Able Carry Daybreaker Review
Able Carry launched their first bag (the Daily, which we reviewed) on Kickstarter and since then they’ve become a reputable company. The Daybreaker backpack is their latest bag and first step outside of everyday office carry. It’s described as an “ultralight activity pack,” designed for spontaneous outings. While spontaneous outings are sparse these days, this bag came with me whenever I could make them happen. Read on to see if this is the bag I’d want to bring when adventuring at the break of day (ha, ha, see what I did there? Also let’s be real — 90% of the time I be asleep at day break).
Disclaimer: The Daybreaker was provided by Able Carry as a sample for review. While we are grateful when companies send us a bag, we only accept if they’re explicitly OK with us publishing our honest thoughts and opinions, whether positive or critical.
Quick Overview
Some specs are conveniently printed inside the bag:
- 25 L capacity
- Two fabric variations: Castle Grey X-PAC VX21(what we have) and Black Cordura Ripstop 210D Nylon
- Top-loading, U-zipper main compartment with internal sleeve
- Internal zippered mesh pocket on the lid
- External side zippered pocket with key leash
- Single side water bottle pocket with elastic/pleated expansion
- Padded and contoured shoulder straps, with simple top and side handles
Build and Aesthetics
A “Shell Backpack” is an accurate description of the Daybreaker. Apart from the external fabric, there’s no internal lining save for some black pack cloth along the back. This single material gives the bag a deceptively simple and minimal look.
Nevertheless, there is much more to the design than meets the eye. It’s hard to comment on aesthetics without mentioning construction because they’re pretty intertwined. The profile and shape of the bag is sleek and slim, and this is achieved by what I assume is patterning that had to be dialed-in.
The way the bag is put together helps the Daybreaker maintain its shape despite being a shell backpack.
There’s a semi-rigid piece of foam in the back panel that acts as a framesheet, providing structure so the bag doesn’t become a floppy mess when empty. The seatbelt webbing sewed along the bag has some robust stitching, and the way it connects to the ends of the shoulder straps is pretty unique. Typically the shoulder strap webbing is sewn to flaps/wings near the bottom of the bag, but in the Daybreaker they sort of wrap around the bottom, forming part of Able Carry’s signature “A-frame” that prevents the bag from becoming saggy at the bottom.
I do like the look of the bag and its torpedo-esque proportion. Even though only one side has a water bottle pocket, Able Carry still managed to create a pretty balanced silhouette. I also appreciate the not-in-your-face branding similar to Able Carry’s other products. The Daybreaker has “Able Carry” printed in small letters near the bottom, on one of the shoulder straps, and on the inside.
Specific to the X-PAC variant, the X pattern on the fabric is pretty noticeable for the grey. Some may like it (like I do), and others might not.
Harness/Carry
Shoulder Straps
Another area where the Daybreaker distinguishes itself from other shell backpacks is the shoulder straps. They are legit padded and wide to provide ample support for denser loads, which the Daybreaker can handle despite being a single layer of fabric. The straps also are also attached with some triangular reinforced stitching that appears throughout the bag. Most shell backpacks tradeoff shoulder strap robustness for portability, which isn’t always the best decision if the bag can technically hold a lot of stuff. Personally, I’d much rather have the comfortable straps.
Unlike the Daily, the sternum strap is adjustable via webbing loops and thus removable. It utilizes plastic hardware to stay wedged in the loop, but they feel pretty robust and are securely affixed. I do not imagine these accidentally falling out compared to other bags that use a similar attachment mechanism. On the Daily, I wished I could adjust the sternum strap lower than it allows. Fortunately the Daybreaker has a more appropriate range for me.
The back panel has no mesh or air ventilation. And given the waterproofness of XPAC, sweat is just going to stay trapped on your back. While I understand this simplifies the bag in every way (e.g. construction, aesthetics, weight), I do wish there was something similar to the Daily for something positioned as an activity/outdoor pack.
Handles
In addition to backpack mode, there are 3 handles on the top and sides that allow for hand carry. These are very simple and consist of a single layer of unpadded webbing. The simplicity contributes to the bag’s sleek shape, especially the side handles which can be quite flush with the bag. Think of these as utilitarian grab handles rather than carry handles for comfort. They’re attached to the bag with triangular reinforced stitching so I’m not worried about them coming apart under repeated heavy loads.
Functional Design
The Daybreaker is essentially a hauler. The main compartment is a deep bucket that’s great for just stuffing things in without worrying about arranging or organizing them. When I visited the office to pack more of my desk belongings to bring home, that’s just what I did, and it works well for that purpose. Because you only have access from the top, it’d be difficult to optimize packing lay out like you could with a clamshell opening.
Also inside the main compartment is a sleeve and a loop above it, convenient for storing and hanging a water bladder. However, it is odd that there’s no port/passthrough for the hydration tube. This means it’s gotta come out between the zippers, which compromises the weather resistance of the bag that is otherwise made with very weather resistant materials.
Technically you could store your laptop in the sleeve as well, but it’s not padded and a shell backpack usually isn’t the best option for computing equipment.
Internal Mesh Pocket
If you really want to separate small items for larger ones, there is a zippered mesh pocket underneath the top “lid.” The opening is along the side rather than horizontally across the top, which is a little unusual. I asked Able Carry about this design decision and they said that during user testing with a horizontal opening, people often did not zip the pocket closed so when they opened the main compartment, items would fall out of the mesh pocket.
While a vertical opening is an effective approach to that problem, I personally dislike it and find it cumbersome. At first I thought maybe I could access this pocket by swinging the bag in front over one shoulder, but it’s too close to the top to be accessible. And even when I do take the bag off and open the top without setting the bag down, it just feels awkward to have to work with a vertical zipper. It also is difficult to grab items all the way to the right because the opening is relatively short. My hands are on the larger side so it’s even more of a hassle to reach in. If the opening was horizontal across the top, there’d be easier access to the whole width of the pocket. All I can say is…darn you people who don’t zip up pockets all the way!
Another consideration with the internal mesh pocket is it can cause the bag to be top-heavy, which, if the main compartment is not sufficiently filled, makes the balance a little awkward.
Side Quick Access Pocket
On one side of the bag is a quick access zippered pocket (with a zipper garage, which I appreciate). The inside is larger than it looks as it has a trapezoidal shape and the opening is along the shorter edge. The contents of this pocket are housed in mesh and are visible from in the main compartment since there’s no internal lining.
Again, for my hands this pocket is a little hard to retrieve specific items if there’s multiple things inside. Because of the short opening there’s not much room to maneuver inside, especially when the bag is moderately packed out. I typically keep my Anker external battery and lightning cable in here. There is a key leash but I usually don’t use them as they tend to tangle with other items inside.
As an aside, I really like the Hypalon zipper pulls on all the external zippers. They are cut with rounded corners for comfort and have a slight grippy texture for ease of pulling.
Side Water Bottle Pocket
The water bottle pocket does its job and is fairly deep to accommodate taller bottles. There is elastic at the top that is quite tight, making it hard to just slip your bottle in one handed, but it does give assurance that bottles won’t slip out with movement or when bending down.
A 1 L Nalgene can fit in here, provided the main compartment isn’t packed out and you’re OK with really stretching out the top elastic. But I’d recommend using bottles with a smaller girth for ease of use. The pocket is pleated and allows for a lot of room at the bottom.
External Attachments
Despite the bag’s smooth exterior, there are actually a number of loops and attachment points available should you desire to use them. I typically don’t need them, but if you’re a person who uses gear loops or carabiners to clip on miscellaneous things, the Daybreaker gives you options, including the bottom.
Design Use Case
What core use case does the Daybreaker excel at?
For me, the ultimate question is what core use case does the Daybreaker excel at? An “activity pack” is kind of broad, and while it has some great features and characteristics (ultralight, weather-proof, robust straps), it’s missing some that I would like for hiking or running (air channels, simple hip strap, and hydration port passthrough). As such, in my testing I’ve used it mainly for random hauling (office moving, grocery shopping), casual walks/hikes, and as a sport bag (when I don’t necessarily need to be wearing it often, e.g. tennis). However, there isn’t really anything about the Daybreaker that makes it uniquely well-suited for these situations, even if it does perform well in them.
As of now, the best scenario for this bag I can imagine (for me anyways) is as a travel day pack. While it may not be a “packable” backpack, it does store very flat and doesn’t weigh much. The padded straps and baseline features/organization would be much appreciated when touring around at my destination.
Things that I’d change if I could:
- Horizontal zipper opening for the internal mesh pocket
- Wider access to main compartment — perhaps having the zipper go further down on one side. Even if it’s not full clamshell, a wider opening provides more flexibility and convenience in packing. I realize the black Aquaguard zipper may compromise the balanced aesthetic, so I’d have to see if the tradeoff is worth it
- Mesh padding on back panel like the Daily — this would likely make it my go-to for day hikes. As it is now, I’m unlikely to use it for substantial hiking because of back sweat.
- Passthrough/port for a hydration tube
Summary
You should consider the Daybreaker if:
- Ultralight is a high priority, but not at the expense of poor build and uncomfortable straps
- You want a portable bag that still keeps some structure, and don’t wanna fuss with organization
- You dig the sleek aesthetic but still need utilitarian features like a water bottle pocket and external attachment options
- Weather-resistance is important
It might not be a great fit if:
- You’re looking for a new work/computing backpack, or a dedicated hiking pack
- You require wide/clamshell opening and more built-in organization
- Your hands are really big
The Daybreaker is $126 for the grey XPAC and $108 for black Cordura. For a shell backpack with pretty simple features, it is definitely not cheap. You’re paying a premium for high quality build and a sleek design. That’s why I’d advise you to really think about what use cases the bag would suit for you, and if those use cases happen frequently enough to justify the purchase. And if you’re on the fence, Able Carry offers a 14-day test run, and a lifetime warranty that I personally know they honor.
Thanks for reading our review! As always reach out to us on Instagram if you have any questions or just want to talk bags.
