In this blog, I will review the Peak Design 2L Outdoor sling that I’ve been using for the last couple of months. I owned some of the original PD slings; however, I found them to be a little bulky and difficult to pack. The new outdoor line, however, promises lightweight, durable build, ample features, and the ability to fold flat. On initial impressions, it looks fantastic, but after a fair bit of use, I have some thoughts to share. If you decide to pick it up, please use the affiliate link below. It won’t cost you any extra, but I get a small % kick back which helps keep this blog ad-free.

Peak Design 2L Sling

Size & Capacity

While 2L sounds small, in practice, it’s bigger than some similar Bellroy slings I tried. For example, the Bellroy 2.5L Venture sling can’t carry a fixed lens camera such as a Leica Q3; however, the 2L Peak Design sling can easily accommodate it. With that said, I can’t imagine it being able to fit much else once the Leica is in, and certainly, this sling is more suited to a compact camera like the Fuji X100 or Ricoh GR. If you plan on wearing the camera using a strap, this will easily hold all the main accessories one might need, such as a charger, spare battery, and so on. As long as your setup is minimal, this is all you need for a day out. I’ve personally been using it for all my travel essentials when on the road. Passport, wallet, charger, Ricoh GR camera, DJI Pocket, and some other small bits.

Materials

The materials are all premium, and this feels like a high-end product. While they are on the thinner side to reduce weight, they don’t feel like they will rip easily. I’ve been caught out in a few showers with this sling, and while I am sure it can get saturated if exposed for long enough, it kept all the water out. The design also allows water to easily run and drip off without pooling, unlike some Bellroy products. The rear has a softer-feeling padding that’s comfortable against your body; however, because it’s still pretty soft, you’d want to pack sensibly and avoid hard, pointy objects pushing into the back. The straps are from a seatbelt-like material, and the padded section of the strap is plenty soft enough.

Harness, Zips & Clips

The harness system is very solid yet easy to adjust. Unlike some other brands, the shoulder pad doesn’t slide up and down the harness. Instead, you’d need to adjust or even swap the harness around to make it fit in the position that you want. While it might take some time to initially set up, this isn’t an issue. The zips are all high quality, weather-resistant, and easy to move. While the clips are all plastic, they feel premium, and I’ve never had any issues. The harness is also fully removable, which can turn the sling into an organisation pouch for your bag. Finally the harness is comfortable and supportive even if there is significant weight in the bag.

Access

Access to the main compartment is done via a single zip, which, honestly, is a little annoying if you wear the bag on the left side of your body. This is because the zip is facing away from you, and when you open it, you need to make sure nothing falls out. If you wear the sling on the other side, this isn’t an issue. I wish there were 2 zips like on the 7L version to avoid this problem. Once unzipped, the bag opens fully, and it’s easy to access everything. It’s worth noting that due to how soft and thin the material is, the bag doesn’t really support itself, so if you have something a little heavy inside like a camera, you need to take a bit of extra care.

External Features

Externally, the sling is minimal with the only notable feature being the magnetically closing pocket on the back. This seems to be a more secure pocket where you can perhaps store your phone. There is a grab handle too, which is a nice touch.

My biggest criticism is the lack of any padding on the bottom part of the bag. I understand this had to be removed to save weight, but if you plan to carry cameras, you need to be careful as unless you put them in their own padded pouch, there is nothing to protect them should you drop or knock the bag into something.

Internal Features

Internally, the sling is very minimal with a few organisation pockets and a key leash.

Wear & Tear

I am yet to pick up any real marks on the bag, and it seems to withstand wear and tear very well.

Value For Money

While it’s not cheap, I wouldn’t classify it as expensive given the quality you get. Knowing how well PD products are made, I think this sling is great value for money.