A Discreet, Functional Photography Pack: Brevitē The Jumper Review

Not too many years ago, there was a distinct shortage of options for carrying photography equipment. Shoulder bags dominated the offerings, despite the fact that — in my experience — they simply don’t work that well for most photographers. While I might love my Domke, it’s simply not the best choice for most of the situations I find myself in as a photographer.

Photography backpacks are clearly the way to go, and I’ve finally found one that fits (most) of my needs. This summer, I started seeing buzz about Brevitē, a newish brand founded in 2015 by three Boston brothers on a mission to create a better camera pack.

I decided to check one out for myself, and I’m so glad I did. I opted for The Jumper, an 18L pack that’s become the brand’s flagship product.

What sets this bad boy apart from the competition is a flexible design that accommodates various equipment, while also serving as a solid pack for everyday life. Perhaps most importantly: It doesn’t look like a camera bag.

In short: The Brevitē The Jumper ($170) camera backpack is a near-perfect photo pack for daily photography, whether it’s on a hiking trail or at a nightclub. A side zipper pocket makes it easy to trade lenses while on the move, and its diversity of storage options makes it highly functional for dozens of different approaches to modern photography and videography. It’s also discreet, so your camera gear is less likely to become a target for theft.

Brevitē The Jumper: Review

It’s sometimes difficult to separate cool features from the ones we actually need — even for gear reviewers like myself. For me, The Jumper offers most of the design elements I want from a camera pack, without unnecessary add-ons.

A big plus of this backpack (and one that shows up in many customer reviews) is its discretion. The Jumper just doesn’t look like it’s filled with expensive equipment.

That’s a bigger departure than many people might realize. From the leather shoulder bags of photography’s Life Magazine era to the elegant Peak Design backpacks worn by America’s favorite (accused) murderer, most camera bags remain stubbornly ostentatious, announcing their pricey contents to anyone who glances at them.

The Jumper, on the other hand, will blend into a sea of JanSports. It might contain thousands of dollars’ worth of gear, but it presents as the pack of a middle-class high school kid. For any photographer who shoots in a range of environments (and sometimes wants to leave the bag behind for greater mobility) that’s a big point in The Jumper’s favor.

Packable and Flexible

My photography life has never been more diverse. Sometimes I’m shooting for product reviews like this one, venturing into the outdoors to test out gear against the elements. Other times, I’m pursuing personal projects like nature photos, drone photography, or just shooting musicians performing live around Atlanta.

I long ago realized that my Domke was simply not the bag for any of these situations. Many photo packs are so singularly focused on gear that they don’t accommodate other necessities for me, like notebooks, snacks, and a water bottle. And if they do have all those features, the bags are often larger and heavier than I want, bringing me back to the same problems I have with shoulder bags.

So the Jumper’s design works great for me. Its padded lower section is made for photo gear, especially DSLRs and lenses, while the top section is a normal backpack. Those two main sections are separated by a Velcro divider.

There’s also a generous side pocket, buckled loops on the bottom, several internal pockets, another external zipper area for small camera accessories, and a rear zipper compartment for laptops.

A Standout for Varied Use

One of my favorite features of The Jumper is its side access pocket for camera gear. I made sure to put my heavy telephoto lens near the side zipper. This allows me to quickly swap my wide-angle lens for the telephoto without taking the bag off my shoulders.

It’s also easy to change the bag’s configuration for different photography needs. The variety of gear I test means I need a bag that allows me to shoot the various outdoor gear and apparel I’m testing, and that means constantly changing what I bring with me. The Jumper makes that easy.

I often use the side pocket for a water bottle (I don’t like putting water bottles in internal pockets with camera gear, for obvious reasons). But I can still insert a heavy tripod into the bag’s under loops and bring my large, handheld selfie stick by sliding it inside the bag’s main compartment.

As for wearing the bag itself, the generously thick shoulder straps are quite comfy. In general, this bag feels great to me (and I don’t like feeling uncomfortable while shooting). I filled it up with 20-25 pounds of camera gear, and hiked up several small mountains in the Atlanta area, including Stone Mountain and Arabia Mountain.

On the latter, I actually ran up most of the way in my trusty trail runners, and never lost a piece of gear from the movement or felt uncomfortable with the added shoulder weight.

The Jumper: Downsides

I do have a few major caveats with this one. For starters, it’s not fully weatherproof like a Peak Design. Instead, it’s weather-resistant. To test that out, I (bravely) ventured into a thunderstorm on Stone Mountain. It rained consistently, though without pouring. The bag certainly got wet, but everything inside was dry.

This isn’t the bag to take photo gear into a Yellowstone winter or an Olympic National Park rainy season — but that’s also not what most photographers are doing.

I’d also like to see at least one additional zipper pocket for things like car keys and other small but important items. Also, the dividers for the photo gear compartment aren’t the best. With Velcro along the sides, they’re decently maneuverable, but not as much as many competitors.

They seem geared toward photogs using DSLRs rather than videographers who need a bit more flexibility in what they bring along. But given the sheer variety of photography gear available now, it’s hard to find a bag that’s perfect for every single scenario.

Final Verdict: A Solid Generalist

The Jumper doesn’t shine as the ideal pack for a specific kind of photographer. Instead, its specialty is being a generalist. That’s why it has become my go-to bag, allowing me to quickly and easily swap out what I need for varied photo missions. That’s much more likely to satisfy the hordes of hobbyist photographers than most photo packs, which are clearly made for full-time professionals.

Anyone, from dedicated content creators to casual shutterbugs, can appreciate the simplicity and ease of use of The Jumper. At $170, it’s slightly cheaper than Peak Design’s 18L Outdoor Backpack ($190). However, Peak Design’s bags only come in two colors, while the Jumper is available in 11 different colors on the Brevitē site. I went with the super-discreet gray color, but you can also choose from bright yellow, pink, and blue.

Once again, the flexibility is evident: You can stay under the radar with a gray pack that no one will notice — or make a colorful statement. The choice is yours.