Urth Arkose 20L Modular Backpack + Small Camera Insert 

INTRODUCTION

If you’ve read any of our other posts you’d realise that we are having a love affair with Urth (formerly known as Gobe). Their products have always been of the highest standard and easy on the pocket. Combined with their dedication to the environment, their products are a no-brainer for us. We would not hesitate to recommend most of the products we have tested and reviewed, although we still maintain an unbiased view when reviewing any product.

In 2021, Urth launched its “Carry” series of modular backpack bags in an extremely competitive market, probably even more so than its core business of selling filters. So it will be exciting to compare their offering with other bags we have tested and reviewed.

Photographers, especially single travel photographers, generally prefer to carry backpack camera bags, as this is usually the only type of bag that will fit all their equipment and accessories. This particular bag has a 20L capacity and although that may not seem very spacious, don’t let that fool you – these days the capacity is determined by the design that dictates the amount it can carry.

For this review, Urth was kind enough to send us the Arkose 20L Modular Backpack, with the Small Camera Insert in the Ash Grey colour (this colour was discontinued in early 2026 and replaced with Stone). As per usual, this is an unbiased review of the product. Urth did not pay us for this review. Check out our disclaimer at the bottom of this post.

Note: As Travel Photographers and photographers in general, we try to avoid carrying a backpack at all costs. Although we do still use a backpack in transit between destinations, and occasionally in the field. In our photography, backpacks are simply not as practical as sling bags in the field. We always travel as a couple and can carry ample gear between us using sling bags. Therefore, to make this review more relevant to most photographers, we will review this bag as if we were a single photographer.

If you are interested, check out What’s in our Bag.

Read on…

OVERVIEW

The Urth Arkose 20L Modular Backpack is the smallest of their current range. There’s also the larger and more expensive Urth Norite 24L Modular Backpack (click on the link at the bottom of this post to read our review). Both bags can be bought with or without the camera insert so they can also be used as an everyday backpack/daypack for those non-photography days. Neither product has been designed as a conventional photographer’s backpack bag.

If you have visited the Urth website you may notice that their products target somewhat minimalist photographers. When it comes to design they try to make the product practical and functional while giving it a clean, modern, and minimalist look. Many photographers do not want to carry a ton of gear and are happy with the smaller camera systems and lighter prime lenses. Minimalist photographers, in general, do not want to carry large and bulky tripods and extensive filter systems that many hardcore photographers are prepared to lug around. This is the foundation for the design of their Modular Backpacks which are sleek and clean and so discreet that they look no more than a simple daypack. If you don’t have a tripod attached to the exterior you would have trouble believing it is a camera backpack, which is a good thing. These days, especially in travel photography, you want to look as low profile as possible.

On that basis, photographers who love carrying minimal gear will love the Urth Arkose 20L Modular Backpack and will find it a joy to use.

Now, let’s get into the bag’s features. We’ll break this up into Exterior & Interior features to make it easier to read.

Above: Small Camera Insert

BAG EXTERIOR

The exterior of the bag looks like a standard daypack in shape. The bag is constructed with durable weatherproof* recycled (70%) 600D nylon and uses YKK zippers which are the gold standard in zippers and used on many camera bags these days. The material seems thinner than most camera bags in this class so it will be interesting to find out how weatherproof it is (see below for the definitions of weatherproof v waterproof). Personally, we would still carry a rain cover for the bag in our photography. 

At the top of the bag is a decent-sized robust handle that extends almost the entire width of the bag and the main compartment entrance. The double-zippered entrance is located close to your back which is starting to be a common feature on bags these days as it is far more secure to have the zipper opening closer to your body. The main compartment entrance zipper extends slightly over halfway down both sides of the bag. Both zippers have looped zipper pulls attached making it easier to open and close.

Just in front of the handle is a 6.5in / 16.5cm horizontal zip pocket that is quite deep and perfect for those accessories that need to be accessed frequently. The single zipper is identical to the main compartment zipper.

On both sides of the bag are additional recessed zippered pockets. Once again, these are quite deep and will hold other accessories that you frequently access. Both zippers have zipper pulls attached. 

About two-thirds from the top of the bag is the double-zippered entrance to the bottom section of the bag. Essentially, when this is open it cracks the bag in two. The zipper extends around the entire front of the bag allowing easy access to the compartment. This compartment is where the camera insert is housed. More about this section when we discuss the bag’s interior. Unfortunately, the compartment’s design is not suitable for access without removing the bag from your back and if this is an issue for you we would suggest you consider the larger Urth Norite 24L Modular Backpack bag. 

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*Weatherproof (aka water-resistant) – usually the material has a coating which will cause water droplets to bead on the surface giving it added protection, however, it will not make the bag impervious to penetration by water. To produce a bag that is Waterproof would mean a completely different material thus adding considerable weight to the bag. If this is a concern, we suggest you purchase a rain cover for the bag. You could also try spraying the bag with a fabric protector, however, we’re not sure how that would react with the materials current coatings. We could not find any information on their website saying that this would be an issue.

The rear of the bag is well padded and there is a handy hidden vertical zippered pocket located behind the bottom section of the padding. This could be an ideal place to store credit cards, passport etc.

The shoulder straps are OK, but not the best we’ve seen or used. For short periods of use, taking into consideration the limited amount of gear that the bag can hold in the camera insert, the shoulder straps should be fine for most photographers. Naturally, the shoulder straps can be easily adjusted on both sides to make the bag fit snugly to your back. 

Between the top of the shoulder straps is a 1″ / 2.5 cm nylon loop. We’re not 100% sure about the purpose of this loop, but we assume it may be there to hook over the centre column of a tripod to give it more stability in the wind. 

The exterior of the bag also has six loop attachment points for use with the supplied straps. These are handy for attaching additional items to the exterior, including a tripod. The supplied straps can be removed and stored in the bag if not being used, otherwise they can be another annoying dangling strap that always gets in the way. 

We love the minimalist exterior design of the bag, however, we are a little disappointed that the bag does not have a waist belt or a sternum strap to take the weight off the shoulders. Having said that, this bag was not designed to carry a lot of gear and therefore would not really be that heavy when packed. So a waist belt or sternum strap would not necessarily be needed for this bag.

BAG INTERIOR

As mentioned previously, the URTH range of bags has been designed very much for dual purposes. It can be easily used as a daily camera bag or as a general-purpose daypack. The interior of the bag has been specifically designed to suit a wider audience than a conventional backpack camera bag. The interior can be accessed either via the top of the bag or the zippered opening at the bottom of the bag.

The main compartment can be accessed from the top of the bag.  Inside there are two sleeves that can fit up to a 15” laptop and a tablet, or notebook. Our HP 14″ laptop fits into either sleeve with room to spare. There are also three smaller pockets to store accessories on the outside of the smaller sleeve. One is for a pen, while the others are for smaller accessories.  You probably won’t want to place any bulky items in these pockets as they may encroach on the interior of the main compartment when the bag is closed.

Once a laptop & tablet are inserted there is still heaps of room in the main compartment. Opposite the laptop/tablet sleeves in the main compartment is another deep pocket along with a single zipper pocket.

At the base of the main compartment is a zippered section that separates it from the bottom compartment of the bag. The bottom compartment is used for the Small Camera Insert although if you buy the Arkose bag without the camera insert you could probably still store your camera gear in this compartment, although not ideal.

This zippered section cannot be unzipped from the main compartment. You must open the bag from the front to access the zipper. Ideally, you probably would only want to unzip this divider if you use the bag as a general-purpose daypack. The flap also has a deep single-zippered pocket.

If you have purchased the bag that includes the Small Camera Insert then, as mentioned above, you may want to keep the zippered divider closed.

Small Camera Insert – the insert is extremely robust and will provide your gear with extra protection from both external forces and weather. It has a handle similar to the one at the top of the bag. The double-zippered entrance to the insert opens to reveal another single-zippered pocket which would be great for smaller items that will not encroach too much into the compartment. Two sturdy velcro dividers separate your gear.

It’s too subjective to tell you how much gear will fit into this insert as every photographer carries different gear. Personally, our Sony A7Riii with an attached Atoll and Sony 24-105 f/4 lens take up almost all of the insert. If we were to attach a smaller prime lens to the camera such as our Samyang AF 18mm f2.8 FE lens then the Sony 24-105 f/4 lens will also fit into the insert. The insert was also able to fit the camera with an attached Samyang AF 35mm f2.8 FE plus the Sony 16-35 f/4, Samyang AF 18mm f2.8 FE, and Samyang AF 24mm f2.8 FE lenses (see above right). This combination was snug but possible.

In the end, the camera insert is somewhat too small for our needs unless we are only using prime lenses. However, any extra lenses can be stored in the top compartment of the bag, so this isn’t a dealbreaker.

TIP: When you are in the field and using the Small Camera Insert, it may be easier to keep the insert unzipped. Otherwise, you will need to unzip the zipper on the front of the bag and then the insert zipper each time you want to access any gear stored in the insert.

PROS

• Sleek minimalistic design
• Heaps of storage pockets
• Room for both a 13-15″ laptop plus a tablet
• Weatherproof
• Two separate compartments can be converted into one large compartment
• Easy access from the top and bottom of the bag
• A robust Small Camera Insert (if purchased) to secure your gear
• Additional room for a jumper, wet weather gear etc
• Easy to access your gear
• Made from 70% recycled material
• Plants trees
• Lifetime Warranty

Some of these CONS may not necessarily be a problem for many photographers. 

CONS

• No sternum strap or waist belt so not the most comfortable bag to carry for extended use
• The shoulder straps on V1 will not hold any significant weight without slipping
• Small Camera Insert does not hold a lot of gear
• Not Waterproof and no rain cover included
• A tripod attachment to the side of the bag is not ideal. We found it much easier to mount our Peak Design Travel Tripod to the bottom of the bag.

SIZES & COLOURS

The Urth Arkose 20L Modular Backpack and Camera Inserts are available in Onyx (Black), Sand, Moss, and Stone (introduced in January 2026). Hover over the image below for a better look at the colours.

SPECIFICATIONS

PRICING 

THE FINAL WORD

This bag will be a hit for many photographers, especially those who enjoy using camera inserts. The bag is clean and stylish and looks more like a daypack than a camera bag, although, once the camera insert is removed it can be used as a daypack for non-photography days.

All in all, this is a decent bag and will fulfil the needs of many photo enthusiasts. For those with a fair amount of gear, the Small Camera Insert may be a bit restrictive, and you may want to consider the larger Urth Norite 24L Backpack with the Medium Camera Insert. If you are the type of photographer who shoots with just a couple of lenses this bag is well worth your consideration.

RATING: RECOMMENDED

To read some of our other Gobe & Urth product reviews, click the links below.

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