Domke ProPack 220 review by Richard Pardon

Whether it’s a large commercial photoshoot on location or holiday abroad, the ProPack Roller case is the latest design in Domke’s award winning line-up.

For the untrained eye, this ProPack 220 might look like a piece of luggage and that isn’t such a bad thing. Unzipping the case reveals a plethora of compartments and sections that even after a month of constant use I’m discovering new ones!  Water-resistant nylon means it’s durable in all conditions and a safe house for all your photographic equipment:

If you’re good at Tetris then this is the bag for you. I’ve had great fun re-arranging the ProPack 220 innards to accommodate my ever expanding list of photographic equipment, but as the kit grows the bag still manages to hold it all. The above photograph shows just how much this bag can hold, and I’m still yet to unzip the front section and expand the bag by a further 2.5″!

From shooting editorial clients at race circuits to high-end commercial client boardrooms, the ProPack Roller has been invaluable thanks to it’s in-line wheels not only making transporting large amounts of gear relatively effortless but also looking professional. Nothing worse than stumbling into clients premises with hundreds of bags, right?! :)

It’s compliant with most airline carry on restrictions and is the ideal way to safely transport photographic equipment abroad which was the real attraction for me. Unfortunately due to the nature of camera equipment it can get very heavily very quickly, so you’ll need to watch the weight restrictions on some airlines to avoid paying additional charges or worse, having to check it in!

I’ve put this bag through its paces, most recently of which on a trip to Paris. We travelled out on the Eurostar, meaning the ProPack 220 should come into its own. I travelled relatively light as I knew I would be shooting mostly landscapes, which meant besides the camera body, lenses and filters the ProPack had plenty of room left. In goes clothes, the laptop so I can work whilst away, a travel tripod for long exposures and there’s still room for more if I expand the bag by a further 2.5″.

Fully laden, the case is nimble and makes light work of transporting large amounts of luggage. Having everything for your trip in one place provides that peace of mind and takes away some of the hassle when travelling. Referring back to my comment about having space left over, it’s great for duty free on the way home!

If you do a lot of location work it’s great for protecting your equipment in transit, and once you’ve arrived it’ll keep your equipment safe as you chop and change your setup. Although it is designed with transportation in mind, it’s great to know that all of your gear back at the studio can be organised safely ready for when you next need it.

With the ProPack 220 being used on a day to day basis storing my gear and transporting it between commercial or editorial client shoots, it’s now an invaluable addition to my setup and the way I work.

Click on the following links to purchase;

ProPack 217
ProPack 220

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