Despite the recent last gasp of winter, that spring itch to spend warm days hiking in a state park or on a nature trail is driving me crazy. I’m also itching to hit the streets at night for a few photo shoots. Either way, I need a good backpack.
Recently, I tested two backpacks that combine style with technology. The first is a backpack made to haul camera equipment without breaking the back. The second backpack combines comfort with some serious security.
The first is from a company called Chrome. The Niko Camera Pack is designed to hold camera equipment, a laptop and whatever else you need on a long walk or hike.
The Niko is about 18 inches tall and loaded with compartments. The top accesses an empty space as well as a pocket that stretches down the back of the bag and can hold up to a 15-inch laptop. The main compartment is accessed by a center flap that unzips to reveal adjustable pads that can be molded to hold a camera, lenses, batteries or whatever equipment you wish to carry. The inside of the flap has pockets to hold smaller items.
The back is covered in thick, stiff cushions cut in a pattern that distributes the pack’s weight across your entire back. The shoulder straps are well-padded, and quick-release chrome brackets allow for easy adjustment.
I had the Niko loaded up with about 15 pounds of camera equipment. Add the 4 pounds of the bag itself, and that’s a pretty good chunk of weight to carry around. I’ve been ill lately, so I readily admit I’m out of shape. I expected that weight to wear me out quickly. Surprisingly, it didn’t.
The design of the back cushions and the chest strap distributed the weight really well across my back, shoulders and upper rear. After a couple of hours, the walk itself had me more tired than the backpack’s weight.
I only wish the shoulder straps had a bit more length so you could sling the bag around to the front and access the camera compartment while the bag hangs sideways. The center flap allows this, but the straps aren’t quite long enough to make it easy to do while wearing the bag.
That’s more of a design suggestion than a complaint. The Niko is an impressive bag, with lots of room and adjustable chambers to hold camera equipment. The waterproof exterior and weight distributing design makes it ideal for photographers.
The next backpack is from a company called iSafe. It’s the Urban Crew Campus Laptop Backpack. This isn’t an ordinary pack - this one has a security system inside.
This backpack would be great for those night photo sessions or night classes on campus. But I can also see it being used for those who might get lost in the woods.
The key to this backpack is the speaker in the bottom and the small pin located under a flap on the right shoulder strap. Pull this pin, and the backpack sets off a security alarm - a really LOUD security alarm.
The alarm is made up of two sirens screaming at a whopping 125 decibels each. That’s like being at a loud rock concert. It’s enough to cause pain after awhile, so I wouldn’t recommend testing it too long.
But if you’re walking across a campus and someone tries to grab you, this alarm definitely will cause a distraction and likely will alert more than one person nearby. It also would work if you were lost in the woods. Assuming someone is looking for you, I suspect rescuers could hear this alarm for quite a distance. With fresh batteries, the alarm can last a couple of hours.
In addition, there’s a strobe light on the front of the backpack, centered at the bottom. The strobe can help with locating someone who has set it off, whether they’re in a dark alley or deep in the forest.
Security aside, the Urban Crew is a nice backpack. The one I tested had lavender trim that broke up the stark black. The nylon exterior makes the backpack water- and shock-resistant, even with the security components inside. The zippers are a bit stiff, but that should improve with use. The interior is loaded with space and pockets to organize whatever you need to carry.
The backpack is fairly comfortable as well. The straps are wide and well padded, so they don’t cut into the shoulders too much. The back is covered with thick cushions that lessen the impact on your back as you walk. It doesn’t have the chest strap like the Niko bag, so the pack will move quite a bit and may tire out your back after awhile. Basically, it’s a good-quality, standard backpack if you take away the security features.
Assuming the weather cooperates soon, these backpacks may get some pretty heavy use. I’m ready for some hiking, and now I can carry my equipment a lot easier and not worry about getting lost. Bring on the warmer weather!
Melissa L. Jones can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
Where it’s @
The Chrome Niko Camera Pack retails for $180. The iSafe Campus Laptop Backpack requires two 9-volt batteries and retails for $89. More information on the Chrome pack is available at www.chromebagsstore.com. More information on the iSafe backpack is available at www.isafebag.net.
Business, Pages 21 on 03/25/2013