I have Tamrac and I love it. Get an expensive Tamrac and it will last for 40 years.
I am with you. I've had
a fairly expensive Tamrac for 4 years now, and it looks the same as it did the day I got it (wear-wise), just soiled from heavy outdoor use. Yet even the soiling washes right off with a power hose, after which you can hang it dry. Not a single thread has come undone, at any of the sewn load-bearing points, and I tote A LOT of gear with it (tripod too).
As for the claim Tamracs make your back sore, I have found that "sore back" syndrome (at least with my Tamrac) invariably comes from "didn't use it right" practices. In other words, this pack has a waist strap ...
and a chest strap ... and I have found that when I've had a lot of gear (but did
not hook both the waist and the chest straps) it made me "stoop" more and consequently I would get a sore back.
However, when I take my time and use it properly (which means when I fasten the waist strap
and the chest strap), it makes you stand upright, which greatly reduces the load, which is what these extra straps were designed to do.
IMO, the Tamrac is an excellent and exceptionally-rugged pack, and it is completely waterproof if it suddenly rains, which is a necessity in any photo pack in this Florida weather.
Jack
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