Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 review: this unusual camera backpack solves a key travel problem

When I travel, I’m always torn over how to pack – do I grab the carry-on that I can fit the most in to avoid a checked bag, or a smaller bag that won’t make my shoulders ache while I’m out exploring? The decision is why the Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 caught my eye – it’s an oversized bag with plenty of space – and a separate smaller pack that quickly zips off the front.

As the name suggests, this backpack isn’t one but two bags. Used together, the bag still slides in under most airlines' carry-on bag dimensions. The larger main pack can also be used without the front pack, and when traveling light is warranted, the front pack zips off for a minimalist carry – and, yes, it still has straps.

I spent some time with the new Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 to see just how versatile the bag is for traveling photographers and videographers.

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Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Specifications

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Price

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 retails for $399 / £349 / AU$779 / CA$559.

The backpack on its own doesn’t accommodate camera gear – a camera cube is needed, which is typically sold separately. I used the Large Cube (about $120 / £99 / AU$240 / CA$170), which takes up the entire main compartment of the backpack, but it is also compatible with the Medium ($90 / £85 / AU$190 / CA$140) if you want more space for non-photo gear.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Design & Performance

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 is two backpacks that can be used together to carry up to 40L. The main pack can also be used on its own to carry up to 34L, and the daypack on its own can carry up to 16L (yes, separately they fit a bit more, due to stretching and the need to tuck away those straps).

Because the bags are designed to be used both together and separately, several features are repeated on both bags. Both can accommodate up to a 16-inch laptop, both have two water-bottle-small-tripod-sized pockets on each side, and both have chest straps. Features like grab handles, luggage pass-throughs, exterior attachment clips, and external front pockets are also repeated across both bags.

The daypack and main pack both have comfortable straps, but there are a handful of notable differences between the two. As the straps that will handle both the main pack and both packs zipped together, the main bag’s straps are thicker and more shapely. These straps are also magnetic, so they hang the bag nicely when not in use.

The main pack has a padded waist belt that the smaller daypack lacks. It’s well-padded, comfortable, and even manages to fit in another small pocket. (But don’t worry, waist-strap haters, the belt can be tucked between the bag and the back padding when not in use. I legitimately didn’t even realize it was there until I did some in-depth exploring.)

The bags zipped together fit quite a bit of weight in them – I wouldn’t want to carry any bag that fits that much gear all day long. But the bag’s straps are well-shaped and well-padded – and the waist-belt helps quite a bit in distributing that weight. I think the bag is comfortable considering how much weight I put into it – but I’m also glad there’s a luggage pass-through for long airport hauls.

The daypack’s straps aren’t quite as wide, the chest strap is thinner, and there’s no waist belt. But the daypack isn’t built for heavy gear, and I found the straps more than sufficient for what can fit inside. I used the smaller pack on a beach day trip, holding a change of clothes, a Kindle, and a GoPro, and even my freshly sunburnt shoulders didn’t complain.

While I managed to slip a GoPro into the daypack – and a compact camera would also do just fine – the smaller daypack isn’t made for camera gear. Mirrorless cameras, lenses, DSLRs, and drones are relegated to the largest compartment in the main pack.

I used the bag with a large camera cube in the main pack, and I fitted in two mirrorless bodies, two telephoto lenses, three primes, one pancake lens, and a flash. The bag is fairly deep, but some of the dividers can collapse to create a shelf – this was key for storing the pancake lens, as it would have bounced around in the bag too much had this feature not existed.

It’s a versatile and rigid divider system. The only thing that seemed odd is that with the Large camera cube, there’s an extra inch of space at the top between the main bag and the cube. The bag comes with clips, though, so the camera cube will stay in place even with the extra space.

Also on the inside, on the rear panel, against the back, is the laptop sleeve, along with one smaller interior pocket that’s a good size for filters and batteries. I did wish the bag had a dedicated interior pocket for SD cards – a classic symptom of a bag that can be a camera bag but can also be a standard backpack.

Gear access to that main compartment is entirely through the campshell zip that opens the back panel. There’s no side zip access like some Peak Design bags. I didn’t mind, as I rarely use the side zips anyway and loved having four (FOUR!) water bottle pockets. I could carry water, coffee, a small tripod, and an umbrella if I really wanted to.

The daypack uses the more classic top zip access rather than the rear panel access – which makes sense, as this allows both bags to remain accessible when zipped together. The only pocket I couldn’t access when zipped together is the small front pocket on the main pack.

Detaching and reattaching the two packs is simple – the zipper lines up easily to restore the bag to its full 40L capacity.

The bag’s exterior uses a weather-resistant fabric that’s a type of recycled nylon, but feels thicker and more luxurious than the nylon on cheap packs. Most of the zippers are also sealed – the zip between the two packs is not, but with both bags water-resistant, the only thing that risks getting damp are the straps on the day pack.

The zippers also have a built-in loop that can be latched around each other – this makes the bag more challenging to open quickly, which helps deter pickpockets in crowds. And there’s an AirTag pocket that’s so well hidden, it took me a while to actually find it.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Verdict

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Peak Design’s take on the modular backpack is well thought out, creating a two-bag system that helps traveling creators customize their bag to match their day. The main pack fits large camera kits (or smaller ones with a medium or small camera cube), while the day pack isn’t designed for camera gear, but makes a quick and lightweight grab bag for essentials.

I loved how much space and how many pockets the system has. I’m always irritated when I have to choose between packing a tripod or packing a water bottle, but there are four side pockets on this bag. Similarly, there are two laptop sleeves (plus a tablet fits as well).

But the biggest plus was that the shoulder straps and waist packs are so well designed that carrying all that weight is well-balanced.

My complaints about the bag are minor. There’s a small gap between the main compartment and the large camera cube that’s too small to fit much but big enough to be mildly irritating. And, I wish the bag had a dedicated pocket for memory cards.

I do have one complaint that isn’t quite so minor, though: the price. The bag retails for $399 / £349 / AU$779 / CA$559, but photographers will also need to pair it with a camera cube, which means this is every bit a $500+ camera bag. The versatility comes with a higher price tag than Peak Design’s less versatile bags.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Alternatives

I’ve long puzzled over how to pack the most in a carry-on bag while still having a comfortable bag to use once I arrive there. Peak Design’s Travel 2-in-1 does an excellent job at this while staying in backpack form. I haven’t found a camera bag that’s two backpacks in one that works as well, but there are a few different types of bags that have more packing versatility than standard packs.

The Wandrd Prvke V4 is a single camera bag, not two, but the expanding rolltop means that you can offload some of your luggage when you arrive at the hotel and roll the top compartment a little tighter. Like the Peak Design, it also requires using removable camera cubes to accommodate gear, and it comes in sizes up to 41L.

The Manfrotto Manhattan Runner 50 is a rolling camera bag, but the camera cube insert is also a backpack, so when you get to your destination, you still have a backpack to carry gear around in. This is a nice mix of features, but in order to fit back in the case, the backpack straps aren’t the most comfortable, and there aren’t a lot of extra pockets.

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