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Home >> Photography >> Accessories Lowepro
Rover Backpack
Heck, we could say five backpacks if we include the Omni Trekker, which is a suitcase style case that comes with a less than adequate backpack harness (never used for its intended use). The first two backpacks were sold off in a fit of desire to carry every single piece of gear I owned into the field. Then I actually tried to carry almost every single piece of gear I owned and realized how much folly this was. The desire for this backbreaking exercise was to try and cover all shooting needs, from moderate telephoto coverage with my 35mm kit to landscapes with my Bronica medium format kit. Even with a large backpack such as the Pro Trekker, I would have to compromise on the amount of gear taken and that meant isolating and specializing on what each kit would do. A fully loaded Pro Trekker could weigh as much 60 lbs without consideration for any food; water and extra clothing you would want to take along the trails. After a few uses I found the Pro Trekker to be overkill for the light-duty hikes near the city. A smaller backpack along the lines of my first one, the Orion Trekker, is closer to the ideal that I have in mind for such a pack. For those unfamiliar with the Orion Trekker, it is a packsack that is divided into two sections, the lower one for photo gear and the top one for other sundry items. The Orion Trekker should not be confused with its closely related cousin, the Orion AW, which is a two piece pack that also has Lowepro’s brilliant All-Weather cover. The Orion AW can be used a large fanny pack or converted to a decent size backpack. I liked the Orion Trekker when I owned it but I felt the need for something a bit beefier for my next backpack. There are plenty of choices available in the local stores from Lowepro and Tamrac but I had always had my mind set on one of the Rovers offered by Lowepro. At first the Rover AW was the primary choice but the extra cost of this pack compared to the plain Rover did not seem justified, so I went with the regular Rover instead. The main differences between the two are:
The color scheme is also slightly different but that is of no consequence since either pack is conservatively colored in black and beige. This color scheme puts the Rover packs in Lowepro’s Street and Field system of harnesses, belts, packs, and pouches to make for the most versatile photo carrying system available.
When I looked over the pack in the store, the amount of storage space seemed okay but I had a vague notion that it did not compare to the cheaper but similarly sized Orion Trekker. At home, I was disappointed at the minimal amount of storage space provided by the Rover and the next time I was in a photo store, I checked over the Orion Trekker to confirm that this older style pack does in fact provide more space. We’re probably talking about 1.5 to 2 inches of lateral space at the most but this does make a big difference. To its credit, the Rover does provide a higher storage space than the Orion Trekker and that allows me to place an 80-200mm f2.8 lens upright with its hood reversed for storage. However, the storage well is angled downwards towards the front access, so the large lens can only be placed at the back of the pack. The fit is very snug with the 80-200mm, 35-70mm and a SB28DX flash stored in the side pockets with a D100/MB-D100 and 18-35mm lens attached in the middle compartment. This is a pretty basic kit and would normally be the minimum I would want to bring along with me for general shooting and it does all fit but, just. The upper storage area is fine for a light jacket and small snack items but that is about it. All in all, I don’t think the Rover is as big as the older style Orion Trekker; however, the Rover does beat the Orion Trekker for harness comfort and flexibility for expansion. The Rover’s harness is very nice and is of the type normally found in better backpacks. A waist belt with good kidney padding provides comfort along with a chest strap for less jiggling and jostling around on the trails. A hideaway tripod pouch completes the general superiority the Rover has over the Orion Trekker. A modest to medium-size tripod and head fits best and my medium-sized Gitzo 1345 and Arca Swiss B1 works well, as well as my latest Manfrotto 190 and 308 tripod and ball head combo. Two straps at bottom and top of the pack provide additional support for the tripod, which runs down the middle of the backpack. Personal Choice Despite my misgivings about the Rover and its inadequate amount of storage space (I’m not asking for Pro Trekker space, just a few inches here and there), the Rover made for a better long-term purchase than another Orion Trekker or another similar-size and quality backpack. As part of the Street and Field system, the Rover can have additional pouches and cases added on with minimal fuss. This expandability is what I bought the Rover for, as I envision eventually having a S+F Top Loader case as well as a couple of Utility pouches added onto the belt and harness system for a more versatile pack. The idea is to not use the backpack for photo gear actually and to place the gear in the Top Loader and pouches where I can access them quickly. The backpack portion would then be used for just regular backpacking needs such as extra clothing, food, and water. To access the tripod, one would still have to unpack the Rover from the shoulders or, carry the tripod over the shoulders, but for me, this seems to be the best compromise for easy access to the gear while still being able to carry some other items along for a long 4-6 hour hike. Keep in mind that the Rover is hardly an expedition size or quality backpack and the type of use I think is appropriate for it are for day hiking over moderate trails. When I do outfit the Rover with the additional pouches, I will update this review; however, don't count on the update to happen until about spring 2003. |
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Correspondence & About this website Copyright © 1998-2008 Edwin Leong |
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I
am now onto my fourth photography backpack since starting this crazy
hobby some years back. For the record they are (were):
Storage
Space