Shimoda Action X v2 Vs. Explore v2 Backpacks – Which Is Right for You?

Choosing between the Shimoda Action X and Explore backpacks can be tricky. On the face of it, they are pretty similar. Both bags are ruggedly built, weather-resistant backpacks for outdoor and nature photography. They both feature the same comfortable harness system with torso length adjustment and the same back panel camera access for use with Shimoda’s range of Core Unit camera inserts. Dig a little deeper, though, and meaningful differences can be found.

If you’re completely unfamiliar with these bags, I recommend you start by reading the Explore v2 review and the Action X v2 review. The reviews go into more detail about the features of each bag, whereas this post will concentrate on the key differences. If you’re familiar with these bags but can’t decide which is for you, this post will help you make the right choice.

Shimoda Designs has offered Shutter Muse readers a 10% discount on anything purchased through their online stores. US, Canadian, UK, French, or German residents should use the discount code ShutterMuse10 after clicking here to access the store. Australian readers should use the same code on the local Shimoda distributor’s site, Maxxum, instead.

Shimoda Explore and Action X Sizes

When choosing between the Shimoda Explore and Action X packs, you first have to ask yourself what volume of backpack you need. Not all volumes are available for both styles of bag. If you need a bag larger than 35L, the decision is easy. You will have to choose an Action X pack. Here are the available sizes:

• Shimoda Explore v2 – Available in 25L, 30L, and 35L volumes.
• Shimoda Action X v2 – Available in 25L, 30L, 40L, 50L, and 70L volumes.
• Women’s Explore v2 – Available in 25L and 30L volumes.
• Women’s Action X v2 – Available in 25L, 30L, and 40L volumes.

Shimoda Backpack Color Options

The color options might sway your decision if you’re really on the fence about which pack is right for you. Not all packs are available in all of Shimoda’s colors.

• Explore v2 25L, 30L, and 35L – Available in Black and Army Green
• Action X v2 25L, 30L, 40L, and 50L – Available in Black, Army Green or Yellow
• Action X 70 HD – Available in Black or Army Green
• Women’s Explore v2 25L, and 30L – Available in Teal
• Women’s Action X v2 25L, 30L, and 40L – Available in Teal

Explore v2 and Action X v2 Specifications Compared

Note: The Women’s Explore v2 and Action X v2 packs feature different shoulder straps and the exclusive Teal color. The shoulder strap weight difference is so minor I decided that it would be overly complicated to include them as separate models in these comparative tables. All other features and dimensions of the Shimoda Women’s packs are the same as the regular packs.

Shimoda Explore v2 Specifications

Shimoda Action X v2 Specifications

Shimoda Explore v2 and Action X v2 Feature List

Although the Action X70 HD is part of the new Action X v2 lineup, it has a few features different from the Action X v2 25, 30, 40, and 50 sizes, so it gets its own column in the comparative table, just as it got its own review.

Shoulder Straps Compared

The contoured shape of the shoulder straps is the same on the two packs, but the strap materials are different. The Explore v2 uses an Air Mesh-covered EVA foam designed for increased breathability, while the Action X v2 uses a high-density EVA foam. The EVA foam straps on the Action X v2 are designed to prevent dirt and snow buildup in the pores of an Air Mesh strap, which would then transfer to your clothing.

Both bags have two pockets on their shoulder straps, and I can fit my iPhone 13 Pro Max into them while using an Apple case on the phone. It’s a little tighter on the Explore v2, so it appears Shimoda enlarged the phone pocket very slightly on the Action X v2.

Hip Belts Compared

The hip belt materials on these bags show a similar story to the shoulder straps for all the same reasons. The Explore v2 has an Air Mesh hip belt, whereas the Action X v2 has higher-density EVA foam. Where these hip belts differ is the inclusion of additional adjustability on the Action X v2 belt.

After removing the hip belt on the Action X v2, you’ll find that the hip belt padding is in two pieces, joined by adjustable nylon webbing. This allows you to increase or decrease the distance between the left and right hip pads, moving them into a more comfortable place for people with smaller or larger hips. It’s an excellent feature to consider if your body type falls closer to one end of the spectrum and is something I have never seen before on a camera backpack.

Back Panels Compared

Once again, the differences here come down to material choices. Air Mesh for the Explore v2 for slightly increased breathability, and EVA foam on the Action X v2 for a surface that doesn’t hold snow or natural detritus.

Top Access Compared

The Explore v2 uses a zipper to access the bag’s top section, while the Action X v2 has both a zipper and a roll top. The roll top of the Action X v2 allows a few liters of volume expansion, which can be helpful if your usual loadout varies daily. This roll top also allows you to store much larger items at the top of an Action X than in the Explore v2. Some people prefer the cleaner look of the zippered access, while some appreciate the flexibility a roll top provides.

Inside the top section of both bags is a gear “bucket’ that can be removed if you want to transform the packs into a single-volume, regular backpack. The gear bucket on both bags has two zippered pockets, but the rearmost pocket on the Explore v2 is lightly padded. On the Action X v2, both pockets are mesh.

Pockets and Organization Compared

The pocket configuration is slightly different between these two bags. The Explore v2 has a hidden zippered document pocket accessed through a second top zipper or the bag’s back panel. It also has a zippered and lightly padded lower front pocket. The Action X v2 has neither of these.

The side pockets are slightly different, too. On the Explore v2, the side pocket contains a 2-part zippered pocket designed for circular lens filers. The Action X v2 has a vertical sleeve instead of a zippered side-facing pocket. This works well for rectangular filters, a filter case, or any other small items and is arguably a little more versatile than the zippered pocket on the Explore.

Laptop Capacity Compared

The Explore v2 packs have a padded laptop sleeve inside the back panel camera hatch. The Explore 25 v2 can hold up to a 14″ laptop, while the 30 and 35 sizes can hold up to a 16″ laptop. The Action X v2 packs have the same laptop sleeve in the rear camera hatch and a second padded sleeve in the bag’s front pocket. This gives you a safe way to carry a laptop and a tablet, or you can have the computer in the front pocket, which is more easily accessible while putting fragile glass filters in the rear laptop compartment.

External Carry Attachments Compared

The Explore v2 packs have two nylon side compression straps on each side for carrying tripods. Optional accessory straps are available to add a pair of straps to the front of the pack. The Action X v2 also has two straps on each side of the bag, but the lower straps are made from TPU and designed to work better for carrying skis. The Action X v2 packs also have permanently attached straps on the front and come with a helmet holder that connects to these straps.

Rain Covers

The Action X v2 comes with a rain cover and has a dedicated rain cover pocket in the base of the bag. The Explore v2 doesn’t have that pocket and doesn’t come with a rain cover, but you can buy one for less than $10.

Flying With Explore and Action X Bags

If you’re planning to travel with your camera bag, you’re probably considering carry-on size compliance when choosing between the Explore or Action X pack. While Shimoda’s marketing pitches the Explore series firmly at travelers, flying with most of the Action X range is possible.

Most US domestic airlines use 22″ x 14″ x 9″ for their maximum carry-on dimensions. This means the entire Shimoda Explore V2 range and the Action X25, X30, X40, and X50 are compatible. The only pack in the Shimoda lineup that doesn’t meet domestic carry-on dimensions is the enormous Action X70 HD.

Maximum international carry-on dimensions tend to vary from airline to airline a little more than domestic. A good starting point is to look for a bag that fits within 21.5″ x 15.5″ x 9″. If you’re playing by the book, this shorter commonly-used international carry-on specification now moves the Action X50 to the no-fly list alongside the Action X70 HD.

While the Action X50 may be a half-inch too tall, I have flown internationally with this bag, and I know many others have. Its linear inch measurement (H+W+D) is much less than most international dimensions. If you really wanted to fly internationally with the Action X50 but had significant concerns about that extra half-inch, you could temporarily pull the aluminum frame from the bag. Doing so quickly lets you squish the top of the bag to achieve a sub-21.5″ height, even with the Large DSLR Core Unit inside. Hey presto! Internationally compliant.

Final Thoughts

Shimoda says that the Explore line of camera bags is designed for travel and landscape photographers, while the needs and desires of action sports photographers drove the design of the Action X line. I don’t like to pigeonhole these two lines of camera bags in that way. It doesn’t tell the whole story and might incorrectly skew people’s choices. The reality is that these two camera bag lines are far more similar than they are different.

Although Action X v2 bags target action sports photographers, nothing about it would make it a bad choice for travel, landscape, or even wildlife photographers. Conversely, even though the Explore v2 series targets travel and landscape photographers, there is nothing wrong with using it for action sports photography or any other outdoor use. They all have the same camera access, the same materials, the same laptop compartment, and the same ways to carry a tripod.

There are minor nuanced features specific to their intended audience, like a hidden passport pocket or filter pocket on the Explore v2 or a helmet carrier and ice axe loops on the Action X v2. However, all these features fall into the “nice to have” category instead of the “must have” category. When you compare the must-haves features, you list similarities between the two models.

For most people, the choice between the two bags will come down to available volumes in that lineup. You’ll have to get an Action X v2 if you need larger volumes. If you need a bag size that falls somewhere in the 25L-40L volume, and thus, you can choose between an Explore v2 or Action X v2, make sure you take a good look at the method for accessing the bag’s top section. The Explore v2’s zippered access is the most significant difference from the roll-top access on the Action X v2. Neither is bad, and the choice will be a personal preference.

Do you know what else is OK? Simply saying, “To heck with it, I love the yellow color, and even though I’m a landscape photographer, I’m choosing the Action X bag purely for that reason!”. Nothing wrong with that. You’ll love it.

What About the Urban Explore Backpack?

You’re so close to the end that I hate to do this to you, but it would be remiss of me to ignore the Shimoda Urban Explore backpack entirely. This pack was launched long after the Explore and Action X lineups and is available in 20L, 25L, and 30L sizes. Having completed an in-depth review of the Shimoda Urban Explore backpack, let me quickly outline a few thoughts.

The Urban Explore range of camera bags is designed to meet photography enthusiasts’ everyday urban carry needs. It is a camera bag for a much broader audience than the adventure and outdoor photography market precisely targeted by the Explore and Action X bags. For most people, this is good news. If you’re reading this comparison of the Explore and Action X bags, there’s a good chance one of them is still the best choice. However, if you’re reading this because you love Shimoda’s styling but think of yourself as more of a city dweller, the Urban Explore packs should be on your radar.

Now that I’ve thrown that possible conundrum at you, I’d like to help you narrow things down quickly. Unsurprisingly, the Urban Explore backpacks are much more similar to the Explore backpacks than to the Action X bags. If you’re leaning towards the features and styling of the Action X, you can safely ignore the Urban Explore as an option. None of the Urban Explore packs can carry a pro-sized or gripped camera body, which will discount a few more people.

If you’re leaning toward the 35L version of the Explore v2, you should stick with that decision since the largest version of the Urban Explore is 30L. After reading this post, those leaning towards the Explore 25 or Explore 30 should also check out the Urban Explore 25 or Urban Explore 30. Or, if you’ve read all this and are thinking, “I wish Shimoda made something smaller than a 25L bag”, you should check out the Urban Explore 20.