Customer reviews from Peak Design
Peak Design - Outdoor Backpack 45L - Black
Average customer rating
4.3
(276 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 276 reviews
5 Stars
171
4 Stars
59
3 Stars
25
2 Stars
11
1 Star
10
87%of customers recommend this product.
(
202 out of
232)
Customer Reviews for Peak Design - Outdoor Backpack 45L - Black
Customer Rating
5
Kick assery on so many levels
on March 25, 2025
Posted by: Mr Dowsett
from Canada
I have so many Peak Design bags it's embarrassing lol
But i have lots of needs... so I change from one to another as needed
But i have lots of needs... so I change from one to another as needed
The Outdoor Backpack is perfect for me outside camping and hiking or for what I really use it for ... getting to and from the office on my bike in crappy weather with camera gear and clothes
It's the perfect mix of style meets function, i can have my gear and my clothes / lunch / laptop etc all within reach in a wonderfully waterproof system
I grabbed this during their Kickstart campaign and I cannot be happier! This bag is bomb proof in rain, sleet and snow... sure it looks like someone pooped on it from the road spray BUT I know my gear is warm and dry and that's what counts
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Love the features and build quality
on March 25, 2025
Posted by: Gus
from Honduras
This backpack works perfect for my needs when I travel, or ride my motorcycle on photo trips. Durable materials, easy access, many storage and expansion options, works great with the camera cubes and it looks really cool!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Extraordinary bag
on March 25, 2025
Posted by: Justin Focus Photography
from San Antonio Texas
I love this bag so much that I have the white and black 45 L and the white 25 L
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
3
Dissapointed
on March 25, 2025
Posted by: dinarsclub
from Colorado
I was so excited for this bag I actually bought both the 25L and 45L during the kickstarter. Given the reviews from some big hitter photo and outdoor folks and the quality of other PD stuff, I had high hopes. Overall, in my opinion and for my uses there are some major design flaws and overlooked things. The quality of the pack is good; it's already spent a bunch of time in the dirt and on the trail and I have no doubt it will hold up over time. My favorite thing about the pack is the waist belt, which is an add on for the 25L and sure glad I did! The padding and strap are great and I love the pockets. Some of my biggest issues with the bag itself is the design of the bladder holder. I'm not sure what bladder they tested with but I don't have any that have a long enough hose to go through the bottom of one side, up the other side of the pack inside and then still be able to reach out and down the strap. Minor, but annoying that it didn't come with the clip to hold the bladder up at the top. The loop is useless. I like the pockets on the backpack straps, but if you use a camera clip you completely lose one of those pockets. Not to mention that the camera clip barely fits on the strap designed for it. I have not tried it on the waist strap because I personally don't like carrying my camera there. The straps also squeak something fierce while walking. Depending on how much you carry, the 25L is a bit of an awkward size. With the SMedium cube I could barely get an extra layer and a lunch in on top. The 45 is too big and bulky for most day hikes and scrambling up and down rocks. Luckily, my camera setup, paired down will fit in the small cube which then allows for more hiking and day gear. I do like the rolltop opening design and the pouch in the front is pretty good for stashing things, but that is where I keep the rain fly too, so some room is taken with that. I haven't quite figured out the extra strings for strapping stuff to the front as that's also not my favorite way to carry stuff while hiking, climbing, and scrambling. There are some other minor grievances I have, some I have figured out some workarounds for, and others I just try and ignore. I still use the bag regularly, since I have it and even on kickstarter was pretty expensive. Part of me wishes I had just bought a new Think Tank Rotation 360, which is what I used to use, but had finally gotten to its end of life. I was SO excited and hopeful for this bag. Like I said I do still use it. There are some nice features but overall I'm fairly disappointed!
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
4
Top quality
on March 25, 2025
Posted by: EPF
from Massachusetts
This is my second pack. I still own the original (with the side openings).
I bought the new one because I found that the accessing my gear from the sides created a problem of dropped gear if I forgot to zip it up.
I'm still getting used to the new one (lots of options to make it fit comfortably). I like being able to tuck the hip belt away.
I miss the ability to slide the pack over my carry-on.
Needs work on better integrating the camera cube and the pack. Maybe have the ability to remove the cover of the cube when in the pack?
All your products are of the highest quality. Still a fan!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
3
Doesn't hit the high standard of Peak Design!
on March 24, 2025
Posted by: Anonymous
from London
I love Peak Design products, but I wish I had read the other reviews on the internet, something doesn't hit the mark
Cons: It's quite hard to access the main comportment. The rolltop doesn't really make any sense There are way too many strings everywhere, it does feel like it needs an engineering degree to figure out how to make everything work. I wish there were more organisation pockets inside.
Pros: Material is great, sturdy. I like the front straps, and the pockets inside of them. It looks good, and works well with the eco-system.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
1
Beta version of the backpack
on March 21, 2025
Posted by: still_wolf
from Europe
I borrowed the 45l backpack for a weekend in nature with the SMedian Cube. My findings:
+Comfortable back system
+Finally a better-made hip belt
+Interesting and probably durable material in the front
+Two side pockets on each side, the smaller one allows you to remove a bottle without taking off the backpack
+The shoulder straps are great and the option to insert a phone or attach a Capture (I haven't tried it) is amazing
+Kangaroo pocket
+Comfortable back system
+Finally a better-made hip belt
+Interesting and probably durable material in the front
+Two side pockets on each side, the smaller one allows you to remove a bottle without taking off the backpack
+The shoulder straps are great and the option to insert a phone or attach a Capture (I haven't tried it) is amazing
+Kangaroo pocket
-The front pockets have no pockets (like the Everyday or Travel)
-No side entry
-The fabric (except the front part) is relatively thin to translucent - I don't know if it will withstand branches and won't tear
-I don't understand the 2 chest straps, they are difficult to put on, it's tedious and after 15km and 1.5km in altitude I hated them (however, they understood the optimal mechanism for the hip belt)
-The long cord of the main compartment caught on branches several times, as well as the board benches
-The main compartment cord often does not hold in front of the main compartment lid. It would be enough if the cord was pulled through the eyelet to the additional cord above the back :-D (that no one thought of)
-The main compartment has one main magnet and 2 auxiliary ones. It is not enough, at least 4 auxiliary magnets would be needed.
-Inside the main compartment only one pocket without an organizer (gold Everyday and Travel)
-I understand that PD want to sell a lot of Paking Cube, but one free compartment is more suitable for hiking. I do not want to look for which Cube I put spare socks in after a hard hike. It would be possible to put a ZIP and Velcro around the perimeter of the main compartment and in case of interest, the customer could buy a pocket and make a compartment in the backpack like Shimoda has.
-Probably due to pressure on customers to buy Tech Pout, there are no organizers in the main compartment
-For a hiking backpack, I would like a bottom pocket in the backpack for a light sleeping bag
-Although they appreciate the idea of putting the hydration pack closer to the back due to the leverage principle, putting it so close to the photo equipment without waterproofing is not wise. At the same time, the tube gets in the way when opening the hole (if they had made a hole for the tube in the part of the back system, where the hydration bladder strap begins, and not at the entrance to the main compartment of the backpack, the tube would just disconnect from the shoulder strap and the back lid would open when I take out the camera; or they could have been inspired by the Osprey system)
-Very poor hydration bladder attachment
-A pointless race for low weight, but when using all those Cubes, the backpack is still much heavier than it would be with integrated organizers
-It's a shame there's no mount for a rear bike light
-The PD logo could have been reflective
-I would have liked a set of auxiliary straps instead of cords that are thin and cut into things
-If Shimoda makes a more airy back for the X series, this backpack will be unsellable
-No side entry
-The fabric (except the front part) is relatively thin to translucent - I don't know if it will withstand branches and won't tear
-I don't understand the 2 chest straps, they are difficult to put on, it's tedious and after 15km and 1.5km in altitude I hated them (however, they understood the optimal mechanism for the hip belt)
-The long cord of the main compartment caught on branches several times, as well as the board benches
-The main compartment cord often does not hold in front of the main compartment lid. It would be enough if the cord was pulled through the eyelet to the additional cord above the back :-D (that no one thought of)
-The main compartment has one main magnet and 2 auxiliary ones. It is not enough, at least 4 auxiliary magnets would be needed.
-Inside the main compartment only one pocket without an organizer (gold Everyday and Travel)
-I understand that PD want to sell a lot of Paking Cube, but one free compartment is more suitable for hiking. I do not want to look for which Cube I put spare socks in after a hard hike. It would be possible to put a ZIP and Velcro around the perimeter of the main compartment and in case of interest, the customer could buy a pocket and make a compartment in the backpack like Shimoda has.
-Probably due to pressure on customers to buy Tech Pout, there are no organizers in the main compartment
-For a hiking backpack, I would like a bottom pocket in the backpack for a light sleeping bag
-Although they appreciate the idea of putting the hydration pack closer to the back due to the leverage principle, putting it so close to the photo equipment without waterproofing is not wise. At the same time, the tube gets in the way when opening the hole (if they had made a hole for the tube in the part of the back system, where the hydration bladder strap begins, and not at the entrance to the main compartment of the backpack, the tube would just disconnect from the shoulder strap and the back lid would open when I take out the camera; or they could have been inspired by the Osprey system)
-Very poor hydration bladder attachment
-A pointless race for low weight, but when using all those Cubes, the backpack is still much heavier than it would be with integrated organizers
-It's a shame there's no mount for a rear bike light
-The PD logo could have been reflective
-I would have liked a set of auxiliary straps instead of cords that are thin and cut into things
-If Shimoda makes a more airy back for the X series, this backpack will be unsellable
Summary: I'm giving it one star because the backpack feels more like a Beta version than a final product. I'll wait for the next version of PD or Shimoda to buy a backpack :-)
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
I love this backpack!
on March 18, 2025
Posted by: Hannah
from Seattle, WA
I went back and forth about 20 times on whether or not to buy this backpack, as I have a very short torso and wasn't sure it would fit. I finally ordered it for a recent trip, and I love it! I also got the hip belt, which made it even comfier. It's adjustable enough that it fits my short little torso, and carried everything I needed for a weekend trip. I love all the pockets and how easy it is to organize. It looks sleek, it carries a huge amount for its size, and now I think I need the 45L one too.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design