Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsPerfect weekender or day pack! A keeper.
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2018
For an upcoming coach train trip from Chicago to Albuquerque I searched for a backpack that met these criteria: It must be scaled to my 5’ size while being roomy enough for a weekend, secure, well constructed and usable also as a day bag. This bag meets these criteria! Here is what I easily fit into this bag for my test pack: An Amazon Basics small packing cube holding a pair of jeans, a long sleeve knit shirt, 2 pair of socks and underwear, a bra and a caftan; a Travelon light weight toiletries cube (approx 8”x6”x3”) holding deodorant, toothbrush and paste, a couple of prescriptions, a small bag with foundation, blush, mascara and lipstick and another clear zip bag with liquids (lotion, shampoo, hairspray, conditioner); my IPad in the tablet/laptop slot at the back of the main compartment; a small zipper bag with backup charger, earbuds, adapters, phone and battery cables; my knitting (for multitasking while watching scenery); snacks (a small bag of nuts, one of candy, an apple, a couple of chocolate bars and a can of the powdered drink I like). All of that went into the main compartment. In the front flap pocket I put some pens and a guide book. My wallet, a coin purse and my phone went into the secure zippered side pocket but these also would have fit in the front flap pocket. That's a lot of stuff! Kind of like the clown car trick.
When fully loaded the bag still only weighed 11lbs and didn't knock me down or make me look ridiculously overburdened and clanking with gear! On the underside of the top flap is a zippered pocket that I didn’t use and I also didn’t use the credit card and passport slots in the front flap pocket. That pocket also has pen slots and a narrow pocket that my phone would have fit into if I chose. My travel documents will fit there nicely. My IPad easily fit upright in the 9 1/2” wide inner slot in the main compartment which is not padded but more to keep your tablet from falling over the other contents. The main compartment can open to 11 1/2” at its widest so keep that in mind if you intend this bag for your laptop. Using packing cubes kept things organized while leaving space on each side at the wider bottom to stash snacks baggies or other small items.
Let me also vanquish one common complaint that Travelon must have heard often enough to fix: The straps are completely adjustable. In fact each can be shortened to only 18” from shoulder attachment to hip or extended all the way to 32”.
The straps are nicely padded and backed with breathable mesh though the back of the bag itself is not. It appears to be sturdily constructed. My wish list to make this the perfect bag would include changing the water bottle pocket to elasticize mesh, adding a sternum &/or waist strap, breathable mesh for the whole back, using dual zippers on top and front flap openings, and offering more interesting colors. Where’s a nice lively red?!
Lastly, some commenters have ridiculed the size of the bag as not being adequate apparently because they are big people. Their size doesn't mean this is a bad bag, it just means they didn’t read the specs to choose an appropriate bag for their stature. And take a look at what I fit into it!
Once the bag gets through the shake down trip and has a few more miles on it I’ll come back and comment on it’s durability. Happy trails!
