Wandrd Veer 18LT Review
First of all, it's always a pleasure to be here again doing a review, especially of Wandrd. I've always admired the bags designed and produced by WANDRD. Since my first bag, they have always focused their brand on bespoke bags that appealed to travelers, creatives and photographers, claiming they have come from those very same roots.
INTRODUCTION
When Landscape photographers go on a photographic trip, they usually go loaded with all that they need, because a forgetfulness in one of these big trips, can mean the failure of a great photo, as such, we usually take our backpacks full beyond the allowed weight. I have been using the Hexad 45lt, which doesn't let me down, it takes everything and more.
The big problem is when we get to the spots, many of them, we leave the car in the parking and we have to walk Kilometers.
The big problem is when we get to the spots, many of them, we leave the car in the parking and we have to walk Kilometers.
I also know that there are many travelers who use the Hexad backpack, to carry gear, clothes, and sometimes shoes, those people walk a lot kilometers exploring the cities.
In my case walking with sometimes 20kg of photograpic material, is very painful, so I found the solution...
WHO ARE WANDRD?
WANDRD is a American company that was born by like many other companies, was built out of a need for something that didn’t exist. Two photography brothers that travel around the world photographing. They purchased a lot of bags and backpacks but no one functioned like they want, so they decided to make they own travel camera bag.
They didn’t just want to sell bags. They wanted to inspire people to get out there and see the world. Hence the company’s name – WANDRD.
After the website, they worked on the design. On October 6, 2015, they launched their first bag – the PRVKE through Kickstarter. They released a product that put them on the map. But it wasn’t until their other brother joined them that they released the Hexad line and started something big. This tight-knit group of 11 people now brings products to people in over 100 countries
That's the wandrd story.
PACKAGING AND UNBOXING
As the others Backpacks, I think that would be better if it could had a pretty package, for me and for many people says the eyes like a lot in the first view. After opening we can find this inside the package, a travel bag with all the components:
1 - The Veer Bag
2 - Inflatable Cube
3 - Inflatable Back Insert Panel
DESCRIPTION
The WANDRD VEER 18 is a packable backpack designed for short trips when you want to leave your main bag behind but still take a small bag and camera. It’s durable but surprisingly packable, and it keeps your camera protected but accessible.
This is a small Backpack that came in storage bag and includes an inflatable back panel for carrying comfort, as well as an option to get an inflatable camera cube compartment that can hold a prosumer-sized DSLR with a pretty decent sized lens attached. The VEER is available in three colors: Black, Cobalt, and Rust.
SPECIFICATIONS
Materials:
- Weather Resistant N100D Robic Dynatec N210D Robic HD Oxford.
- Weather Resistant Zippers.
- Honeycomb Airmesh (Shoulder & Back Panel)
- Polyester with TPU coating 150D (INFLATABLES)
VEER Packable Bag
- Dimensions: 45cm X 28cm X 23cm
- Volume: 18L
- Weight: 414 grams
Packed Bag
- Dimensions: 15cm X 23cm X 5cm
DESIGN & MATERIALS
The WANDRD VEER 18 comes in three colors: black, cobalt blue, and rust brown.
The branding on this bag is minimal and sleek, which is always nice to see. First, there’s one tiny white logo on the left shoulder strap, and there are two shiny black decals on the front, a small logo on the bottom left, and a bigger emblem on the water bottle pocket. There’s also a hidden black logo inside the top pocket which ends up being front and center when the VEER 18 is packed.
These black decals are slightly reflective, so they stand out in direct light but otherwise disappear into the black bag. We think this is a pretty slick design and is exactly how we’d picture Batman doing his backpack branding. The webbing loops give this bag a slightly outdoorsy look that we could personally do without, but other than that, the VEER 18 doesn’t do much to draw attention to itself. It feels at home in both urban and outdoor environments, and at first glance, you would never guess that it’s packable.
The VEER 18 uses “N100D Robic Dynatec” on the body, and in case that wasn’t enough, they’ve added an “N210D Robic HD Oxford” bottom cap for extra durability. Even the inflatable components are a 150D Polyester with a TPU coating.
Translated from “Fancy Fabric Talk” to English, it means this pack is durable! Robic Dynatec and Robic HD Oxford are both high-density fabrics that are extremely resistant to wear and tear. As for the inflatables, a TPU coating just means that the fabric won’t absorb any water.
The shoulder straps and back panel are made with “Cool Honeycomb Airmesh,” which basically means they’re made of thin foam with honeycomb shaped holes, all wrapped in mesh. This makes them light, comfortable, and breathable—no complaints here. And all the zippers are YKK weather-resistant zippers with paracord pulls that have a strangely ergonomic grip on them. The zipper pulls are very comfortable to use and, although it’s not a make-or-break detail, it’s a nice touch (literally). All together, these materials make the VEER 18 very water resistant, which is great. During our testing, it has done well in the rain and, although the shoulder straps absorbed a small bit of water, our gear stayed dry.
FEATURES AND ERGONOMICS
The VEER is a bag that fits into a fairly narrow niche – the packable daypack. In the past 3-4 years, this has become quite a packed category, as cheap bags from online retailers and higher-end ones from major outdoor provisioning companies compete for your travel accessory dollars. At 18 Liters, the VEER is on the small side of the niche, but there’s a lot here to recommend it.
All materials (fabric and zippers) are weather-resistant, which is nice in case of the late-afternoon shower when you’re running from the museum to the subway station.
The most notable feature on the outside of the VEER 18 is the harness system. Even when loaded down with about 7 kg of camera and tech gear, the airmesh shoulder straps and back panel provide a comfortable carry. The honeycomb design finds a great balance between giving some noticeable cushion while still remaining light and breathable. The shoulder straps also include webbing loops that function as the anchor points for the sternum strap system.
The main bag unfolds from what becomes the top compartment, a 22 x 18 x 5 cm flap with the opening facing your neckline while you’re wearing it. There are three other pockets in this surprisingly roomy little bag. There’s a side pocket with an expandable water bottle sleeve that fits all my bike rack-sized bottles, as well as many coffee travel cups. There’s also a center front pocket that’s a great place for a collapsible umbrella, or rain shell.
INSIDE THE BACKPACK
Before i get into the most funny stuff (the inflatables), let’s start for the easy stuff first.
The VEER 18 has two quick grab pockets, one on the front and one on top. You’ll want to utilize these pockets as best you can, especially for smaller items.
1 - Main Bag
The quickest and the first pocket is on the top, and it’s the same pocket that turns inside out to become the bag that the rest of the VEER 18 compresses into.
Like most packable bags, the main compartment isn’t much to write home about. It’s a single 18-liter compartment that includes a mesh sleeve with an opening at the top and part way down the side. The mesh is exactly where a laptop sleeve would be in any other backpack, so we put a 15” laptop in there and it fit perfectly.
There are also two ways to access this main compartment; there is a top zipper, which WANDRD calls the secondary access; and there’s a side zipper, which they call the main access. If you think this seems backwards, you’re not alone—we thought the same thing…until we used them!
The main compartment has a “theft deterrent” zipper that consists of a buckle that attaches the zipper pull directly to the bag so it can’t be unzipped…that is, until you release the buckle. Just to clarify, it does not lock or have a spot to put a luggage lock. It’s just a buckle. This may stop a pickpocket who tries to quickly unzip your bag as you walk by, but we don’t think it’s going to deter any thieves who are trying to get into your bag.
2 - Top
Above the harness system, there is a folded and sewn loop to hang the VEER 18 up on a hook. Although not groundbreaking technology, you’ll be happy you have it when you can hang it up in the bathroom instead of putting it down in that puddle of what you hope is water.
The second quick grab pocket is dead center on the front of the bag. It’s not nearly as big as the top one, but still big enough to fit a couple of key items. This is a great spot to store some extra batteries and memory cards if you’re a photographer, or if you’re the digital nomad type, it’s big enough to fit a Macbook charger, a mouse, and a small speaker.
As an added bonus, you can use the packed bag attachment clip as a key clip when the bag is deployed. Since this quick-grab pocket fits the entire bag inside of it, it should come as no surprise that it’s pretty large.
3 - Front
On the front of the pack, there are two webbing loops to hang some additional gear, although we have to admit that we haven’t used them yet it can be used to place a collapsible umbrella, or rain shell.
3 - Left Side
The left side has a theft-deterrent zipper that gets you into the main pocket. With the addition of the inflatable Camera Cube, you can reach into the main area and pull out your dSLR while keeping the bag on your left shoulder.
This whole is a “Quickdraw Access” thing is the idea that you shouldn’t have to take your backpack off to get something out of your bag. You just need to take the right shoulder strap off, swing the bag around your left side, and boom! You’ve got full access to the main compartment. Everything is within reach and you don’t have to set your bag on the ground or look for a table just to grab something. This “Quickdraw Access” may sound simple but it is extremely convenient, especially once you get the inflatable camera cube involved.
4 - Right Side
Smaller bottles won’t fall out while you’re walking around because of how deep the pocket is, and WANDRD has included an elastic cord on one of their later iterations of the VEER to secure smaller water bottles in place.
THE INFLATABLES
There are two inflatable components that can be added to the VEER 18. The first is a camera cube that is essentially an airbag for your camera. It provides a layer of protection that doesn’t take up much more room than the camera itself. We’re still not ready to throw this thing down the stairs, but it certainly helps put our mind at ease. The second is a back panel that is solely designed to add an extra layer of cushion between your back and your pack.
The inflatable components are what really separate the VEER 18 from other packs, and it’s where this thing really shines. Without the inflatables, the VEER 18 is like economy airline seating—it’ll get you where you’re going, but it’s not a memorable experience and your back may be a little sore when you get there. But the first time you get upgraded to first class, you’ll be telling everyone how comfortable it was and you’ll never want to fly economy again. That’s exactly what the inflatables do for the VEER 18.
When you add the inflatable components to the VEER 18, it becomes something completely different. They’re a smart way to add cushion and protection without adding weight or sacrificing packability, although we have to be honest—these things may be a little too smart for their own good.
Camera Cube
The camera cube is 18 x 25 x 15cm inflated, but WANDRD recommends a camera and lens combo that is no bigger than 12 x 18 x 15cm, although we think it has enough stretch fit something slightly larger. Unfortunately, this means if you’re a Canon 1DX or Nikon D5 user, you probably won’t be able to fit anything besides your camera and a pancake lens in the camera cube. I used my Sony A7R4 and my Nikon D810 with the 24-70 mm lens and it fits like a glove.
The camera cube uses a twist valve and can be fully inflated in one or two breaths, so you don’t have to worry about being red in the face when you’re done. After it’s inflated, just load the camera in, flip the lid down, and secure the velcro. One thing to note: the first time we packed the camera cube into the VEER 18, we just loaded it in through the main access and went on our way. But during that first trip, the camera cube moved around a lot and it was constantly shifting the weight of the bag, making it very uncomfortable to carry. We tried to use the quickdraw move to get the camera out and the cube ended up upside down at the bottom of the bag. Obviously, this couldn’t be right—and after digging around a bit on WANDRD’s website, we found our mistake.
Back Insert Panel
The second inflatable component is the inflatable back panel, and we had a very similar experience here as we did with the camera cube. The back panel uses the same materials and inflation valve and, just like the camera cube.
To use the back panel effectively, you first need to find the hidden sleeve underneath the mesh one, which is specially designed for this inflatable back panel. This sleeve puts the back panel just underneath the honeycomb airmesh and spaces it out from the rest of the bag. This added space gives the back panel considerably more breathability as well as a whole lot of cushion, which are both greatly appreciated! As far as we’re concerned, the inflatable back panel takes the VEER 18 to the next level of comfort—and so far, we haven’t found any downsides. Well, we suppose there is one downside… It has made us slightly resentful that our other packable daypacks don’t have the same feature
EASE OF USE
The first thing about this bag that I hate is the lack of a shape. When you put a thermos into the side slot, it falls down. The lack of any shape means it won’t be able to stand up on its own. When the camera pouch is placed within, it doesn’t take up a whole lot of space or provide the bag with any sort of major grounding. That’s just the first bad thing. The lack of a shape goes into everything about this bag though. For the front pocket, the bag could be able to hold things in place with ease if it just had further compartmentalization and rigidity.
The second thing is my lack of faith in how this bag will hold up in the long term. It could probably work as an everyday bag if you’re not bringing your camera gear with you often and if you just need it to bring random, small things like a change of clothes. But in order to do that, you need to find a way to give the bag shape by stuffing it with clothing, scarves, a jacket, etc. Perhaps it’s designed to appeal more to the digital nomad, but I’m of the belief that’s not a sustainable lifestyle for me. The idea of traveling for fun and work all the time is wonderful until you remember that you’re living out of a suitcase, or in this particular situation out of a malleable semi-camera bag.
PRICE VS PERFORMANCE
It could be found also at 158€ in WANDRD WEBSHOP
IN THE FIELD ACTION
Without a doubt as I had already mentioned before, the Wandrd Veer 18lt, came to help a lot in my photo trips, now it's possible to leave the big backpack in the car, and transport only what I really need for that spot.
I also want to let know I started to use the Veer in Cityscape photography, taking only the camera with the lens and alternative lens, water and documents.
I also want to let know I started to use the Veer in Cityscape photography, taking only the camera with the lens and alternative lens, water and documents.
CONCLUSIONS
At the time of this review, we’ve been testing the WANDRD VEER 18 near by home, for just over two weeks. I haven’t run into any issues outside of some initial quirks with setting up the inflatable components. In terms of durability, just a little dirt on the outside that wipes right off. And based on the durable materials, quality build, and attention to detail, I'm not surprised by this at all. Even if there were any serious issues, WANDRD’s “Wander More, Worry Less Guarantee” gives you a lifetime warranty for all non-cosmetic defects that might happen to your bag, although we haven’t been able to test this ourselves yet. We can’t foresee any future problems that would require using the warranty, but it’s always nice to have a backup plan.
When you go to a big Photo trip, and carry a lot of eletronic stuff, or when you pack for long vacations where you stay at one or just a few places, but strike out from there for a day of sightseeing or touring, having a smaller bag than your full luggage-sized bag makes sense. The VEER is a perfect size for carrying your “good” camera with wide lens and the longer lens, or guide books, and maybe a snack and a water bottle.
I am looking forward to having it on my next trip!
WHAT I LIKED
- Packs into its own pouch
- Inflatable components add padding without adding too much weight
- Inflatable camera cube to increase the camera protection
- Inflatable back panel to increase comfort
WHAT I FEEL COULD BE IMPROVED
- Inflatable camera cube could be fixed with some veltro stripes to avoid shifts around inside the bag
- The price could be a little bit more cheaper, comparing with the others big backpacks
