Review: Clik Elite Venture 30 Backpack

This is my first bag review so please let me know if you have any questions about the bag if I leave them out.
This is for the "Clik Elite Venture 30 Backpack (CE709GR)", which I bought on Amazon for $172.08 back in March.
I hope this review helps some people out looking for a nice bag to to take hiking that has a slot for a hydration bladder. It doesn't seem like there are a lot of bags out there with that feature and I had a hard time
find them let alone reviews on them.

I spent a lot of time looking for a backpack camera bag that would hold a water bladder for hiking. I was going on a camping trip with
some friends and we planned on doing a lot of hiking.
It always seems to be a pain to try and carry water bottles around to stay hydrated. I really wanted to a take a hydration bladder,
but also wanted the protection of a camera bag for my gear that I felt a Camelbak and inserts wouldn't provide / trying to find inserts to make a Camelback work.

This bag has a good amount of space for the gear that I have and plan to by in the future. The bag has a separate slot in the back that will hold a 100oz or 3L hydration bladder.

The first day we went on a 10 mile / 5hr hike. I thought the bag did pretty well during this time. It has a ton of straps to make the fit right for your body. I actually had to google youtube on how a backpack should fit.
It has as many straps as a true backpacking pack. We had to walk through a couple of streams, jump over rocks, climb a few 300ft hills and back down all through the woods and not on trails.
This bag stayed in place and never felt that it was swinging around on my body. My shoulders did get a little sore during the last 1.5miles,
but that could be to not hitting the gym enough haha and not taking more time to adjust them.

Pros:
-Very very adjustable fit for your body type.
-Lots of compartments
-Tripod holder
-Heavy duty zippers
-Hydration Compartment for 100oz bladder

Cons:
-Heavy even w/o gear
-Pricey
-Takes time to get fit adjusted

Here is the outside of the pack. The gear is at the bottom with a pretty big compartment at the top, mesh pocket on the front and on the sides.

Thanks for the review; that's why I love this forum .

Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to do this!

I looked at Clik Elite's products while attending the Moab Photo Symposium a couple of years ago and I was impressed by the quality. Definitely a notch above!

Bryan

You're welcome! I've looked at so many reviews here for bags and other products and always find them very helpful.

I wanted to try and give something back

Thanks for taking the time to write this up. I was recently debating between the Venture 30/35 and the Bottle Rocket and settled on the latter. It arrives in a couple of days.

I have the Venture 35 for about 2 months and hike every weekend. Accurate review and for me this was the perfect bag for hiking and photography. Once you get all the adjustments right, it;s extremely comfortable.
Thanks for taking the time for your review,
Kyan

bps wrote in post #14390604
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to do this!

I looked at Clik Elite's products while attending the Moab Photo Symposium a couple of years ago and I was impressed by the quality. Definitely a notch above!

Bryan

I have a Clik Elite as well and love it. Couldn't find anything else with a hydration option. However, the hydration area is pretty small compared to what they said would fit - I mean it fits but it's a tough fit.

trossite wrote in post #14384469
Here it is with a tripod attached

Not sure if you knew but the flap on the camera compartment door is made to fit tripod legs as well that way you don't have to extent your center colum so far for te top strap.

I have the venture 35 and absolutely love it.

I thought that's where the tripod was supposed to go, until I saw the flap that pulls out. Then I thought that pocket was just extra storage.

Really though either works fine.

trossite wrote in post #14395735
I thought that's where the tripod was supposed to go, until I saw the flap that pulls out. Then I thought that pocket was just extra storage.

Really though either works fine.

Nope not extra storage, just Clik thinking while designing. The pocket on the door is to fit short legs the flip down flap is to fit long legs. It's the little things like that that makes you realize that a company really thinks out its design!