Last Updated on 12/05/2024 by Chris Gampat
In the news recently, you’ve most likely read about United Healthcare’s CEO being killed and the suspect being on the run. But according to the images released by the police, the killer was wearing a Peak Design backpack. Specifically, he seems to be wearing one of the Peak Design backpacks that was originally designed for photographers but then marketed to be something that you can have every single day. “I can access everything stored within the main compartment easily without ever having to take the Everyday Backpack off my back thanks to how effortlessly the pivoting shoulder straps sling forward from my back,” is what we said in our 2018 review of the camera bag. “The dedicated laptop and tablet compartment make going through airport security a breeze, and I can slip the Everyday Backpack over the carry handle of my luggage if I ever need to give my shoulders a break. The Everyday Backpack will even stay upright on its own when I eventually remove it from my back once I get to where I’m going, something that the Everyday Messenger sometimes failed to do.”
The Peak Design backpack, which looks like the cybertruck of camera bags in the worst ways possible, was designed to be able to accommodate a lot of gear. The folks on Reddit were quick to spot the fact that the killer of United Healthcare’s CEO was wearing it and even made some fascinating commentary.
Yahoo! News also published a story saying that the backpack was very distinctive.
Why Would a Killer Use the Peak Design Backpack?
Of any photography-specialty publication, the Phoblographer has reviewed the most camera bags. But in the past few years, we pulled away from doing so many because the entire space started to lack innovation. We also pulled away from Peak Design due to ethical issues around allowing access to units to the press, their support of a company that helped Generative AI get to a place to replace photographers, patent issues while claiming to be the victim, etc.
In fact, in our best camera bags of 2024, you can notice that there isn’t a single Peak Design bag on this list.
Considering that the Phoblographer has reviewed the most camera bags, we can explain why someone would choose them. First off, they’re some of the most durable backpacks around. Photography bags are designed to have padding on the bottom to protect glass in camera lenses and cameras. They’re also typically built with weather resistance to keep the elements out. Additionally, they’re designed to deliver quick access to the gear that you need. Many bags, like the Peak Design Backpacks, are designed so that you don’t need to take it off of your back to access the gear you have inside. Instead, you slip off a shoulder and open it up from the side panel.
More importantly, it’s designed to do that while you’ve got a lot of gear on you.
How Good are They?
I’ve been through airports for various press trips, and before I got TSA Pre-Approved and Global Entry status, I’d often get my bags vigorously searched because of what customs agents claim are the things they see in my bag. They’d often state that the bag is heavy, that there’s a lot of microchips, glass, etc. They’d often be more concerned about hard drives than radio transmitters like Pocket Wizards.
But this is all to say that backpacks for photographers are built uniquely to be able to do some incredibly demanding stuff.
The writer who reviewed the Peak Design backpack for the Phoblographer is no longer with the site, but was very much in love with their products. In the last review of their backpacks, he stated the following:
- The main compartment of the Peak Design Everyday Backpack is positively massive, and the included 3 Flex-Fold dividers allow you to configure the main compartment to suit your specific needs. I don’t have to tell you how annoying it is to have to dig through a camera bag to find the lens you want, only to have it sink all the way to the bottom while walking around town.
- The back of the Everyday Backpack features corrugated EVA foam to help ventilate your back while wearing the bag for an extended period of time. The EVA foam pads also serve as a luggage passthrough, allowing you to slip the Everyday Backpack over the pull handles of your suitcase when travelling, giving your shoulders and back a much-needed break during long trips.
- I can access everything stored within the main compartment easily without ever having to take the Everyday Backpack off my back thanks to how effortlessly the pivoting shoulder straps sling forward from my back.
Maybe it’s time that we start to rethink camera bags a bit. Could the killer have been a photographer on the side?