Jun 16, 2017

Manfrotto Off Road Hiker 30L backpack

Introduction

The Pentax crowd is probably more interested than most in anything related to the outdoors. Given the company's focus on compact, weather-sealed cameras, it is not surprising to find many adepts of hiking, climbing, backcountry skiing and the like among Pentax users.

In the past, photographers who wanted a backpack to carry their photo equipment as well as their regular gear were left with two choices. The first was to use a dedicated photo backpack, well suited to protect their camera but often with poor support, complicated access and little room for anything apart from photographic equipment. The other choice was to use an actual hiking backpack, and find a way to carry the camera somehow.

Things have changed in recent years. Several companies have begun offering camera backpacks actually designed to be used on trails. Comfortable support, quick access to equipment, ventilation, solutions for hydration, room for other necessities can now all be found in one bag.

Manfrotto is one of those companies offering modern bag designs. Their Off Road line of products includes bags, walking sticks, tripods and accessories.

Today we take a look at the Off Road Hiker bag. Available in both 20L and 30L configurations, this backpack is intended for photographers leaving the house for one or maybe two days. It offers several innovative features, and one in particular that is rarely found on photo backpacks: a mesh back intended to improve ventilation on the back. Not everyone likes such a design, but many who have tried it claim there's no going back.

We will analyse the larger of the two versions of the Off Road Hiker, able to carry more equipment. It is available in four different colours; we look at the red one. Will this bag deliver on its promises? Read our review to find out!


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