Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

Gear is well protected. Backpack is heavy even when empty!

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

I bought this bag so that all my lenses and most of my accessories can be in one place.

When I am on an exclusive photographic outing I can take the lot otherwise I transfer things into appropriate other cases that I have.

It is very comfortable to wear and I am excited to be able to finally travel with all my gear not leaving the bit that I need at home.

The construction seems great and layout well thought out.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

I have not field tested it yet as I am still using my old backpack but I will be trailing it soon.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

This bag is very sturdy and will protect your equipment well while you are focused on other things. I use it to store stuff at home, and to go on photo excursions. However, all of that protection does come with some weight, this bag is pretty heavy all by itself, and while it does have a lot of compartments and configuration options, don't expend to haul around much more than your camera, a few lenses, laptop, and small electronics. If your going to be out all day, youlll need some other way to carry other essentials like food and water.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

This bag is superb. It is very large & comfortable. One thing is that the clips are a little bit difficult to open; you have push very hard.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

Loved the look of the bag the first time I saw it. It is well made and will certainly hold and protect a lot of valuable equipment. The only concern I have is trying to place/attach a tripod to the bag that will not throw the weight off balance without covering the quick access compartment for the body and lens. Bottom line I bought it because I have never had any problem with Adorama and the price was right.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

I just needed a smaller size but it is a great bag for professionals & avid photographers. For simple me I will use it as a storage & not on a plane. If I travel in a car I will carry .

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

It truly fits the bill for long distance travel. Air-line freindly; so far only 10,000 miles on this pack.To this point the preformance has been perfect. I beleive it to be of good construction and look forward to many, many miles.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

This pack is tough and rugged. I'm a large guy and this pack wears very well with all my equipment in it. I feel very secure with my equipment in it. I especially like the quick access to the camera.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

Great backpack for heavy travel.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

when I saw it on line looked like it was exactly what I needed. When you open all the way to get equipment what is stored to rear falls out. To hard to completely close zippers. Not as much storage as I thought

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

I just returned from several locations in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The rucksack protected my gear (Canon 1D-MarkIII plus 3 lenses and tripod) exceptionally well through 15 air legs. I was impressed by the superb construction and the light weight. The backpack was also very comfortable, which is hard to say about a lot of similar products on the market today. I have one other Kata product and both are constructed extremely well.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

When I first put the bag on and looked myself in the mirror I immediately thought it looked like a turtle shell on my bag. I travel on planes a lot for work; I originally bought this bag so I could carry a laptop and all my camera gear on board and safely stow it under the seat in front of me. Before this I had to stuff my Lowepro Slingshot 200 bag into my bigger laptop backpack and that barely fit under the seat. The Kata bag is definitely uses space much more efficiently; with my equipment and laptop inside I could still fit a fairly thick book under the quick access compartment with no problems. I definitely like the two small side pockets, although I wish they were a bit deeper; anything thicker than a memory card will look like its trying to poke out of the bag.

The laptop compartment is very large but has 2 cushy inserts that allowed me to adjust to my laptop size. Even though it felt snug with the laptop in, I was able to squeeze a 1/2 - 3/4 inch folder into the compartment. After getting used to it, pulling the folder in and out wasn't too much of a problem.

My only other wish for the next iteration of this bag would be to give it waterproof zippers; the large ones used for the quick access compartment would worry me should water be accidentally spilled on the bag.

Overall very pleased with the bag.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

I purchased this backpack for a photo trip to Africa. So I tested it on a cross country US trip. It stood up to all the rough handling in three airports. I'm confident that it will protect my gear well.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

An excellent product for camera gear and a laptop. I use it for travel by air and car, well padded, heavy duty construction, easy access compartments and is comfortable on my back. Has the stealth look of a standard backpack that doesn't say "please steal me I'm full of camera gear"

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

Looking at this item in the online advertisement, I was not expecting such a large, bulky rucksack. This was an advantage for carrying several accessories, eg. body, two lenses, a flash and a laptop. It was a disadvantage, however, for mounting on ones back. Easy for me because I am 200 lbs and 6 ft. May be a struggle for someone smaller. Once mounted, the rucksack is very light and the straps are comfy. When mounted, have your camera out with your favorite lens because access to the rucksack without a partner or shooting buddy can be cumbersome. I also don't like the apparatus that was conjured up to strap a tripod to the outside of the bag. With some time and care the tripod is held securly, but it bangs against the bag as you walk and it gets in the way if you set the bag on the ground. All in all I think the bag is great for storing and transporting equipment. The construction is great and the cushioning on the inside is certainly adequate. If you like to get inside of a bag frequently, you are petite, or you sit down on the subway frequently like I do (the hanging tripod gets in the way), this may not be the bag for you.

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

Very comfortable and strong bag. If it had another pocket or two it would be perfect

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

I have made at least 10 trips to Europe with this bag loaded with a laptop,video cam, large canon digital, and assorted lenses plus whatever else I could stuff into the bag. The protection of expensive gear is the main reason you buy this item...I am very rough with my gear and without this bag I would have had to replace a few very expensive items.. In addition the bag does not advertise that there is $8,000 plus worth of gear inside...it looks like a normal back pack (but stronger...Canon's bag has its logo on the outside...I gave mine away).The straps are easily adjusted and the bag rides on the body comfortably. When home,the camera equipment stays in the bag as it's the safest place. This is a great product...if you have invested in good equipment it would be foolish not to have this bag.Think of it as an insurance policy....very highly recommended

Comments about Kata Kata GDC Series R-103 Compact Photo Rucksack with TST Protection for an SLR Body with 300mm Lens Attached, Extra body, 4-5 Lenses or Mini DV Camcorder:

I used this bag to shlep all my gear through Thailand, and it has housed my gear ever since. It was in dirt, rain, open boats on rough ocean, bounced round in the back of questionable transportation, and the gear never suffered a single scratch. In fact, the whole bag still looks like new a year later -- inside and out.

It is a remarkable piece of design -- a very unique bag. The harness is incredibly well-engineered, so that it feels a lot lighter than it should when on your back -- which makes up for lack of a waist-harness. The outer shell is very stiff--much more protective than canvas, but still bends to remain comfortable. From what I understand, the company makes bulet-proof vests and you can see how they used this technology to create a bullet-proof bag.

I don't do a lot of reviews, but this is a pretty uniquely impressive piece of design. Main pros:
- fits everything with no wasted space -- it is very sleek and compact when closed (I carried 20D, 24-70L, 70-200f4L, 17-85IS, 50mmf/1.8, Tokina 12-24, 580EX, 1.4xextender, lots of cleaning equip, 3 batts, cards, remote, filters, rain cover).
- incredible protection for your equipment -- half-way to a hard case for your back
- unique harness with stretchy "suspension" -- far from regular padded backpack straps
- really lightweight when empty - -lenses are heavy enough!
- easy-access panel to get to your camera without opening the whole bag
- doesn't obviously look like a camera bag to thieves
- for what it's worth, looks pretty darned cool
- good straps/stirrup for carrying tripod
- includes rain cover

cons:
- no waistband for long hikes
- small pockets are really small -- if you like a ton of little pockets, this isn't your bag