First off I love this pack. For a couple of years now I have been trying to figure out the right combination of backpack w/gear bags that can fit in side and it has never been quite right. The Tilopa by F-Stop is great. It has the pack design I wanted with the padded ICU (internal camera unit) that works flawlessly. The access to camera through the back panel is genius. I wasn’t really concerned with laying it down in the dirt to get to my gear and didn’t have to brush dirt and s*#t off the straps before putting the pack back on.
I used the pack for the first time over Memorial Day weekend shooting the Black Hills Fat Tire Festival in Rapid City South Dakota. My stash of gear included Nikon D700/MB-D10 and D300s with 70-200 2.8VR, 35-70 2.8, 17-35 2.8, 16mm 2.8, sb800, su800, filters, carbon tripod, monopod, water, sunscreen, bla bla and rain gear for me and the cameras. I had all of this Packed into the Tilopa with the large ICU with room to spare though the extra large ICU would probably work a little better for me.
The weekend consisted of three days hiking/running up and down and up and down M Hill in Rapid City. The Tilopa was comfortable with great weight distribution. My usual spot between the shoulder blades that starts to get me during events like this never appeared (THANK YOU!!). It also passed my water bottle test, I was able to reach back, grab my water bottle and replace it into the side pouch with out loosening or removing the pack, very important.
In conclusion I think I love this pack. Sure I would have a few suggestions on small improvements but I would recommend it to anyone.