Over the past few months we have been able to thoroughly test the Thule Covert DSLR 32L, a compact but roomy and versatile travel camera backpack. We have been able to discover it thoroughly, understanding its strengths (many) and defects (few), and using it in a couple of very rare trips. In our opinion, it is a product suitable for photography professionals who travel a lot, but it can also be used as a simple travel backpack.
Thule Covert DSLR 32L, in breve
– It is a “Rolltop” backpack: to close the upper compartment, it is necessary to roll up the end.
– It can easily contain a complete photographic system, a laptop up to approximately 15.6 ”and a tablet, plus various accessories in the upper compartment and in the front pockets.
– Laptops and tablets can be accessed from the rear opening, which allows the backpack to be opened completely to facilitate the organization of the contents.
– It is made of Nylon and is water resistant.
– The camera compartment is padded, it can be rearranged thanks to Velcro dividers and above all it can be extracted and used as a smaller shoulder strap, when you only want to carry the camera with you.
– In addition to the accessory pocket, on the front there are two other hidden compartments, one with zip, one with magnetic closure, perfect for documents
– Side pockets for bottles and flasks (or for a compact tripod) are expandable and very durable
The camera compartment is actually a mini-bag that can be detached and used as a shoulder strap
The user experience
We tested Thule Covert 32L on the go, with an analog camera, with a Hasselblad, and finally with a Nikon Z6II with a fairly bulky lens. In all cases the Covert proved to be versatile and comfortable, thanks to the possibility of rearranging the pocket for the camera with the special tear-off dividers. The choice of positioning the camera compartment at the bottom is also good. At full load this is the heaviest area: unless you unbalance the backpack with an excessive load in the upper compartment, the ergonomics once worn the backpack is excellent. The weight distribution of laptops and tablets is also very good, which are inserted vertically and remain practically attached to the back in the special padded pocket.
In the upper compartment you can insert various accessories or, as we have done on several occasions, two or three changes for a short trip. This feature makes Thule 32L perfect for business travel. The look is casual: it is not purely an elegant backpack, but not too technical either. Access to the various compartments has been designed in an excellent way, with the possibility of accessing the upper compartment both through the roll-up end and through the back pocket, whose hinges allow you to open the backpack along its entire length, as if it were a suitcase.
Thule Covert 32L, what we liked
The strength of Thule’s Covert 32L is the ability to access the camera directly from a second side pocket. We have found this solution particularly convenient. The possibility of fully opening the back pocket is also excellent, because it allows you to better organize the contents. Excellent quality of materials: we scrambled the backpack on the plane and during trekking on sunny paths; we wore it in the rain and splashed with mud on our bikes at least a couple of times. Cleaning it is very simple and about three and a half months after first use it still looks like new. General ergonomics are also promoted: when fully loaded, the backpack carries well on the shoulders, without straining the neck and back. Finally, the presence of a rear band to put the backpack on the trolley is also appreciable, which is not always easy to find on photographic backpacks like this one.
Thule Covert 32L, what we would change
After a long test, there are only two elements of this backpack that in our opinion could be improved. First of all, the upper compartment, the one accessed via the roll-up end or from the back pocket. It is large but not always easy to organize. If you have many accessories that do not fit in the other compartments of the backpack (hard disk, charger, external keyboard, various cables), the risk is to collect them all here a little too much in bulk. A few internal dividers would have been useful. The other aspect that we think can be improved is the cut of the front pocket for pens and small accessories. It is well organized, but it has another problem: when the photographic compartment is fully loaded it is compressed and it becomes difficult to access it unless you open the zipper completely, thus risking to drop some of the contents (this happened, for example, with the wallet).
In fine
If you are looking for a backpack to carry a semi-professional or professional camera system, this Thule Covert 32L is worth considering. The large version we tested is perfect for medium and large cameras, such as a Nikon Z6II, or a Canon EOS R5 or R6, both with one or two small and medium-sized lenses in tow. It is not suitable for carrying a larger lens system, or for very pushed, wide or heavy zooms. But after all, those who need a tout-court camera bag would not have a hybrid backpack like this on the radar, instead more suitable for the photo-reporter or more generally for those who want to travel with a camera in tow.
Thule 32L can be found at various online retailers for around € 280. The 24-liter version, suitable for more compact photographic systems (such as Fujifilm’s X-series APS-C cameras, or analog cameras) is instead for around € 219. Both are available in black (which we prefer) or in gray.