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
3
It’s not an outdoor bag. It’s an outdoor photo bag
on April 30, 2026
Posted by: Vladimir
from North Carolina
I have mixed feelings. I should say this is not an outdoor bag for hiking. It’s still behind Osprey or Deuter backpacks. Main compartment is easy accessible from the top and back. I like it. The front top pocket is useless for big items because the material is not stretchy. The same for small front pockets. They are good for keys and snacks but there’s no place to store a big box with sunglasses. It would be nice to have some sort of a top pocket for additional items.
I would not buy this bag for hiking. There are better brands.
BUT…
The bag is great for my outdoor photography adventures. I don’t want to carry a typical photo bag which has usually bad ventilation and feels bulky. This bag is for carrying photo tools all day long. Shoulder straps provide great support with heavy weight. But there is too much cushion which soaks water during rain. The idea of having special attachment points for a camera plate on both straps with two different heights is great. This is the main issue with typical outdoor bags because they don’t have good attachment points for the plate (straps are too wide). Over fit is for narrow shoulders, great for me, might be an issue for more muscular shoulders. Side bottle / tripod pockets are super deep and stretchy so they can fit 32oz Yeti bottles easily.
I tested the bag in 2 hours of rain and no leaks inside. Let’s see how the zipper insulation will look after one year.
I would not buy this bag for hiking. There are better brands.
BUT…
The bag is great for my outdoor photography adventures. I don’t want to carry a typical photo bag which has usually bad ventilation and feels bulky. This bag is for carrying photo tools all day long. Shoulder straps provide great support with heavy weight. But there is too much cushion which soaks water during rain. The idea of having special attachment points for a camera plate on both straps with two different heights is great. This is the main issue with typical outdoor bags because they don’t have good attachment points for the plate (straps are too wide). Over fit is for narrow shoulders, great for me, might be an issue for more muscular shoulders. Side bottle / tripod pockets are super deep and stretchy so they can fit 32oz Yeti bottles easily.
I tested the bag in 2 hours of rain and no leaks inside. Let’s see how the zipper insulation will look after one year.
My summary is 3 stars because it’s advertised as an outdoor backpack. Get this bag if you do long hikes with camera gear. Don’t get it for regular hiking adventures.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
3
Good Bag but poor sizing for airlines
on April 28, 2026
Posted by: crusted
The 18L Outdoor Backpack is of excellent quality with no apparent defects other than it is an inch too big on two of three dimensions to qualify as a "personal item" on Air Canada plus most European Union airlines. As such, it is a problem when carrying with another "Carry On" like my PD 48L Travel Bag.
Otherwise the back is pretty good on flights where I have checked luggage (rare for me).
I am currently on a long trip using a checked bag and with the 18L being my only bag for camera gear and personal items. The bag is good but for reasons I can't explain, awkward. For example the city on the shoulders won't let me use a capture clip to the straps.
Otherwise the back is pretty good on flights where I have checked luggage (rare for me).
I am currently on a long trip using a checked bag and with the 18L being my only bag for camera gear and personal items. The bag is good but for reasons I can't explain, awkward. For example the city on the shoulders won't let me use a capture clip to the straps.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
4
Good with some quibbles.
on April 26, 2026
Posted by: d-ron
from Philadelphia
This review is for the 18L version - PD doesn't show you which version of the bag people bought in their reviews which is just silliness.
Overall I like the bag and will be keepingit. I'll be replacing a smaller Osprey hiking bag with this for day hikes and festivals and such.
Pros:
- LOVE the all the connection points. They're ALL over the bag but totally invisible which is super cool.
- I like being able to take off/rearrange the external cords. Hiking bags tend to have all these silly straps and hooks and loops and cords, as if all the people buying them are going ice climbing. In reality they're just liabilities waiting to get caught on the nearest shrubbery and I end up cutting them off. Take them all off and it just looks like a normal bag
- chest straps are removable in the same vein
- shoulder straps are wide and comfy
- seems waterproof but haven't had a chance to test it yet
- LOVE the all the connection points. They're ALL over the bag but totally invisible which is super cool.
- I like being able to take off/rearrange the external cords. Hiking bags tend to have all these silly straps and hooks and loops and cords, as if all the people buying them are going ice climbing. In reality they're just liabilities waiting to get caught on the nearest shrubbery and I end up cutting them off. Take them all off and it just looks like a normal bag
- chest straps are removable in the same vein
- shoulder straps are wide and comfy
- seems waterproof but haven't had a chance to test it yet
Cons:
- the optional connection points for a hip belt (sold separately) is dumb IMO. if you're putting enough weight in this bag to warrant a hip belt, you need a different bag. dead weight. I wish they had skipped that and added a luggage sleeve instead.
- I straight up don't understand why the shoulder straps have metal hooks to disconnect the top from the body but not the bottom (sewn to the bag and can't pull the strap out of the slider). what is the point of that? maybe someone can enlighten me. more dead weight
- chest straps are hard to keep parallel due to the invisibility of the connection points. I keep attaching mine crooked. maybe I'll get used to it. or maybe I'll take a white marker to them so I don't have to guess
- the optional connection points for a hip belt (sold separately) is dumb IMO. if you're putting enough weight in this bag to warrant a hip belt, you need a different bag. dead weight. I wish they had skipped that and added a luggage sleeve instead.
- I straight up don't understand why the shoulder straps have metal hooks to disconnect the top from the body but not the bottom (sewn to the bag and can't pull the strap out of the slider). what is the point of that? maybe someone can enlighten me. more dead weight
- chest straps are hard to keep parallel due to the invisibility of the connection points. I keep attaching mine crooked. maybe I'll get used to it. or maybe I'll take a white marker to them so I don't have to guess
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
1
Too complicated and not practical in real use
on April 16, 2026
Posted by: Tegola78
On paper this looks like a perfect backpack, but in everyday use it turns out to be more complicated than useful. There are too many straps, systems, and adjustments that end up slowing you down instead of helping.
The internal organization is not very practical: to access items inside the cube you often have to open the entire backpack, which is inconvenient, especially when you need something quickly.
Another downside is the glossy front panel, which scratches very easily and starts to show signs of wear after a short time.
Comfort is also not always ideal, especially with heavier loads or during longer use, and some design choices feel impractical in real-world situations.
Overall, it’s a well-built backpack but too complicated, expensive, and not very user-friendly. I wouldn’t buy it again.
The internal organization is not very practical: to access items inside the cube you often have to open the entire backpack, which is inconvenient, especially when you need something quickly.
Another downside is the glossy front panel, which scratches very easily and starts to show signs of wear after a short time.
Comfort is also not always ideal, especially with heavier loads or during longer use, and some design choices feel impractical in real-world situations.
Overall, it’s a well-built backpack but too complicated, expensive, and not very user-friendly. I wouldn’t buy it again.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
3
Front side scratches easily
on April 14, 2026
Posted by: tn17
Love the bag and how adjustable the whole system is to fit my frame. Love the versatility of the product. 3 stars because the front material is't so hardy. Shy of a year of use and there are multiple scratches and blemishes. I haven't even used is as an outdoor pack, just local and domestic travel. In my opinion, haven't put it through the ringer so I am disappointed with how the exterior facing material is holding up.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Great lighter alternative to the 45Travel Backpack
on April 10, 2026
Posted by: Bulls96
Bought this as the lighter alternative to my 45L Travel backpack and it has performed mightily. Packing cubes and camera cubes are essential for those traveling with some camera gear.
Was able to hook up my 7L outdoor sling to the front too!
Was still able to fit this 45L backpack under my plane seat too!
Was still able to fit this 45L backpack under my plane seat too!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Great one bagger for heavy loads.
on April 10, 2026
Posted by: Jskilpatr
from Mississippi
Bought this 45L to replace my REI Ruckpack for heavier and longer trips. As an avid one-bagger for international trips, I really enjoy the hip belt support this pack gives me. It’s often loaded over 40lbs. I use the main stash pocket for the 7L Sling, which works great on long flights. Keep your seat-stuff handy while the pack goes up top.
If you’re new to the PD ecosystem, the strap/cords and their clips take some getting used to. The loops they clip on to are just starting to break in, as well as my muscle memory. They took some getting used to, but now I wish all my packs and gear had this system. They don’t slip, stash away and stay away when not in use. Which brings me back to the hop belt. When I do bring a carry-on with second bag clip, the belt and shoulder straps stow away in the back panel. The pack rests flat on my 60L rolling duffle and my hardside pilot case. For rail travel in Asia, stowing the belt and the flat shape of the pack make front-carry easy and comfortable.
To be fair, this is made more for light trail work so there isn’t a whole lot of organization like tie Travel Backpack. But with 5 nice large stash pockets and rugged belt, it’s the best one-bag for the way I travel: lots of walking and rail with the ability to go from travel to tourist to work. Love this bag.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Overall, really good, some refinements needed.
on April 5, 2026
Posted by: Streetbeetle
from Jacksonville, Florida
Overall, this is a really, really good bag. Its tough, comfortable to wear, and fits my gear snugly. I use this bag with a smedium camera cube and tech pouch and there is still a little more room at the top. Materials are space age and TOUGH. The drawstrings are woven plastic, but feel like steel cables. Additional drawstring and daisy chains are nice to have and allow improvisation while out in the field. The laptop sleeve fits a 16" non-Apple laptop, FYI (I use a Lenovo Yoga 2-in-1), but it's super snug. You're supposed to be able to fit a hydration bladder, but i was too scared to try that so close to my expensive lenses and stuff, so I will leave that to other reviews. The outside bottle sleeves fit my Yeti 32oz snugly as well, so that handles my water needs. This bag is unstructured. The structure that it has comes from the camera/packing cubes only. The shoulder straps are also wide and fit well, I wanted to use the shoulder pouches to hold my phone, but after a few minutes it was just too painful. So I just use my Chrome Industries phone pouch instead. Expensive? Yes, but worth it to protect my kit.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design