Mindshift FIRSTLIGHT® 30L vs More Than A Backpack Vintage Large Canvas Backpack

ABSOLUTE BEST PART is the Hydration pouch pocket. I have the 3 liter pouch and it provides ample amount of water on extreme heat days that hit over 100 degrees filming offroad racing. For the money, this bag is a steal. The comfort of packing this bag around is second to none

The exterior pockets are awkward, but the pack itself is very comfortable when wearing. I prefer using backpacks instead of purses, so this is a perfect solution, as it is not too tremendous for daily use, but also spacious enough for my needs.

The rear of MindShift Gear FirstLight 30L has a velcro adjustable torso length to better fit your body size. The back of the bag is well padded for extra comfort, and is designed to help air flow on your upper body. The shoulder straps are very comfortable, while a belt helps maintain the bag tight to your waist. The belt has some extra straps on it that can be used to attach accessories using Think Tank’s Photo Modular Component or with the Lens Switch Case

I was mistakenly sent the smaller version at first, so this a review for both sizes. Medium: A 15.6" laptop fits, barely. It's a tight fit, but given that it's jean material it will probably stretch over time

With padded waist straps there’s always a concern about portability.  The StreetWalker, after all, has non-padded straps that tuck inside a pocket and can virtually disappear.  So how did the folks at MindShift decide to avoid the “flapping waist strap” problem I experienced with my old LowePro pack?  They designed the FirstLight’s straps to fold back and clip around the bottom of the pack, essentially hugging the bag and remaining tight and constricted.

This plane has just about the smallest overhead compartments imaginable.  No reasonable large lens bag would fit in those (though the Skin system pouches with smaller gear could).  So the pack had to fit under the seat.  And it barely did

Three grab handles make it easy to hoist into an overhead bin or in and out of vehicles en route to your destination. The shoulder straps and waist belt distribute weight evenly, while the shaped aluminum torso stay provides additional support, allowing you to stay out on the trail longer.

Zipper pulls on the bag are beefy and easy to grab, even with gloves, and a bevy of zippered areas allowed me to store keys and other travel items.

I like the aesthetics of the bag but unfortunately the poor grade zippers gives this bag a poor rating. I've had this bag for 6 months with regular use as a commuter.

The laptop/tablet pouches are on the front flap of the FirstLight, which lacks the padding of the interior of the bag, so it’s a good idea to be careful when unzipping and lowering the front flap when loaded with computer gear. If I were planning to take a MacBook Pro into the field, I’d opt for a bag with better computer compartment padding, but my laptop and tablet usually stay in my hotel room when I’m on an outdoor shoot.

Large: 15.6" laptop fits into the laptop slot with comfortable space left over, but will not fit if you have it in a protective sleeve on said laptop which makes me think a 17" laptop will likely be the same type of fit as a 15.6" in the medium size. This size will likely fit all of your basic toiletries and some extras as well as two-three outfits and a makeup bag