Tenba Fulton V2 16L at a glance:
- $110 / £88
- Secure rear-access design
- Accepts camera and 6-7 lenses
- Expandable roll-top section
- Measures 28x51x19cm, weighs 1.4kg
- uk.tenba.com
Tenba’s Fulton V2 16L is the largest in the firm’s updated Fulton range, with 10L and 14L versions beneath it. All share the same split daypack design, with a lower camera section and roll-top upper for personal items. It comes in three colour schemes: black, waterproof black/camo, and a fetching tan/olive which has some vintage appeal, looking much like an old haversack. But the comparison ends there, as this bag is packed with modern features. It’s a well laid out and engineered backpack, with lots of storage options.
The bag is comfortable to carry with well-padded shoulder straps
Tenba Fulton V2 16L key features:
- Roll top: A versatile top section lets you take more or less kit, depending on your needs
- Front pocket: The slip pocket has plenty of organisation for smaller items like cards and batteries
- Side pockets: On the sides there are strong mesh and canvas pockets for a water bottle and tripod
- Quality build: The materials are excellent: 600D thick canvas, reinforced stitching and free-running TKK zips mean it’ll last
The capacious main camera compartment opens from the rear
In the rear-opening camera compartment, I fitted a Nikon Z 7II with the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, although I had to remove the battery grip when it was laid flat. On its side, it fitted, but only just as this is not a particularly deep bag. I also managed to fit Z 50mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8 primes along with 14-30mm f/4 and 24-70mm f/4 zooms. The compartment dividers are thick and easily rearranged, while on the front, there’s a slip pocket that’ll fit up to a 16in laptop, plus additional organiser pockets.
The top section has an expandable roll-top closure
The top section has a roll-top closure so it can be expanded to fit a variety of other gear, like lunch or a jacket, or even another lens or a small drone. It cinches down neatly via a metal buckle and assuming you don’t fill it too much, the closure nips shut and rolls over to form a reasonably rain-resistant seal.
On that point, the outer is ‘weather resistant’ but being canvas, only so much. Under a light hose, water beaded and soaked in a little, which was fine, but you wouldn’t want to be caught in an extended downpour. There’s no all-weather cover, so you’ll need to add an accessory.
Pockets on either side can be used to carry a water bottle and tripod
The rear-opening main camera section is secure, but the bag has to be taken off to access it. An upside is that you can put the bag down on its face and not get dirt or dust on your clothes when donned again. The bag is comfortable to carry with well-padded auto-adjusting shoulder straps and a sternum link to take some of the strain. There’s also a belt for stability, but it’s not padded.
Tenba Fulton V2 16L All Weather version
At around $110 / £100, the Tenba Fulton V2 16L All Weather version comes in a black and camouflage finish and has a more water-repellent nylon outer as well as storm-sealed zippers that will take more of a dousing. Plus there’s Tenba’s dual sided WeatherWrap™ rain cover, too.
The Tenba Fulton V2 16L All Weather version in black / black/camo
Tenba Fulton V2 16L: Our Verdict
If you’re looking for a beautifully made, comfortable and stylish backpack, Tenba’s Fulton V2 16L certainly fits the bill. It’s not built for big kit, but the capacity is decent. I found it excellent especially when I resisted the urge to overfill it; its medium size suits a more thoughtful setup.
