A Traveler's Review: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter Camera Backpack

Langly Alpha Globetrotter camera backpack first came under my radar when I switched from an APS-C camera to a full-frame camera. As my camera gear becomes bulkier, I started to look for a travel camera backpack that would allow me to carry all my camera gear securely, while also leaving enough space for me to store other travel essentials that I might need throughout the day.

The Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack has all the features I need from a travel camera backpack. It has a dedicated camera compartment, a separate compartment for travel essentials, and the vintage look I was looking for.

On paper, the Langly Alpha Globetrotter checks all the boxes, but will it live up to its specifications in the real world? Well, let's find out, shall we? Without further ado, here's a complete traveler's review of the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack, based on my experience traveling with it. Let's begin with a quick summary of the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack:

Looking for other camera bags? Check out:10 Best Camera Bags For Hiking, Backpacking, And Travel

Table of Contents

Quick Summary of the Langly Alpha Globetrotter Backpack
What to Look For In A Travel Camera Backpack?
Why Did I Choose the Langly Alpha Globetrotter Camera Backpack?
What I Love Most About the Langly Alpha Globetrotter
The Drawbacks of the Langly Alpha Globetrotter
This is The Most Beautiful Camera Backpack You Can Buy
Further Reading for Resources

Quick Summary of the Langly Alpha Globetrotter Backpack

If you are short on time, here is a quick summary of the pros and cons of using the Langly Alpha Globetrotter as your camera backpack for travel, along with a link to check the backpack's recent price.

Pros

Beautiful vintage look.
Excellent build quality.
Spacious camera compartment
There are lots of extra pouches.

Cons

Many dangling straps
Expensive
Heavy even when empty.
Lack of side straps.

Check Price

What to Look For In A Travel Camera Backpack?

Camera Compartment: One of the most important things to look for in a camera backpack, and one that distinguishes camera backpacks from regular backpacks, is its dedicated camera compartment.

A good camera backpack must have a dedicated camera compartment that is large enough to store all the camera gear you need during your travel, keeping them safe and secure in their own compartment with dividers to prevent them from bouncing around in the backpack.

I find that the deeper the camera compartment, the more camera gear you can store because you will be able to put your camera lenses vertically. This saves space and allows you to store even more lenses. Before buying a camera backpack, make sure to measure the longest lens you have and see if you can store them vertically in the backpack.

Also, a good camera compartment should have its own dedicated lid to allow you to quickly access and grab your camera or change to a new lens without having to go through all of your other stuff in the backpack.

This is the most important deciding factor of all when it comes to buying a camera backpack, so be sure that the camera compartment that comes with the camera backpack fits your needs perfectly.

Comfortability: Camera gear is heavy, and when you are traveling, you will be carrying it in your backpack for most of the day. Therefore, comfort is another important factor to consider.

There are three things I look for when it comes to comfortability in a backpack: how big the straps are, how the airflow is at the back, and how the weight is being distributed when carrying.

A comfortable camera backpack must have large shoulder straps that will help distribute the weight equally around your shoulders. Alternatively, it is even better if it comes with a waist strap for improved weight distribution.

The back panel of the backpack must also have a good airflow design that allows air to circulate and prevents your back from sweating when walking around in a city or hiking on a hot day.

Last but not least, the camera backpack must have a camera compartment right at the bottom of the backpack. Since your camera gear is probably going to be the heaviest part of your backpack, having it way at the bottom will help keep your center of gravity low, giving you better balance and allowing you to move around more efficiently.

Also, the backpack will feel lighter than it actually is when the heaviest part of the backpack is way at the bottom, so be sure to check for the location of the camera compartment before buying one.

Durability: Traveling is a heavy-duty activity, and it is very important that you have a backpack that is reliable and durable enough to guarantee that the backpack won't accidentally break during your trip.

Build quality is one of the first things to look out for when picking up a new camera backpack. A durable backpack should have sturdy shoulder straps that don't break easily. It should be constructed using durable material or, even better, using water-resistant material. All in all, the backpack should be built to last for many years to come.

Style: Last but not least, the backpack you are buying must have a style that you actually like and are comfortable carrying around when you travel. A backpack is like another piece of your clothing, and if you care about how you look in certain clothes and dresses, why not consider the same with your backpack?

I personally prefer a vintage-mountaineering-style backpack with leather decorations and a double strap design, but this will differ from person to person. The key is to find the one that functions well and looks fashionable. These two qualities are not mutually exclusive 😉; you just have to do your research well and find that one backpack that strikes a perfect balance between form and function.

Wondering what I carry in my travel camera backpack? Check out:What's In My Camera Bag - A Travel Photography Gear Guide

Why Did I Choose the Langly Alpha Globetrotter Camera Backpack?

I never really understood why people would buy expensive camera backpacks that cost upward of 200 USD whereas you can get a much cheaper regular backpack and use a separate camera insert for less than 100 USD... until now.

Due to my line of work as a travel blogger and my reliance on photography and videos to make a living, I am constantly searching for ways to improve my craft. As my collection of camera gear expands, my need for a better solution to organize it also increases.

I recently upgraded to a full-frame camera, and as some of you may know, the better the camera gear, the bulkier it gets. So, when I upgraded all my lenses, I realized that my old Herschel Supply backpack was not going to cut it.

I went on a search for a more suitable backpack that has the same vintage look as the Herschel Supply backpack but comes with a dedicated camera compartment. This will allow me to carry all my camera gear with me when I travel. Then, I stumbled upon the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack.

The Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack ticks all the boxes for me. The backpack has a camera compartment that fits all my 5 lenses, as well as 2 camera bodies and a DJI Mavic Mini 2 drone.

It is built with a water-resistant material, has a great back and strap design that is comfortable to carry, and best of all, it comes with the 2 stripes vintage look I was looking for. Hence, why I chose the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack over other camera backpacks like the popular Wandrd PRVKE backpack and Peak Design's Everyday Backpack.

What I Love Most About the Langly Alpha Globetrotter

Beautiful Vintage Look

I just LOVE the vintage mountaineering look that the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack has, with its double stripe top lid, a little leather decor on its zippers, the front, and side utility pouches. The design of the backpack really reminds me of the old Herschel Supply's Little America backpack, which I love.

But my love for the Langly Alpha Globetrotter design doesn't end there. The Langly backpack is built using a thick material that retains its shape even when the backpack is empty, which is something my old Herschel Supply backpacks cannot do.

The Langly Alpha Globetrotter comes in 3 colors: black, brown, and olive green, and for me, the olive green color is perfect. The dark green tone combined with the brown leather decorations really give the backpack its unique vintage look that screams adventure, which is exactly what I was looking for.

I really do think that the Langly Alpha Globetrotter is the best-looking camera backpack out there. It doesn't have the technical look that you get from the usual camera backpacks, and it doesn't have that utilitarian modern design like the camera backpacks from Peak Design and Wandrd.

All in all, the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack has an ageless design, will probably look great after years of use, and looks great in photos - all of which are the things I was looking for in a camera travel backpack.

Excellent Build Quality

The Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack is built like a tank. The water-resistant fabric used on the exterior repels water really well and keeps the backpack dry. The zippers are also waterproof, and the side and front pouches are made from the same thick material that is clearly built to last.

The shoulder straps are also securely stitched and are extremely comfortable to carry around with. The back panel is well-cushioned, the backpack buckles use metal and are designed to be easily clipped and released, and the camera compartment and its dividers are nicely padded and strong enough to hold even the heaviest of lenses in place.

I have nothing to complain about the build quality of the backpack. Since that backpack costs around 250 USD, you really get what you paid for here with the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack.

Spacious Compartment

The Langly Alpha Globetrotter camera compartment is also extremely spacious. The compartment is deep enough to store my telephoto lens, the Tamron 70-300mm lens, which is 148mm (5.8 in) tall vertically, allowing me to save space and store four other full-frame lenses, two camera bodies, a drone, and other camera accessories, all in the backpack's camera compartment.

With all my camera gear stored inside the camera compartment, the top compartment of the backpack is now free for me to store other travel essential items that I might need when I travel, such as a jacket, winter clothes, snacks, etc., which is something that many camera bags out there do not have.

The backpack comes with 5 camera dividers, with 2 varying sizes, which are good enough to store 5 lenses and a camera body. It has a zipped laptop sleeve that goes right behind the back panel, which is very convenient. Additionally, it has 2 zipped compartments: one at the back panel to store your important belongings like a passport or a wallet, and one inside the top compartment to store extra batteries or SD card holders.

I can store all the gear I will ever need for my travels in this backpack, and I still have plenty of space left to store other things just in case. Additionally, I can also mount a sleeping bag, a tent, or a tripod below the backpack, which saves me even more space and makes it way more useful than my previous backpacks.

Lots of Extra Pouches

Last but not least, the two extra pouches and one front pouch are deep and spacious enough to store any extra things you might need to quickly access when you travel.

You can even use the two side pouches to store a tripod and a water bottle, and you will still have some space left for other things. The front pouch is even larger than the two side pouches, and I use it often to store essential items that I frequently find myself reaching for when traveling, such as a power bank, a phone charger, and a USB-C cable.

All in all, with the spacious compartments and all the extra pouches you get from the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack, you have all the space you will ever need and more to adapt to any type of adventure coming your way.

The Drawbacks of the Langly Alpha Globetrotter

Many Dangling Straps

One of the first things that I found to be a little nuisance when I was traveling with the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack was all the dangling straps that were left hanging from the waist belt, the bottom straps, and the shoulder straps.

These dangling straps can really get in the way when you are putting the backpack on and off or when you put it down on the ground. There are just so many of them!

To solve this problem, I ended up buying a small Velcro tape to tie all the dangling straps together and keep them in place and out of my way when I travel. I highly recommend you do the same if you find them annoying. Just be sure to adjust all these straps to fit your body first before tying them up.

Expensive

At $250, the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack is definitely on the extreme end of the travel backpack pricing scale. Coming from the Herschel Supply backpack which costs around $99, the $250 price tag is definitely much tougher to swallow.

That said, when you compare Langly's price tag with other backpacks that are designed specifically for photographers and content creators, they are actually pretty much on par with each other, and you really get what you paid for here.

If you are willing to invest in a backpack that is very well thought out, comes with all the features you need, and is constructed to last a lifetime, I think the $250 USD is definitely well worth your investment.

Heavy Even When Empty

I was pretty surprised at how heavy the backpack already is when it is empty. The Langly Alpha Globetrotter weighs almost 2.3 kg (5 lb), which is 1.4 kg heavier than my previous backpack, the Herschel Supply Little America.

It definitely took some time to get used to, but for the amount of camera gear it can carry, the durable build quality, and the water-resistant fabric used, which could have contributed to the increase in weight, the drawback is definitely well worth it, in my opinion.

Lack of side straps

Last but not least, I really wish the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack would come with side straps to securely hold tall items like a tripod and a water bottle in place when I want to store them in the side pouches for easy access.

Since the side pouches are so big, whenever I walk around with the backpack, my tripod and water bottle often rock and shift around, which is not very comfortable to walk with.

There is also a high chance that these items might fall off the backpack at any moment, which is not ideal. If only there were compression straps to hold these items in place, so we can walk around carefree without worrying that something could fall off from these pouches.

This is The Most Beautiful Camera Backpack You Can Buy

All in all, I really love my Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack. It can store all of my camera gear safely and securely in a camera compartment with enough space left for other travel essentials.

The weight is equally distributed over my back, making it very comfortable to carry for hours on end, even when the backpack weighs more than 10 kg. The shoulder straps are surprisingly comfortable, the back panel is well-cushioned, and the build quality is exceptional.

Best of all, the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack is, hands down, one of the prettiest camera backpacks I have seen. The vintage double strap design never gets old, and the olive green color and all the leather decorations it came with go really well for the type of adventure photography I enjoy shooting.

All in all, I think the Langly Alpha Globetrotter backpack is the most beautiful camera backpack out there that strikes a perfect balance between form and function. If you are looking for a camera backpack that is well-designed, has plenty of space, and will last you a lifetime, the Langly Alpha Globetrotter is definitely for you.

Want to take your photography game to the next level? Here are some resources to help you upgrade your work and photography gear:

Lightroom Presets: If you are looking for a quick way to make your travel photos look like mine, you should check out my newly released Lightroom Preset Collections.

Camera: Sony a7R V, the highest resolution full-frame camera out there, is my go-to camera when I travel. All of my recent photos and videos are all from this beast.

All-Around Travel Lens: Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens is the lens I mounted on my camera the most. The lens covers most of the ranges I need for travel from wide to telephoto. If I have to take only one lens with me on my travel, it would be this lens.

Ultra-Wide Lens: Sony 16-35mm F2.8 GM II Lnes: An ultra-wide lens I often use to shoot expansive landscapes and capture massive architecture I stumble upon while traveling.

Telephoto Lens: Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM II lens is one of the most versatile lenses to have. It is great for picking out details in landscapes and capturing wildlife when combined with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter.

Portrait Lens: Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Lens is the most compact and lightweight 85mm F1.4 lens out there. It's sharp and produces stunning bokeh for subject separation, perfect for portraits and street photography.

Drone: DJI Mavic Mini 2, a perfect drone for those who travel light. It weighs less than 250g and smaller than an iPhone when folded and can capture 4K video as well as 12 megapixels RAW photos. More than enough for its size.

Bag: Langly Alpha Globetrotter is a camera bag I use to carry all these lenses as well as other essentials when I'm traveling.