How to Store Everything. Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L Review

The Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L is a massive backpack for your camera gear.

The Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L isn’t the perfect bag for everyone, but there are loads of ways to use it. It’s originally designed for folks who bring big lenses and big cameras. I’m aware that not all of you do that. So instead, the bag gives you convenient choices. If you’ve got gear acquisition syndrome, you can store all your stuff in there. If you need to have multiple imaging devices, it can store them all. And if you just need to comfortably bring a ton of equipment, this is one of the hardest bags to beat. But it’s got two small issues.

You probably haven’t heard of the brand name Gura Gear in years. And that’s because of former issues with their Kickstarter campaigns. They’ve seemingly fixed those, and the leadership includes new faces. I genuinely believe that some companies can move past issues if they acknowledge and fess up. That’s what Gura Gear has done. Most importantly, they’re promising to be another big player in the otherwise mundane camera bag space. The new Gura Gear doesn’t feel monotonous at all–and that gives me hope.

Too Long; Didn’t Read.

The Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L is a bag for people that need to carry lots of big lenses, big cameras, drones, flashes, and other big photo devices. It’s incredibly comfortable for long walks. The designers did a great job separating things out. But it’s not going to be your everyday camera bag. You can’t put a laptop in here.

Innovations

This bag is essentially trying to replace a roller bag in some ways. Instead to pulling along a giant roller, the Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L puts that stuff on your back. I haven’t seen many bags like this specifically designed for shooting all day with no laptop compartment.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Can hold loads of gear
  • Incredibly comfortable to hold a lot of gear
  • It is probably not always practical as an everyday choice because it’s just so large and not really collapsible the way Tenba and WANDRD offer.
  • Incredibly well built
  • I like the split design.
  • They put a lot of attention to detail on the weight distribution
  • I like the side handle
  • Good for carrying more than one camera system
  • You can put all the camera gear in one section and lighting in another
  • So much storage space.

Cons

  • I’d still prefer to put my tripod on the bottom.
  • No space for a laptop despite how large this is.
  • Unless you fully understand it, you might scoff at the $399.99 price tag.

Gear Used

We put all this in the Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L:

  • DJI Air 2s with extra propellers
  • Masks
  • Sanitizer
  • Tripods
  • Leica SL2s
  • Various L mount lenses
  • Sony a7r III
  • Various Tamron lenses
  • Profoto B10

Tech Specs

Specs are taken from the original listing page

  • Dual Side-By-Side Camera Compartments
  • Each compartment can hold 2 DSLRs, 7 Lenses or Med Format Kit
  • Compartments are also capable of holding a DSLR and a 400mm f/2.8 Lens
  • Dual Front Panels with Accessory Pockets
  • Top Carry Handle and Side Carry Handle
  • Ultra-durable, weatherproof X-Pac VX-21 sailcloth fabric
  • Padded 3D Mesh Rear Panel for Comfort
  • Padded Touch-Fastening Interior Dividers
  • Water Bottle Pocket
  • 1 Reinforced Tripod Holder Pocket
  • Side Strap for Tripods or Monopods
  • Weather-Resistant Exterior, Rain Cover
  • Airflow channels on back padding provide cooling

Ergonomics

Here is the front of the Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L. You can see two zippers here. Each is for different sections of the bag. There are two on the left and two on the right. The front-most zippers unlock thin pockets. The back most zippers unlock bigger sections. 

Here’s one of the sides of the Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L. You can see a side handle to grab the bag if you need it. Plus, you can store a tripod here or even a thermos. 

Here is the strap system—the backpack straps curve to conform to your body shape. Then there is a sternum strap and padded waist straps. Additionally, there are vents to give you airflow on your back. The other cool thing is the padding system. It’s super comfortable.

Up top here, you’ll see the zippers and the top handle. Each of these is built very well.

Here is a curious detail. Look at the top of the backpack straps. You’ll see buckles. These help keep the bag closer to your body and give it a better fit.

And now we get inside! Here’s one section. We can store a whole lot of gear in here if you wish.

Here’s the other section. I stuck a drone in here. As you can see, there’s still a lot more room. I could’ve easily put a big lens in here if I needed to.

Build Quality

The Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L has incredible build quality. Gura Gear tells us that the zippers will resist rain, but it’s not designed for you to put it under a waterfall. So if you’re going out in the snow or in heavy rain, you should be alright. Regardless, they give you a rain cover just in case. For what it’s worth, I put this bag down in the sand where the Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L took a hit from seawater. But all the gear inside was perfectly protected. Cleaning the bag off was easy to do.

There are some great things about this bag:

  • There are two sections, and this helps organize your gear.
  • Each section has different flaps, which lets you organize even further.
  • Each flap has different dividers. It makes sorting parts of a drone, camera lenses, cameras, lights, cables, and more really simple. I enjoyed the extra organization a lot.
  • There are waist straps and sternum straps. Both are very comfortable. When they’re properly adjusted for your body, you can walk with it for miles. I photo walked with this bag on my back for a major stretch of the Coney Island boardwalk. Not once did it feel overbearing.
  • When the temperature gets hot, there is ample airflow to keep sweating down. This is awesome.

Overall, I can’t really complain about the Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L’s build quality. Sure, I wanted a rolltop function and a place to put your tripod below, but this wasn’t meant for that. In fact, when I balanced the bag with a tripod on the side and a thermos on the opposite, it felt excellent on my back.

Ease of Use

Optimizing the Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L starts with how you pack it. First off, I wouldn’t bother bringing this bag with me everywhere. Lots of situations don’t need it. If I’m going on a 7-mile photo walk, I don’t need this bag. I’d probably opt for something smaller. Unfortunately, the Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L cannot collapse down to be thinner. It’s going big or go home with a bag like this. 

So when would you bring this bag with you:

  • If you’re bringing big lenses for wildlife, landscape, or sports photography.
  • If you’re bringing multiple systems in one camera bag.
  • If you’re bringing a camera system and a drone system.
  • If you’re bringing lights, multiple lenses, a camera or two, etc.

Basically, it’s designed for you to bring a whole lot of gear. Sometimes we need to do that. Think of it this way: ask yourself if you’d bring a roller case. If you’d bring a roller, consider the Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L instead. It can put everything on your back and still be comfortable.

To that end, you can’t store a laptop in this bag. Instead, it’s more for the person who will do nothing but shoot on location then come back and edit later. Loads of photographers do that. If you’re editing on the go, you’re probably sitting down somewhere indoors to do it. So you might go back to a hotel room or something.

Conclusions

Likes

  • Build quality
  • A+ for comfort
  • Lots of customization and storage
  • Easy to clean

Dislikes

  • I will always want canvas and leather
  • I wish it could hold a laptop
  • I still prefer my tripods on the bottom instead of the sides.

The Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L isn’t at all for everyone. But if you need to carry a lot of gear and replace your roller bag, this is the best choice. If you want comfort, it’s pretty much impossible to beat what Gura Gear did here. And if you are looking to avoid bringing multiple bags, this will help in big ways. Because it’s doing so much, it comes with an appropriate $399.99 price tag. Again, this isn’t a bag for everyone. 

The Gura Gear KIBOKO V2.0 30L gets four out of five stars. Want one? Check out Amazon for the latest prices.