Review on 🎒 Lowepro Whistler Backpack 450 Gray: The Ultimate Adventure Gear for Outdoor Enthusiasts by Angie Walker

Good how many of you reading this; I was also looking for the perfect backpack. It's complicated, we all have specific requirements, needs and uses. For me, this is a "medium" backpack. My last EDC was a Lowepro Protactic 450 AW (first version) for a few years. It was a staple but probably covered 60% of my needs. The interior was great, but of course the lack of another compartment for extra stuff was impractical. I ended up buying some standard molle pouches which I attached to the outside which gave me extra storage and even a water bottle holder but it still felt wrong. For quick and leisurely walks I have used Think Tank shoulder bags, most recently the Retrospective 10 V2.0. As good as it is, it only works well in certain situations. Since I also like to photograph landscapes that require a decent hike, I got the Lowepro Flipside Trek 450. I needed that separate camera compartment divided into baby gear (as I strap my daughter to my chest when hiking and need extra). diapers, wipes, clothes etc for her) and the final main compartment for my extra gear (jacket, snacks etc). This bag was great because it had a deep pocket and held my squeezed Nikon D850 with attached 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8, 50 1.8 and some extra stuff. Getting in and out was a bit fiddly, but it worked. However, with the recent purchase of the DJI Mavic Mini, I needed more space. Enter this Lowepro Whistler 450 AW II: I didn't remove any tags to begin with. I laid out all of the gear I was going to use this bag for and headed into town to find the most efficient way to pack my stuff. This bag worked great! My Capture DSLR fitted perfectly and was low so the lid didn't press on it like the Flipside did. To explain, .40 inches makes a big difference in height, and since this bag is over 7 feet deep, it was perfect. It's deep enough that I can put my 70-200 in to save space instead of laying it down. This causes the lid to push down, but I didn't feel it when I put the backpack on. The camera compartment holds my DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Kit in a container, Lowepro GearUp camera box, Nikon 50 1.8, Nikon 70 -200 2.8, Nikon D850 with handle and attached Nikkor 24-70 2.8, GoPro Hero, Syrp Mini Genie 2, GoPro accessories and much more room for a camera. I use the top baby compartment to hold a changing pad, tissues, diapers, garbage bags, extra overalls and clothes, towels and EBOK baby tactical gear. The large flat side compartment is really big. What you don't see is that the compartment is actually reduced to a minimum and there is a zip to make it full size footprint and better weight distribution on the back. You can use it to store other items like jackets, camping gear, groceries and even extra camera gear in the suitcases. The bottom is made of abrasion resistant waterproof material and to confirm it stands on its own and won't tip over. The entire design is very high quality, waterproof and pleasant to the touch. The camera bay zippers are massive and slide very well like other bay zippers, but they are smaller. The shoulder straps are very thick and ventilated and sit very well on the shoulders. The adjustment straps are fantastic and work well. Because of that and the attachment points on the bag, there isn't even a water bottle holder on either side or a place for your tripod legs to sit. The side straps are definitely heavy, but your tripods and other items need to hang. down instead of sitting when attached to the bag. I also removed the two bright orange straps that run through the bag because I don't need them and their nasty "yell look at me" color. A side zip compartment has two divided inner pockets and is expandable but limited as the material does not stretch and the compartment is sewn in place. A thin wallet, lens handkerchiefs, a mobile phone and the like fit in, but no more. The final gripe is a stunning but ridiculous waist belt. Amazing in its functionality and capability, but ridiculous because it's built in. I'm not going to use a strap every time I go camping, and opening the camera compartment is pretty ridiculous when you have to constantly flick and flick both sides back and forth to unzip. On my Flipside Trek 450 I cut off the sewn in strap and I think I'll do the same with this one. All in all, this has become my EDC backpack; Both Protactic and Flipside 450 were boxed up and placed on the shelf. Depending on the situation, I will continue to use my Think Tank shoulder bag and Nomatic backpack for travel and city shoots. A bag without a water bottle isn't a deal breaker, but it's rather discouraging that after so many years as a respected company and backpacking expert, you're designing a backpack for hiking and active sports, with either long-distance or physical fitness intent in mind. Trouble and you don't give the person space to carry something to drink. It does not make sense. So this will sit in the large front compartment until I find a way to attach something to the outside of the pack. I highly recommend it but I give it 4 stars for the massive brain farts on the waist belt, the brutality and the lack of a water bottle holder but original and size oriented compartments. for reference and notice; I literally compared LOTS of backpacks back and forth before buying this one. Everything from Peak Design, Incase, Lowepro, Think Tank, Mindshift and many more. The recommendation I have to make is that we are all individuals with different and specific needs, so this isn't about the best backpack, it's about the right backpack that suits you and your purpose. PS I say it's "between" because I'm waiting for my Nomatic Peter McKinnon photo backpack to arrive in April to use for basic travel and city shots.