Lowepro ProTactic 450 AWCamera and Computer Backpack

Lowepro deserves special mention for great customer service!

Last year, at Photoplus Expo in New York, I evaluated camera backpacks from all the manufacturers present. All the representatives, especially the Lowepro representative were helpful and tolerated repeated visits to their booths. In my opinion, I determined the best backpack for my needs to be the Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW Camera and Laptop Backpack. http://store.lowepro.com/protactic-450-aw. I do not have a house, and are constantly traveling, so this backpack has to fit my computer and all my photography equipment. This backpack has already accompanied me to many countries including a two-week trek in the Ganesh-Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. It's comfortable despite everything I'm able to fit inside. Not only was it comfortable to wear, but it was so quick and easy to take off and access my gear.

Disaster struck at the airport in Nepal. The bag made it through two x-ray machines and a short walk to the waiting area. When it came time to board the airplane I realized that half of the sternum strap was missing. It must have been caught and pulled off in the x-ray machine. I went back as far as the first x-ray machine, but they could not find it. Sadly I continued on my travels. As usual, the backpack fit nicely in the overhead bin, even in the ATR-42 airplane. Next time I will buckle and check all the straps before putting it through anything risky.

When I arrived in Bhutan, I contacted Maury Cohen, Product Specialist, at Lowepro. Right away Lowepro express-mailed a replacement strap to the home of another volunteer leaving the USA for Bhutan a few days later. A couple of weeks later, the volunteer and I met at a meeting she had organized, and I was documenting. She gave me the sternum strap before the meeting began. Thank you Linda.

Thank you Maury, and Lowepro, for such great customer service, and also for a great well-designed camera backpack.

(Photograph from the Lowepro website)