Erik Seo Photography Blog

This is one big pack. It’s huge. It’s capable of hauling a studio on your back!

I got this pack to carry my big strobes and the battery power pack, I’ve been able to get 2 small power packs, 3 heads, light stands, grids, reflectors, pocket wizards and other random stuff. It currently weighs in at 55lbs all loaded up, and now I know what a little fat kid feels like walking around with it on. It’s a sturdy pack with big, strong zippers, extra handles, lots of pockets, pockets and more pockets. It’s made to haul as much gear as possible.

Now all that being said it still is a backpack but it’s not really something you’d want to go very far with it on your back because chances are you’d have as much gear in it as you can fit and it would be a tough hike.

The Odessey has side pockets (both sides) for water bottles, or other gear, like a tripod or light stands or something of the sort. The top handle is thick molded rubber and can handle a lot of weight. The main storage compartment is back-accessible with big burly zippers. Now I’m not very excited about the design of the zipper location. The zippers are attached to the straps, so the possibility for the zippers to blow out and all your gear to fall out is there, although not likely due to the huge zippers. One of the things they built into the pack as a little insurance is a back-up buckle at the top (by the top handle) for a little extra security in case of a zipper blow out. Check out the top view to see that.

Back to all the pockets. There are two sets of front pockets, big and bigger. In the outermost pocket is room for a whole lot of stuff. Random odds and ends, clamps, grids, reflectors, whatever. It’s just about the same width as the pack itself. It also has a smaller interior pocket to hold keys, change, sunscreen, whatever. See the photo with the yellow pocket for detail. In the next pocket behind the front pocket is the laptop compartment. As if you don’t have enough gear in the main compartment, you can throw your laptop in it too! There is a padded sleeve inside that compartment where you can put the laptop, or whatever else you can think of. I usually keep gels and other small random things in there. The tripod holder is also on the front face of the pack with a fold out carrier to support the feet of the tripod. Now if that wasn’t enough storage, there are also straps at the bottom of the pack to hold even more gear like a sleeping bag, jackets, whatever.

They also went to pretty great lengths to pay attention to little details like little pockets to hide your excess straps. Now most of the time it doesn’t matter, but when traveling, or say putting the pack on a snowmobile you want to keep your straps out of the track. Hiding them in little compartments keeps them out of places they can get caught up in. It’s little but it’s a nice touch. The interior pockets are spacious and can hold cords, cards, gels, adapters, probably even clamps too! The final touch is the rain cover. Hidden in the bottom zipper of the pack it pulls out and protects your pack from a rainstorm.

Dimensions:

Overall it’s a great pack for what it is. The straps could be designed better so the pack carries better but that’s my only real complaint. It’s a beast, meant to carry as much as you can possibly put on your back without breaking it in two.