Peak Design 20L Travel Backpack

The Peak Design 20L Travel Backpack just launched on Kickstarter, and after putting it through its paces on real trips, I’m convinced this is the bag many photographers and travelers have been waiting for. Peak Design took everything that made their 45L Travel Backpack a favorite among photographers and travelers and distilled it into a compact, weekend-ready package that doesn’t sacrifice the features you actually need.

In this review, I’ll walk you through every pocket, strap, and design detail of the Peak Design 20L Travel Backpack so you can decide if it’s the right bag for your next trip.

Get the Peak Design 20L Travel Backpack here

Who Is the Peak Design 20L Travel Backpack For?

Before diving into the details, let’s talk about who this bag is actually designed for. If you already own the Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack, you know how great it is for longer trips where you need to haul camera gear, clothes, toiletries, and accessories all in one bag. But sometimes you don’t need all that capacity.

The 20L is built for shorter trips — weekend getaways, day trips, or situations where you want to bring a smaller travel camera along with just the essentials. It’s not trying to replace the 45L. It’s filling a gap that the 45L leaves behind when it’s simply too much bag for the job.

Build Quality and Design

Peak Design has a well-earned reputation for thoughtful design, and the 20L Travel Backpack continues that tradition. The bag feels premium in hand and looks clean whether you’re wearing it in an airport or on a hiking trail. The materials are durable and weather-resistant, and every zipper, buckle, and strap feels like it was placed with intention.

The overall form factor is compact enough to fit under an airline seat or in an overhead bin without any issues, making it a great personal item for flights where you don’t want to check anything.

Backpack Straps and Carrying Options

One of the standout features of the 20L is how Peak Design handled the carrying system. The backpack straps magnetically attach and hold in place when you’re not wearing them on your back. This means that if you switch to carrying the bag by the side handle or the crossbody strap, the backpack straps aren’t flopping around and getting in the way.

I was able to shake the bag around quite a bit and those straps stayed firmly in place thanks to the magnets. It’s a small detail, but it makes a big difference in daily use.

The bag also includes a crossbody strap that adjusts through multiple notch positions, giving you flexibility in how you carry it. There are additional attachment points with magnets as well, and strap connection points where you could clip on a camera clip like a Peak Design Capture Clip if you want quick access to a camera body while you’re on the move.

Side Pocket and Water Bottle Storage

Unlike some backpacks that have a dedicated external water bottle sleeve, the Peak Design 20L takes a different approach. On one side, there’s a carry handle, and on the opposite side, there’s a zippered side pocket that serves multiple purposes.

You can slide a water bottle into this pocket, but you can also use it for keys, a flashlight, or a handful of other small accessories. It’s a versatile pocket that adapts to whatever you need on a given trip. The lack of a dedicated external water bottle holder might bother some people, but in practice, this multipurpose pocket approach is more useful than a single-purpose sleeve.

Expandable Zipper System

The 20L features an expandable zipper that runs around the perimeter of the bag. When you unzip it, the bag gains additional depth, which is a critical feature if you plan to use it as a camera bag.

That extra depth is what makes it possible to fit a Peak Design camera cube inside the main compartment while still having room for other items. When you don’t need the extra space, you simply zip it back up and the bag returns to its slimmer, more compact profile. This is the kind of thoughtful, modular design that Peak Design is known for.

External Strap System for Tripods and Accessories

On the outer face of the bag, there are four connection points and included straps that can be configured in a crisscross pattern. This allows you to secure a travel tripod or other gear to the outside of the bag.

You can also route the straps along the bottom of the bag if you prefer to carry a tripod vertically beneath the pack. It’s a flexible system that means you’re not limited to what fits inside the bag — you can expand your carrying capacity externally when needed.

Top Quick-Access Pocket

The top of the bag features a quick-access pocket with two interior pouches, a center section, and two additional smaller pouches. This pocket doesn’t extend the full depth of the bag, but it provides enough room for items you need to grab quickly — car keys, a wallet, a small journal, earbuds, or a phone.

Having this quick-access pocket on top means you don’t have to open the main compartment every time you need something small. For travel days where you’re constantly pulling out a boarding pass or your ID, this pocket is invaluable.

Laptop and Tablet Storage

Inside the main compartment, the 20L includes a padded laptop sleeve that easily accommodates up to a 14-inch laptop. I was able to slide a 13-inch iPad Pro in with room to spare, and there’s a secondary interior sleeve that can hold a journal or smaller tablet.

This means you can carry both a 14-inch laptop and up to a 13-inch tablet simultaneously — a big deal for photographers and content creators who work on the go. There’s also an additional interior pouch suited for charging cables, pens, a small journal, or other flat accessories.

Hidden AirTag Pocket

A thoughtful touch that many travelers will appreciate: the 20L includes a hidden pocket specifically designed for an Apple AirTag. There’s a small pull tab that reveals the pocket, and you simply slide your AirTag in.

With luggage and bag theft always a concern when traveling, having a built-in, discreet AirTag pocket means you can always track your bag’s location. It’s a small feature, but it shows that Peak Design is thinking about real-world travel concerns.

Camera Cube Compatibility: Converting to a Camera Bag

This is where the 20L gets really interesting for photographers. With the expandable zipper deployed, you can fit a Peak Design camera cube inside the bag, effectively converting it into a hybrid camera and travel backpack.

With the right size cube, you can fit a camera body, a couple of lenses, and even a flash unit — and still have enough room left over in the bag for a day’s change of clothes. This modular approach means you don’t need a separate dedicated camera bag for short trips. You bring one bag, configure it for what you need, and go.

For photographers who don’t want to lug a full camera backpack on a weekend trip but still want their gear protected and organized, this setup is ideal. Pair it with a compact mirrorless body and two versatile lenses, and you’ve got a capable photography kit inside a bag that doesn’t scream “expensive camera gear inside.”

Comfort and Wearability

The 20L is genuinely comfortable to wear for extended periods. The back panel is breathable, which prevents the sweaty-back problem that plagues many travel backpacks. The straps distribute weight well, and the bag sits comfortably whether you’re walking through an airport or hiking a short trail.

There’s also a luggage pass-through strap on the back that lets you slide the bag over the handle of a rolling suitcase. If you’re traveling with both a carry-on roller and this backpack, you can stack them together and roll everything at once instead of juggling two separate bags.

Peak Design 20L vs 45L: Which One Should You Get?

If you’re trying to decide between the 20L and the 45L, it comes down to trip length and how much gear you need to carry.

The 45L is the better choice when you need to carry a full camera kit with multiple lenses, plus several days’ worth of clothes and toiletries. It’s the bag for week-long trips, destination weddings you’re shooting, or any scenario where you need maximum capacity.

The 20L is the better choice for weekend trips, day trips, or any time you want a smaller travel camera with just the essentials. It’s also a great everyday bag if you commute with a laptop and want something more versatile than a standard backpack.

Many photographers will find that owning both makes sense — the 45L for work trips and longer travel, and the 20L for everything else.

What the Peak Design 20L Is Missing

No bag is perfect, and in the interest of giving you the full picture, here’s what the 20L doesn’t have compared to the 45L:

The reduced capacity means you’re making trade-offs. You can’t fit as many lenses or as much clothing. There’s no dedicated external water bottle sleeve — you’re using that multipurpose side pocket instead. And if you need to carry a full professional camera kit with a gripped body, multiple lenses, and lighting gear, the 20L simply isn’t big enough.

But those aren’t really criticisms — they’re the natural result of making a smaller, more portable bag. Peak Design made smart decisions about what to include and what to leave out, and the result is a bag that does its job extremely well within its intended use case.

Peak Design 20L Travel Backpack Specs at a Glance

• Capacity: 20 liters (expandable)
• Laptop Fit: Up to 14-inch laptop
• Tablet Fit: Up to 13-inch tablet
• Camera Cube Compatible: Yes (with expandable zipper deployed)
• Carrying Options: Backpack straps (magnetic stow), crossbody strap, side handle, luggage pass-through
• AirTag Pocket: Yes (hidden)
• External Attachment: Four-point strap system for tripods/accessories

This review is based on hands-on experience with the Peak Design 20L Travel Backpack. As a working photographer who has traveled extensively with the Peak Design 45L, I tested the 20L on actual trips to evaluate its real-world performance. Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them at no additional cost to you.