I’ve backed the kickstarter project from Shimoda for this Action X series backpack. When the project was successfully funded, founder of Shimoda, Ian Miller gave an update that due to overwhelming response, there could be delays in shipping the bags. Since then, there were quite a bit of hoo haa surrounding the delay and a whole lot of mess generated by some backers. I didn’t receive my pack in December 2019 as promised in the project timeline, but I was lucky enough to get one from the second batch which are delivered in January. Well, it is a kickstarter campaign anyway, therefore I have no issue or whatsoever.
There are already plenty of reviews and features rundown on this bag, so I’m not going to repeat those again. I’ll just be sharing what I like and dislike about this bag, and leave it to you to be the judge whether this is the right bag for you.
What I like:
- Nice balance of size and volume for X30 (30-37 litres)
- Nice durable materials are used, has a good balance of rigidity and softness
- Camera access is on the right side (pun intended), I’m probably the few minorities who wants to access camera from the side panel on the right
- Easily removable core unit and divider allowing bag to double as camera or travel bag
- Just the right amount of pockets and compartments
- Beefy and comfortable top and side handle
- Tripod can be strapped on the side or rear
- Core unit comes with cover, allowing me to use it separately as camera storage box
- Not overly engineered with unnecessary features
- Comfortable shoulder strap (need some times to break-in though)
What I don’t like:
- Bag is a little heavy when empty
- Don’t really like the look of the shoulder strap harness (but they are comfortable to wear)
- There are a lot of zippers, and I wish some of the zipper pulls can be lock down in place for a tidier look on the bag
- Not a big fan of the look of how the top loader is secured (but it is very functional, nevertheless)
I was contemplating between X30 and X50 during the campaign, worrying that X30 will be too small for my torso length. But X50 is much larger and would be risky to use as carry-on luggage during flight. Furthermore, I do not have that much of gears to pack anyway, so I decided to go with X30 in the end. With maximum torso fit, I’m glad that it fits okay.
This bag is designed for your adventure, for you to go out and explore, and to that extent it does seem to deliver. Of course this is just my initial impression of the bag after using it for my short trips, I still need to use it more often in order to give a full review. If you are interested, you can visit their website to find out more. Till then.
funny bunny photography 