Besnfoto Hiking and Travel Backpack Review
Besnfoto Hiking and Travel Backpack - a great backpack for active, outdoor use!
Recently I was contacted by Besnfoto, a company that makes a lot of photographic accessories, about a new backpack design they were launching. It was promoted as being designed for hiking and travel - two of my favorite things - and they asked me if I would be willing to review it. I was about to take a little trip up to Colorado, specifically for hiking, and it seemed like a great fit. So they were kind enough to send me a review sample, I packed it full of the things I needed for my trip, and off I went.
I knew that this would be the perfect opportunity to see how it performed in real world situations.
You can find the bag here if you want to check it out (Amazon affiliate link - I earn from qualifying purchases). And below are some of their marketing photos of the bag. The rest of these photos were taken by me while out hiking with the bag full of gear.
DISCLOSURE: I was not paid for this review. All opinions and experiences are my own.
In short, it worked perfectly for me and performed exactly as the product descriptions indicated. I really like this bag. It is sturdy and durable, the comfort level is very high, and yes I even tested the water resistance and it was great!
One thing that I nearly ALWAYS want in a backpack is the ability to carry along my 16” MacBook Pro. I may do some editing on the road, along with all those other computer-related things, so any backpack that does not fit my laptop is a no-go. My laptop slid into the interior laptop section just perfectly.
In addition, the interior is spacious enough for a decent amount of gear. Now it won’t hold a TON of stuff - it’s billed as a small to medium-sized bag - but for a weeklong trip with a few choice items in tow, it was just the right size for that. You can of course configure the interior to fit your specific needs, thanks to the padded Velcro dividers that are included.
In addition to the laptop, for my photography needs the bag carried:
Sony A7R3 camera
Sony 24-70mm f4 lens
Sony 20mm f1.8 lens
Samyang 75mm lens
Sony RX100m7 camera
Battery chargers for both cameras
Extra batteries for both cameras
Memory card holder
DJI Osmo Pocket
Manfrotto handheld mini tripod
Small accessory bag for miscellany items
Laptop and iPhone chargers
ND filters and filter holder
Flashlight
Multi-tool accessory
There is also a top pocket which provides quick access to smaller items, such as a small mirrorless camera or even a small drone. Alternatively, you can use the interior space on the reverse of that top pocket for storage inside the bag, because you can compress/collapse that pocket. I generally just packed some of my accessories there on the inside.
Additionally, the two side external pockets work great for carrying a tripod (or water bottle, etc), so I attached my Peak Design travel tripod to it as well whenever I went out to hike and shoot. Tripod attachment straps are included of course.
And don’t forget the front zippered pocket which is great for an iPad or other slim items. It even came with a rain cover, a lens cloth and an air blaster - quite the nice package!
That’s a LOT of stuff for a small bag!
The great thing is that the bag is very comfortable when wearing it. It is well-padded and very light, and there is also an interesting build design that they call the Anti-Gravity System. It effectively bounces when you walk, relieving pressure on your shoulders. This allows the backpack to feel lighter than it is, and it seems like that is the case in my experience. I did not get tired shoulders even when carrying a lot of gear around. Trust me that you will appreciate this on a long hike! I did 9 miles and over 22,000 steps one day while wearing this bag, and my shoulders were just fine at the end of the day. That’s a win for sure!
But one of the best features in my opinion is that the bag is water-resistant. I’m not willing to dunk it in the river with my gear inside, but inevitably when out hiking you set your bag down and it gets dirty. Several times I would sit next to a stream and just splash water on the bag to clean the surface. Worked great and looks clean and new again! This is much better than with other bags made of some woven material, which basically get dirty and stay dirty. I cleaned this one quickly and safely! The water just beads up and rolls off it - perfect!
