Like many successful camera backpack manufacturers, Think Tank was born from a collaboration between two photography enthusiasts. The Think Tank MindShift BackLight 18L reflects the mountain climbing heritage of one of those two early collaborators.
But the brand is much more than adventure-oriented camera gear. In fact, they built their reputation on professional gear designed for sports photographers. And they have dozens of patents that show the innovations they bring to the market.
The MindShift BackLight 18L is one of the top-performing bags we tested in our camera backpack reviews. It’s fascinating to see the massive variety of backpack designs available. And this Think Tank bag clearly shows the climbing pedigree of founder Doug Murdoch. It looks like a small rucksack, but that doesn’t mean it lacks camera bag credentials.
Its impressive carrying capacity, light weight, and reassuring protection should put this on your shortlist for a camera backpack. Read on to find out what we like about the MindShift BackLight 18L and what we think could be improved.
Think Tank MindShift BackLight
For full transparency about our review process, you can read about how we scored and ranked the bags here.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Think Tank MindShift BackLight 18L
Think Tank MindShift BackLight
| Weight | 1600 g |
| Capacity | 18 L |
| Access Points | Back |
| Airflow Back Support | Yes, with mesh |
| Laptop Sleeve Capacity | 13-inch |
| Tripod Holder |  |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
| Waterproof Rating | Water-repellent |
It’s easy to love the Think Tank MindShift BackLight 18L. It’s slim and compact but can house a sizable camera setup. It has many options for attaching extra items to it. It even has a place for an ice axe! And there are compression straps and a hidden tripod-carrying system.
The padded straps make it extremely comfortable to wear. And the mesh padding and airflow channels on the back add breathability. And anyone coming from the hiking or climbing community will like the many fixing points for extra gear. There are plenty of bungee cords, webbing straps, and attachment points.
There is a good blend of small storage pockets for accessories, a laptop, and a tablet. But this is not at the expense of the main equipment compartment, which is basically the full size of the bag. It comes with a good selection of padded inserts with the usual Velcro attachments.
There are some weaknesses. The rucksack vibe won’t suit everyone. And there is only one access point to the main compartment. The waist strap isn’t detachable or stowable, so it tends to flap around when not in use.
Finally, I’m not convinced the padding between the sides and the interior is entirely sufficient. Likewise, the laptop and tablet compartments aren’t padded. But we’ll look at the specific strengths and weaknesses in more detail as we explore this camera backpack.
Design and Color Options
Very much a hiking-style rucksack, the Think Tank MindShift BackLight is available in Charcoal and Olive Green. And neither is a single, plain color. There is a different color panel on the front of both versions.
Dark gray elements provide contrast with the Olive Green colorway. And both have some bright green stitching and zipper pulls. It’s an outdoorsy look, but that might not appeal to everyone.
Build Quality and Durability
The BackLight certainly feels well put together. The choice of material helps make the backpack resistant to scuffs and scratches. And all of the components are high quality. The lifetime warranty speaks volumes about Think Tank’s confidence in its build quality.
Exterior Material
The main materials are 420D velocity nylon and 420D high-density nylon. These are treated with a water-repellent coating. And the underside of the fabric has a polyurethane coating as well.
Although the bag isn’t rated as waterproof, it will go a long way in keeping your gear dry. And the external seams don’t give direct access to the main compartment, which adds an extra layer of protection.
Weather Protection
In addition to the water-repellent coating, the BackLight comes with a fully waterproof elasticated cover. As you’d expect, this has taped seams to keep everything dry. So if you do get caught in a monsoon, you can quickly put this on to ensure your gear is protected!
Interior Material
The main interior fabrics are smooth nylon for linings and soft corduroy-type fabric for attaching the camera dividers. I’m always a little anxious when fabric like this isn’t cross-stitched. It means there is a large degree of pull when you detach a divider, and this makes me slightly nervous.
Straps and Back Support
The Think Tank back straps are super soft and comfortable. They are nicely padded and covered in high-tech 320G UltraStretch mesh for comfort. There is strain relief webbing on the shoulder straps. And the waist strap has a webbing belt that you can attach accessories to.
The Back straps are comfortably padded and the lumbar pad is extra-deep. And they’re all covered in 350G airmesh for comfort. The oversize lumbar pad helps the grooved padding to increase airflow. All this helps reduce sweatiness.
Seams and Stitching
The Think Tank BackLight is well put together. Think Tank uses 3-ply bonded nylon thread in this bag. The seams are reinforced with bias tape and all the anchor points are securely stitched. There’s no give in the seams at all—no loose threads and no sign of potential weak points.
Internal Padding
Compared with other similar bags (like the Nomatic McKinnon), the Think Tank’s padding is a little underwhelming. This is partly a downside of the compression straps. They would be pointless if the bag’s sides were more rigid or better padded. The side padding is reinforced with polyethylene board, which accounts for the thinness. But I would use a divider as extra padding if I had a lens sitting there.
I’m surprised there’s no padding between the front of the bag and the tablet section. And there’s very thin padding between that and the laptop sleeve. And it’s the same thin padding between the laptop sleeve and the main compartment. The tablet sleeve also lacks any fleece lining.
The internal dividers are decently padded. They are made of high-density closed-cell foam with PE board reinforcement foam. The combination is fairly thin, but it offers reasonable protection. All the seams are stitched with 3-ply bonded nylon thread.
Zippers and Fastenings
Think Tank uses high-quality components throughout the bag. The zippers are all-metal YKK brand. The external ones are abrasion-resistant YKK RC-Fuse zippers. Plastic fastenings are either Duraflex or Woojin Plastics. And all of these companies have excellent reputations.
The main external zippers have paracord pulls with rigid ABS finger holds. They are a contrasting green color, so it’s easy to find them against the bag’s black fabric. This aging photographer appreciates that.
Internal zippers on the mesh pockets have small webbing “garages” to park them when closed. This prevents any damage to your gear in the main compartment. They have small webbing pulls on them.
Functionality and Ease of Use
There’s not a lot to dislike about the day-to-day use of the BackLight. It’s easy to carry and access what you need. I’m not a huge fan of back-access bags for ease of use. Especially with bags like this, where you have to put the straps over the front of the bag. The Wandrd Prvke has a better solution—the straps are attached to the flap itself.
Think Tank has tried to overcome some of the access issues. If you’re wearing the waist strap, you can slip the shoulder straps off. Then you can bring the bag around to the front of your body to open it. And there is a bungee cord to slip around the back of your neck. This keeps the flap out of the way while you access your gear.
In practice, it really only works if you loosen the waist strap. And in my experience, it’s not as convenient as a side-access point. But it does have the advantage of allowing access to all of your gear in the main compartment. So for a bag without a side access point, this is a definite bonus.
Size and Weight
The Think Tank BackLight is an impressive blend of size and weight. It’s nice and light, but still big enough to carry a decent amount of gear. In fact, its capacity is one of the best features of this camera backpack.
Capacity
I can easily fit two full frame DSLRs, two zoom lenses, and a Speedlite in the main compartment. And there’s still room for other accessories like my card case and accessory pouch. I can even fit a 70-200mm Canon EF L-series lens.
That’s pretty impressive for a bag this size.
Organization and Customization
The entirety of the main compartment is accessible via the main zipper. This is one advantage of not having side-access points or top compartments. The bag comes with a full-length divider that stretches from top to bottom. And it has articulations one-quarter of the length from each end.
The base of the compartment and its sides are all brushed material for attaching dividers. The full-length divider is also the same fabric. Like many bags, there is no additional stitching on this fabric. This means it pulls away from the padding whenever you remove a divider. I’m not sure what long-term impact this might have, but it makes me wince every time.
Access Points
There’s just one access point to the main compartment. At the front is a gusseted pocket with access to the laptop and tablet sleeves and other pockets for accessories.
Security
The rear-access main compartment is the one way of securing your gear while wearing the backpack. There are no other security-minded features.
This may seem like an oversight. But this isn’t a bag that’s designed to be left in your hotel room while you’re out and about. It will be out and about with you whether that’s up a mountain or out on the trail. And while it’s on your back, the most precious contents are going to be safe from the vast majority of theft risks.
Additional Features
There are two pockets on either side that are meant for a tripod or water bottle. In some backpacks this size, you would have to choose either a tripod or a bottle. But the MindShift BackLight allows you to have both. The tops are adjustable by way of bungee cords and cord locks.
This might not look as neat as a fancy magnetic catch. But it is really secure. Using the Wandrd Prvke, which is one of my favorite bags, I was worried my water bottle would come leaping out. But I don’t worry about that with the Think Tank.
As well as being able to lash a tripod in the side pockets, there is an alternative. Tucked away in a pocket at the top is a lashing strap to attach a tripod to the center of the backpack’s front face. A fold-out nylon pocket and another lashing strap are tucked away at the bottom. So the tripod’s legs sit in this pocket and you secure the top and bottom of the tripod with the two straps.
