Product review by Spencer VanDerStarren
For how important a camera backpack is to one’s photography workflow, it’s surprising how often most companies fail to get it right. It’s the one piece of gear that enables all the others; it’s with you in the rain, up the mountain, and squeezed onto the bus. It holds the cameras, the spare batteries, the extra layer, and the snacks. It has to be capable of a lot: I want a bag that keeps all my gear safe and accessible, and will be comfortable to wear all day long. And, I think at least, it should look smart, too.
I’ll admit that I probably think about my backpack more than the average photographer, but I can’t help but see it as a cornerstone of my work. If the backpack isn’t right, it’s hard for anything else to be. I love my job travelling the world with Take Your Seat, but I need my backpack to make that job as easy as possible. It’s certainly not a piece of gear that I’m willing to compromise on. I’m grateful that the designers at ThinkTank feel the same way.
Earlier this year, I upgraded to the ThinkTank FirstLight 35L+ for all of my assignments. After four months of consistent use, I’m ready to share my thoughts! I’ve had the chance to test this bag extensively on my recent expeditions to Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Taiwan.
In Singapore with the FirstLight 35L+. Let’s go!
Here’s what I like most:
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, this bag doesn’t look that big. When boarding a flight, or when trying to keep a lower profile, that’s awesome. Don’t get me wrong, though, this bag has made absolutely no compromises on capacity. It’s small enough to get onto any plane without a hassle, but it has plenty of room for all my gear and more: two GFX100s bodies, 3-4 lenses (incl. one telephoto), and all requisite accessories for an international photoshoot such as chargers, filters, SD cards, cables, and extra batteries.
The main compartment of the FirstLight 35L+ is deep enough for my GFX100s bodies with modular plate systems attached, to sit flush and protected. And it’s spacious enough for me to fit two, plus my lenses and gear!
The FirstLight is a little slimmer and a little deeper than other bags I’ve used in the past, making it appear smaller than its true capacity. Even on small flights, I’ve never had an issue bringing it as a carry-on item. The shoulder straps and hip belt can be folded around the front of the pack for “travel mode”, but I haven’t used this feature yet. The bag is small enough to get through the airport as is, and I prefer having the straps ready to be worn as soon as we land.
Ready to go as soon as we reach the shooting location, the backpack fits standing up inside the trunk of a Bangkok taxi – “travel mode” not necessary. Nice!
The backpack makes no compromises on comfort either. The design and construction of the backpack is brilliant, borrowing the best conventions from outdoor climbing and mountaineering packs. The 11-point harness system allows me to dial everything in exactly as I want it. The padded hip belt is sturdy enough to do its job even when the pack is fully loaded. This backpack is as comfortable, or more, than any of my dedicated hiking packs, allowing me to wear it all day without strain. Shooting days with Take Your Seat are equally likely to bring me hiking into the mountains or cover long hours in big cities; in either case, I don’t want to be wasting energy with an uncomfortable pack.
Sunset in Taipei after a full day of shooting, and ready to keep going! Comfort is key.
Beyond capacity and comfort, the thoughtful design of this backpack also extends to the bag’s modularity. Because the work I do can vary from day to day (or even hour to hour!) I need my gear to be adaptable as well. The FirstLight 35L+ has this nailed with multiple features that enable this backpack to adjust to the task at hand. The floating top pocket, a signature on most hiking packs but too often forgotten in the world of photography, allows for tons of flexibility. It’s removable for when I don’t need the additional space, but can equally store a large jacket or sleeping bag underneath when I do. I always have a carabiner or two hooked to the daisy chains of webbing that run along the front of the pack and I’ve used the tripod carrying system on the side of the pack countless times (read more about my Vanguard’s VEO 3T+ tripod here). In the water bottle pocket on the other side, I often store a 1L Nalgene bottle or a travel umbrella.
Early morning in Laos with my trusty and modular FirstLight pack at my side. Here, I have the floating top pocket partially detached to keep my phone and lens filters close-by and off the ground.
The quick-access and adjustable front pocket adds significant capacity as needed. It stores my laptop and hard drives while in transit, and while shooting holds my important documents, a copy of the Take Your Seat photo book, and a thin rain jacket or extra layer. On more than one occasion, I’ve stuffed it full of enough snacks for me and my shooting partner. Even for us, as snack-crazy as we can be, it’s got plenty of room!
Floating top pocket removed for a shorter day, making the bag even smaller. Plenty of room in the tuktuk, anyway… more snacks?
Inside and out, the design and choice of materials on this pack is seriously impressive. High quality materials are used throughout without adding unnecessary weight. ThinkTank has hit that hard-to-find sweet spot here. Durable materials mean that the bag still looks as good as the day I got it, and all the zippers, straps, and clips are still in perfect condition. This pack feels like it was built to last a lifetime.
The internal organisation of this pack is just about perfect. Not so much that it’s cumbersome, but enough that I can keep everything in its place while working and while on the move.
Top-notch material choices inside and out don’t just look good, they keep the bag working well for longer. These photos were taken after four months of hard use.
The FirstLight 35L+ is a compact backpack without any compromises. I’ve been consistently impressed with its thoughtful design, as it’s proven itself to be adaptable to every adventure so far. As I prepare for new photo adventures, this time to Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Croatia, I’m confident that this pack will have plenty of room for all of them! I finally feel that I’ve got a camera bag that has my back!
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