Poler Orange Label Camera Backpack Review: Good Bag, Gone From Stores

This Poler Orange Label camera backpack review has to start with a catch. You can't buy one new anymore. Poler launched the pack in late 2016, the company went bankrupt two years later, and the camera bag never came back to store shelves.

If you want the same idea in a bag you can actually order today, the Shimoda Explore v2 35 is the closest match. But used Orange Label packs still turn up on resale sites, and they're worth a look if you know what you're getting.

So here's what the bag is, what owners of the Orange Label line liked and hated, and what to check before you pay for a used one.

What the Orange Label Camera Backpack Actually Is

Poler was a lifestyle brand, so it's easy to assume this is a fashion backpack with a camera sleeve tucked inside. It isn't. The Orange Label line was four bags (a duffel, a rucksack, a roll-top and this camera pack), and Field Mag's launch coverage described the camera bag as having a completely removable, padded camera equipment compartment. It was also the most expensive bag in the line, which tells you Poler treated it as the serious one.

The Build

The shell is Dyneema ripstop, the white-grid fabric you can spot in the photos. The buckles are Fidlock magnetic sliders, which snap shut on their own and open with one hand. Behind that sits a ridged EVA foam back panel, mesh-backed shoulder straps, an adjustable chest strap with a whistle buckle, and a removable padded waist belt with its own accessory pockets.

Outside, you get two large mesh side pockets, two fleece-lined accessory pockets for sunglasses or a phone, Molle webbing and removable straps for lashing gear, plus grab handles on the top, bottom and front. There's also a pull-out panel that covers the harness when you check the bag as luggage. That's a feature you mostly see on travel packs, not camera bags.

Inside the Camera Compartment

Unzip it and the orange lining hits you first. Retailer spec lists call out a heavily padded interior with modular Velcro panels, three large subdivided zippered pockets and five small Velcro pockets for cards, batteries and filters. The panels move around the same way they do in most camera bags, so a mirrorless body with a lens attached plus a couple of extra lenses is the natural load.

What you won't find anywhere is a published capacity in liters or a confirmed laptop sleeve for this model. Poler marketed the whole line as carry-on sized, and the sister rucksack and roll-top both had padded laptop sleeves. But the retailer spec lists for the camera pack don't mention one. Ask any seller to confirm before you count on it for a laptop.

What Owners Liked and What They Didn't

User reviews for the camera pack itself are thin, since it wasn't on sale long. Most of the real-world feedback comes from people who owned the sister bags in the same Orange Label line, which share the fabric, the Fidlock hardware and the harness design. That's still useful, because the complaints are about exactly those shared parts.

Comfort and Organization

The praise lines up pretty well. Carryology's review of the Orange Label Rucksack and Rolltop said both bags carry wonderfully, with plush shoulder straps and hip belts and a pocket for pretty much everything. An owner of the roll-top and duffel on Reddit's onebag forum liked the orange contrast lining, the pocket placement and the amount of padded, stretchy storage, and called the materials durable and attractive (while admitting the white-grid Dyneema look isn't for everyone).

That same owner ended up returning both bags and going back to Tom Bihn, but still thought they were a great value on sale. And one owner of an older, non-Orange Label Poler rucksack said the quality wasn't the highest and that the contents poked into their back, though they thought the Orange Label bags looked sturdier.

Water Resistance Is the Weak Spot

This is where things get messy. Launch coverage called the fabric weather-resistant, and one resale listing even says the entire pack has a waterproof shell. Carryology's tester found the opposite on the sister bags: the face fabric gave almost no water resistance, and the contents came out noticeably wet after two rainy outings.

The Reddit owner said the same thing in fewer words. Not waterproof.

The fix is built in, at least. The camera pack ships with an orange rain cover that stores in its own bottom compartment, so a used bag that still has it is worth more to you than one that doesn't.

Carryology also flagged build issues on its rucksack, including bar-tack stitching on a compression strap that failed after a month and a Fidlock buckle that was routed and sewn in wrong. Those are the kinds of details to inspect on any used Orange Label bag.

Buying One Used in 2026

Poler shut its stores in November 2018 and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. A new owner bought the brand and relaunched it the following year, but the camera pack wasn't part of that comeback. Today the only copies you'll find are on resale sites like Poshmark and eBay, and the recent sold listings closed at roughly half of what the sellers said they originally paid.

What to Check Before You Pay

Get interior photos first. The whole point of this bag is the removable padded compartment, and some used packs lose their inserts and Velcro dividers over the years. After that, check these:

• The rain cover in the bottom pocket, since the face fabric won't keep your gear dry on its own
• Stitching where the compression straps meet the body, which is where Carryology saw a failure
• Every Fidlock buckle, including whether it closes cleanly and sits the right way round
• The waist belt, because it's removable and easy to lose
• Zippers, especially on the main compartment you'll open most

If the seller can't show the insert, walk away. Without it you're buying a nice-looking rucksack, not a camera bag.

Who It Still Makes Sense For

A used Orange Label pack is a good fit if you shoot with one mirrorless body and a few lenses, you like the look, and you're happy to hunt for a clean copy. It isn't the right bag if you need guaranteed laptop storage, a warranty, or replacement parts.

For those, look at a current pack instead. Our guide to camera backpacks worth buying covers what matters for video kits, and if weather is your big worry, the rundown of waterproof camera bags is the better place to start.

Current Packs That Do the Same Job

Each of these is still sold new, still has support behind it, and covers one part of what the Orange Label pack tried to do.

Shimoda Explore v2 35

The Explore v2 is the closest thing to the Orange Label pack's adventure-plus-camera idea. It's a proper hiking backpack with a removable Core Unit camera insert, rear anti-theft access, side access, sleeves for a laptop up to 16 inches, and roughly three inches of torso adjustment. One reviewer has taken it on several long international trips and says it's never been forced into checked baggage.

The catch is that the standard Shimoda Explore v2 35 ships without the Core Unit, and at least one buyer was annoyed to find that out after ordering. If you want the insert in the box, the Photo Starter Kit bundles a Medium DSLR Core Unit and is available at B&H. Reviewers also say it's heavy at over four pounds and the shoulder straps are less padded than on some hiking packs.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L

If what drew you to the Poler was that it didn't look like a camera bag, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L is the modern answer. It has a MagLatch top, dual side access, FlexFold dividers, a sleeve for up to a 15-inch laptop, and a recycled 400D weatherproof shell, so you're not relying on a rain cover.

Reviewers keep coming back to the build and the small, clever details. The gripes are mostly about size and comfort. Some buyers found 20L too small and moved up to the 30L, one reviewer said the shoulder straps don't cushion a heavy camera-and-laptop load, and small items stored up top can fall out when you open the side zips. The Peak Design travel backpack story covers where the brand's bigger bags came from.

Lowepro Flipside 300 AW III

The Lowepro Flipside 300 AW III is the budget-friendly pick, and its "AW" means it comes with Lowepro's All Weather cover, like the Poler did. The back panel opens against your body, there's a single side-access door for quick lens swaps, and molded EVA bumpers plus a PU-coated front help it shrug off knocks and weather. It fits a 13-inch laptop and a 10-inch tablet.

Owners like the thick padding, the build and how easy the Velcro layout is to rework. One reviewer fits a Lumix G9 with a 40-150mm attached, two more lenses, a small gimbal, and a 13-inch laptop, and has pulled most of the dividers out to use it as a carry-on with clothes up top. It's also sold at B&H. If you're on a tighter budget still, the Insignia DSLR backpack review looks at the cheapest end of the market.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Poler Orange Label Camera Backpack still made?

No. Poler released it in late 2016 and it went out of production around the company's 2018 bankruptcy. The relaunched Poler brand hasn't brought it back, so used listings on Poshmark and eBay are the only source now.

Is the Poler Orange Label backpack waterproof?

Not by itself. One owner and Carryology's tester both found the Dyneema face fabric on the Orange Label bags let water through in steady rain. Use the included rain cover, and pair it with a proper camera rain cover if you shoot outdoors a lot.

Does the Orange Label Camera Backpack fit a laptop?

That's not confirmed. The sister rucksack and roll-top had padded laptop sleeves, but the retailer spec lists for the camera pack don't list one. Ask the seller to measure the back compartment before you buy. If a laptop sleeve is a must, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L takes up to a 15-inch laptop.

Is the camera insert removable?

Yes. Field Mag's launch coverage describes a completely removable, padded camera equipment compartment, and the interior uses modular Velcro panels. Make sure a used bag still has the insert, because without it the pack loses most of its value as a camera bag.

What's the closest current alternative?

The Shimoda Explore v2 35 comes closest, since it pairs a hiking-style harness with a removable camera insert. Buy the Photo Starter Kit if you want the Core Unit included, or pick up the Shimoda Explore v2 35 on its own and add an insert later.

Can I check it as luggage?

The Poler has a pull-out panel that covers the shoulder straps, which is designed for exactly that. But don't check a bag with camera gear inside. Poler marketed the pack as carry-on sized, so keep your bodies and lenses with you in the cabin.