Wandrd Prvke 21L Backpack with Camera Cube
$ 264 | www.wandrd.com
The quest to find the perfect camera bag is never-ending. It’s not unusual for a photographer have a closet jammed full of various packs that work pretty well for most situations, but are not ideal for others. The classy looking packs often don’t hold enough gear while the ones with ample space often end up being too bulky for travel.
For my typical shooting needs the Prvke has proven to be nearly perfect, which is an incredible feat for a camera bag.
At first glance, I liked the design of the Prvke bag (pronounced Provoke) from Wandrd, but was concerned that it would be yet another backpack with understated urban looks that simply isn’t functional as a camera bag. But I can happily say that Wandrd won me over – for my typical shooting needs the Prvke has proven to be nearly perfect, which is an incredible feat for a camera bag.
Specifications
- Exterior: 17 x 11 x 6.5in / 43 x 30 x 16.5cm
- Interior Volume: 25L with roll-top expanded
- Camera Cube Insert: 9 x 11 x 5in / 23 x 30 x 13cm
- Laptop Sleeve: 14.5 x 9.5 x 1in / 37 x 24 x 2.5cm
- Tablet Sleeve: 13 x 9 x 5 / 33 x 23 x 13cm
- Weight: 2.8lbs / 1.3kg
Design & Construction
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| A look inside the Wandrd Prvke from the back entrance: The area where the camera gear is (called the Camera Cube) can be completely removed. |
The Wandrd Prvke bag is designed to be multi-functional for carrying both camera gear and personal items – something lots of packs try to do, but ultimately fail. The design was conceived by three photography-minded brothers and their attention to detail makes me think they too were tired of the ‘almost there, but not quite right’ camera backpacks.
The Prvke has an understated roll-top design with a fairly slim profile – it’s constructed from water-resistant tarpaulin and woven nylon and has a rain-fly with a dedicated pocket at the bottom of the bag. The roll-top opens and closes with high quality Velcro and is secured with a large metal hook. The removable Camera Cube comes with the Photography Bundle for $ 264 (or can be purchased individually for $ 39) and fits nicely into the bag’s back compartment. Velcro is used to secure it into place.
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| You can access the Camera Cube from a zipped entryway on the side of the pack. |
The roll-top is secured closed with Velcro and a big metal hook. |
The Prvke has three points of entry: the roll-top, a left side pocket for camera access into the Cube while on the go (shown above) and a back entrance to completely open the pack. Above the Camera Cube there is a mesh zipper compartment that allows you to access anything that may have been stashed through the roll-top. On the left side of the bag you will find a small zipper pocket for memory cards and a separate Velcro pocket for other small camera accessories.
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| An internal laptop/tablet compartment keeps these devices flush against your back when wearing the pack. Two straps ensure the compartment doesn’t fly completely open when unzipped. |
Once the bag is unzipped there are dedicated sleeves for both a laptop and a tablet (see above). And on the back of the Prvke there is a dedicated passport sleeve with a small mesh pocket (see below).
I was able to fit a 5D Mark IV body, a 70-200mm lens and a 24-70 lens in the cube without issue.
Although the removable Camera Cube was designed with a mirrorless system in mind (a body, plus a large and medium sized lens) the molded dividers make it possible to carry a full frame DSLR with lenses as well. I was able to fit a 5D Mark IV body, a 70-200mm F2.8 lens and a 24-70 F2.8 lens in the cube without any issues.
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| A small compartment on the back has space for a passport and other items, a nice touch for photographers on the fly. |
Magnetically-connecting carrying straps (located on top) are just one of many handy features of this pack. |
Behind the roll-top there is a fleece lined pocket for a phone and on the side of the bag a small pocket with a clip for your keys. A large flat pocket runs the length of the bag’s front side – a great place for a notebook, magazine or other paperwork. On the right side of the bag there is an expandable pocket for a water bottle or a small tripod.
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| The Prvke has lots of pockets and areas to store both personal items and camera gear. The side pocket can be used to carry a water bottle or small tripod. And a zippered area on front is perfect for storing magazines, notebooks or a book. |
The other side of the pack offers a small storage pocket with a connector for keys. Camera gear can be accessed through the zippered area lower right. |
The Prvke features a number of optional add ons too: a removable chest strap, a removable waist belt and an accessory strap system that can attach to six different points on the bag for carrying a larger tripod, lighting accessories, a jacket or even minimal camping gear.
The bag comes in three colors (classic black, wasatch green and aegean blue) and two sizes (21L and 31L). Our review bag is the 21L in wasatch green.
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| A removal waist belt adds another place to store small items. |
And accessory straps allow one to easily connect even bulky items, like camping gear, to the bottom of the pack. |
In Use
I’ve used this bag in a variety of different situations and I’ve yet to notice anything major that I didn’t like about it. While it may not be the ideal bag for traveling with multiple camera bodies (although it isn’t impossible), for a one body, two lens shoot that requires me to bring a laptop along, it’s the closest to a perfect bag that I’ve found.
The lay-flat design of the bag makes it ideal for traveling through airport security – the Camera Cube and the laptop sleeve are both checkpoint friendly, so in theory, you won’t need to unpack your gear bag when flying.
For a one body, two lens shoot that requires me to bring a laptop along, it’s the closest to a perfect bag that I’ve found.
And the three different access points make this bag particularly user friendly. You can grab a camera body from the left side without removing the bag fully from your back, lenses and accessories are quickly accessed by unzipping the back panel and you can even access items in the roll-top through the back. The expandable roll-top on the bag is great for stashing any odds and ends that you might pick up.
The zippers were easy to manipulate and none of the dedicated sleeves or pockets suffer from the stiffness that new camera bags sometimes have. Everything fits where it’s supposed to and does so with ease.
The straps are a comfortable amount of thickness and the bag distributes weight nicely – even when fully loaded with gear it didn’t hurt my shoulders. The waist belt and chest strap are nice touches, and might be appreciated if you were taking the Prvke on a long outdoor adventure.
The Prvke is the best camera bag I’ve used in a long time.
I found the various small pockets within the Prvk very useful: the fleece lined top pocket was a great place for storing my shades and that side key pocket gave me peace of mind as I traveled away from New York City with the bag.
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| We’re big fans of the removal Camera Cube. |
My complaints about this bag are minor. The zippers around the Camera Cube can occasionally get tangled with the zippers within the back compartment that cover the cube – a minor annoyance, considering sometimes it just took a few additional seconds to zip everything together. Some might say that the second zippered flap might be unnecessary, but the additional layer of protection of my lenses gave me peace of mind while using the bag.
The bag was also a little snug when traveling with two bodies and two small lenses – although it should be noted that I was testing out the 21L version and I’m guessing these issues would be resolved if I’d been using the 31L model.
What’s the Bottom Line
The Prvke is the best camera bag I’ve used in a long time. It has a durable build, it is functional as both a camera backpack and an everyday backpack and it looks nice. It hits the trifecta of sought-after qualities in a camera bag. Also important, it feels like it will hold up over time. And for the quality that you are getting, the $ 264 price tag (which includes the Camera Cube, waist strap, accessory straps and rain-fly) it doesn’t feel excessive. We also like that the Camera Cube can be removed and used in a different bag allowing you to use The Prvke as a place to store clothing and personal items while you are on the road.
What We Like:
- Durable build
- Functional as a multi-use bag and a dedicated camera bag
- Removable Camera Cube
- Utilitarian design
- Small organizational pockets
- Back mesh pocket with entry to roll-top
- Nice weight distribution, comfortable to carry
- Holds the gear necessary for an average shoot
What We Don’t Like:
- Zippers around the Camera Cube and the zippers within the back of the bag getting tangled together
- The, at first glace, difficult to pronounce name of the bag
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
