Product Description

The Expedition 5 is the perfect mid-sized pack for a wide range of photographic equipment. Dual "wing" pockets with water-resistant zippers organize and provide quick access to important accessories without disturbing your other gear. These "wing" pockets feature Tamrac's Patented Memory & Battery Management System¿ that uses red flags to identify available memory cards and batteries. Tamrac's QuickClip¿ tripod attachment system holds a tripod centered and balanced, while the lower, plastic-reinforced Tripod Foot Pocket holds two tripod legs secure. The main compartment protects a digital or film SLR, 5-7 lenses and a flash. Two Windowpane-Mesh pockets inside the front flap visibly organize filters, film and other accessories. A plastic, foam-padded platform in the bottom provides shock protection while a LockDown¿ Rain Flap protects the zipper from the elements. The state-of-the-art harness system features Dual-Density Comfort Pads to provide maximum carrying comfort while Air Flow Channels help keep you cool and dry. Compatible with Tamrac's Modular Accessory System¿ and Strap Accessory System¿ products.

Product Details

• Brand: Tamrac
• Model: 5575 Black
• Dimensions: 10.10" h x 14.50" w x 18.30" l, 4.50 pounds

Features

• The Expedition 5 is the perfect mid-sized pack for a wide range of photographic equipment
• Dual Wing pockets feature Tamracs patented Memory & Battery Management System to identify available memory cards and batteries
• QuickClip tripod attachment system holds tripod centered and balanced while Tripod Foot Pocket holds two tripod legs secure
• State of the art harness system features Dual Density Comfort Pads and Air Flow Channels

Customer Reviews

Excellent Build - Moderate Utility
Tamrac is one of my favorite bag makers, and they build all of their gear to the highest quality standards. I bought this pack because I do nature photography, and my style involves constant hiking. This looked like the ideal piece of equipment. After owning it for a year, I have discovered that despite the extraordinary quality of the bag, this is not my favorite and indeed I hardly use it anymore. The reason for this is simple logistics. It turns out that in terms of carrying a camera, backpacks are just about the most difficult apparatus to use efficiently. In order to access your SLR, you must essentially remove the pack and place it on the ground. This is then followed by accessing your camera, which generally has to be set down in order for you to re-shoulder the bag. Quite an unpleasant, time consuming and burdensome process especially when the ground is covered in snow or mud. The bag I reach for most often is the LowePro Off Road, which is a combination hip pack/shoulder bag. Tamrac, however, also makes several of these. With the hip option, you can easily access all of your gear while walking, not even needing to stop, and all of it is upright and will not fall out. You are not forced to set anything down on dirty surfaces. For longer pack trips, such a bag is also very easily placed inside a standard backpack, which is again difficult w/ the larger model. For anyone that is not simply traveling from one site to the next (and may photograph en route) I highly recommend you look at the hip pack/shoulder bag combo models. You'll find yourself reaching for them every time you go out.

The bag I use most
Having used and enjoyed the Tamrac 5749 Velocity 9 Pro Photo sling pack for about a year, I suddenly found myself with more equipment than the pack was meant for. This wasn't obvious to me at first, but became painfully obvious on a trip to Budapest. I knew I needed a bigger bag to overcome the problems I was facing.

For Christmas 2005 I received the Expedition 5. The Tamrac model 5575 Expedition 5 mid-size photo backpack is well designed, sturdy, and built for organization. On the top, the Bag has a handle, modular accessory attachment slots along the sides. Externally the bag measures 12 3/4 W x 10 D x 16 H or 32 x 25 x 41 cm and weighs 4 lbs. 5 oz. or 1950 grams. The internal main compartment measures 11 W x 5 D x 13 1/2 H or 28 x 13 x 34 cm. This is significantly larger than the Velocity 9 pro photo sling pack and more than twice as heavy.

The interior main compartment is separated into compartments with foam padded dividers attached to the bag using Velcro designed to hold an SLR camera, 5-7 lenses and a flash. What you actually will get in the bag depends on what equipment you have. I pack my Canon 70-200mm or 100-400mm lens down the center, a 16-35mm and 24-105mm lenses on one side, a camera at the top, a flash and a few odds and ends on the other side. I still have room for a second camera. Behind the interior flap, two windowpane mesh zippered pockets hold more stuff.

On the external side of the flap, there is a large pocket with a water resistant zipper, two accessory pockets with water resistant zippers and a memory & battery management system, plus a tripod attachment system. Each wing pocket contains two windowpane mesh pockets for memory cards with a red flags on the inside flap. I use one card per pocket although two cards can easily fit in each. The red flap stays tucked into the pocket for empty cards and the flap is pulled out to indicate the card is full. A single pocket large enough to hold two BP-511A batteries takes up most of the rest of the space with no flags. The Tripod attachment system uses the space between the wing pockets for balance. The tripod rests in a plastic reinforced pocket with a drain hole and is secured in place by three straps with quick clip closures.

The harness is like those found on hiking backpacks with two shoulder straps connected by an adjustable sternum strap and a waist belt. Included on the straps are strap accessory system attachment points and D rings for use with the Tamrac N-11 camera straps. The back uses dual-density comfort pads for comfort while maintaining adequate airflow to keep you cool and dry. When I want to take all four of my lenses with me, I just attach one of the lens cases on the side and I am good to go.

Having owned this bag for a year now, I have not been on a trip to compare my experience with that of Budapest. My equipment fits in this bag and I have a little room left to add a few things. I can see where one day I may need a larger bag or my very own sherpa, but for now this one does the job.

Unlike the sling pack, I have to take this bag off and find a place to set it down to do any task I need to complete at the moment. Getting a fresh CF card is a chore without using a memory and battery management wallet strap accessory. On mass transit, forget trying to wear this beast of a bag. While it is really not that big, it is deep enough that you will not be able to sit comfortably on the bus or rail car while wearing it.

PROS:
Well designed and sturdy
Manages weight comfortably when worn properly
Customizable with a large range of accessories

CONS:
Accessing equipment is a chore

Ditto! Great pack, but would you really want to climb a mountain with it?
Excellent quality throughout! Very solidly built, heavy material and reinforced stitching. All of the zippers are a special self-sealing, waterproof type - except for the main zipper, which is protected by an extra weatherproof flap. Plenty of room and partitions to securely hold all of my gear.

However, I'm going to agree with the other reviewer and question the actual utility of this pack (or any pack of this type and size for that matter). You definitely wouldn't want to take this on any type of strenuous hike. When I get this sucker fully loaded I can see it easily topping out at 50 or 60 lbs - and that's without any other incidental gear like extra clothes, food, water, etc. I too will likely get some type of smaller, waist bag to use as my daypack. This one will be pretty much for storage and protection. Besides, you really don't need to be lugging all of your extra gear (battery chargers, cables, manuals, etc) up and down a mountainside anyway (unless you have issues)! Just the camera and an extra lens or two is enough to be mobile.

I still do like the backpack style camera bags though. They are convenient to carry, even if moderately heavy, and you're not advertising that you're loaded with $7k+ worth of premium photo gear!