f-stop backpacks - Why you need to consider your shoulders and back!

As a landscape photographer, I often spend large periods of time with a camera backpack on me whether its hiking or a trip to the beach. Often times, backpacks can be overkill, we may simply need to carry only one body and lens. Other times we need to try pack everything bar the kitchen sink.

However what doesn’t change is the fact that you are carrying weight on your back. As someone who has had back and neck issues in the past, trust me when I say that the sooner you start looking after your back the better. Thankfully in 2022 I had the opportunity to work with f-stop and become an Ambassador for them. A friend of mine had the Ajna and I remember trying it on thinking “My god this is comfy”. The straps seemed to hug my shoulders and around my arms instead of cutting into them. The hip belt offered very good support when strapped around my waist. What really hooked me though, was the ICU (Internal Camera Unit) system. Essentially, you can buy one backpack and use different size ICU’s to cater for the type of shoot you are going on. A smaller ICU is all you might need for a trip to the beach for sunrise where as the larger Pro ICU is ideal if you are planning a multi-day trip and want to carry that extra bit of gear. For example, the images on the right is the pack I have along with the two difference ICU’S. 95% of the time, I travel with the slope medium ICU. However, If I’m in need of more equipment then its the Pro Large that is used. The beauty of this? They both fit snugly into the Ajna. No need for two different backpacks. You do need to match certain ICU’s with certain packs but this is all on the website.

For me, 37L is a happy balance between functionality and Portability. I also have a 50L Tilopa model but that rarely gets used, especially since I added a third pack to my collection which is the Lotus Core 28L (which has now become my favorite pack but don’t tell the others!)

I took the 50L Tilopa to the Italian Dolomites a few times. I would take the Pro Large ICU out of the backpack, put my camera gear in this and then fill the Tilopa with my clothes for the week. No need to check on a bag, the Tilopa was my 10kg carry on luggage and the ICU went under the seat in front of me. Worked flawlessly and never a question asked. I’m not saying this will work on every airline but it did for Ryanair. Tip: remove the ballhead from the tripod and make it look as small as possible strapped to the backpack!

On a recent trip to Tasmania I done something similar however I simply took the 37L Ajna as carry on, with my camera gear inside. Again, no issues.

From left to right - The Ajna (older model) , New Duradiamond Ajna 37L and 50L Tilopa in Magma Red. An Fstop frenzy!

Another neat feature of the Ajna and Tilopa are the gatekeeper straps. These are straps that you can change position of on the backpack depending on where you want to mount your tripod. In the photo of myself and my two mates you can see i’ve a tripod strapped to one side and my jacket to the other. Usually I strap the tripod to the front of the pack, it’s just more comfortable.

37L Ajna with tripod mounted on front using gatekeeper straps

One important thing to mention (well for me anyway) is the straps on the Tilopa are too wide to hold the Peak Design Capture Clip. So if this product is something you use a lot (which I do) then maybe lean towards the Ajna or Lotus Core.

You will see the packs mentioned alongside the word “Duradiamond”. This is the brand name for the material the packs are made from and it is an excellent wearing material that is easy clean and so far has not ripped or teared on me. And trust this, I don’t look after my gear. I shoot in all kinds of conditions and put these packs through the ringer.

So I just wanted to share my thoughts and experiences on uses these packs for the last two years. Yes I am an Ambassador at f-stop however they don’t pay me to write this and these are my honest and genuine thoughts on the backpacks. If paying top dollar for a backpack means it’ll save your shoulders, back and neck in the long run then I think that’s money well spent.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below! Until next time, All the best.

Talk about colour coordinated! Me shooting with the 50L Tilopa. Magma Red is my favorite pack colour

Even with the ICU inside the pack, you still have room for a jacket, filter case, drone case etc. I usually pop my Fstop drone case on top inside the Ajna (with the medium slope ICU) and this saves me carrying the drone in my hand. See below for some images of how I typically have my Ajna setup

In the last year, I developed a bad neck injury which has made me slim down on the amount of gear I carry. This is when I picked up the Lotus Core 28L. What a fantastic pack and one I would recommend for someone who likes to just carry maybe one camera body and a few lenses. It has a pouch on the hip belt which I like to pop extra batteries in or lens cloth. It still has plenty of room with the Medium Slope ICU inside and I’ve found it has become my number one bag here in Australia for my workshops, sunrise and sunset shoots. If I am going travelling I will take the Ajna but for the size and functionality, I love the Lotus Core 28L. This is the black backpack in the image gallery bottom left.

Posing with the Ajna. It’s 37L but a great size and form factor