4 Outdoor Backpacks for Hiking Photographers

1. Strohl Mountain Light 45L Backpack

Best For: Hikers who pack like a trail runner.

Designed by Alex Strohl, our good friend who eats mountains for breakfast, it's the brainchild behind his lifestyle. As a pro photographer and traveler, you no longer need to choose between a mountain pack and a camera bag — with this bag, you get both. From day hikes to overnights, this bag is designed to be SUPER lightweight and nimble with it large 45L capacity.

With rugged custom materials, taped seams, thoughtful external storage, and modular elements, it’s weatherproof and adaptable to any type of mission you can think of.

There's also a prioritized space for non-camera gear so you can bring what you need for long days in the mountains.

2. Shimoda Explore v2 25L Backpack

Best For: Those who don't mind getting dirty.

Shimoda is no stranger to rugged adventure and durability. Their entire motto is building strong bags to weather any storm for creators. With tough exterior materials, tons of straps for a tight fit around the body, and a whole interior compartment dedicated to packing cameras — it's no wonder why this bag made the list.

If you grab their Starter Kit, you'll also get the Core Unit Camera Insert which gives you shockproof protection for mirrorless, SLR and DSLR cameras and lenses. That's a steal.

It's also sized perfectly for airplane convenience. It's water-resistant, durable and meets the strictest global carry-on regulations, and even fits under an airplane seat.

25% off

Shimoda

Explore v2 25L Backpack Starter Kit (w/ Small Mirrorless Core Unit)

$279.68$372.90

The Shimoda Explore Version 2 has been overhauled to meet the needs of today’s travel and landscape photographers. Shimoda created a series of camera bags for people who pursue outdoor adventure, epic landscapes, and love photography-inspired travel. We’ve taken the all-day comfort and core functions of the original Explore series, added the robust durability of our Action X series, and topped it off with key travel and landscape features requested by our growing community of photographers.

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3. Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 45L

Best For: Camping trips, larger carry, tons of variety.

Peak Design is best known for their WFH goods catered to the techies and camera nerds — but their latest backpack design finally caters to the adventure lovers, too. This 45L bag is a lightweight, internally-framed bag crafted to handle all the stormy weather or tail rides, without forcing you to make sacrifices on space.

Plus, yes, there's an option for camera gear. Duh! It's designed to work with Peak Design's wide array of packing cubes or camera inserts, which let you dial in your protection and organization for any combination of clothes, provisions, camping gear, sport equipment, and camera gear — from a single camera/lens up to a full professional creative setup.

4. FERNWEH 50L Backpacking Camera Backpack

Best For: Overnight backpacking.

Obviously we had to include WANDRD on this list, their FERNWEH backpack is just so good. It's like their best-selling PRVKE but for the outdoors person with an appetite for a sunrise photoshoot on Mount Whitney.

It's expertly built for reaching places you’ve never been. It pushes the boundaries of comfort, access, and versatility, no matter where you take it. You have multiple clamshell openings, a quickdraw camera access, and a huge top entry point so you're not hunting for a beer or camera body during the hike.

Plus, you can wear it for the long haul without getting stinky or sweaty with his Airmesh back panel.