Owner contribution
I am writing this review on the Tamrac Aero Speed Pack 85, which I have now owned for a couple of weeks. Before I purchased this bag I was not able to find many reviews on it, so hopefully this review will help out others who may also be considering this bag. Here is a brief description of the bag from the Tamrac website: Dual Access backpack allows the comfort of a backpack, but doesn't sacrifice the ability to quickly access photo gear. The criteria I used when looking for a bag was relatively simple. I wanted the bag to hold a laptop in addition to my photo gear. I preferred to have a backpack style bag. I wanted the ability to have quick access to my camera without having to remove the bag completely. I narrowed my choices to the Lowepro Fastback 200/250 and the Tamrac Aero Speed Pack 85, as those were really the only two bags which I found that met my criteria. I decided against the Lowepro simply because I thought it did not look as nice aesthetically. The bag is quite comfortable to wear and seems to distribute the weight across my shoulders well. Access through the side panel simply requires that you remove the strap from your right arm and swing the pack around from the side. As you can see the bag looks pretty much like an ordinary backpack. tamrac 3385aero speedpack 85 There is an elastic pocket on the front, and another pocket on the side which can be used for a water bottle. Here is a picture with my camera in the side opening. Notice there are also several pockets to hold additional memory cards on the inside of this flap. tamrac 3385aero speedpack 85 There is quite a bit of room around my camera, and I do not think it would be a problem to hold a camera with a grip attached. The zipper for the side access area has a rubber seal on it to help with weather protection. Here is a view with all my gear inside. As you can see I still have quite a bit of extra room. Config #1 tamrac 3385aero speedpack 85 Config #2 I just loaded up the bag with the following equipment shown below, and found that although the bag is heavy it still feels comfortable to wear. This comfort may be due to the fact that the shoulder pads are nice and thick. Even so, however, the weight will be carried on your shoulders so I am not sure how well it would do on a long hike. tamrac 3385 aero speedpack 85 Notice that in this bag you are able to carry the 580EXII in the vertical position so that it will not take up two slots like it does in the Fastback 350. I do agree that the opening in the Fastback does allow easier access to the camera, but I really haven't found access to be a problem at all so far. The flap that covers this opening also has a small pocket with a zipper on it. The pocket does not have much depth, so most likely could be used to store things such as extra memory cards. Here is a picture with a 15.4" laptop inside. The zipper for this area also has a rubber seal on it. tamrac 3385aero speedpack 85 Here is a shot of the upper compartment area. The seperator between the upper and lower compartments is actually removeable, since it is held in by Velcro. tamrac 3385aero speedpack 85 The straps are well padded and seem to contour to my shoulders well. tamrac 3385aero speedpack 85 There are also two places on the underside of the bag that could be used to attach a strap. By doing this, you could theoretically attach a small tripod to the bag, although I am not sure if that would make carrying the bag awkward. Here is a shot with me wearing the backpack (5' 8" tall). tamrac 3385aero speedpack 85 CONCLUSION: I am really impressed with the quality of this bag. It satistifed all of my criteria and has met my expectations to date. The build quality of the bag is outstanding. I also appreciate the fact that it looks like an ordinary backpack. Thanks to Steve for review.
