Dakar Rally Puts Petrol Bags To The Test

The famous Dakar Rally is considered the hardest desert rally in the world. Participants are not the only ones who are put to the test; the reporters' equipment also has to overcome challenges.
For this reason, when it comes to transporting and protecting its equipment, the Dutch DakarPress Team trusted in Petrol Bags, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company. "During this demanding 19-day shoot in Argentina, Chile, and Peru, we had to be prepared for all possible weather conditions," says DakarPress Team member Dirk van der Veen when summing up the requirements for the equipment. „So we expected not only perfect protection and easy portability of our equipment from our bags and backpacks but also maximum flexibility in order to cope with the various shooting conditions. And that’s what we found in Petrol Bags.”
Cool and calm before the shooThe Dakar Rally route not only runs through rough terrain; it also exposes the drivers and the news teams to a variety of weather conditions – wetness, cold, extreme dryness, and heat are characteristic.
"In the Atacama Desert in Chile, temperatures of up to 55°C (131°F) are quite common. In addition, we also had to deal with the highest UV Index in the world there. The Digibag DSLR Camera Bag (PD221) and the DSLR Sling Bag (PD333) protect our DSLR equipment perfectly, even when the bags were left in the sun the whole day and the air was full of dust. In other regions it was often raining heavily and persistently so we used the Transparent DSLR Plus Rain Cover (PD510) to protect our cameras. The rain cover is completely waterproof, easy to use, and enables both good viewing, and fast access to the camera. This is an extremely useful accessory," explains Dirk van der Veen.
Robust and sophisticated
The drives over rough terrain are a further challenge for the DakarPress Team when reporting. Anyone who is familiar with the Dakar Rally immediately visualizes adventurous routes and technicians, who are busy with repairs. To keep the press team from joining the latter, it is important that the equipment be safely transported during long stretches in the jeep. According to Dirk van der Veen, "the strength of materials used is the best thing about Petrol Bags. When we drive through rocky terrain by car, the backpacks constantly vibrate. They are then strained by dust, sand, and extreme heat. After such torture, it is also astonishing that even the zippers still function correctly and easily glide as usual."
Space-saving and lightweight
For the long trip, the DakarPress team also had to, of course, think about packing, as the team only had a limited amount of space available for the almost three weeks in the cramped jeep. In comparison to their size, the enormous amount of storage space of Petrol Bags backpacks and bags was a very welcome feature for Dirk van der Veen: "A further Petrol Bags bonus is the versatile interior. We were very surprised at how spacious the small DSLR Sling Bag is. The backpacks by Petrol Bags are lightweight, robust, and enable safe transport of the equipment. Deciding to use Petrol Bags was definitely the right decision."
Due to their innovative design, Petrol bags are really easy to transport. As a Safe Back pack carrying system, combined with a Snaplock Trolley System or with built-in wheels or trolleys the lightweight bags guarantee comfortable portability.
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