Ten years ago, the way I (Bobby) packed looked much different than it does now. One small point and shoot (the Canon Digital Elphs were amazing), no cords, no phone, no personal aircrafts (hehe who knew what a drone was in 2008?), and minimal backup batteries. Fast forward to today, and I’m loaded up with 4 cameras (2 Fuji Mirrorless and 2 GoPros), a drone, an iPhone, wireless headphones, a laptop, and a Kindle. While my previous LowePro backpack did the job in terms of storing all of those things relatively well, a new backpack has taken over as my new go-to. Enter TYLT, a portable power and wireless charging manufacturer who has designed some incredible backpacks. I’ve been carrying the TYLT ENERGI Pro Power Backpack for the past few months, and I want to give you three reasons why it needs to be on your back.
1. The Battery
The most important feature of the backpack is the 20,100 mAh lithium ion battery. It has a designated sleeve, but is removable and can be used in any bag. The battery includes a variety of ports (USB Type-C, USB Type-A with Quick Charge 3.0, USB Type A, and micro-USB), includes multiple cables for each port, and a zippered accessory bag where you can store it all. The battery is big, but it’s worth it, because it lasts a long time and is able to efficiently charge multiple devices.
2. The Durability
The bag is made of water-resistant polyester, and so far has stood the test of global travel and a 5000 mile road trip. Hiking in the rain on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, touring around Ireland for two weeks, and being thrown in and out of our car (basically our home) while traveling for 5 weeks with our puppy, this bag has some mileage on it. Yet it looks as good as new, the zippers are still functioning flawlessly (most are water-resistant too), and all the compartments are holding strong.
3. The Compartments and Overall Design
The backpack is a great size, but only if you like having your pack be organized. The 12 pockets allow for a variety of items, but won’t allow for a ton of bulk space. There’s a laptop compartment that fits a 15” device, and across from it is a zippered pocket that fits a tablet. I found that you could also wedge a neatly folded jacket or sweatshirt in this area too.
The front-opening bay (the largest compartment) is where I store my drone, camera, lenses, and a few small clothing items. There are plenty of small zipper pockets and organizers in this bay that I use to store my headphones, memory card readers, portable hard drives, pens, etc.
For me, this backpack is awesome because I love to be organized. I spend time specifically deciding what pocket or compartment is for what thing, and I stick to that. If you’re not organized, you may just want a normal backpack because you will lose things in the ENERGI Pro. It’s up to you!
If I had to choose my highlights of this bag, it’s the small touches that go a long way. This includes the sunglasses compartment where I can store fragile items, the small compartment you can unzip and pull out for your water bottle, and the slots on it that allow for you to slide it over the handle of your roller bags. It’s the little things…
TYLT has been ahead of the curve with their designs and quality, so give them a try! Their backpacks will keep all of your gear charged, so you’ll never miss a shot again!