop-Off Pocket keeps AC adaptors and laptop cords organized.A separate, completely foam-padded compartment provides quick access to a laptop (such as Apple's PowerBook G4 or others up to 15½" x 11" x 2" in size) without disturbing photo gear.Double zipper pulls provide quick access to photo gear while a weather flap and quick-release buckle provide security and weather protection.Inside the main compartment, foam pillars support the camera with lens attached, ready for action, while adjustable, foam-padded dividers protect other equipment.Tamrac's patented Memory & Battery Management System uses red flags to identify available memory cards and batteries from ones that are used up.The comfortable, foam-padded backpack harness with sternum strap is contoured to distribute the weight of the camera gear across the shoulders.

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Lowepro CompuDaypack Camera Bag (Burnt Orange) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this pack to use primarily when travelling. When I'm on vacation, I don't want to be loaded with so much gear that I'm more caught up in my equipment than my surroundings. However, I still want to be able to carry my Nikon D50; 18-70mm, 10-20mm, speedlight, 90mm macro, perhaps another lens or two, a travel tripod, a jacket, snacks, and still have room to cram in a couple of small souveniers. And while I typically leave the laptop back at the hotel, I want to have it and my camera gear with me on a plane. In addition, it has to be able to carry a fair amount of weight comfortably for a long time and be built to last. Overall, this bag meets all those criterea.
I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable this bag is when fully loaded. It does not have a hip belt, but the design of bag places most of the weight (the camera gear) at the bottom and near your back (the laptop). The straps are fairly wide and excellently padded and the back pads allow a reasonable amount of airflow and support (thanks to a generously cushioned and contoured lumbar pad).
It's sturdy enough for regular use while traveling, but you still want to excercise care handling the bag as all the camera gear sits at the bottom. I wouldn't trust it with the trained gorillas I've watched unload baggage and you don't want to drop it, but otherwise I don't worry about my gear inside it.
If possible, I would give the bag 4 1/2 stars; overall, it's a great solution to my needs, but it has a couple of minor short-comings. While it sounds minor, the one that bothers me the most is the single zipper on the main compartment. I really like the double zips on the camera case and laptop portions as they can be left closed in the center for rapid access, but that's not an option for the main compartment. I frequently find myself opening the laptop area when intending to get in the main compartment. And with a double zip, it would be possible to allow a tall narrow object (like a tripod) to protrude out the top. In addition, I'd like a little more space in the main compartment - it's a tight fit for my 14" tripod. Other items on my wish list would be a water-bottle holder, or, better yet, some loops on the outside that you could attach other items to.
Despite my minor gripes, it's obvious there was a lot of attention to detail and the pack is well engineered. When opening the camera compartment with the bag on the ground, the top portion tilts back as if hinged to allow easy access to your gear. There is room for even a large 17" laptop (Dell Latitude D810 - 14.25" x 10.5" x 1.75"). The front mp3 pocket is lined with soft cloth that won't scratch you ipod (or sunglasses) and there are good organizational features in the main compartment: couple zippered pockets, pen pockets, a key clip, etc. And all this is in an understated package that doesn't broadcast it may contain several thousand dollars worth of equipment inside - it just looks like a daypack. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this bag.

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Perfect for around campus or around town, the CompuDaypack is a lightweight yet spacious backpack. Its triple compartment design neatly manages the key components of digital photography with a rear compartment for a notebook computer (fits most 17 models) and files, and a lower compartment that accommodates a digital SLR with lens attached (up to a 105mm f/2.8), plus 2-3 additional lenses or flash units. The upper compartment holds personal accessories and cables. Tuck an MP3 player into the quick access front pocket, thread the headphones through the unique headphone port and listen to your favorite music even on the go.

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