Can Peak Design’s New Rolling Carry-On Make Me Ditch My Duffel?

Camera Crossover

Peak Design started out making camera accessories, which has traditionally meant even its products that aren’t specifically made for photographers have a lot of features they would like. In this case, the Roller Pro is perfectly sized to fit a new XL version of the PD camera cube, turning the bag into a mobile work station akin to a Pelican Case. For most people, it’s more of a bonus feature than a primary function; and anyway, if you already have enough camera gear to fill it, you probably already have a way to schlep it. Plus, among devout photographers, Pelican Cases are eye-wink status symbols the same way Rimowas are for the well-heeled jet set. (In both cases, the more beat up stickers on it, the better.) For this group, there is no alternative, only the standard.

Testing Impressions: Plane, Trains, & Sidewalks

On a recent trip to New York (for a project related to the upcoming Field Mag print magazine), I left my trusty duffel deflated under the bed. Instead, I filled the Peak Design Roller Pro not with camera gear, but with running shoes and gear from Ciele, Salomon, and District Vision, strapped down with the retention cords.

It’s a quick flight to the city from where I live—45 minutes in the air, not even long enough to hit cruising altitude—but there are many steps: airport-plane-airport-bus-subway-sidewalk. Plenty of places to think about bags and how I move through the world with them. At security, the Roller Pro’s front pocket was a nice place to stash my wallet, phone, and keys while I traversed the detector, and it fit, relatively easily, in the small regional plane’s tiny overhead bins. I’ll even admit that, rolling my luggage instead of shouldering it, I felt light and breezy cruising LaGuardia’s freshly remodeled hallways.

Source: https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/peak-design-roller-pro-review