Rangefinder Magazine
Columns - June 2001

First Exposure by PJ Heller
Lightware Digital Backpacks

For today’s digital “road warriors,” getting equipment to and from assignments is no easy task. Not only do they have to pack cameras, lenses, strobes and assorted other photo gear, but now have to include a laptop, assorted cords and cables, Compact Flash cards or IBM Microdrives, software, and in some cases a CD burner with supplies or external computer hard drive.

Ergonomic harness system and a back panel of breathable mesh fabric make the Lightware digital backpack easy to carry, even when fully loaded.

For those photographers who can’t hire a Sherpa or who don’t have a mule to carry the load, the Lightware digital backpack may be the next best thing.

While other manufacturers offer backpacks for toting gear, the Lightware digital backpack is one of the roomiest and most functional. Like other Lightware products, it is heavily padded—the empty backpack tips the scales at 5.5 pounds—providing added protection for fragile gear and with the ability to withstand the rough treatment that photographers are known to give their equipment.

What also sets the digital backpack apart from its competitors’ is the fact that the case can stand straight up, making it easy to access equipment. The bottom is abrasion and water resistant.

	arge front compartment of Lightware digital backpack can hold a wide range of equipment including 300mm f/2.8 lens.

The 14-inch long, nine- inch wide and 22-inch tall bag consists of two main zippered compartments. One has removable dividers for camera equipment, the other has a removable padded case for a laptop computer and supplies. Both compartments have sewn-in zippered mesh pockets for additional storage.

A zippered outside compartment on the front provides multiple pockets to store airline tickets, magazines, batteries and other sundry items. The inside of the compartments are white, making it easier to locate items in a dark environment. The bag carries on the Lightware tradition of using black ballistic fabric for its cases.
A laced bungee cord on the front of the backpack is ideal for carrying a jacket, sweatshirt or rain gear.
The bag is designed to fit through the airport security templates for carry-on. The bag can be stowed in an overhead storage compartment on a plane.

Lightware digital backpack has padded laptop compartment with room to carry CDs, software and card readers.

Robert Hanashiro, a photographer for USA Today who is on the road for more than six months of the year, has made the Lightware Digital Backpack his standard bag.

“In the job I do—mostly news, sports and portraits spending about 120-plus days on the road—having a bag that can take rough treatment but still protect the gear is important,” he said.

My experience traveling with the digital backpack—and based on the experiences of others— is that it can hold more than you can possibly carry. If anything, that may be its only drawback.

	Lightware's digital backpack is designed for road warriors. It will fit through airport security templates and can be carried and stowed on-board aircraft.

Hanashiro, for example, usually carries two digital cameras, 17–35mm, 70–200mm, and 28–70mm lenses, Apple G3 Powerbook and power supply, FireWire card reader, FireWire 18GB external hard drive, 10 or more Microdrives, a strobe, several blank CD-Rs, a small headset telephone, cable lock for the laptop and a chain for the backpack.
On a recent trip, this writer packed a similar assortment of equipment and found that while the backpack was heavy, it was easier to carry than a camera bag slung over one shoulder and a briefcase filled with computer gear. One suggestion would be to include a set of small retractable wheels on the bottom of the backpack so that it could be pulled along if you get tired carrying a heavy load.

Once at a destination, a photographer would do well to transfer the camera equipment into a shoulder bag for easy access. Backpacks are ideal for carrying gear, but are simply too cumbersome to work from.

“I always found backpacks hard to work out of,” Hanashiro agreed. “They’re great for hauling stuff around, especially through airports and into stadiums. But when it comes to actually working, shoulder bags are way better.”

Outside zipper compartment on Lightware digital backpack makes it easy to stow small items. Adjustable laced bungee cord can hold jacket, sweatshirt or raincoat.

For information on the Lightware Digital Backpack (Model BP2214), contact Lightware Inc., 1329 W. Byers Place, Denver, CO 80223, Tel. 800-455-6556. The company can also be found on the web at www.lightwareinc.com.

P.J. Heller operates Dateline:, a free-lance photojournalism service based in Santa Barbara, Calif. He can be reached via e-mail at pjheller@west.net.