Am I the only one who hates the straps on the LowePro Protactic 450AW?

I know this is one of the most popular large camera backpacks on the market, as it well should be it's fanstic in every way, shape, and form, except for one of the most important aspects. The straps. They are strong, but thin and non padded and cut into your shoulders terribly unless you're wearing padded clothing. Especially if you have the bag loaded up where it's a bit heavy (it can hold a ton of gear). I think this would be possibly the perfect hiking camera backpack, if it weren't for the terrible straps. Because of this I always end up taking my Think Tank Shapeshifter V2 (most comfortable bag / straps of any backpack I've ever used, camera gear or non) or my Peak Design Everyday Backpacks if I have to carry the bag on my back for any extended period of time.

Anyone else feel like this? Hopefully they release an updated version with better straps soon.

Over the years I've used nothing but LowePro and found the bags to be well designed so I don't think I would question the strength of the strap. Cushioning however is a different matter. I use the 350 and don't have issues, but likely don't carry the bag more than an hour before removing it for gear changes. In any event I'd provide some feedback. Their customer support is at info@lowepro.com.

That bag gets great reviews and is pricey but unfortunately, based on some web searches, that particular bag is often counterfeited because of those great attributes. Hopefully you used a reputable source.

I have the Flipside 400AW, but the straps on it appear to be about the same as the ones on yours.

One of the things that always struck me about mine was how good the straps are. Mine is fairly heavy and it never bothers my shoulders when hiking or on my bike. I'm surprised to see that your are bothering you.

Looks like this backpack has good hip/waist support. It is important to have those straps adjusted so the whole pack sits right.

Start with the shoulder straps open/loose all the way, bag loaded with everything you're going to carry. Put the pack on hanging loose on your shoulders and then clip the belt. The belt supports should sit on the top of your hips. Typically pants belts are worn just below the top of the hips, but backpacks should be a bit higher, and really tight. With the hip belt set in the right place and tight, the pack should support itself with zero need for shoulder straps when standing still.

Always clip the chest strap attaching the two shoulder straps then tighten the shoulder straps a little. The chest strap does not need to be tight and the shoulder straps should not support much of the pack weight. Shoulder straps are there for stability when walking and to provide just a little load support. This lowers your center of gravity too.

It might feel a little weird at first, but having hiked many miles backpacking into remote campsites, I can tell you that loading (heaviest stuff on bottom) and proper adjustment of the hip and shoulder straps is the key to comfort. The lower center of gravity will pay off on those long days of hiking and make sure you aren't as worn out at the end of the day.

John from PA wrote in post #18715555
Over the years I've used nothing but LowePro and found the bags to be well designed so I don't think I would question the strength of the strap. Cushioning however is a different matter. I use the 350 and don't have issues, but likely don't carry the bag more than an hour before removing it for gear changes. In any event I'd provide some feedback. Their customer support is at info@lowepro.com.

That bag gets great reviews and is pricey but unfortunately, based on some web searches, that particular bag is often counterfeited because of those great attributes. Hopefully you used a reputable source.

I am not worried about the strength of the strap. The construction of all aspects of the bag is superb. The comfort is where my issue lies. I bought it from B&H so it's no counterfeit. I've had the bag almost a year and honestly love it. It's the bag I always carry on professional jobs due to the amount of gear it can hold. If I was only carrying the bag for an hour like you there would be no issue.

My issues are with the padding. I would love to use this bag as a hiking backpack, as it's semi-hard shell, built in rain coat, good hip / waist support, and ability to hold a large amount of gear and hook gear to the outside of the bag make it seem like that's what it was designed for in a sense. However, the shoulder straps are too thin, and after some time start to wear on your shoulders if you're not wearing a coat or other type of padded shirt.

I've since looked up some Youtube reviews of the bag, and I'm not the only one saying that the straps are thin. If I could switch out the straps of the LowePro with the straps to my Think Tank Shapeshifter V2, the 450 would be the perfect large backpack.

saea501 wrote in post #18715599
I have the Flipside 400AW, but the straps on it appear to be about the same as the ones on yours.

One of the things that always struck me about mine was how good the straps are. Mine is fairly heavy and it never bothers my shoulders when hiking or on my bike. I'm surprised to see that your are bothering you.

If depends on your definition of "good". If good means constructed well, yes. The quality of construction is some of the best in the business. However, for a bag that has the potential to be VERY heavy when maxed out, LowePro should have really made the straps with more padding, even if it was at the expense of trapping a bit more heat.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18715623
Looks like this backpack has good hip/waist support. It is important to have those straps adjusted so the whole pack sits right.

Start with the shoulder straps open/loose all the way, bag loaded with everything you're going to carry. Put the pack on hanging loose on your shoulders and then clip the belt. The belt supports should sit on the top of your hips. Typically pants belts are worn just below the top of the hips, but backpacks should be a bit higher, and really tight. With the hip belt set in the right place and tight, the pack should support itself with zero need for shoulder straps when standing still.

Always clip the chest strap attaching the two shoulder straps then tighten the shoulder straps a little. The chest strap does not need to be tight and the shoulder straps should not support much of the pack weight. Shoulder straps are there for stability when walking and to provide just a little load support. This lowers your center of gravity too.

It might feel a little weird at first, but having hiked many miles backpacking into remote campsites, I can tell you that loading (heaviest stuff on bottom) and proper adjustment of the hip and shoulder straps is the key to comfort. The lower center of gravity will pay off on those long days of hiking and make sure you aren't as worn out at the end of the day.

Thank you for the advice.

How about adding pad as a supplement

https://www.timbuk2.co​m …yp0KPqeqNMWUaAv​N1EALw_wcB

Wilt wrote in post #18715993
How about adding pad as a supplement

https://www.timbuk2.co​m …yp0KPqeqNMWUaAv​N1EALw_wcB

Could potentially help.