Moment DayChaser Review

The Moment DayChaser is a versatile backpack capable of handling adventures in both urban and wilderness settings. It was designed to carry and protect camera equipment and travel essentials in collaboration with Emmett Sparling, a renowned adventure photographer and videographer. The result is a backpack that combines flexible storage for camera gear with intuitive organization and capacity for everyday items. Moment’s expertise in creating robust, protective, and stylish gear is apparent in this backpack’s design. While primarily focused on photographers and videographers, the Moment DayChaser can be adapted for a wide variety of users and scenarios thanks to its flexible design. 

The Moment DayChaser backpack has a rigid structure and a fairly large footprint due to the dual sections for camera gear and everyday items. The 16L camera compartment is ideal for photography or videography equipment and accessories, while the 14L main compartment is versatile enough for everyday essentials or travel gear. This design allows you to efficiently organize all your gear, whether a photo kit, daily necessities, or a combination of both. Let’s take a closer look at the details.

External Components

The Moment DayChaser boasts impressive durability and weather resistance thanks to its 500D KODRA fabric with a DWR coating and a double layer of waterproof backing. While the material feels slightly rougher than canvas, it remains comfortable to the touch. The base, constructed from 800D Ballistic Nylon with a waterproof face coating and additional waterproofing layers, allows users to set the bag down almost anywhere without worry—even in small puddles, though that’s—not recommended.

The backpack’s solid structure and extra rigid frame contribute to its ability to hold its shape well and stand upright on its own. Interestingly, this robust frame makes it difficult to discern whether there’s anything inside the bag. For added quality, the DayChaser features YKK zippers with minimal protective covering over the zipper thread.

The Moment DayChaser features adjustable compression or stabilizing straps on both sides, secured with plastic buckles for easy access and quick fastening. These straps also serve as attachment points for extra gear and are particularly useful for securing large tripods in the side pocket. The front of the backpack boasts a flap with a space that can be used to secure gear with a buckle. This works well to secure a jacket or blanket. This flap’s design incorporates plastic buckles that snap into dedicated spots, enhancing weather resistance by allowing water to roll down and off the front.

A unique feature of the DayChaser is the Moment and Emmett Sparling branded logo on the front. This logo has a leather-like feel, although we couldn’t confirm whether it’s genuine leather or a vegan alternative. Interestingly, this branded material is exclusive to the Blue variant, while the Black colorway sports a simpler patch design. Additionally, the backpack features an ES-branded logo on one shoulder strap and the Moment logo on the other, adding a touch of brand identity to the overall design.

The Moment DayChaser features multiple grab handles for easy maneuvering. One is at the very top. It’s made of a double layer of nylon, which works well but may not be ideal for longer carries due to lack of padding. There is another, more minimal, handle above the shoulder straps between the load lifters. This handle is perfect for hanging the bag on a hook thanks to its placement ensuring that it hangs upright. Thankfully, it does not interfere with or rub against the back of the neck while wearing the backpack.

There are also handles on each side of the backpack. They sit flush against the bag when not in use but are readily available when needed. They are ideal for picking up the backpack, reorienting it, or maneuvering it in and out of overhead bins on various modes of transportation. Overall, the attention to detail in providing multiple options to handle and maneuver the backpack is greatly appreciated, offering users flexibility in how they interact with it in different situations.

The Moment DayChaser has thoroughly padded and contoured shoulder straps as part of its full-frame harness system. The backpack boasts robust padding and a backchannel for improved airflow and ventilation. Custom foam padding on the back and shoulder straps provides comfort and helps balance the weight, while an intentional spacer and airflow channel enhance breathability. The spacer mesh on the shoulder straps prevents uncomfortable chafing during extended wear.

Load lifters are incorporated to assist with heavy gear, a feature greatly appreciated given that the bag can become quite weighty when fully loaded with camera equipment. It’s worth noting that the bag weighs about 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) when empty, making it relatively heavy even before adding any gear.

For a personalized fit, the DayChaser includes a removable sternum strap on a rail system, which connects using a plastic buckle. Additionally, each shoulder strap features three Hypalon attachment points for securing extra gear. These attachment points are perfectly sized for accessories like the Peak Design Capture Clip, which provides easy access to photography equipment while on the move.

The Moment DayChaser has a nylon strap between the air channel on the back panel for a luggage pass-through. It sits flush against the back when not in use, staying out of the way. However, it runs vertically, so the backpack sits on its side on rolling carry on luggage. This isn’t a significant issue for the DayChaser, as its thoughtful design allows for multiple orientations. The only potential concern is that a water bottle in the dedicated pocket might fall out. However, this shouldn’t be a problem if the water bottle is large enough and the backpack isn’t handled roughly. In our experience, we found this a minor concern at most.

The Moment DayChaser features a removable hip belt that, while somewhat difficult to detach, provides a very secure fit. It slides into a dedicated back channel and is secured with a patch of hook-and-loop fastener to prevent slipping or sliding out of position. The hip belt is full-sized and thoroughly padded for comfort. Although removing the hip belt can be challenging, the security it offers and the option for removal are appreciated, as not all users prefer to use a hip belt. This design choice caters to various preferences, allowing users to customize the backpack to their liking.

Fit Notes

The Moment DayChaser backpack presents an impressive profile, combining a heritage aesthetic with modern functionality. Despite its substantial size, it evokes a classic style reminiscent of old-school JanSport backpacks but with significantly enhanced durability and specialized camera gear protection. Its large form factor gives it a hiking backpack appearance, yet it maintains a more stylish look with fewer compression straps and attachment points than typical outdoor packs.

While the DayChaser is versatile enough for everyday carry, it’s particularly well-suited for photographers and videographers who regularly transport their equipment. For those who don’t typically carry camera gear, the backpack’s size might be excessive for daily use. Its distinctive size and structure make it stand out, but it cleverly avoids overtly advertising itself as a camera bag, thus not drawing unnecessary attention to potentially valuable content.

Inside The Pack

The interior of the Moment DayChaser features a neutral gray liner, which does an excellent job of offering visibility to everything inside. This backpack has plenty of pockets and compartments for all your essentials. On the very front is a compact zippered pocket located in front of the buckled flap, and on top of the camera compartment, it does not offer any stretch but provides an easy and quick pocket for smaller items.

The Moment DayChaser features three distinct storage areas at the top of the backpack, each offering unique organizational capabilities. The top front organization pocket has a large U-shaped opening with dual zippers, providing an excellent overview of everything inside and easy access. This pocket also has a minimal organization panel with two slip pockets and two pen or stylus pockets to help keep everything organized.

Behind that pocket is a larger compartment that lacks organization but functions as a nice cavern for gear. It has a wide opening and dual zippers. This top storage compartment is particularly versatile, thanks to a dedicated zipper that allows for the compartment to be expanded to fit extra gear. While the abundance of zippers, most with dual heads can be somewhat confusing, this particular expansion zipper is easy to distinguish since it is a single zip and lacks the same type of pull tab as the rest. As a single zip, it is also banished to one side or the other, depending on whether or not it is in use. The compartment itself is perfect for storing clothing or pouches.

Lastly, behind that large compartment is an almost identical pocket to the one on the front of the bag, offering two simple slip pockets and two pen or stylus pockets. This pocket differs in that it also includes a basic nylon key leash with a plastic carabiner attached to the top of the pocket. The remaining space functions as a dump site for smaller gear and accessories. Interestingly, at the bottom of this pocket is an additional zipper. When unzipped, this provides access to the main compartment, which can be helpful for storing tall items, especially when you do not need the camera cube. We do not find this particularly useful since we like that this pocket is shallow, but your mileage may vary.

The Moment DayChaser features a versatile water bottle pocket that can also be used for an umbrella or tripod. Its elastic gusset expands as needed but sits flush against the backpack when empty. A compression strap at the top can help secure taller items like tripods, preventing them from falling out. Interestingly, this strap can also secure water bottles with built-in loops. Threading one end of the strap through the loop secures the bottle—though it’s worth noting that the bottle could still potentially slip out of the pocket.

Behind the water bottle compartment is a convenient and somewhat hidden quick access ideal for storing the included rain cover. However, because this pocket is positioned behind the water bottle pocket, storing bulky items in either pocket could potentially interfere with the use of the other, limiting their functionality.

The intuitive laptop compartment has convenient side access, allowing you to easily access your device without rummaging through other compartments or pockets. This compartment has extremely dense and stiff foam from the back channel, providing robust protection for your laptop. The fit is notably snug, which adds to the security but may present a slight challenge for larger devices. A 16″ MacBook Pro fits inside, but the space is quite tight. The laptop compartment also includes a slight lift, although this feature is very minimal. The side-access design prioritizes protection and accessibility, making it an excellent feature for those who frequently need to access their laptops on the go.

The main compartment is designed with protection and versatility in mind. It is fully padded with tons of foam and has a solid structure while lined with soft Velvex fabric for superior gear protection. The compartment features removable padded dividers—two long and four short—that feel dense and protective and allow you to customize it to your specific needs.

On the front panel that opens up when fully unzipped is a zippered pocket built into the main compartment for small accessories, alongside four dedicated slots for SD cards. While these elastic SD card slots feel relatively secure, it is worth noting that cards can still potentially slip out.

One of the standout features of the DayChaser is its flexibility. The padded inserts in the dedicated camera compartment can be removed entirely, transforming the space into a large 16L dump site for clothing or other gear if you want to use it for travel. 

The zipper runs around the bag for quick access to the main compartment without having to take it off. This feature is particularly useful when navigating busy city environments or when out in nature. However, it’s important to note that fully opening the compartment requires placing the backpack on its back, which could make it dirty, depending on where you are when you do so.

However, if you’re a photographer or videographer looking for an adaptable backpack to carry your gear or for travel, the Moment DayChaser might be right for you. Its ample storage capacity, organization, customizable main compartment, comfortable harness system, and durable construction make it ideal for carrying and protecting all your gear. While the backpack’s large size and weight may not suit everyone for daily use, its flexibility and thoughtful design make it an excellent choice for those who regularly transport camera equipment or need a spacious, adaptable bag for various scenarios.