SmallRig has expanded its carry range with the Professional Outdoor Backpack (25L) 6521, a 25-litre bag pitched at photographers and filmmakers who shoot away from the road. Known primarily for cages, rigs and support gear, SmallRig has been steadily building out its bag line, and this one leans hard into the outdoor, hike-in use case with a feature list that reads like a wishlist for anyone who carries a camera into rough terrain.
The standout idea is modularity. Three detachable accessory pouches (small, medium and large) can be used inside the pack, clipped externally via straps, or worn on the waist belt for quick access — a neat way to keep batteries, cables and action-camera kit organised without digging through the main compartment. Inside, adjustable dividers are paired with fold-over anti-drop flaps that hold a camera body, lenses or a drone in place even when the bag is tilted, which is exactly the reassurance you want scrambling over uneven ground.
Comfort and security clearly had attention too. There’s a ventilated back panel, contoured lumbar support and a removable waist belt with hip weight transfer to take the strain off your shoulders on longer carries, plus a shoulder-strap phone pocket (SmallRig specifies it fits an iPhone 17 Pro Max) and an adjustable sternum strap. On the security side you get YKK water-resistant zips with an anti-theft design, a hidden AirTag pocket, an included rain cover and a dedicated 16-inch laptop compartment.
It’s a lot of bag on paper, and the external mounting options — a 25mm selfie-stick side mount, plus bottom and side straps for a lightweight tripod or gimbal — round out the outdoor pitch nicely. As ever with a feature-packed pack, the questions we’d want to answer in person are how well the load actually carries when fully weighted and whether all that modularity adds bulk. But as a considered outdoor option, it looks a strong addition to a crowded market.
SmallRig Professional Outdoor Backpack (25L) 6521: Specifications
Capacity: 25 litres. Storage: three detachable accessory pouches (small/medium/large) for internal, external or waist-belt use; adjustable dividers with fold-over anti-drop flaps. Carry system: ventilated back panel, contoured lumbar support, removable waist belt with hip weight transfer, shoulder-strap phone pocket (fits iPhone 17 Pro Max), adjustable sternum strap. External mounts: 25mm selfie-stick side mount; bottom and side straps for tripod or gimbal; side-opening quick access; multiple carry handles. Protection and security: YKK water-resistant anti-theft zips, hidden AirTag pocket, included rain cover, dedicated 16-inch laptop compartment.
SmallRig Professional Outdoor Backpack (25L) 6521: Price and availability
SmallRig has announced the backpack but the launch materials we’ve seen do not yet confirm UK pricing or an on-sale date. We will update this story once those details are available for now you can check out the SmallRig store
