Rover Pro AW vs F-Stop Loca

Is there anybody here with the experience on the topic? I woul love to get a very good bag that will last many years and will be used for short and long hikes. I need to have some room for other things, not just the camera gear. I will be travelling with max 3 lense, most likely 2 and 70-200 will be the longest. I woul love to have a good solution for the tripod and will also have batteries, filters, etc. iPad or a small and lifht macbook air.

Which product is the best?
Thank you.

If it's any help, I just spent 9 months traveling around the country with my F-stop Loka. I used the large icu and carried a 5dmkII, 1dsmkII, 24mm ts-e, 90mm ts-e, bower 14mm, 17-40, and 70-200. I also had it stuffed with filters, cards, food, and drinks. Had my travel tripod strapped on the side. My 11" macbook air could fit in the front pocket if necessary. I beat the living heck out of it and went on some pretty long and strenuous hikes and it never let me down. It's very comfortable and distributes the weight nicely so that it puts less strain on your back. I don't have any experience with the other bag but the Loka kicks butt ; )

jmarshphoto wrote in post #16549437
If it's any help, I just spent 9 months traveling around the country with my F-stop Loka. I used the large icu and carried a 5dmkII, 1dsmkII, 24mm ts-e, 90mm ts-e, bower 14mm, 17-40, and 70-200. I also had it stuffed with filters, cards, food, and drinks. Had my travel tripod strapped on the side. My 11" macbook air could fit in the front pocket if necessary. I beat the living heck out of it and went on some pretty long and strenuous hikes and it never let me down. It's very comfortable and distributes the weight nicely so that it puts less strain on your back. I don't have any experience with the other bag but the Loka kicks butt ; )

x2
Since I got Loka I never used any other bag.

I've had 2 Lowepro bags and 3 F Stop bags, the F Stop are just better quality and comfort in every area.

light_pilgrim wrote in post #16549359
Is there anybody here with the experience on the topic? I woul love to get a very good bag that will last many years and will be used for short and long hikes. I need to have some room for other things, not just the camera gear. I will be travelling with max 3 lense, most likely 2 and 70-200 will be the longest. I woul love to have a good solution for the tripod and will also have batteries, filters, etc. iPad or a small and lifht macbook air.

Which product is the best?
Thank you.

I have the Rover AW, a ThinkTank Airport something or other and a Deuter Act Trail 32 backback which I use for photography/hiking/tra​veling. The Rover was purchased first and the interior design is good. allowing for 2-3 lenses and a body. In addition the top compartment can hold some personal items, such as meds., food, a sweater ... The problem with the Rover is it is a terrible backpack. The shoulder harness and belts are mere decoration. It's all right for a teenager, as nothing hurts. but those over 30 beware. It turns out that the ThinkTank is a cruel joke for those who want to use it for hiking, too. As a back pack it sucks, a box with straps, expensive, too. Finally, the Deuter Act, is not a photographic backpack, just a standard backpack with an internal metal frame which has top loading and back loading. Following the idea of a web posting, I purchased an internal camera unit to fit in the Deuter backside opening. It holds a Canon 5D ii with 70-200, a 24-105 and a 16-35 lenses, as well as extra battery, cards, remote release, etc. It is not perfect but is much better than the other bags I ahve mentioned, and MUCH cheaper. The beauty of the Deuter is that the hip belts can be adjusted to bear the weight rather than relying solely on the should straps. I put a peice of cardboard on top of the ICU and then put my personal items on top, through the top opening.

BTW the Loka bags were just coming on the market when I tried the Deuter ACT.

Hope this helps.

It really does help, thank you. It looks like a clear win for loka....

light_pilgrim wrote in post #16551272
It really does help, thank you. It looks like a clear win for loka....

Yes, the Loka bags look good. BUT they are much more expensive than the Deuter ACT and an ICU which can be bought on eBay or even from Loka.