Help me find a backpack
April 20, 2023 12:54 PM Subscribe
Help me find a backpack, with some particular needs.
My old Eddie Bauer K-Mart special backpack is finally dissolving on me, and I need something to replace it. I use it as my primary suitcase for trips lasting less than 4 days or so, so its replacement is going to need to be as big as possible without being too big to stuff under an airplane seat, and have at least two or three compartments so I can separate clean and dirty clothes, keep my toiletries in their own area, etc. It also needs to be comfortable to wear for hours at a time for a big tall skinny son of a gun like me (I'm 6'5"), and hopefully not leave my back super-sweaty. Because I'll occasionally be packing suit jackets in this thing, the longer the better (except again, not too long to go under an airplane seat). One thing I am almost never going to be packing in it is a laptop or tablet, so that's really not a concern. Ideally, I'll be able to thread all of these needles for south of $200.
So far I'm looking at this Roark and this Patagonia, but I'd love to hear y'all's suggestions in light of the criteria above. Thanks!
My old Eddie Bauer K-Mart special backpack is finally dissolving on me, and I need something to replace it. I use it as my primary suitcase for trips lasting less than 4 days or so, so its replacement is going to need to be as big as possible without being too big to stuff under an airplane seat, and have at least two or three compartments so I can separate clean and dirty clothes, keep my toiletries in their own area, etc. It also needs to be comfortable to wear for hours at a time for a big tall skinny son of a gun like me (I'm 6'5"), and hopefully not leave my back super-sweaty. Because I'll occasionally be packing suit jackets in this thing, the longer the better (except again, not too long to go under an airplane seat). One thing I am almost never going to be packing in it is a laptop or tablet, so that's really not a concern. Ideally, I'll be able to thread all of these needles for south of $200.
So far I'm looking at this Roark and this Patagonia, but I'd love to hear y'all's suggestions in light of the criteria above. Thanks!
I have an Osprey Farpoint 40, which I find to be very good as a carry-on and also quite a comfortable backpack, comparable to hiking models. I have carried it hiking for a day without complaints. The straps zip into the bag to make it much more streamlined when you don't need them. It has a number of compartments and interior straps to compress your clothes and keep them in place. They make a few different sizes of travel packs. The Farpoint also has a female-specific option called the Fairview. I think for trips of a few days, you might be happy with a smaller model (I take everything I need for months in the Farpoint 40L plus a small shoulder bag).
It does have mesh on the back, but it will still make your back sweaty if you're carrying it in the heat (the best way to avoid this is a pack that allows for ventilation of your back, but that would cut into space in the limited carry-on envelope, so I don't think would be a good design for a travel backpack).
posted by ssg at 1:08 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
It does have mesh on the back, but it will still make your back sweaty if you're carrying it in the heat (the best way to avoid this is a pack that allows for ventilation of your back, but that would cut into space in the limited carry-on envelope, so I don't think would be a good design for a travel backpack).
posted by ssg at 1:08 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
For clarification: if it is your primary suitcase for certain trips, can't it go in the overhead compartment? Are you looking for carry on size or "personal item" size?
posted by melamakarona at 1:20 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by melamakarona at 1:20 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Eagle Creek makes a lot of stuff that's good for backpacking but also looks like you belong in a city, not just on the trail. They have several backpacks in their "carry on backpack" series that might work for you. Most seem to have multiple compartments, sometimes for a laptop or a hydration sleeve. But you could also get a packing cube that's folded down at the start of your trip for dirty clothes to organize a larger compartment.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:22 PM on April 20, 2023
posted by bluedaisy at 1:22 PM on April 20, 2023
I'm partial to Gregory packs, I find them comfortable and well made
They seem to make a pack which fits your needs.
Carryon size and separate compartment specifically for dirty or wet clothes.
And surprisingly for Gregory a number of compartments
The Border 40 or smaller Border 30.
You can stowaway the shoulder straps hip belt with 40 but not the 30.
The 30 can accomodate passing a luggage handle through it, but not the 40.
Anyways the video show the features
posted by yyz at 1:34 PM on April 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
They seem to make a pack which fits your needs.
Carryon size and separate compartment specifically for dirty or wet clothes.
And surprisingly for Gregory a number of compartments
The Border 40 or smaller Border 30.
You can stowaway the shoulder straps hip belt with 40 but not the 30.
The 30 can accomodate passing a luggage handle through it, but not the 40.
Anyways the video show the features
posted by yyz at 1:34 PM on April 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you're open to used, maybe find a deal on a Tom Bihn via eBay?
posted by 10ch at 2:27 PM on April 20, 2023
posted by 10ch at 2:27 PM on April 20, 2023
Response by poster: Sorry, to clarify, "personal item" size is what I'm looking for. I wanna be able to jam this thing under the seat in front of me.
posted by saladin at 3:00 PM on April 20, 2023
posted by saladin at 3:00 PM on April 20, 2023
I recently purchased the Roark 3-Day Fixer 35L Bag and am quite happy with it. It's a convertible - can be a backpack, shoulder bag, or you can hide away the straps and hold it like a briefcase. Multiple pockets. Has a separate side pocket for a large bottle/flask. It has a laptop sleeve, but it doesn't get in the way (it's part of a larger pocket). Comes in a little over your target price range.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 3:42 PM on April 20, 2023
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 3:42 PM on April 20, 2023
I really love my Patagonia Black Hole backpack. I’ve had it since 2018, traveled around the world with it, totally abused it, and it still looks good as new. I even had an albatross shit on it during a boat ride in Peru and I simply wiped it right off. Try THAT with a normal fabric bag.
I will probably never buy another kind of backpack.
I have the 25L - which I can fit a lot of stuff into - but there’s a 32L as well.
https://www.patagonia.com/product/black-hole-pack-32-liters/49301.html?dwvar_49301_color=SHNY&cgid=luggage-black-hole-bags
posted by faineg at 6:09 PM on April 20, 2023
I will probably never buy another kind of backpack.
I have the 25L - which I can fit a lot of stuff into - but there’s a 32L as well.
https://www.patagonia.com/product/black-hole-pack-32-liters/49301.html?dwvar_49301_color=SHNY&cgid=luggage-black-hole-bags
posted by faineg at 6:09 PM on April 20, 2023
Seconding the Patagonia Black Hole. It's a duffle with some shape first, backpack second. It's reasonably comfortable as a backpack.
The reason why this style of bag is better though isn't due to the bag - the killer "organized just the way I want it and be the right size and shape and build quality" is really hard to find. Dropping one of those requirements opens your options a lot - namely the internal org. Just use packing cubes and a toiletries case.
posted by mce at 10:04 PM on April 20, 2023
The reason why this style of bag is better though isn't due to the bag - the killer "organized just the way I want it and be the right size and shape and build quality" is really hard to find. Dropping one of those requirements opens your options a lot - namely the internal org. Just use packing cubes and a toiletries case.
posted by mce at 10:04 PM on April 20, 2023
Agree that if you’re open to packing cubes, you’d have more options from Osprey, Timbuk2, Patagonia, etc.
If luggage style is a must, I’d look at the Cotopaxi Allpa 28L Travel Pack.
I’d also consider the COR Surf 28L Island Hopper, though the brand is unfamiliar.
There are larger sizes too, depending on how much you want to stuff.
Both fit your budget but you can check eBay or similar sites to see if you can get a deal.
posted by eyeball at 2:06 AM on April 21, 2023
If luggage style is a must, I’d look at the Cotopaxi Allpa 28L Travel Pack.
I’d also consider the COR Surf 28L Island Hopper, though the brand is unfamiliar.
There are larger sizes too, depending on how much you want to stuff.
Both fit your budget but you can check eBay or similar sites to see if you can get a deal.
posted by eyeball at 2:06 AM on April 21, 2023
My partner has a Timbuk2 jet, which is unfortunately discontinued, but I feel like it would be perfect for your requirements so perhaps worth seeking out on poshmark or similar.
It's quite large for a backpack while still looking very "normal" and fitting under a plane seat. It unzips all the way around to be packed like luggage and includes an internal mesh separator for holding down clothes. It has several large pockets - I'm pretty sure the "smaller" front pocket is still bigger than the main pocket of my own medium-sized backpack. My partner is around 6' and has always found it to be very comfortable. He has used and abused it literally every single day for at least 5 years (including frequent use for one-bag travel - even as a management consultant with the attendant formal clothing) and it still looks almost flawless except for some wear on the back padding.
posted by mosst at 9:13 AM on April 21, 2023
It's quite large for a backpack while still looking very "normal" and fitting under a plane seat. It unzips all the way around to be packed like luggage and includes an internal mesh separator for holding down clothes. It has several large pockets - I'm pretty sure the "smaller" front pocket is still bigger than the main pocket of my own medium-sized backpack. My partner is around 6' and has always found it to be very comfortable. He has used and abused it literally every single day for at least 5 years (including frequent use for one-bag travel - even as a management consultant with the attendant formal clothing) and it still looks almost flawless except for some wear on the back padding.
posted by mosst at 9:13 AM on April 21, 2023
self deleted - accidentally managed to respond to wrong question
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:46 AM on April 21, 2023
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:46 AM on April 21, 2023
I don't have this bag, but I have read very good things about the Osprey 26+6 bag. I have other Ospreys that have held up very well (and even one that they replaced when it was worn), so it's a solid brand.
I spend too much time lurking around r/onebag and r/heronebag, where people are pretty obsessed with solving this problem. If you want a large range of options, check out this spreadsheet. For personal item travel, you'll want to be in the 25-30L range, depending on the exact dimensions, airline, and how tight you want to be packed.
I also agree with the recommendations above to use packing cubes. They make it really easy to reconfigure for whatever your immediate needs are.
posted by oryelle at 10:03 AM on April 21, 2023
I spend too much time lurking around r/onebag and r/heronebag, where people are pretty obsessed with solving this problem. If you want a large range of options, check out this spreadsheet. For personal item travel, you'll want to be in the 25-30L range, depending on the exact dimensions, airline, and how tight you want to be packed.
I also agree with the recommendations above to use packing cubes. They make it really easy to reconfigure for whatever your immediate needs are.
posted by oryelle at 10:03 AM on April 21, 2023
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posted by saladin at 12:55 PM on April 20, 2023