Kiboko 30L Camera Backpack

I bought V1 of this back in 2011. 5 trips to Africa and countless local adventures later and I have finally worn it out. And when I say I wore it out I don't mean it was a wreck it is still a perfectly use-able bag and nothing was torn or whatever but the zips were starting to show signs of overuse and one of the corner areas of one of the main zips was getting a little stuck sometimes. I consider this just wear and tear for how much I used it but didn't want to risk a zip failing in the field. I searched around for other backpack options (since I live in Australia and I still can't buy Gura Gear locally) and even tried a Mindshift backlight but nothing worked for me or compared to the features of the Kiboko 30L. So I ordered the v2 bag and I am so glad I did. It is a nice upgrade from V1 with some nice little touches and really nice smooth zips. I love the opening style still and being able to remove the waist band is a huge benefit as I hate the way these get in the way and flop around everywhere on other packs. It's only downside is not having a laptop sleeve but it is just not feasible in this design and I don't need this feature often anyway. I can house both my Pentax medium format system and a full frame body and lenses as needed.

As someone who has now owned 2 of these bags (and tried several other brands) I can say this is the best backpack on the market for anyone with a large amount of full frame DSLR or medium format gear to cart around.

I have owned an original Gura Gear Bataflae 32L Backpack for a decade and still use it to this day. The new version appears a bit lighter, does not have waterproof zippers, and does not fully open like the original. Both have butterfly opening but the original also allowed the entire cover to be opened by employing a velcro center channel. The new version does not allow for fully opening making packing and review more difficult. My original is dedicated to a 35mm camera and kit. This new version was purchased to accommodate my medium format (PhaseOne XF) camera and three lenses plus accessories. The non-waterproof zippers are easier to pull but the old waterproof version just required a bit of WD40 applied via Qtip to remain easy to pull. The older version's zippers closed closely and could be locked with a small padlock. The new version does not allow for this convenience. And, while locks only keep the honest people out, often times a small deterrent sends a thief to easier pickings. The overall construction appears a bit lighter but is well made. There are more than enough velcro type dividers supplied to make many more compartments than one is likely to ever need. Overall it is a decent backpack but I would prefer they had maintained the original design and construction.

This bag has been with me in all of my travels. It's solidly made, packs well for travel (with the ability to hide shoulder straps inside the bag), and is very spacious inside. It fits my Nikon Z 9 and Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 attached, with the lens hood and cover all on one side of the bag so I can just take that out and start shooting right away. The other side has room for all of my accessories, extra lenses and my Z 8. Note that this combination likely won't fit in the other 30L bag with the laptop sleeve as that cuts into the interior space.

The bag has been through rain storms and snow storms yet keeps everything inside dry. Most importantly the bag is very comfortable to wear, even with all of that heavy gear inside. I initially wondered whether I would like the butterfly opening but now I like the fact that I can keep part of my gear unexposed while I have the other half open for easy access. Very well made and highly recommended!

I was expecting a high quality professional product and I was not disappointed. Everything just as it should be. I really appreciate the maximum holding capacity in a reasonable size. No bigger than other models I have that don’t hold as much gear. I would have liked straps to carry tripod at bottom; my only suggestion. Don’t care about laptop storage as it would only add bulk. Don’t need that in the field and for travel I can handle that separately. I like the more muted blue on the zipper pulls I got. Very happy all around.

Love the design and especially the new zippers; just wish it had a compartment for laptop