Review Lowepro Photo Trekker AW II

After much deliveration I picked on of thes up for £168 I wanted a back pack which would carry all of my gear.
Saw some cheaper models but the carry straps were poor so reducing the comfort.

As I could not find a shop stocking these I had to order online.

When it arrived the first thing which hits you is the size of the thing!! it is HUGE!
It has a great main compartment, very well padded as you would expect, but there are very few other compartments! there are some sip pockets internally for mem cards and other "thin" things...but I thought ok.. not a problem as there is a further zip compartment on the front... this is empty, no hidy holes just an empty compartment which holds a 2nd rucksack!!! this 2nd sack was never mentioned in any of the writeups I read, so came out of the blue! But I dont need it!! I need somewhere to store other stuff...

The straps are Superb, the shoulder harnesses are height adjustable and everything is adjustable so the fit is spot on.
The comfort is outstanding.

Its heavy! before you add any kit. This is one serious bag, and way beyond what I require...
If I was into serious walking and nature shoots then it would possibly fit the bill, apart from the weight!!

But as I wanted it for general kit carrying in comfort it will be going back and getting swapped for a Vertex... reveiw on this to follow....


Verdict...
Well put together
Limited internal features and storage for things other than lenses and bodies...
Pointless extra bag
Far too big and heavy for "normal" use.
loads of lashing points for tripods etc...
Overkill for the normal tog...

Hi,

I read all this with interest, thanks. You drew exactly the same conclusion as I did - just too dmaned heavy. I've had a 30 litre sack filled with gear for a couple of days, and it weighs about the same as the Trekker II EMPTY.

Put in a couple of cameras, and a few lenses, add a tripod, and a couple of spare batteries, and it's actually painful to wear. I certainly wouldn't want to walk any distance with it!

What makes matters worse, is that Lowepro says it is ok for plane baggage carry on - what a joke!! It weighs twice what most carriers will allow on as cabbin baggage without anything in it.

The "Daysack" is meant to clip onto the main bag for your coat/food/drink etc.