Peak Design Field Pouch V2 Review – Ultimate Little Organizer?

The original Peak Design Field Pouch was launched alongside the very first Everyday Messenger bag many years ago and has been a fan favorite ever since. A few small tweaks were made along the way, but never enough to justify the V2 name until now.

In this review, I’ll show you all the ins and outs of this updated PeaK Design Field Pouch V2 and compare it to the original version to see what has been improved and whether it’s worth upgrading if you are a V1 user. Due to popular demand, I’ll also dedicate a section comparing the Peak Design Field Pouch V2 to the Peak Design Tech Pouch.

Peak Design Field Pouch Specifications

• Size (empty) – 9.4 in (24 cm) x 7.5 in (19 cm) x 0.4 in (1 cm)
• Size (full) – 10.6 in (27 cm) x 9.8 in (25 cm) x 4.3 in (10.92 cm)
• Weight (empty) – 6 0z (170g)
• Volume – 1.5L (expandable to 3L)
• Pockets – 1 zippered + 8 internal stretch pockets
• Materials
  • Shell – Weatherproof double poly-coated DWR impregnated 400D nylon canvas
  • Liner – Heavy, soft felt for bump and abrasion resistance
• Additional – Leather touchpoints are sourced from suppliers with a gold rating from the Leather Working Group.
• Colors – Black, Charcoal, Midnight Blue
• Price – $49.95

Video Review

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Peak Design Field Pouch V1 Vs V2

The updates to the Field Pouch are not immediately obvious from the outside, but on the inside, everything has changed. The Field Pouch V2 has new stretchy pockets for your smaller items and a new zippered pocket that runs the full width of the bag. This wider pocket also has some stretch. Overall, the internal organization has been improved, and the stretchy pockets allow for a wider range in the accessories’ shape and size. It’s a definite improvement.

The Peak Design Field Pouch V1 had a single central anchor point for use with Peak Design’s Capture camera clip. For the Field Pouch V2, there are two anchor points for the Capture, and they are now located on the side of the bag. Of course, you are not expected to use both simulatenously. Two are provided so that the camera can be positioned at your front, no matter which should you carry the bag over.

Another big improvement is the inclusion of a lightweight shoulder strap. With the Field Pouch V1, you had to purchase a strap to use the bag over your shoulder. I always recommended the lightweight Leash camera strap or the Slide Lite for this purpose, but that did add a minimum of $40 to the overall cost. It is not insignificant when the bag also costs $40. The Field Pouch V2 cost has increased by $10, but you now get a strap included with the bag. Seems fair to me.

Should you upgrade?

The updated bag has some thoughtful updates, but it’s a relatively minor change overall. If you are happy enough with your original V1 Field Pouch, it means you didn’t have any problem getting your accessories in the original pockets. In this case, it doesn’t make much sense to upgrade to the V2. The exception would be if you were considering buying a Leash camera strap for your V1 but haven’t gotten around to it yet. If that’s the case, you might spend $5 more and upgrade to the V2 with its included shoulder strap.

Field Pouch V2 Features

Expandable Size

The Peak Design Field Pouch uses a hook-and-loop system to adjust the internal volume. When compressed into its smallest size, the bag has a volume of 1.5L. When expanded to use the full length of the hook-and-loop closure, the volume is doubled to 3L.

Shoulder Strap

A basic shoulder strap is included with the bag. As you can see, this strap is relatively thin, so you would not want to carry any lead bricks around. For a collection of small accessories, though, it does the trick. And you could always up the ante by pairing it with a Slide Lite strap if you wanted something with more width.

Capture Clip Integration

The Capture Clip integration is a nice feature, and I prefer the new side placement to the center placement on the V1 bag.

Belt Loop

You can wear the bag on a belt like a fanny pack. The smaller slits are for using with a regular belt from your pants. If you use the larger holes, you can more easily thread it onto the waist belt of a backpack.

Internal Pockets

The bag’s interior has a stretchy zippered pocket, behind which you will find a series of small elasticated pockets suitable for items such as SD cards or USB thumb drives. The zippered part of the pocket will stretch to accommodate large items like USB battery banks or awkwardly shaped items such as sunglasses.

Field Pouch V2 Storage Capacity

Suppose you want to use the Field Pouch to organize your small items for day-to-day usage. In that case, there is plenty of room for memory cards, spare camera batteries, filters, your phone charging cable, and a USB battery pack to keep your phone or camera charged throughout the day. On top of that, you could easily get your sunglasses, phone, lens cloth, pen, and small notebook in there. As far as EDC gear goes, the Field Pouch has you covered.

You have two options if you want to use it more like a camera bag. Firstly, you could put a small camera inside the bag. For this to work, you would need a similarly sized camera to a Fuji X100, Sony RX100, or Ricoh GR. If your camera is too big to go inside the bag, you can add a Capture clip and put it on the outside. This is only a realistic option if your camera is a small mirrorless camera with a lightweight prime lens. Anything more than that and the width of the Field Pouch’s shoulder strap just doesn’t cut it.

In my testing, I also noted that the Field Pouch is an excellent travel organizer. It is sized perfectly to hold boarding passes and passports. In this guise, the small pockets are perfect for carrying my collection of hotel and airline loyalty cards, and there is still room to spare for my headphones, sleeping mask, and noise-canceling earbuds.

Peak Design Tech Pouch Vs Field Pouch

The Peak Design Tech Pouch is a popular organizer that suits everyday carry just as much as it suits photographers. Many other companies have since copied its accordion design, so you know it’s good!

The Tech Pouch costs $10 more than the Field Pouch, and it doesn’t come with a shoulder strap. Unlike the Field Pouch, which is designed to pull double duty and work inside a bag just as much as outside on your person, the Tech Pouch is designed to be packed into your backpack or shoulder bag.

These bags can organize a lot of gear, but they are best used differently. The Tech Pouch is best for chargers, batteries, cables, and hard drives at your (remote) desk. When you get the Tech Pouch out and open it on the table, everything is right where you need it to be. The same goes for putting it on the bedside table when you travel and get to your hotel for the night. I love using the Tech Pouch this way, and I never travel without one.

The Field Pouch V2 is a better organizer for daily-use items that you grab multiple times a day while you are on the go. For photographers, the smaller size of the Field Pouch makes it much easier to fit into an existing camera bag, and including the Capture camera clip rails is a nice bonus if you are already invested in the Capture ecosystem. If your camera is small enough, such as the Fuji X100 series, you can use the Field Pouch as a small camera bag. For more details about the Tech Pouch, visit my Peak Design Tech Pouch review.

Conclusion

There are many photo accessory organizers on the market, but the Peak Design Field Pouch V2 stands out from the crowd. Its expandable volume, included shoulder strap, integration with Peak Design’s Capture clip, and rugged materials make it something of a chameleon.

It’s right at home carrying your charging cables, memory cards, filters, and batteries while tucked into the top pocket of your camera bag. It’s equally at home slung over your shoulder like a camera bag, able to carry a small camera or that second lens that you need. While the updates for the V2 might not be groundbreaking, this shows you how right they got the concept of this product in the first place.