Dignity And Impudence - Part Two

I always approach products with the name “ Gitzo “ on them with respect. As much for the engineering and design as for the sales tag. They are never badly made nor cheaply priced. The firm may have undergone a number of administrative changes since the 1950's but they have always had something of a French flair for business and design. The thing that grabbed me when I went past the Gitzo rack was the handle on the top of this Adventury 30L backpack. I thought it was the cleverest thing I've seen all year - making the fold-over closure for the upper compartment double as a quick-grab handle. We've all had to manhandle packs out of confined luggage spaces and any grab like this is a good thing. Note that Gitzo have a smaller strap sewn onto the bottom of the pack for extracting it the other way. The pack has pockets on either side and on the back that are fully weather-sealed. There is a full rain cover secreted under the main compatment. The main compartment is weather sealed. You can get caught out in a tropical downpour waering this thing and the worst that can happen is that you'll get pneumonia. Your camera gear will be fine. And isn't that the priority we all depend upon... Hiking will be easier - the breast band rides on a vertical track and can be adjusted to your bulk. You can attach a camera system to the shoulder straps and avoid additional lines digging into your hide. Note that you cannot escape the weight overall, so this may be the time to consider that new mirror-less outfit ... Oh, who am I kidding....? Look at the amount of space that the main compartment gives you. You'll be taking every bit of glass you own and all the accessories. You'll be hard pressed to stop yourself from including a bellows unit and a Norden bomb sight. There is space for sandwiches and a bottle of pop. If you care to turn the toggles you can lift out the entire padded tub and have an uninterrupted space for anything at all. So. Where are we? We're packing for the photo trip of a lifetime, and wanting to do it right. Wanting to protect the valuable camera gear from everything that we should not subject it to. Hoping to look cool and not wilt under the weight. Horrified at the cost of the Gitzo gear but curiously proud at being able to afford it. In short...we are photographers. The most wonderful thing about his Gitzo 30 L pack is that it is the real deal. It really is the best in the shop. And there is an even bigger one on the shelf next to it...