EVOC STAGE CAPTURE 16l BACKPACK REVIEW

Words by Drew Rohde | Photos by Dusten Ryen

Camera gear can quickly add up, meaning that some riders are rolling around with as much money invested in what’s inside their backpack as what they’re riding. Protecting that investment and keeping your sensitive equipment organized and safe is very important and the Evoc Stage Capture camera backpack does a good job of blending storage size with rideability and protection.

THE LAB
EVOC’s Stage Capture camera backpack is a lightweight, sixteen-liter camera and sports bag designed to help adventurer’s and their gear. The Stage Capture offers great organization with an individually adjustable camera compartment. The compartment uses padded dividers to keep camera gear safe from bouncing off each other. The dividers are attached via Velcro so the organization and orientation are customizable. The large camera compartment cover has the option of being slightly opened for easy side access to camera gear or whatever you may have stored in that compartment. EVOC also includes separate compartments for personal items, a sunglass pocket and storage for a three-liter bladder.

EVOC employs their Airflow Contact System which allows for optimal air circulation on the back. We found the mesh to be slightly abrasive if wearing a thin shirt or hiking with the pack for quite a while. It eventually softened up, but is an area that could see improvement for hikers. The Stage Capture uses EVOC’s Brace Link which allows the shoulder belts to be flexibly adjusted to the wearer’s shoulder width.

Some other features utilized in the Stage Capture include a hipbelt pouch, key holder, notebook/laptop pocket, tripod carrier and helmet holder. The pack is crafted from high-quality and extremely strong N420 nylon. The nylon fibers also have a PU coating giving the pack waterproof properties. Should you find yourself in a heavy rainstorm, EVOC includes a rain cover packed away in a zippered pocket at the base of the bag.

THE DIRT
We have several camera packs in the fleet and the size of the Stage 16L seemed very appealing. Compared to some of the F-Stop and other Evoc bags we’ve tested, we find the Stage 16L being the one we grab most. It doesn’t have the storage capacity that many “pro” photographers will need, especially if they’re camping out on racetracks or want a wide variety of lenses. When we hit the trail however, we usually take one Sony A7III body and two lenses, a 16-35mm and 24-70mm.

With this kit the backpack isn’t overly heavy, but it allows us to get a nice mix of tight product shots and still get some up close and personal action for most of the reviews featured on our site. We can even pack some GoPros in the main compartment and our audio recording equipment in the outer zipper along with some water storage and other small accessories.

What we really like about this pack is how well it rides! On the bike this is probably the best performing camera pack we’ve ridden in. The adjustable hip straps hold very snug and are tall, so they give a lot of support. We can ride very aggressively and feel like the back is literally hugging our body.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Beyond the mesh back panel being a little bit abrasive for longer hikes, there’s not much we can criticize on this pack. Evoc’s Stage Capture is our favorite small-mid-sized camera backpack and the one we use most often. If you’re looking to pack a smaller kit but want to ride hard, then check this pack out. It may not be ideal for the photographer looking to pack every camera body and lens he’s got for an epic week-long trip, but we’re more frequently looking for a good pack to take with us on short photo missions.

The pack’s stability while on the bike is a standout feature, we like that it comes in a somewhat natural color so we can easily hide it off the trail without having to worry about a bright orange blob popping up in photos and it’s customizable for our lens, camera load. We also like the large upper zipped compartment as it allows us to throw in quite a bit of stuff easily. Overall, a very solid bag and one we get a ton of use out of. Thanks Evoc.

Price: $190
Colors: Heather Carbon Grey, Heather Light Olive
Website: Evocsports.us