articles/Review/bagsroom-page3
by Paul Gallagher Published 01/01/2007
The Kata 502 is very sturdily made with large, heavy-duty zips protected by double-layer overlaps. If all else fails, and the camera gear is in peril, then there is a draw string rain cover which is cleverly designed with a silver side, so it might also act as a reflector.
The interior portion of the bag may be accessed from the top or by unzipping it all the way around, to reveal the entire contents of the front portion of the bag. Fully unzipped like this, the contents are as accessible as a conventional toploading shoulder bag. There are door flaps to the interior, for added protection. The storage is infinitely flexible with Velcro dividers and everything is made in very bright yellow, a significant advantage in dim conditions as might prevail in a bird hide. A laptop may be stored in a special back portion of the pack.
The base of the bag is reinforced externally with a plastic plate and ribbed feet. The distance from the base of the bag to the top of the compartment is 21 inches, enough for a DSLR and 600mm lens but not an 800mm lens (focal length). The depth of the compartment is 3 inches at the top and 8 ½ inches at the base, sufficient for a typical 400mm f2.8 lens (with a diameter of approximately 6 ½ inches), provided it is placed lens downwards.
Overall, though, the Kata worked quite well. It is, however, far too big for the majority of users in terms of storage space - it is hard to conceive hauling that much gear to a location and our weight calculations have not included spare food, liquids and extra clothing. However,
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