The Borealis AT by Mountainsmith is a camera backpack that is meant for more than the occasional birthday party or football game. This bag has a ton of features that make it capable of enduring tough outdoor conditions, while keeping your equipment safe and dry.
Storage
+(2).jpg)
.jpg)
The Borealis has a large clam shell style padded pocket that can possibly hold a DSLR as well as two lenses and maybe a small flash. Of course that all depends on the sizes of the camera and lenses. This is definitely not a small bag though. It has plenty of padding which can be rearranged for a user's needs. The padding can also be removed and the divider between the upper and lower pockets can be moved to create one large pocket to allow the bag to be used as a traditional backpack.
As mentioned before there is an open pocket above the camera pocket. I went on a two day trip to Minnesota and that pocket was large enough to hold a change of clothes and toiletries.
The Borealis also has laptop pocket that can apparently hold up to 17.4" notebooks. I was able to fit my 15" laptop in but it was a little tight when the bag was full. It would be nice if that pocket was slightly thicker to accommodate thicker laptops, but newer laptops should slide in easily.
The Borealis also has a waistband with two pockets to store small items such as sd or cf cards and a tripod can be attached to the front as pictured above.
Build
This backpack is made of 100% recycled materials and it seems to be made very well. The back is reinforced by aluminium and all of the straps are securely stitched on. The padding makes the Borealis comfortable enough to carry for long periods of time and the straps are fully adjustable for different body sizes. A rain cover is included to help protect your gear and keep things inside dry. I'm almost certain this backpack is not waterproof, but you won't have to worry about expensive equipment getting wet when it starts to rain or snow on a hike.
Final Thoughts
Overall this backpack is durable and any can be customized for more uses than I can think of. I was able to fit it under the seat on a flight and in the overhead compartment. I do wish that the laptop pocket was larger and the aluminum rod in the back could be removed and replaced. I would recommend this bag to photographers or videographers who need a bag to hike, snowboard or ski with and a bag that will be able to carry all of their gear and protect it from the elements. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who wants a small bag for car shows or similar situations.
