Review by Adrian Blenkinsop ... The Lowepro Flipside 400 AW is a pack which is primarily geared toward photojournalists, but turns out to be a great choice for the rugged outdoorsy Trailpeak readers who like to bring proper photography gear along on their adventures.
The most obvious of the Flipside 400 AW features - and what presumably leads to the "Flipside" name is that the main compartment opens on inside of the pack - supposedly to prevent would-be thieves from nonchalantly unzipping your pack and running off with all of your easily accessible gear. My primary use for this pack is in the wilderness, and apart from those Adirondack bears that have figured out how to open bear canisters, I'm not terribly concerned about having my gear nonchalantly stolen from my pack while I'm wearing it.
That being said, one of the great perks of having the zipper on the inside is that it makes for easy access to the camera, especially since the pack can be spun around while keeping the waist strap on: this provides a nice stable platform for lens changes, putting on filters, or fiddling with any other accessories. The other perk is that the bag can be put on the ground without getting the harness covered in snow, dirt, mud, or slugs.
As far as contents go, as would be expected, there's a lot of room in this pack. It would easily accommodate a 300mm lens mounted on the camera, and has the usual Lowepro plethora of Velcro-customizable compartments that can securely store lenses, camera bodies, flashes, tripod heads, and probably even a mini tripod. Speaking of tripods, I was not terribly impressed with the hide-away tripod mount on the back, although it may be better suited to a smaller/lighter tripod, monopod, or a light stand. There is also some space in the front pouch which can be used to store any necessary hiking supplies and 2 external mesh pockets that easily fit a compass, GPS, water bottle, food, or anything else that may require easy access.
As the AW part of the name implies, this pack features the Lowepro AW cover, which is basically a heavy-duty shower cap for the pack which stows away when not in use. Thanks to the inside access feature of the Flipside packs, there is still full access to the main compartment with the AW cover in place.
Apart from the external mesh pockets, and the innocuous tripod straps, there are no loose straps or pockets on the pack. This is great news for those of us who like to scamper about in dense brush without getting snagged on every second branch.
On its inaugural venture, the Flipside 400 AW spent the better part of a 3 hour hike on my back with a full load of gear, water, and snacks in it. I found it comfortable, although the waist strap seemed to sit a bit high. Admittedly, I am quite tall (6'1), and a lot of that is torso, so maybe it's just me. Nonetheless, I would have no qualms about using this for day hikes or for carrying heavier lenses - I found it quite comfortable and it felt very stable on my back. On that note, I'm looking forward to the snow, because I'm thinking that with the AW cover on, this may be the ultimate way to ski and still have easy access to my photo gear without fear of it getting wet or damaged in the highly unlikely event that I should end up sprawled out on my back in wet snow or perhaps an inconveniently-located stream.
Overall, I'm very impressed with this pack. As far as I'm concerned, it's the perfect pack for the photographer who wants to take his/her gear along for adventures, without sacrificing comfort, convenience, or the safety of the equipment.
Adrian Blenkinsop
Editor's Notes: Adrian is a veteran of several Ironman Lake Placid and Canadian Ski Marathons, is an avid trail runner, hiker, and sea kayaker who also enjoys photography with is Canon Digital and wide array of lenses.
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