GITZO ADVENTURY 30L AND 45L

Gitzo’s new backpacks exude quality and have room for some serious gear

Aimed at landscape, nature and wildlife photographers, the Adventury 30L and 45L are two substantial, high-quality backpacks from Gitzo, the widely respected tripod manufacturer. As the padded dividers are adjustable you can configure the bags to carry a wide range of kit, but the behemoth 45L version can house a twin-grip DSLR like the Canon EOS-1D X or the Nikon D5, with a 600mm f4 lens mounted along with a second body and three or four other lenses, plus accessories. Meanwhile, the 35L bag can take the same camera plus a detached 400mm f4 lens and another lens or two.

Naturally, there are anchor points for a tripod, which can be carried to one side or at the back of the pack. Thanks to the twin-zip construction of one of the side pockets, the 45L bag can even carry a Gitzo Systematic 3, 4 or 5 Series tripod.

At the top of the bags is a compartment for carrying personal effects like clothes and a packed lunch. This has roll-close which means it’s expandable and easy to access quickly. A little harder to get at, on the inside of the padded backrest there are pockets to hold a laptop and tablet while side and front pockets provide some extra space for any smaller accessories.

Both backpacks are made from a waterresistant fabric and have a waterproof base with a pocket housing a ‘shower cap’ style waterproof cover. The pockets are also protected by weatherproof zips.

The main compartment is opened via a zip at the back. In addition to adding a bit of extra security, this means that if the bag is resting on wet or muddy ground while you access your kit, you won’t get wet or caked in mud when you put it on your back again.

Gitzo has used well-padded, ergonomically shaped shoulder straps that make the bags suitable for use by photographers of a range of sizes. Both packs have a snap-closing adjustable waist band. This can be removed from the 45L bag if you prefer, but it’s padded and soft, lacking the uncomfortable stiffness of some other bag’s straps.

Inset NEATLY CONTAINED The padded main camera compartment has a zip-closing mesh front, and can be removed if you wish to use the backpack to carry non-photographic gear while you store your camera and lenses at home

Above GO FIGURE The camera compartment has dense padding around the outside and sumptuous internal dividers to keep your kit safe. The dividers can be shifted to accommodate a wide range of kit, even a drone and controller