Mindshift FIRSTLIGHT® 30L vs think tank backstory 13

I bought this bag to make carrying a large amount of equipment more streamlined. I previously had been using shoulder and messenger bags but found that I often needed to travel with a wide assortment of gear beyond what comfortably could be carried over long distances in one of those. The backpack is built well and holds a lot. I easily fit a 14-24, 24-70, 70-200, 200-500 mounted, 50, 1

The pockets are well thought out and user friendly. The laptop sleeve is perfect for a 4th generation iPad in it's case. The zippered top access is my favorite thing about the bag, it’s great!

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 shoulder straps have plenty of padding, the (removable) waist belt is great and the chest strap can be moved up or down to accommodate different body shapes. It has plenty of dividers that are simple to set up. The pockets are well thought out and user friendly. The laptop sleeve is perfect for a 4th generation iPad in it's case

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

One thing if you could make the tablet slot a bit wider it might fit a tablet with its case installed which a lot of use.

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

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.

8, 70-200 2.8, Zeiss 21mm prime, 13” macPro, Gitzo Carbon traveler and a Light L16 for backup. All ya Need!