little backpack Gen III

Exterior features

• Expandable roll-top storage area for additional volume with embedded magnets at the top. The roll-top closes itself easily and can be rolled up and closed in a few simple steps
• the fascinating closure on the roll-top - which can be opened in seconds with two fingers - originates from climbing sports and is manufactured by AustriAlpin in Austria. The solid metal construction is an example of robustness, durability and tangible safety and quality
• the shoulder straps on the backpack have been consistently further optimized, offering a wide contact surface, comfortable padding and optimized shaping to provide even more carrying comfort and load distribution. The chest strap is attached to the shoulder strap, is always to hand when you need it and ensures an ideal belt fit, even with sloping shoulders
• the removable waistbelt 2.0 (sold separately) provides additional stability if required. This can be easily attached and removed in seconds and provides extra support, more relief, especially for long distances on foot and/or heavy loads
• The Generation III backpack has two fold-out side pockets for water bottles, tripods or bulky equipment. Fastening straps made from military nylon with aluminum hooks allow you to securely attach your equipment
• The front and base of the backpack are reinforced in addition to the all-round padding. This means that the little backpack Gen III always retains its shape, provides particularly effective protection and does not fall over even when unevenly loaded, but always stands upright when put down
• the compagnon leather back panel is lined with comfortable and durable foam padding that contributes to a comfortable fit and has ventilation channels to prevent heat and moisture build-up
• there is a narrow slip-in pocket on the front for additional utensils & small items
• all fastening hooks and adjustment eyelets on the backpack Gen III are made of high-strength yet lightweight aluminum
• All external zippers are made by the premium world market leader YKK. This ensures unparalleled robustness, durability and ease of use
• the little backpack Gen III continues to offer 'passive theft protection', as it is not recognizable as a camera backpack and can only be opened via the back or the roll-top. Unnoticed access is therefore virtually impossible
• Zippered access to the main storage compartment allows access to the laptop compartment without having to open the backpack completely and exposing other contents. When traveling by plane, the little backpack Gen III can pass through the X-ray checkpoint without being completely unzipped

Interior features

• the base of the roll-top storage area features a new Velcro construction that allows the base to be removed and the main storage space to be extended upwards, but can still be positioned securely so that the roll-top luggage can be easily carried and separated from the camera equipment
• all-round padded main storage compartment for safe, flexible transportation of your equipment
• A total of 14 versatile Velcro pads to adapt the storage space to any type of load (including two particularly long, foldable pads to fit your camera/lens combination perfectly if required)
• 8 hook and loop leather fastening straps for small or particularly heavy equipment that needs to be additionally secured
• internal zipped pocket in the roll-top for theft-proof transportation, ideal for cash, bank cards, travel documents, etc.
• Additional padded laptop compartment up to 14 inch device size (e.g. 2020 Macbook Pro and comparable)
• Three additional zippered mesh pockets can be freely positioned using Velcro, which can be placed anywhere in the storage space if desired

Gen III Update

• Our new compagnon leather, produced in an even more original, natural tanning process with even more manual work, achieves an even higher quality class, offers more character, more durability and characterizes the feel and look of our Generation III products. Created not far from our home in the Black Forest, we continue to use southern German raw hides. More details on the new compagnon Gen III leather in the sectionMaterial and craftsmanship
• In the past, our leather developed a patina full of character over time, darkened and changed with use. Generation III leather no longer develops and changes over time, but has a distinctly characteristic look and feel right from the start
• the little backpack generation III offers two integrated, functional side pockets, which can provide space for drinking bottles and/or tripods. With a zipper closure, the compartments do not take up any space when not in use
• the attachment points for the optional waist belt 'the waistbelt 2.0'(sold separately)have been optimized for greater ergonomics and practical attachment/removal of the belt
• the laptop compartment of the little backpack Gen III is now particularly suitable for use with the current Macbook Pro (from 2020) in 14 inch size
• Based on your wishes, we have given the backpack an even more minimalist look and dispensed with belt loops at the bottom, which could get in the way when parking and traveling
• After many successful years, we have used feedback to find out where we can improve our Generation III even further and have done just that. With optimized production techniques and even higher quality materials in the fine details, our Gen III compagnons will remain your perfect companions for even longer

Material and craftsmanship

• Traditional and modern, natural and progressive. The stylish but innovative hybrid canvas looks like a historic waxed canvas and is just as waterproof, robust and durable
• Hybrid Wax technology puts an end to waxy fingers, susceptibility to soiling or a damp feel to the surface. The wax, which provides the enormous weather resistance, is now inside the fiber and does not penetrate to the surface
• the hybrid canvas offers a significant weight saving of around 10% (compared to backpack 1.0) with identical strength
• the new hybrid canvas continues to be made by our traditional manufacturer in the UK and is amazingly robust, durable and requires less maintenance than traditional canvas
• Hybrid canvas only develops a minimal patina. If you want this traditional look, you can apply our "Canvas Wax" from the outside to create the look and feel of classic canvas
• Fair, responsible production with an appropriate ecological footprint is essential for us. The raw hides for our famous leather come from pastures in southern Germany, sometimes even directly from our home region. We do not support complete stabling, which is why our leather has individual pores and certain irregularities that reflect the free life of the animals
• All compagnon leathers are tanned by a small southern German manufactory according to family tradition, in a purely natural way, without the addition of chemicals for color or texture. With Generation III, we are also going down the path of almost complete processing by hand; the hides are even expertly oiled by hand during the process to make them weather-resistant and particularly durable. A new dimension of care
• the natural tanning process works natural oils and waxes into the pores of the leather. Thanks to the purely natural tanning process, the leather can even be circulated in the barrel by hand without protective gloves. Even the tanning liquid, a traditional recipe from the family tannery, can be tasted on request. Although it is not tasty, it is harmless to health. We therefore also recommend a completely organic leather care product such as our 'the beewax' for regular care. With this care, the weather-repellent nature of the Gen III leather is maintained year after year
• compagnon leather products are made by our skilled seamstresses and craftspeople in our workshop near Krakow
  You can find a detailed insight into our production and even more details about our materials and raw materials in the 'Production and materials' tab

Natural compagnon leather

Natural manufacturing processes with tradition and regional partners have been an absolute must at compagnon for years. For summer 2022, we are going a few steps further in terms of quality with our exclusive compagnon bull leather. Based on selected German cowhides, we use a local, strictly natural tanning process to create a robust yet supple material for our Heritage Line bags and backpacks. Each hide, and therefore each bag, has an individual pore and structure that reflects the life of the animal. We do not support absolute uniformity at the price of pure stable husbandry. A species-appropriate and natural life for the animals is at the heart of a beautiful and equally natural raw material.
compagnon leather is free from toxic and harmful additives and is therefore harmless to health, even when used intensively. We do not use any chemicals or harmful additives such as chrome. Due to the traditional handwork of our family tannery, we achieve good color stability even without these additives, so that deviations in color tone between different raw hides are minimal and color nuances are very uniform. In Generation III, compagnon leather is an even more local, regional product that combines the know-how of small, medium-sized and family-run businesses from our region. As we cannot approve of any chemical care products for such natural leather, we only recommend ourpersonally homemade, organic-biological 'the beewax' care product.

All compagnon leather products are made by hand near Krakow.

The Generation II and III hybrid canvas no longer requires regular waxing to maintain its weather protection. However, if desired, our canvas wax can still be used to create a waxy patina finish on the surface.

Bodies

• Depending on the number of lenses & housing size, several cameras can be transported under certain circumstances
• compact mirrorless cameras such as Leica M10, Leica Q2, Olympus E-M1 Mark III, Fujifilm X-T4 and many more.
• compact APS-C DSLR bodies such as Canon EOS 80D, Nikon D500 etc.
• mirrorless full-frame systems such as Sony Alpha a7R IV, Canon R5, Nikon Z7 II etc.
• Full-frame DSLR bodies such as Canon EOS 6D Mark II, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Nikon D750 and many more.
  *for housings with a total height of 12-13cm, a laptop may not be able to be transported additionally

Lenses

• Lenses can be stowed in the main storage compartment with a maximum length of approx. 35 cm
• For even longer telephoto lenses, the separating base to the roll top can be removed and additional space released. This means that lenses up to approx. 55 cm can be stowed away in exceptional cases
• common, fast zooms such as a 70-200 f/2.8 can be transported individually or directly on the camera vertically in the backpack
• This also applies to a wide range of fast fixed focal lengths such as Sigma Art 35mm f/1.4, EF 85mm f/1.2, 135mm f/2, 14mm f/2.8 etc.

Accessories

• a laptop or tablet up to 14 inches in size can be stored in the laptop compartment
• depending on the size of the camera equipment, a compact drone kit can be transported with a DJI Mavic, for example
• The roll-top allows you to expand the storage space at any time to create room for an extra jacket, lunch box, water bottle, small drone kit, etc.
• Documents, notebooks, filters, gloves and various other items can be stored in the side pockets and the flat slide-in pocket on the front