Shimoda Action X70 L Backpack Review
Hiking in Torridon, Scotland, with the Shimoda Action X70 L Bag
Overview / Specs
Welcome to this review of the Shimoda Action X70 Litre Bag (and comparison with the older version 60L V1 Explore). I've used both of these bags all over the world: in the deserts of South Africa at 40 degrees Celsius and on Munros up in Scotland at minus ten and 70mph winds. So, I've got lots of experience and thought I would share my thoughts here today.
So, a small overview and some specs of the Shimoda bag:
The backpack on its own comes in at just about ~2.3kg (that's a little bit heavier than the Explore V1 at ~1.8kg), but, of course, it is a bigger bag. Outer dimensions are: 31W x 59H x 23D cm, or 12.2W x 23.2H x 9.1D in.. It comes with a 5 year warranty as well.
To my mind at least, there are a number of improvements with the Action X70 (or any of the action series) that are worth the upgrade over the Explore V1.
A full video review is also over on my Youtube channel if you’d prefer to check that out:
Pros / Improvements
The first one is these shoulder pads and the waist hip belt. They are much thicker, more padded and more supportive, and that makes the bag much more comfortable - especially over longer distances. There's also a few extra zip pockets, such as on the shoulder strap and in the front compartment. They have replaced the “bungee cord” pouches from the V1 for the most part, and I think that's a good move as the zipper pockets are just more useful.
The most important change for me though, is that both sides of the bag now have a tripod pouch. I do a lot of video work, and so am often carrying two tripods (or even when I'm not doing body work, having the ability to carry a tripod and a water bottle); being able to properly balance the load when I’m carrying heavy tripods on the outside of the bag is a big upgrade.
The Action series also has the roll extendable roll top, for an extra 7L - not that 70L wasn’t enough already! This comes instead of the attached brain, which some people might view as negative as it's a bit less organisation, but, if you're serious about getting out into the outdoors and doing big hikes, then really you should be using dry bags to load things inside of your backpack anyway. So, the extra space and simplified outside form (aesthetically) is another plus for me.
As with the version one explore, there's no hip belt pockets. It has these little bungee pockets, which maybe could fit a small snack, but I've never really found a good use for them. The belt is also removable via velcro on the inside of the rear panel, which is good for travel. So I'll take that off and then I can just about get away with bringing this bag on board an international flight with me. (I've actually had it measured and had to put it into one of those compartment tests and it just about fit!) It can also fit a 15” laptop comfortably in the rear panel sleeve.
Compared to the version 1 Explore, the Action series is a big upgrade. It's more thought through and I definitely prefer the overall usage of this bag compared to the previous version; it is a more comfortable bag, especially for longer distances/bigger hikes. Part of that is down to all of the straps that you can adjust to make the bag fit better, as well as the height adjustability of the shoulder pads (depending on how long your torso is).
And, of course, the back panel opens up to loads of space for camera gear. I use two small core units and take up less than 40% of the total bag, leaving plenty of room for camping gear, food, water, etc. My typical loadout for camera gear is: 3x filters, Canon R5 with RF 24-105, RF 100-500, accessories like batteries & microphones, and lastly, the Fujifilm X-S10 for video work and vlogging.
Issues / Downsides
There's a minor snag with this little magnetic piece which connects the hip belt to the actual bag. When connected it anchors the strapping so that when you tighten the hip belt, it is pulling against the bag.
But every time you take the bag on or off and you want to get a rear panel, you hit that connection. I constantly forget to magnetically unsnap it in order to unzip the rear panel, which from a workflow point of view is an annoyance but not a dealbreaker. Then when I go to close the panel after using my camera, I forget to re-clip this on. While not the end of the world, I'm probably losing a little bit of comfort there because it's not properly adjusting on the bag itself. Shimoda have said though that this is only really necessary to do up when on longer hikes.
The airflow on the back is not great, but that's just going to be one of the compromises to having a rear access panel like this. If you want a better airflow on your back for hiking, then you do have to move up to a dedicated hiking bag with a proper suspension system. That will be a decision and trade off that you need to make for yourself - I could be swayed either way.
The final issue, and perhaps the biggest for me, is the waterproofing. It doesn't come standard with a rain cover, and so I did buy one of those separately, which does help a bit. The waterproofed zippers on the front and the roll top work really well for waterproofing. However, the biggest failure point is actually the zipper of the rear panel, which is not waterproofed. I have been out in really heavy rain on several occasions and that has always been the first point of failure. Using waterproof dry bags is always going to be the most robust solution. I'm not sure what the solution is regarding the zipper, but it's definitely something to note.
Final Thoughts
So what are my final thoughts and who is this bag for? Well, it is certainly a great bag, there's no getting around that.
It's exceedingly comfortable and it can pack a whole heck of a lot of gear. So, for someone who's looking to do multi-day hikes and they specifically want a photography bag, then this is definitely one to consider (and, of course, there's other photography specific brands on the market such as Atlas or Fstop). The other option would be to get a hiking dedicated bag from brands like Gregory or Osprey - or even some of the ultralight backpack options, especially over in the States. Some of the hiking specific backpacks are starting to have rear and side panel access, so it's really a toss up and comes down to personal preference. If you're starting from scratch, then I think it's worth exploring and considering the full range of options. Try to get into a store and put some on your back to get a feel for size and fit!
And then lastly, Shimoda has great customer service in my experience. I had an issue with my V1 where a pouch on the inside tore so I sent them a photograph/video under warranty. They couldn't supply me with a replacement part (as it wasn’t being manufactured anymore), so they actually sent me an entirely new bag with no questions asked!
Hope you have found some of my thoughts on the Shimoda Action X70 L bag helpful if you are thinking of picking one up, or any of the Shimoda bags for that matter. Highly recommended!
If you are interested in purchasing a Shimoda backpack, please do consider using my affiliate link below. It bears no cost to you but gives me small kick back, and at the time of writing Shimoda is running a 25% sale on lots of their bags! Link to Shimoda Backpacks Website
