Peak Design Everyday Totepack 20L test: an elegant and more practical backpack than it seems
Peak Design, a young company, but already a benchmark
Peak Design has made a name for itself in the world of photography since the 2017 inauguration of the Everyday Backpack, a bag that broke with the standards of traditional camera bags. Modern look, less photo-oriented and more “urban”, without skimping on options and finishes. This bag allowed the Californian company to break into the market and was followed by a range of original bags.
Among these, the Everyday Tote did not necessarily seem attractive, but it has the merit of being transported in 3 different ways: over the shoulder, on the shoulder and on the back.
At the end of 2019, Peak Design renewed its entire luggage and the Tote became the Totepack. While it retains handbag-style handles, the Everyday Totepack 20L looks more like a backpack, a sort of lighter version of the Everyday Backpack, but with a more versatile design.
Price and availability
The Peak Design Everyday Totepack 20L was launched in 2019 at a price of €189. It is available in two colors (black and “bone”) and competes more or less directly with the Manfrotto Tote bag convertible Street.
Construction & Access
Backpack or camera bag?
Very smart whoever can say at first glance that the Everyday Totepack is a camera bag. Its roll-top opening is reminiscent of a sort of mix between a tote bag and a courier bag.
Rather elegant and resistant
Its design is softer than that of other Peak Design bags, while maintaining the same DNA. The luggage is thus always covered with a resistant and water-repellent 400D nylon fabric. The semi-rigid bottom is also made of a waterproof material. So there is no need to buy an additional protective cover, unless you want to take the bag in a tropical downpour.
Quality materials
The various hooks are also fashioned in rather noble materials for backpacks (metal hooks, nylon straps like a seat belt, leather handles for the “bone” and in Hypalon for the black model).
Leather handles for the cream version.
As often with Peak Design, the closures are consolidated by magnets. The pockets all have zippers covered with a sheath to protect them from the elements.
Bilateral access
Access to the equipment is done – as for the Everyday Backpack – on the sides or on the top of the bag. The upper access requires unrolling a small roll-top, then opening a tropicalized closure. Thus each side of the bag can be opened to allow you to retrieve your camera, lenses or any other object inserted here.
A waterproof semi-rigid bottom
The opening is however not complete and it will be difficult to place or extract too bulky boxes. The zippers also benefit from a small level of security since they can be attached to the bag to avoid accidental openings, in public transport for example. The bag is quite well padded, but still does not offer the same robustness as a backpacker’s luggage; it is above all designed for the city.
Comfort
The Everyday Totepack is a rather light backpack (just over 1 kg without the dividers and 1,250 kg with). Except for stuffing it — which is complicated anyway — it does well on its back. However, we regret the somewhat thin straps.
On our 1.55 m model
Similarly, this type of luggage does not have a chest strap or waist harness. In addition to the backpack straps, we can grab the Totepack by its handles, but we regret a little that they cannot be stretched to put them on the shoulder, as with a… tote bag.
Nice straps, but a bit thin
The handles overhanging the bag are also extended on each side, which gives up to 4 additional attachment points.
Storage & Modularity
The Peak Design Everyday Totepack features two zipped pockets and a third “bonus” which we will discuss later.
Computer up to 15 inches AND tablets
The first pocket, external, is used to slip mainly accessories (a phone or even glasses). You can also slip in a pocket book or an e-reader. It also has seven small compartments (not zipped or magnetic) to store memory cards or spare batteries.
The external pocket and its storage
The main pocket, accessible from the sides or from the top, is divided into two parts. Against the shoulder straps, there is space to store both a laptop (up to 15 inches) and a tablet; convenient !
We slide here the tablet and the computer.
The second space is equipped with two dividers typical of Peak Design. By default, they are installed vertically, and then leave a central cavity available for various objects. We can completely rearrange these separators to our liking, or even remove them if we find them superfluous.
Side access and house dividers
Concealable straps
Finally, there is a “secret” pocket that we mentioned above. It is in fact the niche with magnetic closure where to store the straps if you want to use the Totepack only as a handbag. Otherwise, you then have a fairly large and very useful slot for slipping in a passport or other thin documents.
Straps are also provided. Once installed, they make it easy to carry clothes, a sleeping bag or a tripod. Note also that this model does not have a pocket to store a possible water bottle.
