Amateur Photographer verdict
The Summit Creative Tenzing 30L is an excellent camera backpack that’s extremely versatile and well made. It’s comfortable to carry even when heavily laden, and it’s carry-on compatible, too.- Versatile two-section design
- Loads of pockets
- Comfortable to carry when full
- High-quality materials and construction
- Only holds a 14in laptop
Summit Creative is a relatively new brand that aims to offer rugged camera bags for demanding outdoor pursuits at a competitive price. Its Tenzing backpacks bear more than a passing resemblance to Shimoda’s Action backpacks but cost less, perhaps in part due to using integrated camera protection rather than interchangeable cubes. I’ve been testing the smallest of the three available models, the Summit Creative Tenzing 30L.
Summit Creative Tenzing 30L backpack at a glance:
- £290
- Side and rear camera access
- 53 x 29 x 20cm (exterior)
- 30-litre capacity
- Roll-top and expandable front
- 14-in laptop compartment
- summitcreativebags.com
This bag is so packed full of features it’s difficult to know where to begin. The main compartment is of a two-part design, with the bulk of the bag used for your camera kit and a roll-top upper section for personal items. But a movable inner ‘shelf’ and clever fold-down internal divider allows you to reallocate space between the two, when you need to carry less camera kit and more clothing or food.
There’s a good array of pockets, both internal and external, including a laptop compartment in the back panel. On the front, a full-height pocket can be expanded to hold a gimbal or jacket. Unusually the back opens sideways, which helps prevent it getting mucky when you open it up.
The harness is especially well designed, with plenty of padding and adjustment points, plus a moulded back section to provide airflow and stop you getting too sweaty. You even get expanding pockets on both shoulder straps, and a useful phone pocket on the waist belt. Handles on the top, side and back help with stowing the bag on trains and planes.
An internal aluminium frame provides rigidity and impressive protection for your kit. There’s plenty of padding throughout, while the pale blue interior makes it easy to see what’s inside. Naturally you get an array of moveable dividers to configure the interior to suit your needs.
Summit Creative Tenzing 30L backpack key features:
- Waist belt: The heavily padded, detachable waist belt has a pocket on one side and attachment points on the other
- Straps: There are straps and attachment points all over the bag for carrying such things as hiking poles, skies, or a helmet
- Weather resistant: Coated fabric and waterproof zips are used throughout, and a bright orange rain cover is included
- Side pockets: Expanding exterior pockets on either side can be used a carry a tripod and water bottle
In terms of capacity, this bag can swallow an impressive amount of gear. I filled it out with a Sony A7R V with wideangle, standard and telephoto zooms, plus 90mm macro and 135mm portrait lenses, and a couple of small primes. Switching to a smaller format, there’s space for my Fujifilm X-T5 and no fewer than ten lenses. The largest lens you’re likely to be able to fit inside is a 70-200mm f/2.8 or 100-400mm telezoom.
If this 30L backpack isn’t big enough, though, Summit Creative also makes 40L and 50L versions, for £320 and £340 respectively. These will hold progressively more kit, including a 16-in laptop, but it’s worth noting that neither are carry-on compatible. All three bags are available in a choice of black, green, or orange.
Summit Creative Tenzing 30L backpack: Our verdict
Despite its close cosmetic resemblance to the Shimoda Action 30 backpack, the Summit Creative Tenzing 30L is anything but a cheap rip-off. It feels really well-made and is comfortable to carry even when heavily loaded. The sheer versatility of the design is the icing on the cake.
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