What is a technical backpack?

What's the best pro camera backpack that is stylish + functional?

• Must absolutely store lots of gear. Including 5D Mark II, 50mm 1.2, 16-35 2.8 and maybe a 70-200 2.8. I've gone through the vintage hipster canvas backpack phase with no luck. They're beautiful but are disfunctional as fuck for a photographer. I tried a KÃ¥nken with a camera insert but the bag has zero padding. Lowepro has okay stuff but it's ugly as hell and I'm trying to stay away. It also makes my bag easier to target for would-be thieves. My *dream* backpack is something that's more hiking-esque and less daypack style. Needs support for the back. And a storeable weather cover is a bonus. The way the backpack opens is really important. I'm looking for something that opens at the side so I can get at my gear without stopping. Or possibly opening through the back. A front-top zipper is the worst choice, increasing chance for theft and inconvenient. It can't be huge and bulky or my back will shatter. Can anyone help? btw I'm looking at this one. Has great features, just moderately fugly. http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Primus-AW-Backpack-Black/dp/B000TWUR48/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1LUWNPRTNGAU3&coliid=I1L0AUWNKCZFK9

• Answer:

  I use a Kata 3N1 and generally like it with some reservations. Kata is one of the more innovative bag makers out there, and the 3N1 is a pretty solid and respectable bag. Pros: It's a side opening bag with flaps on both sides. That makes it usable for both right-handed and left-handed photographers. The shoulder straps are very flexible in their configuration. You can use it as a one-strap sling, a two-strap backpack, or a two-strap crossed backpack. When in sling mode, you can slide the bag around your torso to get things in and out of the side flap. You can get an optional tripod strap that holds a tripod vertically up the center back of the pack. I like this configuration since it distributes the pack's weight evenly when carrying a tripod. I use the medium sized "2" series bag, and it has enough room to hold a 5D with a lens attached, another a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens. There's also a nice space on the top for my tripod head, filters, etc. The pack features a waste strap - a necessity for weight distribution that too many bag makers overlook. A rain cover is included. Cons: You can't just open the bag and get to everything right away. This is a consequence of the side opening feature - there's no quick way to open the bag except to use the side flaps (or completely unzip it in a complex multi-step process). I sometimes find that it's harder to manage the contents than I would like, and I frequently wonder if the side opening feature isn't more trouble than it's worth. Everything feels cramped in the bag. It's snug, and sometimes I wonder if it's too snug. I'm always having to wrestle stuff in and out of the small side opening flap. The tripod strap is awkward for larger tripods. Tripods in general are this bag's Achilles heal, because they make the bag unwieldy when using it in sling mode. You can't swing it around your front as easily. The sling mode only works well when the bag is light. If you put too much stuff in it (or use a tripod), you pretty much have to use it in backpack mode. The waste strap isn't really substantial enough for long and heavy carrying. I also sometimes wish it had chest straps to better adjust the shoulder straps when in backpack mode. I wouldn't describe the bag as "stylish." It's not ugly, but it's not gorgeous either. Conclusion: I originally wanted a side opening bag, and I think the Kata 3N1 is an excellent approach. If that's what you want, then you'll like this bag and it's flexibility. It's probably one of the best side-openers on the market. However,  when I'm carrying a tripod, I haven't found side opening approach to be all that workable. Since I carry a tripod more often than not, I mostly use the bag as a backpack. And as a backpack, there are better options. Update: The upcoming bag from Mindshift Gear looks like an innovative approach that addresses some of my concerns: http://mindshiftgear.com/