Peter McKinnon Backpack by Nomatic

Bag Addict

My wife loves her bags. I used to get so annoyed with her every time she bought a new one. I never saw why she always had to have a new bag. Whether it was a new color, or a slightly different style. It almost seemed like she had to have a new bag for each outfit. That may be an over exaggeration, but you get the point. Us guys can use the same wallet day in and day out for years. For me, I would have a wallet for at least 6 or 7 years and only replace it it has holes in it. And even then I would still use it.

Since becoming a photographer, I have realized that I have a bigger bag addiction that my wife. As a mater of fact, Im a modern day bag hoarder. I have so many backpacks its crazy. But I found that its hard to find that perfect bag that will fit all of my needs. I need one to carry my camera and probably a separate bag to carry my lighting gear. then I need another bag for my laptop. Of course when I am traveling out of state, I need all those bags plus another suitcase to haul my clothes.

The Peter McKinnon Backpack by Nomatic

For those not familiar with Peter McKinnon, I can give you a speedy rundown. Peter is a Canadian photographer/videographer who's YouTube success changed the way content creators create and socialize with their audience. His YouTube channel consist of weekly vlogs and tutorials on how to be a better photographer. Peter has well over 4 million subscribers to his channel. His success has given him the opportunity to create things from lens filters and clothing to even his own branded coffee. Yep, I said it, COFFEE. Crazy right?

Now that I have given a quick Peter McKinnon Bio, back to the story.

I needed a bag that would fit, if not all of my needs, a good bulk of them. Enter the Peter McKinnon Backpack. It has a place for my laptop, iPad, camera gear, and even a few days worth of clothes. On paper this appears to be the perfect bag for me.

I didn't go through Kickstarter to order my bag. I was aware of the Kickstarter campaign, however, at the time I was really going back and forth on the decision to back a $600 bag. To some, $600 is a drop in the bucket, but for me that a lot of coin. This also came at a time when most of the trips I had planned were abruptly canceled due to the state of the world. So I decided it was best that I pass on it, at least at that time.

Fast-forward to now and things have slightly changed. I'm sure that my digital thumb is on every review video since the bag's release as I'm a generally pretty thorough when on the brink of shelling out $600 smakers. The only issue with these videos, is that no one was traveling so in reality, the reviews were incomplete.

Not being able to go out and spend money left me with a bit of wiggle room. I decided to pull the trigger and oder the bag. I have taken a few pedestrian style pics that I will post at the bottom of this blog.

Nomatic Effect

Nomatic has been around a few years. They have successfully funded a good number of products including wallets, organizers, and of course, bags. Their lineups have been fairly impressive for the daily commuter. The premium quality has been extremely top notch.

Sadly, where the company hits a snag is with supporting their customers after purchase. Jumping into the comment section of their Kickstarter campaign, you will notice right away the lack of support for current customers requesting updates on their purchases to returns and warranty request. Previous backers has resulted to donating a dollar to their current Kickstarter campaign just to get help with the previous campaign. Thats a huge problem.

I thought this issues were one offs, until I experienced it first hand. I sent an email though the Nomatic website and received an automated email in return saying the it takes 2-3 business days to get someone to look into the issue. Thats a good turnaround time for a small business, however, what happens when a month rolls by without a response? Do you send another request for help? According to the automated email, if you send a 2nd request, your original and 2nd request will be automatically bumped to the end of the line. So you can see, there is enough frustration to go around.

I've found that people are willing to pay a premium for good service with great customer service. I guess the question is, are people willing to pay for a premium product with below average customer service. I'm a believe in customer service being the backbone of any company, big or small. Without that, it's a mater of time before things start to fall a part.

I have captured a few of those client concerns below. You can also see other post from the original campaign here

Summary

Nomatic and Peter McKinnon deserve a pat on the virtual back for this camera bag. The product itself fills a lot of holes left by other companies that came before them. The layout of the bag and the organization it gives really hits home for most photographers, hobbyists and pros alike.

If you can get past the extremely slow customer service, this bag is a win. But if you find yourself needing to replace your bag or resolve billing or shipping disputes, just know that it's a long battle to fight. Once Nomatic gets a firm handle on their customer service support model, the sky is the limit for this company and their future endeavors.

If you can afford the steep price, this bag is a good choice for anyone in the market for one. I hope this is the one bag to rule them all but only time will tell. And if it turns out to be true, well... maybe I can start giving my wife a hard time again for all the bags she buys.

Stay Safe!