Camera bags for cyclists are a lot harder to design than you’d expect and very few get it right. I’ve used many and never felt inspired to write a review for one reason or another yet over the past few weeks I’ve been using the Evoc CP 18l bag and here I am, inspired enough to share it with y’all.
Yesterday, on our 25-mile singletrack ride, I carried my normal trail shooting kit, a Canon 5D, 24-70, and 70-200 lens. Quite the pack to climb 4,000′ elevation with, but I like to think of it as my camera bag training for all the rides and races I’ll be covering in the coming months. Typically, after a ride like this, my back and shoulders are in pain and the last thing I want to do is talk about the pack I wore. Yet this morning it was very apparent that this pack’s design makes for a pain-free riding experience, even when carrying 15lb of gear.
What makes the CP 18l unique is Evoc’s lumbar support, provided by the velcro waist strap, which goes on before the hip belt and clip. This ensures that even if the clip’s straps loosen, the velcro holds the pack in place. This keeps the bag’s weight on your hips, rather than pulling down from your shoulders like other camera packs tend to do. As you climb, the pack sits on your hips and you barely feel it on your back. Other bags feel like they’re constantly pulling you down.
Pack details:
18 l, 1600 g, 27 x 52 x 17 cm
Camera compartment: 25 x 24 x 16,5 cm
Attachment system for: tripods, axes, saws, or other camera or trail work gear.
Compartment management: camera compartment 60%, equipment compartment 40%
Partitioning (individual, padded)
Easy-to-access camera compartment (on the rear side)
Quick access to camera (side)
Front-access equipment compartment
Side compartment (fits 2 l hydration system)
Hip belt pocket
Hip belt (extra-wide, padded)
Carrying system (ergonomic, adjustable)
Notebook pocket
The size of the 18l bag, even when underpacked, works in your favor. Smaller packs have a hard time nesting on my back and end up sliding side to side and fly forward when I drop in on steep sections of trail. The CP 18l stays in place, no matter what the weight it’s carrying. Fully loaded, or loaded as seen in these photos, it finds its spot on your back and sits still until you unlatch it to access the camera, from either the right side pocket or through the back hatch.
There are tons of pockets and other nifty details, which the user can apply to their specific needs. I found that for an all-day ride, there’s more than enough room in the pack to carry everything I need and could really see this bag being suitable for lightweight backpacking trips as well. There’s even an integrated rainfly, making it hard to lose, and easy to deploy when the clouds decide to open on your ride.
The CP 18l retails for $230 and comes in three colors, red (501306500), black (501306100), or olive as shown (501306307). You can use Evoc’s dealer finder to locate a stockist near you. Here are some more detail photos…
What’s your favorite camera bag and how do you think it’d compare?
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