Reviews for Canon 300D / 10D / 20D / 30D / 40D / 50D / 5D / 7D
I bought the Photo Trekker AW II when I had a couple of outings where I needed to bring essentially everything I had, i.e. both my film and digital bodies, tripod, 5 lenses (Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM was the largest), etc. I've since sold the 70-200 so now the photos show a lot of extra room.
As can be guessed, all of these easily fit the bag, and I was able to store more stuff in it than I really wanted to carry. Even then the bag is comfortable to carry due to the very good shoulder straps and belt. It's even better than my hiking backpack (which, granted, is a lot older and cost less).
I nowadays mostly use this bag to store my "excess" gear, In addition to the heaviness when full, the only other problem I've had with this bag is that there is no real room for a laptop. The top pocket easily fits my laptop, but it's not padded so it's not safe for one.
Photos contain:
Canon EOS 10D
Canon EOS 5
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM (+ hood)
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM (w/hood)
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM
Canon 550EX Speedlite
Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 2
Canon RS-80N3 Remote Switch
Canon EF 2X Extender
Manfrotto 590B tripod
5-in-1 reflector (forgot to include the holder in the bag)
2 x Stofen Omni Bounce
72 and 77 mm circular polarizer filters
10D battery charger
Ultra-light table-top tripod
Batteries, CF cards, film, etc. 
Thanks to Tomi Junnila for review
Review #2
(Added 16th Jan 2007)
Equipment list in bag :
Canon EOS 30D with Battery grip BG-E2 & E1 Hand strap
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM + hood
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM + hood
Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM+ hood
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM + hood
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM + hood
Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro + hood
Canon 580EX Speedlite (2x)
Canon Ixus 700
Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 2
Stofen Omni Bounce
77 mm circular polarizer filter
30D battery charger
USB Card reader
Hama Bellows Blower
Arctic Butterfly-714
Batteries, CF cards, flash foot, etc.
Review text:
Thanks to Jonas Persson for review
Review #3
(Added 15th July 2008)
Equipment list in bag :
Canon EOS 20D with BG-E2 grip + Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8
Canon EOS 20D body
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Canon EF 100mm F/2.8 USM Macro Lens
Canon 580EX Speedlite
Sigma 1.4x EX DG APO Teleconverter
Kenko Extension Tubes
20gb Flash Trax
Canon MR-14EX Macro Ring Lite
Filters
Review #4
(Added 17th Jan 2010)
Equipment list in bag :
Main compartment:
Canon EOS 40D + Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM (w/ hood reversed) attached (also possible with 1.4xII extender attached in between)
Canon EF 300mm f/4 IS USM
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Canon Extender EF 1.4x II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Canon 430EX Speedlite
2x silicagel containers (for moisture control)
Cleaning stuff (lenswipes and a rocket blower)
Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly
4x AA batteries
Stofen Omni Bounce
Space left for 1 extra body (which will be a 1D mark IV in a few months:) )
Accessories compartments (inside):
Wireless Remote
Tools (extra bolts for my Gitzo tripod, Torx-tools)
Tickpliers (yes I am in the field allot)
Business cards
Battery covers (x3)
Brush (x2)
Card safe (with 4x CF cards inside)
Front compartment:
Some food
10x32 Binoculars
Lens cover which fits over the lens hood (microwave lid)
Which gives the bag a weight of 13.8 KG or 30.42 LBS (bag included)
Right side fr
Since I bought the Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, I needed to find a bag capable of carrying this lens and my other stuff. One of the criteria was that if I would go traveling the bag could come with me as carry-on luggage on a plane.
Some websites stated that this bag is ok to take with you as carry-on, others however do not mention this (aswell as they do not mention it is not possible).
I work in the aviation sector myself (Aircraft engineer) and asked some colleagues (Pilots and Stewardesses) about this bag, they all stated it was fine to take with you as carry-on.
The Photo Trekker AWII is a real nice bag for the more serious photographers.
For me it is no problem to go on a hike (in the dunes) with 20kg+ (40lbs+) equipment with me, believe me, I did it.
I Do think however, if you are a light person the bag will probably pull you over, Ive seen this happen to someone trying to put on my bag..
This is a bag I can recommend strongly!
Likes about the bag:
Just about everything, comfortable fit, lots of adjustments possible, easy to carry for long distances, AW protection.
Dislikes about the bag:
"Rubber sealing type" Rain resistant zippers, the rubber "flaps" get caught between the zippers and tear off, Zipper still usable but is now less rain resistant
for Canon EOS 1D
Photo contains:
Canon EOS 1D mk IIn
Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM
battery + 1.4 convertor
Attached: Gitzo 1325 + B1 and sidekick (not shown)
Thanks to Tom Steele for photo
Review #2
(Added 27th Sept 2007)
I wanted a Lowepro bag I could hike with that would hold my 300mm f2.8L IS with the hood in firing position and a body attached. After searching these forums I didn't find much that looked like the right fit, so I turned to the sales department at B&H. They suggested the Photo Trekker AW II; which I hear just came out not too long ago. I took their word for it and pulled the trigger.
When UPS dropped it off my first thought was "this is definitely a monster bag!" I immediately pulled all of the dividers out and got to configuring. The 300mm/hood straight out and 1DMKII attached fit with room to spare . Actually, I can even put a 2xTC on as well, but it gets a tad difficult to zip the bag up.
In typical Lowepro fashion, I cannot complain about the build quality. There are a bunch of adjustments to find the right comfort spot with this loaded bag on your back, but once you do it goes from being pretty heavy to feeling like only a few slight pounds. It balances quite well!
With that said, on to pictures (they speak louder than words):
All shot with a SD550 for those of you who care.
I wish the shoulder straps were slightly thicker because I'm a bit stocky, but I think they'd be just fine for someone with an average chest size.
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It also comes with a day-pack for packing clothes or whatever else. The day-pack can also serve as a stand-alone backpack for various activities. Lowepro provides a single shoulder strap with the ability to stash the backpack straps in the backside of the day-pack. If you wish to attach it to the main bag, it simply straps on to the top and you move your tripod holster to the side. The tripod holster moves easily because it is one velcro attachment that slips through the various holster slots on both sides and the front.
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Just to show how much stuff is crammed into the main compartment:
Canon EOS 1D MK II (with POTN strap 
)
Canon Extender EF 1.4x
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM with hood straight and Optec cover
Rocket Blower
Zenitar 16mm f2.8 Fisheye
Canon EF 100mm F/2.8 USM Macro Lens
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Canon 550EX Speedlite
LED flashlight
Canon EF 2X Extender
Canon EF 35mm f/2
Canon EF 20mm F/2.8 USM
Canon Off shoe flash cord
Canon 430EX Speedlite
Hood for 24-105mm
Epsom P-2000 in case
Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L USM IS with hood loosely attached
B+W 77mm Circular Polarizer
B/W 77mm -10 stop ND filter
Canon remote shutter cord
4 Energizer batteries
Microdisc
2 SD cards
Spare 1DMKII battery
Spare Epson P2000 battery
Additional rear/front lens/body caps
Pros: Large enough to hold a body with a super-telephoto attached. With the hood reversed more stuff can certainly fit. Rain cover and other standard Lowepro features. Daypack. Comfortable under a full load.
Cons: Shoulder straps could be thicker. I wish there was a way to stow the waist strap when working out of the car or making short walks. Rugged/tough zippers can be a tad tedious to close (guess this is a good thing too). Very few small compartments for stowing smaller items.
Experience so far: I've had this bag out 3 separate times now. Once for a 2 mile hike (birding) and twice to work out of the car (birding/landscaping once and at the race track once). Hiking, I loved it! It was very comfortable and I never felt fatigued from the bag - the 90 degree heat was another story. Out of the car it was a little cumbersome to work with because of the zippers, but that really wasn't a big deal.
Summary: I'm looking forward to using this bag more - not only because it means I'm playing with the 300mm, but because it is a great hiking bag. I don't think I'll ever use my Tamrac Expedition 5 on a hike again - this is much more comfortable. It is also nice to have something that fits the 300mm so well and still gives me great flexibility in other glass selection for the field. It is easy to take on and off, so working out of the bag is easy enough. I recommend it to people with a 300mm or 500mm Canon super-tele (500 with hood reversed) who want to bring another body and some extra glass. It balances well with a tripod and monopod attached too.
Thanks to Alex (Poindexter) for review.
(Added 17th March 2008)
Photo contains:
1. Canon EOS 1D Mark III
2. Canon EF 600mm f/4 L IS USM with low profile 4th Generation Design CP-61 foot/arca swiss
3. Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM
4. Canon Extender EF 1.4x , Canon EF 2X Extender & Canon EF-25 II extension tube
5. Canon EOS 1Ds MK II
Thanks to Andy Bright www.digiscoped.com for photo
