Lowepro Dry Zone™ 200

This is a fantastic idea! I carry digital camera gear, hard drives and LOTS of rechargeable batteries onto boats to take photographs underwater. It has all become much easier with a waterproof backpack... and it seems to be accepted as hand luggage by airlines. This big version carries a lot, two cameras, two flashguns and two lenses and an aluminium camera housing. A wildlife photographer could get almost anything into the pack, and sling a tripod on the outside, with lunch in the pocket.

The waterproof layer has a zip that would not look out of place on a drysuit, and seems just as efficient at keeping water out.

The backpack looks bulky, but it's comfortable when it's adjusted. My only reservation is that the pack is bright yellow, and stands out in a crowd, which isn't ideal when it's filled with $$000s of gear. It would be easy to find if you dropped it in the sea, though, and Lowe claim that it would float, protecting the gear inside!

I bought this bag specifically for a big trip to Europe, Africa and Asia, which included a stop in Thailand, where I was expecting to spend a lot of time on boats that weren't particularly seaworthy and I was particularly keen to visit the Emerald Cave, which involves a 200m swim through a cave to an enclosed beach.

Over the course of a month, I flew 13 flights and covered a distance of over 45,000km in the air, carrying in excess of 15kgs of gear. I was able to fit the following camera equipment in the bag with ease:
* Canon EOS 1Ds Mk III body
* Canon 24-70 2.8L lens
* Canon 70-200 2.8L IS lens
* Canon 100 2.8 macro lens
* Canon 16-35 2.8L lens
* Canon 1.4x extender
* Canon 580EX II flash
* Wolverine 250GB portable HDD
* Various other small accessories, including CF cards, etc.

The bag also has an external compartment with plenty of zippers where I was able to fit a 15" IBM laptop, along with books, travel documents, noise-cancelling headphones. While I occasionally had to remove the laptop to fit the bag into an overhead locker, I never had any problems with airport security or getting it on to the plane. The bag is also extremely comfortable to carry around and has solid chest and waist straps to distribute the load. Most innovative is the back harness system which can be eaily adjusted up or down based on your height. The bag also has a hidden fold-out tripod holder down the centre of the bag.

Of course, the best feature of the bag is the dry-suit zip. It took a little time to properly lubricate it with silicone grease, but once complete, it really has a very solid feel. While I was a little nervous climbing into the ocean with all my gear, it worked perfectly. The bag floated high in the water and not a drop of water penetrated the bag. The self-draining pockets on the outside also worked really well.

There are a few minor downsides: First, the main zip is really heavy duty and requires some effort to open and close. This means it can be difficult to get your gear in and out quickly. There is a secondary standard (non-waterproof) zip that you can use instead but the bag tends to sag without the main zip closed. Second, the yellow colour gets dirty easily. Finally, the exterior compartment is not waterproof, so if you plan to go for a swim, you'll need to remember to remove everything from that compartment.

Overall, this is another excellent bag by Lowepro. The dry-zuit zip really works superbly. Some of the design features - particularly the height adjustable harness and waist/chest straps - are superior to those on more conventional models, such as the Computrekker AW Plus. I would have no hesitation recommending this bag to anyone planning to take lots of gear into extreme climates, be it snow, water or sand. I have to admit, however, that I will probably continue use my other Computrekker, Rover and Slingshot bags on a day-to-day basis as they are simply easier to get gear in and out of the bag.

It's big and bulky, and it's not always convenient (photo backpacks never really are), but it holds aqnd protects an enormous amount of stuff and, when properly adjusted, it rides quite comfortably. I enjoy shooting waterfalls, and moving water in general, so there's a fair amount of rockhopping involved...over, through, and sometimes in streams, rivers, ponds, and surf. I've adjusted the pack to fit very snugly, and I've never felt out of balance or uncomfortable with as much as 35 lb. of gear on me in those situations, so I'm able to get into some reasonably remote locations and really work on a scene with all my tools.