Customer reviews from Peak Design
Peak Design - Outdoor Backpack 45L - Black
Average customer rating
4.3
(216 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 216 reviews
5 Stars
136
4 Stars
44
3 Stars
18
2 Stars
9
1 Star
9
87%of customers recommend this product.
(
165 out of
190)
Customer Reviews for Peak Design - Outdoor Backpack 45L - Black
Customer Rating
1
A bag I wanted to love, but just can't...
on August 10, 2025
Posted by: A wildlife photographer
from Wherever there are wild birds...
The title is not hyperbole. I had been hoping PD would bring out a bag designed for active outdoor use since the Everyday Messenger Kickstarter (the first of many KS projects for PD I've backed over the years). So I backed this one on the first day.
On delivery, I was underwhelmed at best. But I tried to make a go of it. This is less a review of specific features (and some of the truly puzzling design issues have been addressed by others), and more about my own expectations and experience with the bag in the field on two different expeditions, and a comparison with the two bags I hoped this one would replace. This covered a two-week trip in March, 2025, a second two-week trip in June 2025, and a final one-week trip in July 2025. Of course, your experiences will be different, but I hope this is helpful in your buying decision.
My photography is primarily of wild birds, and I was looking for something that could carry long glass on long hikes. My go to that I was looking to upgrade is a skiing backpack rated at 32L. A PD Medium cube fits in there reasonably well. A bit of a struggle getting the empty cube in there, but it holds up well, can be fully loaded, and is still easily accessible from the back panel of the bag. I've taken this to the Himalayas and the Andes, and the jungles of Southeast Asia and rainforests in Central America. It has been through its paces. The second bag is a 29L waterproof bag designed for fly fishing. The medium PD camera cube fits inside it well, too, although access is a bit more problematic, but a fair tradeoff for the specific use case (basically only when a trip involves travel by Zodiac...).
The biggest reason I wanted the Outdoor 45L was to fit the large camera cube. This would allow me to take both a long lens and a spotting scope out into the field with me. I wanted this to be the perfect bag for when I went out and had to hike to get to the birds. And one of the cool things in early testing was that the water bottle pockets were large enough that it can actually hold my scope, with the tripod on the other side. So when I did get to where we were birding, I didn't have to get back into the bag to move my stuff around...
Ironically, the first use this spring -- especially a couple day hikes to remote nests in Panama's Darien region -- only made me miss the ski pack. Quite frankly, the bag was painful to carry. Yeah, I know this seems to be a feature with PD's bags. See the Travel Line bag for star witness number 1 in this regard. But this was supposed to be a new, and seemingly plush, harness! And it did initially feel good. Until it didn't. And most frustratingly of all, the load lifters and straps were both confusing and difficult to use. Making some features on bags as thin as possible isn't always a good idea. And as for the water bottle pouches? Well, after hiking up with them empty, when I got to the nesting region, I noted they had already suffered two holes. Doesn't bode well for the long-term durability of the bag, unfortunately. The insult to injury was that access to the camera cube is actually more difficult with the PD bag than it is with the skiing bag! And this is even before the issues of the other poorly thought out design choices, including the routing of the water bladder hose that prevents fully opening the back, the need to crush or move out of the way pockets (and thus lose functionality) to use the Capture Clip load points, an approach that relies on using so many cords that anyone who has spent any time in the outdoors asked for never, the lack of an integrated space for the rainfly that was on the Travel Line (and infuriatingly has a little area that seems to have been designed for just this purpose, but was never followed through on), and for the kicker -- ultimately not an appreciably greater level of storage than I have in my roughly 30L other bags! Yes, a larger cube fits in this bag, but there is seemingly more (and better thought out) additional storage possibilities even when using the PD bag with a medium cube.
I didn't want to give up on the bag, though, and was willing to chalk the discomfort with it up to my sizing adjustments made prior to this trip as being just off. So, after returning home, watched all the videos, made all the measurements, dialed it in, and set off with the back on the second two-week road trip to Nevada's Ruby Mountains. On the first full day there, I took it on an all day hike. Well, it wasn't supposed to be that long of a hike but the bag was so uncomfortable that I stopped pretty frequently to rest.
Fortunately the skiing bag was in the car as well, and I have not used the PD bag since.
The gear I was carrying isn't light by any stretch of the imagination. But this was marketed, and presumably designed, as a bag that could carry a large camera cube -- a cube that there is a reasonable expectation would be heavy. There's even a picture in the camera cubes part of this website showing an Outdoor Line backpack loaded with more and probably heavier glass than what I usually take. The skiing pack and even the flyfishing backpack handle these weights with ease! This is even more impressive with the fly fishing bag as it lacks a true hip-belt, and I doubt either bag was designed with lugging loads as heavy as a loaded medium-sized camera cube.
My most recent trip was with the skiing bag alone. Poor planning on our part had us rushing to meet up with a guide for a glacier hike in the middle of the trip. Well, I prefer to call it poor planning rather than saying a decision on my part to stop for 20 minutes en route to take a picture of this cool bird that was just posing along the side of the road...
It was a travel day, so the pack was loaded with all my gear for the trip. Two telephotos, one mid-range zoom, one UWA, two primes. Probably looked closer to the pic of the camera cube in the Outdoor Line bag I mentioned above. Because of our lateness, I didn't have time to actually pull everything out and load up the bag with just the mid-range zoom as I had originally planned. I carried easily more weight than I had in either the Darien or the Ruby Mountains. For four hours without a real break -- because we were hiking/climbing up a glacier... I seriously did not think this one through. And yet, I really didn't feel the weight. Even when the guide was laughing at me for carrying so much with me. (But tellingly, he had the larger version of same bag I was carrying, speaking to its load carrying qualities.) Probably the very limit of how long I want to carry a pack of that weight anytime in the future, but very reassuring to know that if needed, it can handle it.
After that trip I put the PD Outdoor Line 45L up for sale...
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Great commuter backpack
on November 19, 2024
Posted by: Greg
from Sydney, AU
Signed up to the Kickstarter campaign and did not regret. Bought this to replace my smaller commuting bag (PD Everyday 20L). Currently being used as a daily commute via train to work (in Sydney AU) to carry a 16" laptop and lunch (in a Decor Microsafe Oblong). Sits well with everything in it. Super flat when lunch is taken out. Very comfy shoulder straps (also sits well for my broad frame). Well worth investing into adjusting to the many compartments where you can store things. Will be tested and used for travelling next year!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
4
Hook of breast strap is hard to hook into loop
on January 23, 2025
Posted by: Ivolino
Almost perfect but I miss an opportunity to grab my bottle when I carry the backpack on my shoulder. Osprey is doing this very well. Another think which drives me crazy is the buckle of the breast strap. It's so hard to click into the loops on the other side. I wish it would be magnetic.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Lightweight and tough.
on March 26, 2025
Posted by: Jamesxmac
from Birmingham
Used this for about four months now. It’s lightweight and has great features. Tough water resistant exterior and room either side for accessories or drinks bottles.
Laptop sleeve fits my 13 inch MacBook Air. Would accommodate larger laptops. Use when cycling to and from work. And for travel. Did me well on a recent trip to Japan. Was great knowing all my belongings and tech were safe on my back. Very comfortable. Love it.
Laptop sleeve fits my 13 inch MacBook Air. Would accommodate larger laptops. Use when cycling to and from work. And for travel. Did me well on a recent trip to Japan. Was great knowing all my belongings and tech were safe on my back. Very comfortable. Love it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
1
Doesn’t fit the camera cube
on April 24, 2025
Posted by: Lb
from Australia
I am not sure if mine is faulty but the camera cube I bought with it doesn’t fit, it won’t zip up, I measured it and the bag needs to be a few cm wider to fit the camera cube in, very disappointing because I have a nice looking bag that doesn’t do what it was purchased for which is hold camera gear. I would need narrower camera cubes specially designed to fit.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
4
Love the backpack!
on July 28, 2025
Posted by: Tahara26
from San Francisco, CA
I love this backpack and bought it 2 weeks ago and took on some trips already. The backpack is definitely sturdy and can hold a lot but this colorway does require some maintenance when it does get dirty. Definitely a bit more work to clean given how noticeable it is. Would appreciate if the material could be more easily washable especially on the side pockets.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
4
Great Build Quality - Slightly Heavy Net Weight
on November 12, 2024
Posted by: Anonymous
from London, United Kingdom
Love the bag. Build quality is impeccable. Amazing design and intuitiveness. However, luckily this bag will not have to go on a scale. But can imagine once it’s fully packed the combined weight of the bag plus contents may cut your hikes slightly shorter. Not sure what can be done to reduce this weight, but just something worth considering.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design
Customer Rating
5
Best Bag Ever, Seriously
on November 18, 2024
Posted by: Juicy J
Dude! This is the single best backpack I have ever owned, seen, heard of, touched, whatever. I ordered early on Kickstarter because it looked badass and appeared to be well thought out. This bag is such high quality, so well designed, practical, and looks amazing. I received it last night and immediately knew it was the single best backpack I have ever placed hands on. I used it immediately just so I could make my workmate jealous about receiving it early and show off how awesome it was. I’ve been bragging about it non-stop, giving numerous demos to everyone. I’m an owner of dozens of nice backpacks; I’ve used tactical backpacks, travel backpacks, outdoor/hiking backpacks, commuter backpacks, and all that - this back is immediately the hands-down ultimate. Super solid construction, nice materials, ease and multiple ways to open it, additional bag attachment options, comfortable straps, clip system…all of it. At first, I thought I was just buying an expensive high quality bag, but now I don’t get how the bag is as affordable as it is at this level quality. Just trying to say it’s great, and I hate almost everything.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Peak Design