This may seem a strange opening to a review of a photo backpack but let me start by saying that in the past my experiences haven’t been great. All too often photo packs are much heavier than packs a mountaineer might use. Frequently they seem over designed, over engineered and overstocked with bells and whistles which may look good in advertising blurb but get little/no use in reality.
It was a bit of a round about story how I ended up with the Solstice but it does add a little context. Since maybe 2018 my favoured approach to carrying camera kit has been to use a Tenba BYOB camera insert in a more conventional climber’s back pack. BYOB is an acronym standing for bring your own bag and the BYOB is in many ways similar to FStop Gear’s ICU Individual Camera Unit). Similar but with a bunch of advantages; the BYOB is much cheaper, much lighter and very user friendly.
I’d been using the version 1 BYOB and was interested to see how the upgraded V2 worked so I contacted the ever helpful Danny Dullforce at Tenba UK. A new BYOB was arranged but then Danny added the following;
“Tenba is releasing a new pack in August which would be a great fit. I won’t have stock until mid-August so can I contact you when it arrives and send you one?”
I was intrigued and, of course, said yes. From opening the box, I was hooked. The Solstice looked sleek, it’s exterior simple and uncluttered. Best of all it felt really light for a photo backpack. The Solstice arrived and within a day was being put through it’s paces.
Zero Dark Thirty and I was heading up The Great Stone Chute, ascending Sgurr Alasdair, the highest mountain on Skye. It’s hard graft, a relentless slog up ever moving scree. The darkness didn’t help, my vision confined to the circle of light from my head torch. Om my back was the Solstice. I’d packed my Sony A7RIV and GMaster 16-35 and 70-200mm lenses along with a 1.4 x tele convertor, H & Y filter holder, a 3 stop soft GND, CPL, cleaning cloth, spare battery. On the outside, I had my favoured Sunwayfoto T3240CS tripod strapped to one side, it’s weight offset by a flask of hot coffee on the other side.
The inside of the Solstice is capacious so as well as my camera gear, there was room for breakfast, snacks, an insulated jacket, gloves etc. Most photographers will probably just cram it with camera gear (for which there’s plenty of space for lenses up to the Sony 200-600mm) but it’s good to know there’s room for other essentials.
Whilst I liked the light weight design and slick looks, I did wonder how comfortable the shoulder straps and waist belt might be. A needless worry, since the pack is supremely comfortable even when loaded down with hefty kit. Even when struggling up hundreds of meters of constantly shifting scree, the pack remained a constant comfort, a snug presence on my back.
Great Stone Chute ascended, it was a grade 2 scramble along an airy ridge to gain the summit. On terrain like this , the Solstice performed flawlessly, the weight of it snugged tight into my body, straps cinched down, as I clawed my way along the rocks, huge drops to either side.
A new day was dawning and I was excited. A hint of colour lit the horizon, jagged, black peaks arcing skyward. No matter how many times I am on the Cuillin Ridge for sunrise, it never fails to excite, a sense of anticipation building as the sun rises. High above the world, I might have been the only soul alive. Colour was building on the distant horizon, the minute summit that I was perched on was getting lit up yet all around me the darkness beckoned, a yawning abyss of steep cliffs shelving off into bottomless shadows.
Time for some hot coffee. Flask removed from Solstice then I just sat there and took in the fast developing light show. Then it was tripod off the Solstice and time for photos. Plonking the pack down carefully, not wanting to lose it to the ever present abyss below, I reveled in the easy access to my photo gear. The full zip which encompasses the whole front of the pack (ie the bit that sits against your back) allows such easy access to camera and for grabbing filters, changing lenses etc.
The sunrise wasn’t as good as it might have been but there was a lovely silhouette shot looking across to the Munro of Bal Bheinn, an orange orb high above its stark shape. An absence of clouds made for a rapid transition between sunrise colour then very harsh light contrasting with inky black shadows.
The Solstice proved itself on its very first trip out. From plastic packaging to perfect peak sunrise in a day. An ascent of the highest peak in the Black Cuillin, from sea level to almost 1000m in the dark.
Not a bad first outing for the pack and a good, tough testing ground. In at the deep end and the Solstice came through shining. Subsequently, the Solstice has been put through a bit of a torture test of trips. Coastal photography at Elgol in high winds and driving spray. Extremely adverse weather conditions where it has faced torrential rain and heavy snow.
One thing that has always worried me about traditional photo back packs with their big front zipped opening is weatherproofing (or what I perceived to be a lack thereof!). However, the Solstice has proved itself in atrocious conditions. For example, the rainbow photo taken above a local waterfall is a case in point. I’d been stuck indoors all day doing admin, stuck in front of a computer and was getting a bit cabin feverish. Casting caution to the wind, I picked up the Solstice, put on it’s rain cover and headed out. Me in Full Metal Jacket, waterproofs head to toe, the Solstice in it’s rain cover. Hood fully up, it was a miserable experience for me as the rain lashed down. Splashing my way up the hillside, any chance of photography seemed a forlorn hope but at least it was an escape from the computer screen.
Of course, rainbows don’t happen without rain and it only took a brief break in the clouds to allow a slither of sunshine through. Suddenly the waterfall was sunlit and a rainbow arced above it. Perfection. Taking off my Solstice, I was impressed how the water had just bubbled up on the rain cover and was slicking off. Flipping the pack over, I used the rain cover to protect it from the waterlogged ground. Quickly retrieving my tripod, I took a couple of photos before the clouds closed in and the magic was gone.
I was seriously impressed by the job the rain cover had done. The pack itself is made from a smooth looking fabric which seems very weather resistant, if not 100% waterproof. With the rain cover added, the pack seems pretty much bombproof even in heavy rain. Similarly, the Solstice has been used a lot in sleet/hail/snow and come up tops, precious camera kit completely protected.
The real eye opener has been how useful the instant access via the big zip has been. Shots like the rainbow one were very time dependent and I’d never have got my BYOB out of a more conventional pack in time especially as it would have meant undoing said pack, removing dry bag then extracting the BYOB from that. As it was, all I had to do was remove the Solstice from my back, plonk it on the ground, unzip it and remove camera. Take the shot then reverse the process. Fast and slick, I like this system a lot.
Similarly, I really like that the big zipped flap has a fold across the middle so you can just unzip enough to remove camera/lens and keep any adverse weather from getting in the lower part of the pack. Not sure if other brand packs have this but think it is a brilliant concept.
Everything about the design and execution of the Solstice seems to scream userbility. The inside can easily be rearranged with Velcro dividers to suit your camera gear. Or, as I do, you can ditch some of the dividers and squeeze in some outdoor kit, perhaps a warm jacket and gloves. The large rear pocket will fit a 16 inch laptop but can also double for outdoor kit. The “lash straps” are repositional and I have used them to secure a tripod but can be used to secure clothes or anything else. Like the whole design, versatility and functionality seem key.
Pros
1. Lightweight
2. Simple, uncluttered design
3. Huge, zipped opening allows quick easy access to camera gear
4. Super comfortable even when worn all day in the mountains
5. Weather resistance with the WeatherWrap rain cover combined with the weather resistant pack materials.
6. Sturdy Base and design which allows the pack to stand upright so only the base is in contact with the ground and gets dirty.
7. Smooth exterior fabric which isn’t just weather resistant but wipes down quickly and easily to facilitate removing mud and dirt.
Cons
1. Colour. This is really nitpicking but it would be nice if it was also available in a bright red/yellow/orange. Aestheeically for inclusion in photos, a bright colour would be optimal. Also, I often place my pack on the ground then wander off, free ranging with tripod and camera. It would be nice to have a bright version which would be clearly visible and easy to return to amongst all the grey and black rock in the Cuillin. Only a small point and one that won’t apply to most users but perhaps something Tenba could take on board.
2. Size/volume. Whilst 24 liters is fine for a summer day out in the mountains, winter trips with extra gear require a larger pack so it’d be great if a 32 liter pack was available like in Tenba’s Axis range.
All in all, I am amazed by the tough build and versatility of the Solstice and really had to scratch around for any negatives. Obviously, the jury’s out on long term durability but given that I’ve used Tenba products since 2018, I’d be very surprised if the Solstice isn’t super long lasting.
Light, tough, durable and at a great price point, what’s not to love? Tenba describe the Solstice as, “the perfect minimalist bag for photographers with a ton of glass.” This is very true but the Solstice is much more versatile than this and, as I’ve done, carry less glass and more outdoor kit for those extended forays into the mountains.
https://uk.tenba.com/tenba-solstice-v2-24l-backpack-grey/
