Innovation happens when you're just hanging around, working with photographers who are putting themselves and their camera equipment in precarious positions. Over the years, Lowepro have been challenged to create products that will withstand various adventures. The result is they’ve designed and developed the most accessible, comfortable and secure camera gear carrying systems out there. The initial result was the modular Street & Field™ System, which has now expanded to the Lowepro SlipLock™ System.

The Lowepro SlipLock™ System

As many options as Yosemite has peaks. A tsetse fly in Botswana. Tiger Woods at Augusta. The Bornstein bar mitzvah in Cleveland. Every job is different. That's why Lowepro created the SlipLock System. The most sophisticated carrying system out there allows you to customize all the components you need for a specific job.

You can add or subtract components at will. It's that simple. Start with a core system, then add whichever accessories you prefer. Use the SlipLock attachment tabs to fasten the extras to your base product. The result? Maximum accessibility of all of your equipment.

Photo gear is heavy. But the right pack can make it feel lighter. Lowepro designs packs so that by simply adjusting weight distribution and balance, you can be comfortable in very uncomfortable situations. Well-placed compression straps keep the load close to your body and breathable; and highly cushioned materials assure the ultimate in carrying comfort.

"How 30 pounds of beans could lead to anything technical was anybody's guess. When we set out to make our new backpack, we wanted to make sure it was unequaled in comfort. Our crew took the best backpacks on the market - including one of our own - on two separate daylong hikes in the Armstrong Redwoods. We loaded each of them with at least 30 pounds of combined camera equipment, canned beans (to simulate the weight of assorted camera equipment) and water. Then we hiked. After each hiker had carried each backpack, we compared notes. Although after the field test we were satisfied that our pack had outperformed the others, we looked for ways to improve it even more.

"Since we had men and women of all shapes and sizes on the hikes, we were able to focus on ways to help any body type carry weight more comfortably. We also figured out a better way to adjust to a women's torso, and we managed to perfect our innovative, contoured shoulder strap. Lastly, we learned that no matter what kind of pack you have, eating too many beans is never a good thing."

- Nicole Mummenhoff, Senior VP

You count on your gear not to fail, and Lowepro takes pride in providing products that meet and surpass that expectation. Lowepro uses superior materials and hardware, and enforce high standards for quality workmanship and construction. And put every product through rigorous testing. we test. Lowepro products are used and abused around the world. And even though equipment gets tossed around a lot, the gear inside often remains in better shape than the photographers themselves.

Life and Death

The following is a testament to exactly how durable and rugged Lowepro bags are. It is an excerpt from a letter photographer Michael Yamashita wrote to us after shooting an assignment for Audubon Magazine in Japan's far north, Aomiri.

"...Needing both hands, I packed away my cameras into my Lowepro Orion AW pack and secured it to the top of my backpack. I volunteered to be first. I swung out over the falls holding onto the rope; but the branches were too slippery, the pack was too heavy, and the slope was too steep. I watched in slow-motion horror as the branches slid between my fingers and I began falling. I have no memory of my 80-foot fall. My companions recounted my slide, followed by a tumble backwards. Instead of my head smashing against rocks, my camera bag cushioned the blows. The backpack absorbed the impact on the rest of my body as I bounced down the cliff. I landed between two boulders in a shallow pool of icy-cold water. I thought I was badly hurt, and everyone watching couldn't believe I was still alive. We hiked out the next day - stitched and bruised, but miraculously without broken bones or damaged camera lenses. A miracle? Maybe. Good equipment? Yes!"

- Michael Yamashita, Photographer

Whether you're shooting a rare Spirit Bear in Northern Canada or a Ferris wheel in downtown London, you need to know that your valuable equipment is safe from the elements. That's why Lowepro innovated such unique features as the All Weather Cover™ to safeguard your gear from rain, dust, sand and snow, and the OverLap Zipper™, with its reinforced walls and heavy-duty closed-cell foam, to protect your gear from anything life throws its way.

"We were looking for the Spirit Bear, but we discovered something else. For 11 days in the rough, rugged wetlands of the Inside Passage near Princess Royal Island, Canada, we tracked the elusive Spirit Bear. Unfortunately, photographers Kennan and Karen Ward and I never spotted a single bear. All we really saw was rain. It rained continuously, so we had plenty of time to sit on the riverbanks and talk - and then talk some more. We discussed the fact that Kennan, 6'2", and Karen, 5'3", need to distribute the weight of their gear differently. And we talked about how we could further improve the carrying comfort and the protection for all that expensive equipment. We came up with lots of ideas - many of which eventually ended up on the desks of our design team. As the rain continued, even though we already had the most water-resistant gear available, we set our sights on a system that would be 100% waterproof.

"This trip eventually led to the development of our DryZone - the first totally waterproof camera backpack - and our new Trekker AW Series, with substantial improvements in the harness system for ultimate carrying comfort.

"After days of dodging roots, rivers, fallen trees and hanging branches, we knew that our next trip would be easier, more comfortable and a lot drier."

- Uwe Mummenhoff, Lowepro President

Materials

The best designs in the world are just the beginning. To make the best products in the world require the best materials.

Lowepro constantly researches new materials. Testing them and combining them in different ways. Lowepro technicians rate materials on characteristics you maybe never thought of - like abrasion-resistance and quiet operation. Because one day, a quiet buckle will make the difference between getting a shot and not getting it. Then you'll see why it's so important.

Lowepro works with over a dozen fabrics including ripstop nylon, two weights of ballistic nylon, TXP™ and TXP ripstop, high-grade leather and special materials like a Nailhead™ for Digital Resolution, texturized, rubberized, non-slip fabric to keep shoulder straps in place and DryFlo™ , a unique two-layer fabric to help you stay dry in the hottest weather.

Design

What does it take to make a great bag or pack? Not superficial good looks, trendy colours or status quo thinking. Here's how Lowepro does it – in their own words….

• “We are outdoor photographers. We know the bad stuff first hand. Rain. Mud. Dust. Snow. Cold. Great shots that got away. We design accordingly.
• We listen. To hundreds and hundreds of photographers. We put their ideas into test. They test our prototypes. Result: great ideas in action. Thanks, folks.
• We challenge accepted thinking. We love re-thinking, deconstructing, re-engineering and thinking outside the box.
• We field-test every product personally. No exceptions. Ever.
• We live our beliefs. We are committed to innovation, product quality and the natural world. It's who we are.

Testing

You want a bag or pack for the real world? Then lab tests aren't enough. You've got to test in the real world. Lowepro tests their products in mud and rain. Snow and ice. Sand and dust. And in overhead bins on commercial airlines.

Spectator sports. Climbing. Nature. Portraits. Each field has unique demands. Lowepro gives prototypes to pros in different fields to try out. People like photojournalist Kevin T. Gilbert (Stealth AW Backpack), nature photographer Moose Peterson (Pro Trekker AW), outdoor and commercial shooter Don Jackson (Street and Field System). And Lowepro staff - all dedicated photographers - travel with them. And Lowepro isn’t happy until the pros are.