Review of the National Geographic Bag

Manufacturer: National Geographic
Model: Bag
Price: £120
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For those among you with a Ray Mears streak, the National Geographic backpack may be right up your wilderness trail.

With looks more suited to the French Foreign Legion, and environmentally friendly materials used such as hemp and cotton, the bag certainly fits the National Geographic image.

There’s plenty of space inside for your camera gear – it can easily fit a DSLR body with a lens, a couple of extra lenses and a flashgun too. There’s also a pocket at the back for a small laptop. Other essentials such as food and waterproof clothing can be stowed in a top compartment, while accessories and maps will fit into any of the four external pockets. Apparently, there’s also a concealed document pocket but I couldn’t find it!

A feature I particular like are the cloth side pouches, which can be used for water bottles or large lenses. There are also plenty of straps for attaching camera supports or lens pouches, or even camping gear.

Carriage is quite easy as there’s a useful grab handle on the top, and the straps are reasonably comfortable, if a little convoluted thanks to the ‘traditional’ brass ring system – I prefer easier to use clasps. It’s also just a little too ‘strappy’, though some of the straps can be removed when they’re not in use.

The materials used seem strong enough and although the internal padding and dividers aren’t the thickest, they all seem secure and safe. This also means the bag’s weight and size can be kept down, unlike some bags which are so padded you can barely pack any gear inside!

Verdict:
The backpack offers something a little more unusual, breaking away from current backpack styles. It comfortably holds a ton of gear and is tough and well made. It’s also adaptable, so can be used for more than just a camera bag if necessary.

Pros:
Holds loads of kit and is tough

Cons:
Couldn’t find the concealed documents pocket – but that’s a good thing really as it means other people will have the same problem – and there’s too many straps

What Digital Camera Score: 85%