Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L review: a compact but surprisingly capacious photo backpack

At 18L in capacity, the Stratus Photo Backpack from Utah-based company Wandrd is a medium-sized camera backpack when it comes to storage space. For a round-up on a wide range of backpack styles and sizes, check out our best camera backpacks buying guide.

I enjoy testing backpacks for Digital Camera World because I can use them to carry other gadgets that I need to review, such as gimbals and wireless microphone kits. The Stratus Photo Backpack is the 13th camera bag that I’ve reviewed for this site since April 2022. This includes a wide range of camera bag types, from small capacity sling bags like the 12L Gomatic LUMA Camera Sling to massive camera backpacks such as the 35L Lowepro PhotoSport X.

As I’m primarily a smartphone photographer these days, you’d assume I’d only need a small sling bag to transport my iPhone and accessories. However, I often need to transport additional kit such as the Hohem iSteady M7 so that it can follow my every move as I present to camera for my video reviews. I sometimes also take along a drone - the DJI Flip – as this enables me to capture aerial shots of me carrying a backpack through scenic locations. Viewing HDR footage on my iPhone during a shoot drains the batteries, so I also need to take a hefty SmallRig power bank with me. When carrying the fully packed Stratus Photo 18L Backpack out for my test shoot, the bag and its accessories weighed in at 10 lbs. This meant I was carrying the weight of a rather large baby on my back for a day, but fortunately, the design of the Stratus Photo Backpack made this a pleasantly comfortable and effortless experience.

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Specifications

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Price

At $229 / £200, the 18L Stratus Photo Backpack is reasonably priced compared to similarly sized (and similarly priced) backpacks such as the Tenba DNA 16 DSLR Backpack.

The 18L Stratus Photo Backpack also costs around the same price as the similarly specced 18L Brevitē Jumper, but the Stratus Photo model has thicker, more comfortable shoulder straps than the Brevitē and the Stratus also boasts a breathable mesh to help keep sweat off your back (which is something the Brevitē lacks). However, the Brevitē Jumper does have a nice, large luggage pass-through strap, whereas the Stratus’s strap is a bit too tight to easily fit over a luggage trolley’s handle. All in all, though, the 18L Stratus Photo Backpack is worth its asking price. You can purchase it in three colours - Black, Wasatch Green, and Uyuni Purple.

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Design & Handling

The Stratus Photo Backpack offers three points of access to its 18L interior. When it’s in a vertical position, resting on its durable water-resistant base, you can unzip the front pocket to access the bag’s contents from the top. Place it on either side, and you can also access content from the lower left or right sections of the backpack. I missed the option to place the bag on its front so that I could access its entire contents from the back, like you can do with the Gomatic McKinnon Camera Backpack (25L). With the Stratus Photo Backpack’s three points of access, you need to know what you’ve packed and where so that you can find a particular accessory (rather than seeing the entire contents of the bag in one go).

Talking of packing the Stratus Photo ships with a collection of hook-and-loop dividers so that you can configure the interior to store camera bodies and lenses safely and securely. These nicely padded and thick dividers have hook-and-loop attachments, which are so strong that you need a lot of strength to separate and rearrange them. This isn’t a bad thing, as you know your gear won’t shift during transit.

There are other zips and pockets to utilise too, including a rear sleeve pocket that will accommodate a 16” laptop. On the very back is a small zipped pocket designed to store a passport. The pocket is quite tight to access, but there’s little chance of your passport slipping out if you forget to zip it up. Also on the back is a passthrough strap designed to hold the backpack on a wheeled luggage trolley’s handle as you traverse through an airport. However, this strap seems far too tight to easily accommodate a trolley handle.

I loved the ‘grab and go’ nature of the backpack’s design. As well as the usual shoulder straps for comfortable long-duration wear, there are three sturdy straps on the top and sides. These straps make it easy for you to quickly grab and relocate the backpack, whatever orientation it is in, which is useful during a busy shoot where you may only want to relocate it by a few feet when choosing a new camera angle for your subject. The whole bag feels well-built and durable. It also has pouches on opposite sides so that you can carry a tripod and a water bottle (or two tripods).

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Performance

To test the 18L Stratus Photo Backpack, I took it to London to film and photograph a model (Insta @Ocado_yoo) walking on the shores of the South Bank of the River Thames. I timed the shoot so that the tide would be out (with help from the handy Tides app on my Apple Watch). The shoot also coincided with the golden hour, which meant that the location’s natural lighting would look nice and warm with dramatic long shadows against the backdrop of the famous Tower Bridge (see supporting video).

When preparing the Stratus Photo backpack for the test shoot, I removed the smaller hook-and-loop lens divider section to make more space. I used a single divider to split the main body in two, enabling me to store the Apexel 10-in-1 lens kit and a SmallRig power bank in one half of the backpack, while storing my DJI Flip and its remote control unit in the other. In the top section of the backpack (which was also separated by a hook-and-loop divider), I placed the Ulanzi fog machine.

At the base of the backpack, I used the hook-and-loop dividers to create a longer compartment in which I stored my Hohem iSteady M7 gimbal. This device was very useful for getting my iPhone 16 Pro to tilt and pan to follow me as I recorded my supporting video review. To capture my voice for the video, I used the Boya Mini, which I stored in one of the Stratus Photo’s webbed pockets. I also packed a spare mic kit just in case - the Hollyland Lark M2S.

The Stratus Photo Backpack ships with a chest strap that joins the two shoulder straps together. I found that the chest strap was too thin, so it offered little support. It also made it harder to slip on the backpack’s shoulder straps as I had to push my head through the gap between the thin chest strap and the backpack. You can use slide rails to push the chest strap down lower so that it doesn’t feel too tight on your upper chest. You can also completely detach the chest strap, which I found to be the best solution to stop it getting in the way while offering negligible support.

The South Bank of the Thames was flooded with tourists. By going onto the beach, I was able to take my model and the Stratus Photo backpack to a quieter location. However, as the tide had only recently gone out, the rocky terrain was covered in a slimy green algae, which meant that it was tricky to walk over. I placed the backpack on the wet and slimy rocks on various occasions so that I could film the model with my iPhone 16 Pro mounted on the Hohem iSteady M7 gimbal. I noticed that the backpack’s black material was getting covered in mud and moss. Fortunately, the Stratus Photo’s water-resistant material kept the kit inside nice and dry, and it was easy to wipe clean with a cloth after returning from the shoot. There was no staining on the backpack, which was a relief as it took me 6 days to get around to cleaning it!

Wandrd Stratus Photo 18L: Verdict

On my first encounter with the Stratus Photo, I had to do a little work to get it to suit my needs, starting with removing the thin chest strap that I found more of a hindrance than a help. I then wrestled with the firmly attached hook-and-loop foam dividers, removing the lens holder section so that I could accommodate larger items such as drones and smoke machines in the backpack’s interior.

Once I’d spent a little time reconfiguring the backpack, I found its 18L volume was perfect for my needs as a smartphone/drone videographer, and the extra space for my MacBook Air should prove useful on future shoots. Mirrorless camera users will also find the backpack capacious and customisable, though owners of larger DSLRs and long lenses might need to consider a larger backpack.

The Stratus Photo is well built, so will prove a useful and long-term investment while it keeps your kit safe from the elements. I was also impressed at how it resisted any staining or damage when I used its three grab handles to relocate it on various jagged and slimy rocks by the shore of the Thames during my shoot.

Alternatives

Brevitē The Jumper
The Brevitē Jumper is available in the same 18L size as the Stratus Photo Backpack, but there’s also a 22L version of the Brevitē Jumper available if you do need that extra space for a larger DSLR kit. Like the Stratus, you can reconfigure the Jumper’s internal layout using hook-and-loop dividers or remove them entirely to convert the bag from a photo backpack to a day bag.

Shimoda Explore V2 35L
If you’re a DSLR user who needs a more spacious backpack than the Stratus Photo backpack, try this! It’s a durable and well-built backpack for outdoor adventures. While its larger capacity means it’s heavier to lift, the thick shoulder straps and supportive chest and waist bands make it surprisingly comfortable to carry.