Review: Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II

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Over the years I’ve collected a lot of camera gear and I find it difficult to carry everything when I travel or on shoots. I use to use shoulder camera bags and backpacks but that got old fast. Then about two years ago our family decided to plan a trip to Canada and I made the decision to purchase a true travel and hiking camera backpack. I ended up with choosing the Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II, check out my review below.

Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II – Features

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The information copied directly from the Amazon Sales Page.

• • Features three, primary storage zones – camera, device, and open to help keep your gear organized, protected, and ready for the fast pace of modern travel.
  • Secure the pack to a rolling trolley via compression straps,Internal Dimensions: 29 x 15.5 x 27.5 cm (11.42 x 6.10 x 10.83 in) External Dimensions: 31 x 26 x 50 cm (12.20 x 10.24 x 19.69 in) Camera Compartment: 29 x 15.5 x 27.5 cm (11.42 x 6.10 x 10.83 in) Laptop Compartment: 29 x 2 x 46 cm (11.42 x 0.79 x 18.11 in) Weight: 1.8 kg (3.96 lbs) . Tablet Compartment Dimensions 9.4 x 0.59 x 12.00 inches
  • The open zone at top of pack has multiple pockets and space for organizing smartphone, cables, pens, keys and other items
  • The padded and removable waistbelt offers extra comfort and the ability to stash during travel
  • Keep valuable gear protected from the elements with a built-in All Weather AW Cover.Tall, stretch-mesh side pocket for water bottle or tripod base (secure with side compression straps)
  • Camera zone: adjustable padded interior and fast-access opening; Fits: DSLR with attached lens (such as Nikon D810 with up to 70-200mm f/2.8), 2-3 extra lenses
  • Fits up to a 15″ laptop, plus tablet, Large smartphone, headphones, hard drive, keys, etc.

Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II – The Review

I purchased the Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II about a year and half ago and for whatever reason I never took pictures of the bag when it was new. The pictures I used are from recent usage and some stock images I pulled from Amazon. My pictures show how well the bag has held up.

I originally purchased this bag for trip to Canada had to meet certain travel requirements for international flights and still work for me. The bag needed to be large enough to hold my Sony a6000, SELP18105G E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS, Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 Lens, and couple of other smaller lenses, flash, batteries with chargers, cleaning supplies, and a travel tripod. If doing a night shoot or exploring abandoned buildings it needs to hold a couple of LED Panels and small flashlights.

For travel, the bag needed to be able carry my 15.6 computer or at least my 13 inch computer, tablet, powerbanks, USB-C cable, earbuds and my over-the-ear headphones. The bag needs to be able to hold my medications, wet napkins, water bottle and still have room to hold my passport, wallet, keys, and cell phone.

And the best part is it has to fit under the seat of a Air Canada budget plane or the overhead storage on bigger planes. After my research the biggest bag I could find that would still fit under the seat of the tiny plane storage and still carry my gear was the Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II.

First Impressions

I originally did my research on Amazon but I needed the bag the same day so I decided on  so I picked it up at Best Buy. I looked over the bag carefully. I checked the stitching the zippers, pockets and padding for defects. I then tried on the bag and found that it sat nicely and well balanced when empty. But the bag doesn’t hold its shape when empty.

When I got home I took an even closer look and decided that like Lowepro’s other bags this one is made well and should hold up for travel and hiking. It should handle the weight of a fully stuffed bag full of camera gear and personal stuff.

Holding My Gear

I found that this bag easily held all my camera gear and if I took my smaller lenses and put them in padded lens bags I could double stack them and add a couple more lenses. But I normally only use my 18-105mm and my 55-210mm so it freed up space to store more gear. I was able to store my extra battery bag and cleaning supplies in the unused lens slots. I found that the easy access side slot doesn’t hold my mirrorless camera all that well but held my older larger DSLR cameras. I would like to see some sort of hook and loop strap to hold the camera in place. I ended up using a lens slot to hold the camera while it was attached to a lens. I use the side slot to store my camera strap or extra body if I need to carry a second camera. I removed one of the dividers and stored my camera flash and selfie stick.

I used the upper pockets to store battery chargers, extra batteries, 2 small flash lights, 4 small LED Light Panels, cold shoes, extra tripod quick release plates and a light bracket. I also keep an extra cleaning cloth, lens pen and 2 lens filter cases in a small pocket. The side pocket works for light weight travel tripods. The pocket should have been a little longer or send strap should have been added. I may have some stitch in another strap to help secure the tripod better.

For Travel

I wanted to bring my Alienware m15 r2 so I could get a head start on editing images in the evenings after our daily adventures. But it wouldn’t fit so I brought my old 13 inch Dell Laptop. Because of the smaller computer I was able to store my large pill caddy, wet napkins and a small paperback book if I wanted.

In the upper pockets I added  a small 4TB Western Digital Portable Hard Drive, 2 powerbanks, USB-C cables, TWS earbuds, and my over-the-ear headphones.

For the trip to Canada, I removed the extra lighting and kept the flash.

Usage Testing

With everything loaded, the bag is big and heavy. The bag came in just a few pounds short of the max weight for carry on bags. I walked around the house trying to move around some tight places. I found if I was careful I wouldn’t knock things over. To help secure the bag I had to use the waist and chest supports. I ended up removing the extra lenses only took my 2 most used lenses.

At the airport, the bag is surprisingly comfortable to walk with. At the Vancouver Airport I had a long way to walk, it felt like almost a mile or two walk. Without the support straps, my back started to hurt, but once the support straps were hooked up, I was fine.  Standing in lines the bag was annoying. It got in the way or just hurt my back.

Getting on the plane was difficult. Very narrow aisle and the tripod strapped to the side bumped against shoulders of other passengers if I wasn’t careful. The bag doesn’t fit in the overhead compartment and barely fits under the seat. Because of its size, its very difficult to get stuff out or put it away once seated. So as soon as you get to your seat, get your stuff out and put what you don’t need away. You may not be able to get it out once in flight if the person next to doesn’t get up.

Hiking and Exploring

over the last year I’ve used this bag for several short hiking trips, 1 explore, and several photoshoots. I found its not very useful for hiking or exploring. Its to big and awkward in tight places. On short hikes or hikes where I’m going out to a spot (a mile or two hike) to get to the perfect night shot, then this bag is perfect because it carries all my gear and balances it nicely on my back and shoulders.

Because I was carrying a tripod I had no where to store my water bottle. I ended up getting a carrying pouch with strap for my 40oz water bottle and just slung it over a shoulder.

If you are out hiking and want the bag to hold your tripod then you won’t be able to carry a bottle of water. There isn’t a bladder holder either. You could put a couple of bottles in the laptop compartment. I would put them in a sealed bag so it won’t leak on your gear.

Final Thoughts

The Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II is a great bag for travel and getting a ton gear to your shoot. But there are better options for hiking and photo explorers. I’m still looking for a good hiking photography bag. Right now I’m thinking smaller is better and limit the amount of gear I truly need. I’m thinking maybe a tactical sling bag with plenty of molle webbing so I can attach pouches and other things as needed. Store my camera gear in inserts or a smaller camera bag.

I’m keeping the backpack for travel and getting my gear to the shoots. Its a great backpack for that. If you need a big camera bag for travel and store a lot of camera gear, you need to take a look at this one.