I previously mentioned that I wanted to try out both the Clik Elite Compact Sport Backpack and the Small Rangefinder Chestpack. I got both from Amazon today.
The Compact Sport misses the mark for me. I misunderstood the water situation of this pack. Rather than having a reservoir area that spans the length of the pack, it’s only in the upper half or so, really limiting what you can carry. In addition to this, it barely fits my Nikon D700 and 24-70 f/2.8. (I did write Clik Elite ahead of ordering to see if they knew if it would fit prior to ordering. They indicated that they thought it would, but didn’t know for sure. Well, yes, but barely. I really wanted to use it for that camera, and when not carrying the SLR, I wanted to use it in conjunction with the chestpack to carry the smaller camera. The water situation really killed that though.
I’m ordering the next size up—the Medium Nature—but I’m really afraid it’s going to be bigger than I want. Sadly, I think that I really want a slightly larger Compact Sport; I just want this pack with a full-length bladder and I’d be happy. We’ll see.
The chestpack is unfortunately heading back too. First, it’s just a little bigger and more awkward than I thought it would be. The GF1 is the camera I want to carry in it, and it’s just more pack than I need. Not only that, but since I’m not able to use the backpack with it because of the water, it just doesn’t fit in. I’m going to have to look for a smaller pack I can attach to my existing CamelBak instead.
It’s too bad. The packs are well-built and well-thought out, but just don’t fit my intended use. They’re the closest thing yet, but just not quite there.
A couple more notes:
- These are expensive backpacks. While well-made, there’s no reservoir included, which I think is kind of silly for the price.
- I hope they get in more retail places. It sucks that I have to order online and return them at my expense to get a look at them.