Shimoda Explore V2 30 Liter Adventure Backpack, Medium, Army Green

I used a dedicated larger bag that fit 6-7 Zeiss lenses and a 5d for years. But i wanted to lower the number of lenses and be able to fit a jacket, hat or maybe my drone. So I bought a Fuji GFX100s, 33-64mm and 100-200mm lens to start. These items do fit in the medium core unit but that’s about it as far as gear. If I take the strap out, my Fuji xf 56mm1.2 fits there and I can keep my Fuji xt3 with 18-55mm 2.8 zoom in the top zipped area for easy access if I want to bring two cameras. Eventually I will pick up a gf portrait lens and will either leave one of my zooms home or pick up an additional small core to make it all fit. Complaints would be unique to my situation, they might not mean much to you. I have a bigger mirrorless camera so the side access obviously doesn’t work for me. The filter spot on the side won’t fit the 105mm cpl I use with my lee filter kit, also the kit itself is now tossed in a top zipped area. Kind of don't like needing two separate areas for my lee big stopper, cpl, nd and other filters. However, I just ordered Shimoda Filter Wrap 150 that should solve this issue, but its another separate thing to purchase and to take up bag space. But the pros are great. Great company you love to support. Top quality zippers and materials. Moving the straps to medium is a bonus because you can make it fit how you like. I can stuff my drone or hat in the top if I want to. I like having a spot for my phone and water in the front. The removable waist strap and beautiful color on the inside are extra nice touches. Pretty much an awesome day pack. But I’m thinking of picking up an Shimoda Action 50 for when I travel and need to bring all the lenses, drone, GoPro and clothes. If I just had my xt3 or a small Sony and lenses this would be all I need. But a full frame dslr or medium format user like me might need more I room.

This is one awesome rucksack! The features are incredible, including thoughtful bits like security pocket, cover for the camera cube, additional pouches from the side pockets, two-way access at the top, side AND rear access for camera kit...the list goes on. I found my precious camera well protected in heavy rain. The shoulder and waist strap system would rival a mainstream rucksack manufacturer like Osprey. It's very comfortable and infinitely adjustable. There are clips and pockets and straps everywhere so there is always a place for your kit. I carry a Nikon Z6ii with wide, ultra -wide and 70-200mm lens. Along with filter rings and filters, tripod, charger, spares etc. It's more than big enough to take a days selection of gear into the wilderness, and still leave space for your raincoat, lunch and two bottles (using the side pockets pouches). Makes for a great daysack even if you're not carrying camera gear, if a little boxy! The camera cube comes with a cover with handle, making it easy to transfer gear and store it dust-free. Very, very well made high quality kit!

I purchased the explore v2 35L after trying out the F-stop ajna and loka (similar size range). The two f-stop bags fit horribly for my body type (6'3" with longer torso than average I guess). The ajna actually maxed out on strap length for the shoulder straps and still didn't fit comfortably. The Loka did not hug my back well when fit as good as possible. The explore on the other hand is one of the most comfortable bags I've owned (only the Osprey Atmos bag has been better). The straps being as wide as they are adds a level of comfort I was not expecting. The ICU was difficult to configure, especially with the side loading option being used. It was interesting that the f-stop ICU was really easy to setup with the same gear. The shimoda ICU is much more ridged and the dividers have more velcro (difficult to move/install but ridged in use). Getting the ICU in and out of the bag is not super easy either. If I need to get this out at the airport for instance I can imagine it would take a few min. I used the peak design camera clip on the strap and found it to be a bit less comfortable than usual and because of my heigh and the width of the straps the camera sits higher than I like on my shoulder. It is still usable in that way but not ideal. The material and pockets just seem way nicer and better made than the f-stop counterparts. The light color interior makes it easier to spot items. The green color is very nice in person. The look seems more professional. I'm enjoying the bag a lot and would for sure recommend it against others I've tried!

Like everyone else I've been in search for a Camera Backpack that can carry my camera gear for hiking and around town so I went through several BP like Peak design Everyday 30L, Fstop Ajna 40L,and various low pro's. I think I finally found a great compromise in this Shimoda explore V2 30L for hiking and around town. I like the slim profile of the BP, quality is top notch and the comfort is second to none. The medium core insert is used for everyday carry or hiking with my Canon R5 with 3 lenses maximum for the large and heavy canon L series lenses: RF 15-35m F2.8L, 24-70mm F2.8L, and thanks to the compact size of the canon 70-200 F2.8L I can stuff that in there as well and it leaves enough room on top for other stuff such as drones etc. The lenses have to be laid down because they are longer than the mirrorless cores 4.7 in. depth. I also purchased the large mirrorless core unit to fit all my RF lenses for those times when I need them all, this includes the above lenses as well as the huge RF 85mm F1.2 and the RF 50mm F1.2 in the large core with camera access though the side door. The large insert leaves just enough room on top for my Wescott FJ80 Flash with case and the Wescott FJ X2M wireless Trigger. The other pockets in the 30L BP hold my 3 ND filters and 1 CP filter and 4 spare batteries with enough room for a light jacket, water bladder and 16 in MBP if needed. If you need to carry more I would recommend the 35L BP with the DLSR insert that you can have the lenses can stand up right for more room in the core but the trade off is you lose the slim profile of the 25L and 30L Backpacks. I have the F-stop Ajna 40L back for those times when I need to carry more stuff. I feel the Shimoda explore 30L is a tad bit more comfortable than the F-stop due to the Shimoda's wide shoulder strap but both BP's are really comfortable and you cannot feel the weight when adjusted properly. The Slim profile and design of the Shimoda is a great compromise to what I have been searching for, something comfy and space for hiking and around town where you don't look like you just came off the mountain camping.

Very well-designed camera backpack. The dividers and materials are excellent. I gave it as a gift to someone who owns several professional camera bags, and he loved it.

Everything Shimoda makes is top quality. The Explore V2 30 photo backpack is no exception. Materials and construction are impeccable. The design is innovative and well thought out—with one significant exception. (I'll get to that.) There is no question that this is a very nice pack, but it may not be the pack for you. For me, the best part of any Shimoda pack is the harness system, which is adjustable and extremely comfortable. It feels like you are wearing a hug when you've got it on. Shimoda offers several types of straps, including some designed specifically for women, that you can buy to customize the fit and utility for your use case. That said, the straps that come with the pack are excellent and perfectly suited for the majority of users. Like most photographers, I love bags and I've owned a bunch of them. You will not find one that feels more "right" on your back. Like many photo packs, Shimoda backpacks take removable inserts (called "core units" in Shimoda speak) that hold your gear. The company offers core units in multiple sizes to allow users to select a size that is best suited to what they want to carry. You can save some money by purchasing the Explore V2 30 bundled with a core unit, though not every size core unit is available as part of a bundle. Shimoda's core unit system is unique in a couple ways. It is rigid with a stiff metal frame around the top. Most camera inserts are cushioned but semi-crushable. Shimoda's rigid design is not only more protective, but it means that core units don't need to be secured inside the pack like other designs. You simply pop one in behind the pack's metal frame and it stays put. This ease of installation and removal is extremely convenient. It allows the user to effortlessly switch between multiple core units in different sizes and with different configurations. Combined with Shimoda's excellent Carry On Roller V2, inserts can be instantly removed from one and dropped into the other. It's hard to overstate the convenience of this. Another unique aspect of Shimoda's core units is the shape of the side access door. Unfortunately, I consider this the bag's biggest flaw. But let me back up for a moment. The first time I used a pack with side access, it was a revelation. I no longer needed to set my pack on the ground to access my gear. Whether I was wading in a river or standing in the middle of a crush of people in Old Delhi, I now had access to my gear by simply hanging my pack off of one shoulder and opening the side door. As soon as I tried it, I realized that I would never buy another pack without this feature. Shimoda bags do offer side access—but they completely botched the design. Shimoda gave the side door an extremely angled shape. The idea was to make the side door fast to open (it is) and to minimize the stress on the zipper caused by going around corners. Both are laudable goals but this approach requires a large side door and the Shimoda side door just isn't large enough. (To be clear, the side door on the pack is large enough. The side door on the core units is not.) The end result is that it can be difficult to get even medium-sized bodies like my Canon R5 though it without a fight. Most camera inserts are flexible. You stick your hand in and the shape of the door flexes to the shape of your hand and your camera as you remove it. This is the one problem with Shimoda's rigid design. It doesn't flex at all. Its odd shape turns the process of removal into an awkward exercise. Whether you're wading in a river or standing in the middle of crowded Old Delhi, you don't want to drop your camera while trying to remove it from your pack. There are a few other aspects of the Explore V2 series that bear mentioning. The side door is placed on the right side of the pack which means you drop the bag onto your right shoulder and remove the camera with your left hand. For me, this adds to the awkwardness of the process. But opinions vary on this. The straps across the side doors (only one of which accesses the core unit) can be annoying. They are either dangling loose or you've got to clip and unclip them every time you want to access the doors. Finally, the size of the upper compartment is smaller than you might expect given the overall size of the bag. Is it too small? It depends on what you want to carry in it. This brings me to use case. For rigorous wilderness hikes that don’t require you to carry a bunch of non-photo gear in the upper compartment, this could be the pack for you. All the straps, the quality of construction, the solid protection are perfectly fit for purpose. I recently watched a video of a climber at the top of Everest who was carrying a Shimoda pack. (Needless to say, the climber was not trying to use the side access door.) But for travel, I’m not so sure this (or any) Shimoda pack is the best choice. The WANDRD PRVKE 30, for example, offers excellent side access from the left side of the pack, a relatively cavernous expandable upper compartment, a design that is far more resistant to pickpockets including a hidden passport pocket that is completely inaccessible when wearing the pack, and a comfortable harness system. Is it as comfortable as the Shimoda harness? Not quite. And the harness is not adjustable either. But, all things considered, I would argue that the PRVKE 30 is a far better choice for travel. Bottom line: Everyone has different needs. If you use a smaller camera system or don’t care about side access, the Shimoda is an excellent option. Maybe it’s your best option. But for many, it won’t be. I’ve owned the Shimoda Action X 30, Explore V2 25, and Explore V2 30. I’ve finally reached the point of acceptance that Shimoda packs are just not a good fit for my needs with my current camera system. (I used the first two packs with a smaller system.) But that is me. And Shimoda continues to offer my favorite system of accessories along with my favorite two roller bags, both of which I use often.

The most comfortable backpack, fits like a glove. Excellent quality. Couldn’t believe how comfortable.

I’ve used this as a camera bag for several long, international trips and it still looks nearly new. There is so much to like about this bag: there are several useful pockets for organization and the inside is a beautiful teal color which makes black camera gear easy to find in dark environments. The inside camera cube and the dividers are the perfect balance of firm, protective structure while still being space-saving and thin. The inside cube has a zipper cover/lid which will seal the cube if you need to take it out of the backpack for a flight. The backpack’s exterior material has been weather and scratch resistant for me, but it still looks modern and luxurious. The leather accents on the zipper pulls are a nice addition. The 35L bag is the perfect size for traveling. It’s large enough to carry one or two bodies, 3-4 lenses and a drone or action cameras while still leaving some room for a few delicate souvenirs. However, the bag is small enough to avoid overpacking or carry-on issues. Being a backpack helps, but I’ve never been asked to check this bag even when flights say they’re not accepting more carry-ons - this includes flights in Europe and Asia with more strict rules. My only issue with the bag is the weight. In a perfect world it would be a bit lighter, but I guess that’s the trade off for having this much padding and protection. I did make two changes to the bag. I bought the full-sized internal cube because I had more gear, and I bought the shoulder straps for women. Mind you, I’m a man. Not a tough one, but I don’t have a bosom. I bought the lady’s straps because they’re thinner and they make the bag easier to carry in the heat. The only thing you lose is the phone pocket, but I find the straps to be easier to manage and less ugly. Those two additions make the bag rather expensive, but it’s the one camera bag I haven’t wanted to replace - no matter how many bag videos I watch on YouTube.