Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2 and Backpack Zip Comparison Review

Internal design, Everyday Backpack 30L

Internal organization is where the Everyday Backpack truly shows its difference.

Contrary to many bags, here the top access is NOT the main access. Rather, the EDB offers full access to the entire interior of the bag via either side.

The two side access panels are symmetrical. Both offer a zipper pull at the top, and one at the bottom.

The zippers are easy to operate even when the external side pockets are being used, as long as the items are not too big. A travel tripod or water bottle will not prevent the opening of the side panels.

Once opened, each panel features, at the top, a mesh pocket closed with a small magnet. The mesh can stretch outwards a bit.

At the bottom is a second pocket, made in the same way but closed with a zipper. Inside are two smaller pockets useful for memory cards and batteries.

That zippered pocket is not intended for thicker objects, but surprisingly it is well suited to carry pancake lenses such as the FA 43mm on the picture above.

There is a subtle difference between the two side panels: one has black sewing accents, while the other has gray accents. They are discrete but could be useful to sort full and empty cards or batteries, possibly.

The actual interior of the bag is, probably, the most interesting thing about it. It uses at its core the same origami “Flexfold” dividers found on other Peak Design products, with a nice twist to better match the backpack shape.

The 30 liters EDB comes with 3 dividers, while the smaller 20 liters ships with two.

Each divider is a slim foam separator meant to follow a curved shape when inside the bag, creating either a cradle or a roof over the equipment. The dividers attach to the front and back of the bag via strong Velcro. There is a subtle mark on each divider which can be lined up with a sewing pattern inside the bag, to better center the divider.

Where the dividers really shine is with their folding sections. This really is what sets Peak Design bags’ organization apart from the rest. Each divider is split in three sections. The two end sections can bend to create a separation. The bending sections have two layers. Bending the first one creates a shelf, while bending both creates an empty space.

It is thus possible to create three separate sections on a shelf, as is illustrated by the two images above.

This creates a world of possibilities. A shelf could for instance be used to store three medium-sized lenses, a camera and lens (using two thirds of the shelf) plus one extra lens or flash. A larger lens such as the DA* 60-250 could be mounted on a large camera like the K-1 and take up one full shelf.

Completely lifting up all the dividers on one side creates a vertical volume which can be used to carry longer lenses, even a large zoom like the D-FA 150-450mm, or a D-FA* 70-200mm mounted on a camera. Folding the dividers this way effectively creates two separate sections inside the backpack. It is even possible to store a travel tripod inside the bag this way.

This product line is called “everyday”; the company does not intend that it be used solely for photography equipment. As such, the dividers (and the bag in general) can be used to carry various items. Showing good attention to details, the company for instance made sure that their small packing cube fits nicely on one shelf, and takes up exactly the width of the 30 liters bag. This packing cube could also be placed vertically on one side by lifting all the dividers.

The schematics below show a few possible options for organizing the interior of the bag. Each of these approaches free up some space in the top section, and use the dividers as "roofs" (folding sections oriented downward). There are of course many more possibilities.

Flash Tech pouch or case Camera with medium-sized zoom Prime Medium-sized zoom Long zoom (DA* 60-250mm or equivalent)
Flash Tech pouch or case Camera with medium-sized zoom Prime Medium-sized zoom Long zoom (DA* 60-250mm or equivalent)
Flash Camera with medium-sized zoom Packing cube at the bottom Medium-sized zoom

The dividers can be completely removed, or folded flat against the front or back to get them out of the way. They can also be placed so they bend downward or upward.

The Flexfold dividers are not without limitations. One is that they do not create fully closed sections. While larger items will stay in place, very small objects can move around and possibly fall to the bottom of the bag. The EDB offers several small pockets, and they should be used for smaller items, or those items should be placed in a carrying pouch.

This observation also applies to lenses. Smaller lenses such as Pentax pancakes will be much too small to be properly held in place by the dividers. Since Velcro does not attach to the dividers themselves, this limits the ability of the user to create much smaller subdivisions.

Another limitation is that heavier objects can fold back a lifted divider. For instance, a camera body with medium-sized zoom lens will take up two-thirds of a shelf. If there is nothing behind the lifted divider, the weight of the camera will push back on the lifted section and fold it back down. It is not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

Padding on the dividers is not as thick as some other such products. Based on our experience with the company’s other bags, the Flexfold dividers are perfectly suited to protect cameras greatly in a vast majority of situations. The current market trend, for most companies, has been to create thinner dividers hugging photo equipment more closely.

Access to the top section is possible from the side, but is better done by lifting the MagLatch closure. The available volume will vary depending on the position of the top Flexfold divider but, in all cases, it will offer a decent amount of space. Thanks to the volume adjustment offered by the Maglatch system, in most cases there will be approximately 8 to 16 liters available in the top section.

If the top Flexfold divider is oriented so the dividers face up, they can be used to segment the top section somewhat.

Otherwise, the volume is almost devoid of any organization tools: it is one large space.

There are two exceptions. The first is that the magnetic pockets on either sides of the bag (on the side flaps) can be accessed from the top. This can be very useful to store smaller objects.

The second exception is an almost-hidden pocket at the front, opposed to the Maglatch rungs. This pocket is easy to miss, as it sits flush with the rigid section at the front.

Closed by a magnet (what else?), it is the ideal size for a passport, cables, small earphones, and the like. Larger items will fit but the pocket will create a bulge.

The top section of the main compartment will benefit greatly from organization tools such as pouches and packing cubes. Some of that organization actually comes from the expanding pocket found in the laptop compartment. Note that when this pocket is filled, it takes up some space inside the top section.

Verdict

Internal organization on the EDB is certainly a departure from more classical backpacks. The Flexfold dividers have the advantage of offering an easy way to reconfigure the inside of the bag without having to rip off Velcro patches. There is no system on the market as easy to use as these.

The dividers have some limitations, mainly the small gaps they leave between sections, and the lack of fine control over the size of each section.

The several pockets distributed on the sides and top of the EDB help with organization. The top section, where most users will stuff their non-photography gear, offers little in the way of organization. It has the advantage of providing a rather large volume.

In summary, thanks to the multiple entry points and the flexibility of the dividers, the EDB is one of the most versatile and easily configurable backpack available today.