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
1
Please don’t
on December 23, 2025
Posted by: Alsu
from Colorado
Jack of all trades, master at quite literally NONE.
I’ve been looking for a bag to meet my photography needs over the last few years, with versatility being top of scope, as I’m frequently traveling to remote destinations. I thought this bag would be the perfect fit for carrying my camera gear while traveling, hiking 10+ miles a day, and whilst also being suitable for an “everyday” camera bag in the city. I purchased it along with the “shmedium” camera cube.
Does it easily allow attachment for the capture clip? Nope. Mine has fallen off 3x it’s such a tight squeeze
Does it have room for my gear in the cube, + my laptop with a protective sleeve? Nope
Keys? Good luck
Wallet? lol
Fear not though, there are 10000 straps that are effectively useless unless you have an engineering degree (which I do, and still find absolutely infuriating)
Run, don’t walk, away from this one.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Great features and design
on December 22, 2025
Posted by: Allen
from Boise ID
I bought the Outdoor Backpack coupled with the Travel Tripod and the backpack is well designed and manufactured and works great. The primary purpose is for hiking and photography.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
3
Great but not perfect
on December 13, 2025
Posted by: mgl
from Austin,TX
I had a decent experience with this bag and overall I like it but not perfect. I don’t use it as a hiking or outdoor backpack; I primarily use it as my daily bag. I carry my MacPro 14-inch and iPad Pro M4 13-inch, lunch container, headphones, water bottle, jacket, pens, and a calculator. It works well for my needs and can handle small loads. Occasionally, I also carry a PD xsmall camera cube with my Sony A6700 camera and a Sigma 18-50mm lens set at the bottom.
The best upgrade from my old daily bag (a PD 20-liter everyday bag) is the harness system. I would go back to the everyday bag if PD introduced the harness system to their everyday bags. It’s very comfortable, especially with heavy loads and while riding a bicycle. Every review praises the long side pockets, but I’m not a fan. I can’t reach my water bottle or anything from the pockets while walking, I have to remove the back to do so, which is something I can easily do with my everyday bag or even with a real outdoor backpack from other companies. I think one long pocket and one regular pocket would be better.
The top handle is too small and takes time to grab in certain quick situations, like when jumping in or getting out of an Uber. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement. As I said before, PD should bring the outdoor line harness system to their everyday bag packs. I wouldn’t buy this bag at full price; it’s not worth it. Other outdoor brands offer comparable and cheaper options. Wait for a sale; I got it with a 30% discount, and I believe that should be the actual price.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Rugged and sleak
on December 13, 2025
Posted by: EDC Enthusiast
from Pennsylvania
I never liked most hiking backpacks because they always looked bulky. This one, however, breaks that mold. Not only is it built well from great materials and is modular enough to fit your needs, but it looks so good and sleek that I wouldn't mind using it as an everyday backpack, either. Can't wait to put it through its paces on my next hiking trip!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Very good backpack
on December 9, 2025
Posted by: sinolight
I have used this backpack (25L black) for half a year now and I am very satisfied with it, I would recommend it to anyone. The build quality is good and we see and feel it is well thought. I use it as an everyday bag, a travel bag when I leave for 2-3 days and a hiking backpack (for day hikes) ; in any case I don’t use water bladder. I especially like the mesh pocket on the straps, the capture clip mount points and the camera cube compatibility. Being able to load/unload the backpack either from the top opening or the back opening is really helpful both when preparing and when on the go. I take advantage of the sides pockets by storing a 1.5L water bottle and a XS ultralight packing cube. The Ultra-Cinch is very practical and never fails on me !
Few improvments suggestion : I would mention that the exterior shell wears-off quickly on « pointy angles » especially because when using the back opening (to access camera cube for example), the bag usually sits on the ground (meaning dirt, rocks and stuff when hiking). The side pocket with my water bottle became semi-floppy though the bottle is not small. Lastly, the torso belts feel sub optimal to me, it’s often hard to find the hook on the strap and hard & slow to unlock them as well. Nothing major though.
Few improvments suggestion : I would mention that the exterior shell wears-off quickly on « pointy angles » especially because when using the back opening (to access camera cube for example), the bag usually sits on the ground (meaning dirt, rocks and stuff when hiking). The side pocket with my water bottle became semi-floppy though the bottle is not small. Lastly, the torso belts feel sub optimal to me, it’s often hard to find the hook on the strap and hard & slow to unlock them as well. Nothing major though.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Great bag.......glad I bought it.
on December 8, 2025
Posted by: Ken01
from Connecticut, USA
This backpack turned out to be as good as I had hoped. The compression straps on the sides are easily removable, improving the looks and usability. The water bottle pockets are made of sturdier material than many other bags. Interior accessibility to the main section is fine when the zippers are pulled down halfway. A single sternum strap seems to be adequate for my needs. The attachment points for a capture clip work perfectly. The shoulder straps are a bit stiff, but only in comparison to a Nemo bag. The color (eclipse) looks better than in some of the online photos.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
4
Great Overall EDC Backpack
on December 4, 2025
Posted by: RayD
from San Francisco
Great EDC backpack. I wish it had a few more compartments inside for organization, but overall it is very comfortable and durable.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
4
Great but no easy access
on December 2, 2025
Posted by: Matt
from France
I've had this bag for over 6 months and I love it. I use it in cities and the countryside ! It’s very useful with or without camera cubes ! I have a lot of bags from Peak Design, and I think that the EDC ones are nicer but not as tidy as the ones with camera cubes possibilities. My dream would be a 20 or 25 urban bag with camera cubes ! A sort of mix between this "outdoor" bag and the Everyday ones, with a side access to my gear ! Maybe in a few months ?
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design