Disclaimer: Our Momentum Backpack was provided to us by Alpaka. We are hugely grateful for the chance to try it, but we also caveat that we provide our honest opinions in the reviews, both the positives and the negatives.

Overview

I’ve been using the Momentum for the past month as my EDC backpack for work. This 22L backpack has a minimal amount of internal organization and is incredibly light. In the nearly-clamshell opening main compartment, I can fit my laptop and charger, a notebook, a wireless keyboard, a pouch with my headset and wireless mouse, my glasses case, a water bottle, and various small items (e.g., keys, pens, hand sanitizer, etc.), and a small lunchbox comfortably in the main compartment.

There is one internal zipped pocket, an internal water bottle holder, and two external zipped pockets (though one is a hidden flat pocket on the back panel). So, if you like things very organized, some org pouches would be helpful.

The key feature you’ll notice about the Momentum backpack is the technical fabric. It uses Alpaka’s custom-engineered Axodyne material, which has the feel of a slightly stiffer X-Pac or tarp, and seems to be highly weather-resistant.

Pros

• Very light weight (1.55 lbs.)
• Good weather protection with the Axodyne material
• Comfortable padding and airflow on the back panel

Cons

• Minimal organization; will force you to use an org pouch
• No true quick-access pocket
• Lack of padding everywhere except the back panel

Organization

• Main compartment — Where all the volume of the backpack is. Has a laptop sleeve (can fit a 16" MBP) with a Velcro strap to secure the laptop. The laptop sleeve has a small false bottom but with no padding on the bottom of the backpack (or anywhere else aside from the back panel).
• Internal zipped pocket — At the top, against the front wall of the main compartment is a zipped, mesh pocket. It’s 6" x 9.5" (H x W) and is a good place for cables, pens, etc. The mesh is pretty thin, but that aligns with the lightweight design of the backpack.

• Internal water bottle pocket — In the bottom left corner of the main compartment is a water bottle sleeve. It’s made of the same Axodyne material as the rest of the backpack and is not elasticated, though it is wide enough to fit a 1L Nalgene bottle. Since this is an internal pocket, you’ll need to trust the lid of your water bottle is secure. Or accept that your gear may get dripped on. My preference is always for external water bottle pockets because I like the easier access and peace of mind of not having everything inside the backpack get wet.
• Front admin compartment — The top of the front panel has a zipped 8" x 10” (H x W) admin compartment; the horizontal zipper opening is about 1.5" down from the top. It only has two 5" x 5" slip pockets and a magnetic key tether. So, even this pocket on its own has pretty minimal organization.
• Hidden back pocket — On the back panel is a 6" x 7" (H x W) hidden zipped pocket. Since it’s right against your back, I would only use this for flat items, like a passport.

I say that the Momentum backpack doesn’t have a true quick access pocket because to really use the front admin compartment, you’ll need to take the backpack off. The hidden back pocket can act as a quick access pocket, but only for very flat items, like a passport or boarding pass.

Additional Features

• Grab handle — Very standard grab handle at the top of the backpack. The handle is just made of a folded piece of Axodyne with a thin piece of padding sewn inside.
• Hanging loop — Interesting that Alpaka included a loop on the back panel to hang your backpack. I don’t know if it’s a critical feature to have if one of the focuses of the bag is to shave weight and you can often use the top grab handle to hang the backpack anyways.
• Luggage passthrough — The luggage passthrough is pretty simple and is made of 1.5" webbing. It’s oriented to allow you to use the passthrough while keeping the backpack upright. The strap itself feels a bit loose, though it hasn’t really gotten in the way when not in use.
• Sternum strap — The Momentum backpack has a removable sternum strap with a magnetic center buckle. It hooks onto the shoulder straps via daisy chains along shoulder straps.
• Hypalon attachment loops — Each shoulder strap has a couple Hypalon loops for your glasses or carabiner. Alapaka also has modular attachments you can add there.

Construction and Comfort

As mentioned above, the Momentum backpack is 22L. It measures 18.9" x 11.8" x 6.7" (H x W x D) and comes in at 1.55 lbs., which is very light for a backpack this size. The bag is made of a couple layers of Axodyne, Alpaka’s custom-engineered composite fabric that laminates UHMWPE fibers into a nylon mesh to create this heat-bonded layer. Alpaka has a few different custom and proprietary materials, and it’s always great to see companies show off their R&D innovation. The Axodyne feels pretty robust, though looks thin. You can actually see through the backpack.

Since it’s a custom material, I don’t have any past experience with this. In principle, it sounds like a good approach to improving the tear resistance of the material while minimizing weight and from my limited use so far, I would agree that it is very weather-resistant. I had the pleasure of getting caught in a rainstorm without an umbrella and after a few minutes, I was completely drenched but everything inside the backpack was perfectly dry.

The hardware also feels very robust. The zippers are YKK #8 and #5RCz Aquaguard. The shoulder straps’ adjustor buckles are metal, while the sternum strap is plastic. No concerns about craftsmanship, which is what we’ve seen in all of Alpaka’s gear. There is reinforced stitching at all the load-bearing points with bartack stitching, though the top of the shoulder straps seem to have a bit less bartack stitching than I typically see in EDC backpacks.

The shoulder straps are contoured and have a mesh-lined padding on the underside. They’re relatively comfortable overall, but also a bit narrow. Even though the backpack is so light, a fully packed 22L backpack can start to weigh down on your shoulders. The back panel has the same mesh-covered padding with an airflow channel running down the middle. The foam padding is relatively light as well, pretty similar to an open-cell foam. So, the backpack would be very comfortable if you’re carry is not too heavy. But with a heavier load, like laptop, tablet, a few books, etc., you may start to really feel it against your shoulders or your trapezius.

Additional Notes

The Momentum backpack has a relatively flat bottom, so it CAN stand upright, but like many bags it depends on how you pack it. With just a laptop, it will not stand. The Axodyne material does not have the structural stiffness to support that.

Similarly, because the Axodyne is not a very stiff material, when the main compartment is empty, the backpack can look a bit frumpy. Particularly if you’ve got things in the front admin compartment.

Conclusion

The Momentum backpack works well for someone who cares a lot about weight or who wants to have a technical bag and is okay with not having a ton of organizational options. Using your own org pouch will help a lot. It provides great weather resistance so would also be good for commuting on public transit. It could also work as a carry-on or personal item for a flight.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the Alpaka Momentum Backpack and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

Alpaka Momentum Backpack was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Alpaka Gear provided the Traverse 38 as a sample for review. We’re grateful for the opportunity to test the bag and as always we only share our honest opinions, positive and critical. This review contains affiliate links.

Overview

• 38 L volume. Anecdotally, this feels slightly overestimated, as I think it has similar capacity as the Evergoods CTB 35 L. Regardless, it’s a large backpack, definitely oversized for EDC.
• Somewhat weighty at 4.6 lbs
• Dedicated large laptop compartment, clamshell main compartment, side pockets, and front pockets of various sizes
• Top handle, sternum strap, and built-in waist straps
• Comes in Axoflux 400D ripstop nylon, which feels similar to ripstop Robic nylon

Organization

The layout of the Traverse 38 is pretty standard — a large main compartment for clothes and large pouches or packing cubes, a dedicated compartment for your laptop, and admin and quick access pockets on the front.

In the main compartment I was able to easily fit 3ish packing cubes of various sizes, a large Dopp kit, and a few medium and small pouches. For loose items like swimming goggles that didn’t fit in my existing pouches I stashed in the stretch zippered pockets behind the front panel. There are also two smaller stretch zippered pockets on the interior side of the main compartment, which could fit things like a thin wallet or passport, but I didn’t need to use them for this trip. I’m happy with the space provided — it fits my (summer) clothes and toiletries for a week and has plenty of “buffer” space for a jacket and souvenirs.

The laptop compartment is quite large, unsurprisingly. It swallows a 16" MacBook Pro, and I can still fit a pouch on top for my power cord and Logitech MX Master 3. It has a soft scratch-free fleece lining, but there’s no additional organization inside (hence the pouch to keep my computing accessories colocated with my laptop). I wish it had a built-in pocket near the top for these like some other bags, but not a deal breaker.

The front has 3 pockets — a larger vertical slash admin compartment, a smaller half-size vertical pocket, and a shallow horizontal pocket for glasses or other things you don’t want getting scratched up. The vertical slash admin compartment has two pen slots, two slip pockets, and some open volume. My slim water bottle pocket fits comfortably inside alongside a power bank, small MUJI notebook, keys, and pens.

The half-size vertical pocket has its opening opposite the larger vertical slash pocket and is also a convenient size for a small notebook. It’s not totally flat, but I wouldn’t put anything that could get squished in here.

I did actually like having all of these options, it felt like if I needed to pack some other thing there was a place I could put it to keep things relatively organized. However, there are definitely redundant places where you could put certain items so that can lead to some packing analysis-paralysis. For example, a power bank could arguably find a well-fitting spot in any of those pockets. Still, it’s nice to have options.

Speaking of options, there’s more quick access pockets on the side. One side has a large, zippered pocket for a water bottle (a 32 oz Hydroflask fits comfortably) or other large bulky items. It’s not a stretchy pocket but it’s tall and has some volume to it so it doesn’t really push into the main compartment. The other side has a smaller, slimmer zipper pocket which is quite perfectly sized for a small notebook or passport. Again, lots of options for handheld-size objects in this bag.

One minor complaint — there’s an integrated magnetic key leash included compatible with Alpaka Gear’s HUB system. But the key ring component is kind of hard to detach and re-attach, so unless you’re fully invested in the HUB system, moving keys from one bag to another is a pain.

Comfort

The straps on the Traverse 38 are decent. They have a mix of soft and firmer foam, but definitely not as firm as say a Goruck bag. At 38 L, the bag can get quite heavy when fully loaded and I think the straps themselves could benefit from being a smidge wider or firmer. I would be curious to see how well the padding holds up over the long term, as these already feel soft enough to be broken-in.

Yes, you can use the waist belt and yes, it does help support the weight. I used it while walking through airports and in 113 degree heat in Las Vegas and the difference is significant. But, I know not a lot of people like using hip belts. For those people, luckily you can easily stow the waist pad/belt into the back panel. They stow easily because the waist pads themselves are very soft and thin.

The back panel has some nice, raised cushioning which helps with airflow and comfort. It’s also stiff enough to not bend or flex outward which I appreciate.

There is a padded top handle, but I have one real complaint with it — it’s too flush against the bag. I feel like my hands have to really hunt for it when trying to pull it up from under the seat in front of me (yes, the Traverse 38 fits comfortably there on medium-size planes). I place my bag straps down in front of me, and the position of the top handle is on the back of the bag. Because the handle is so flush, it’s actually hard to pull the bag up when you need to get something. Making the top handle a little longer so that it hangs a little above the bag would be a noticeable quality of life improvement.

The side handle doesn’t have this issue and is much easier to grab, but I use it much less than I use the top handle.

Construction and Design

The exterior Axoflux 400D and interior 300D fabric held up just fine. They’re soft enough to allow overpacking but not so much to make the bag floppy. Overall, the bag remains well-structured even when empty. While the bottom is very nearly flat, it doesn’t stand on its own unless you have substantially loaded the main compartment.

There’s also a horizontal luggage pass-through strap that rests between the raised cushioning on the back panel that serves its purpose well and gets out of the way when you don’t need it.

The bag seems well constructed. Stitching all seemed neat and I didn’t see any loose threads. That said, my use has been limited so I can’t really speak to its durability. Alpaka uses good quality hardware across their product line so overall I don’t have a concern.

A few things I thought could be better:

• Use of #8 YKK zippers on the main compartment felt a little puny compared to the size of the bag. #10’s would’ve felt better in my opinion.
• The felt/fleece lining is soft, but it does feel kind of cheap and thin.
• The stretch mesh used for the internal elastic sleeve in the main compartment feels a little cheap/not that durable — I feel like the woven stretch fabric used for the interior zipper pockets is better.
• Mentioned already, but that top handle length/placement. I wouldn’t have thought this would be an issue had I not used other bags that had top handles that are much easier to grab

A neutral note — the bag is pretty tall (almost 20 inches) and heavy (4.6 lbs). So, for shorter folks, it may not be the best fit unless you want to look like a ninja turtle.

Summary

Overall, I’d recommend the Traverse 38L as a one bag travel solution. It doesn’t have any novel or unique features, but it’s got the capacity for travel and the organization for EDC. While I wouldn’t want to EDC this bag at my destination, it’s great for business trips where you want to consolidate your clothes and your computer and you won’t be sightseeing much. The organization offers a lot without feeling overwhelming or overly prescriptive, so I always felt like there was a place for that one extra thing.

Now the price. $270. It does sound like a lot (and it is, for a backpack). But compared to other brands like Aer and Evergoods, it is a fair price for a bag this size. I do feel like larger zippers for the main compartment are warranted at this price, but in the end the bag still served me well without real complaints other than the top handle being hard to grab.

Thanks for reading our review! Check out what else we’re testing on our Instagram!

Alpaka Gear Traverse 38L Backpack Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Overview

• 16-ish L capacity
• Single compartment with internal organization and exterior quick access pockets, including a spacious front slash pocket and rear flat pocket
• Corduroy lined laptop sleeve in the main compartment with exterior side zipper access
• S-curved straps (a first for Greenroom136)
• Dual stretch side pockets
• Was available in various fabrics: Cordura, EPX400, X-Pac VX42, and Multicam Black
• Relatively lightweight (for Greenroom136) at 2.6 lbs

This is Greenroom136’s take on a smaller daypack, which was largely by popular request during the BYC suggestions period. Being BYC, it has some experimental features and layout which is fun to see, in addition to various configurations and colors/fabrics to select from. While it’s not a polished design with very many iterations, the pack still incorporates Greenroom136’s experience in pack building so the quality is no less than their standard offerings.

Organization

Despite being based on the Northseeker backpack, the BYC version is a very different bag.

• Single clamshell main compartment instead of having both a main compartment and dedicated admin compartment.

• Built-in laptop sleeve instead of a modular separate Bookpouch with both main compartment access as a standard sleeve and external side zipper access — the biggest and most novel part of the bag. The laptop sleeve also has a non-padded document or tablet sleeve stacked in front of it. This organization replaces the standard back wall pocketing on the regular Northseeker, which didn’t really have a dedicated laptop compartment. The sleeve is large enough to fit a 16” MacBook Pro, which is great because I just got one for work.

• Taller dual stretch side bottle pockets instead of non-stretchy stubby ones. These are much easier to use and can accommodate more bottles. They stretch outward instead of taking up space inside the main compartment. However, they do have kind of a scrunchy/wrinkled rim.

• Top small quick access “sunglasses” pocket behind the top handle instead of rear top access to the main compartment — this pocket has ultrastretch interior with minimal sagging into the main cavity. Provides a little extra volume when you need it but otherwise stays out of the way when you don’t. The zipper opening for this pocket also runs almost the whole width of the bag which makes it much more accessible even for bigger hands.

• Front vertical pocket has interior organization — 2 zippered mesh pockets and some webbing for clipping pens, knives, or a flashlight. There’s also a keyleash with a magnetic buckle.

• Rear, almost full-height vertical zipped pocket — this is a flat pocket suitable for travel documents you want to keep secure but still be able to access quickly. On the standard Northseeker, the rear zippered pocket is a bit shorter.

What I like about the BYC Northseeker is that at its core it’s a very simple bag. You can just dump stuff in the main compartment and front slash pocket and still feel like you’re using the bag as intended since the bag isn’t that large, or you can use the “pro features” and try to utilize the internal organization and other quick access pockets available to you.

The simplicity plus plethora of external and internal pockets makes the bag a versatile choice for many use cases: office EDC, travel day outings, parenting/diaper bag, or even overnight trips. I’ve used it for all of these scenarios during my testing.

Comfort

Another new thing that Greenroom136 tried for the BYC Northseeker is S-curved straps instead of their wide J-straps. They also removed the load lifter buckles which exposes a short amount of wide webbing that attaches the straps to the backpack itself. Apart from that, the straps are otherwise similar — D-rings on the front, D-rings at the ends to quickly loosen the straps, and webbing for attaching a sternum strap.

In general, the S-straps are fine. I don’t think they feel noticeably better or worse than the J-straps, which I do find comfortable as well. But I did notice that the straps tend to twist more when putting on the bag, and the strap buckles/D-rings at the ends can press into my body when tightened to a certain extent. The strap edges also mildly dig into the sides of my torso more than the original straps. Of course your experience may vary based on your body shape. My verdict on the straps is that the original shape is better for me.

While there is a foam panel on the back, it’s not rigid and can bend quite a bit. If you have a laptop in the sleeve, that’s what’ll provide rigid structure.

One thing I was worried about was the gatekeepers on the luggage strap digging into my back when I have it attached. But I was pleasantly surprised to find I didn’t feel them at all, maybe because my back doesn’t make contact with the bag near the edges.

One other note on comfort: if the rear flat pocket has anything even remotely not flat, you’ll feel it in the middle of your back. This includes even the removable luggage pass through strap’s gatekeepers. That means even a slim power bank or other items with some thickness shouldn’t go in this pocket even if they fit.

Construction and Craftsmanship

Greenroom136 bags are known to be made with overbuilt premium materials, so while this bag is smaller, it doesn’t skimp on the signature material palette. Weight is 1.2 kg or 2.65 lbs, so pretty hefty for a compact bag but not in “heavy” territory. Craftsmanship is also great, with no signs of wear or stitching coming loose after a few trips.

In terms of construction design, however, there are some rough edges that give away the prototype limited nature of the bag.

• The bottom of the bag is flat, and while it does not have built-in padding, it does have two layers of fabric. If that’s not enough you can also get a padded floor piece that sticks to the bottom via hook and loop. In concept I like it, but I think it would’ve worked better if the hook and loop were closer to the edge of the piece instead of one piece in the middle because when the bag is splayed open the floor padding edges can just stick out since they’re not actually adhered to the bottom of the bag.

• There’s a removable luggage pass-through strap that clips on two fabric lash points on the back of the bag. Again, I like this idea and I think I was one of the people who suggested it. But a weird aspect of it is the positioning is not symmetrical. Another unfortunate consequence is that the strap ends up overlapping the vertical zipper openings.

• The side zipper to the laptop sleeve is just barely long enough to fit a 13 inch MacBook Air, and a 14 inch MacBook Pro needs to be angled in and rotated up to fit. I wish it could’ve been even just a little longer to make it easier. The sleeve itself can fit a 16” MacBook Pro when accessed through the main compartment.

• Also, the rear vertical zipper mirrors the side laptop access zipper, so it’s not obvious which one opens which — you just have to remember that laptop access is from the right side when looking at the back of the bag.

There are some construction design details I do like:

• The zippers are very smooth and easy to operate, even around the corners. They’re also a chunky #10 zipper that feel like they’ll never break.
• Mentioned earlier but the fact that the top quick access zipper goes across the whole width of the bag so it’s easier to get my hand inside, plus the usage of ultrastretch material for the inside
• A feature that you don’t often see on bags this size that the BYC Northseeker has is side handles. There is your typical top handle as well, which does stick up quite a bit making it easy to grab. The side handles are a nice to have though admittedly I hardly used them.

Summary

The Greenroom136 BYC Northseeker is not the perfect bag, but I don’t think it was meant to be. The point of BYC is to try new things, source ideas from the masses, and prototype. It’s natural and expected for some rough edges. But that doesn’t mean the bag is bad or sloppy. In fact, I think this Northseeker is still very utilitarian and fun to use despite its experimental nature and I hope Greenroom136 uses it as a platform for future smaller backpacks.

Thanks for reading this review! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to see what else we’re testing.

Greenroom136 Northseeker BYC Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Our SHIFT Backpack was provided to us by KNKG. We are hugely grateful for the chance to try it, but we also caveat that we provide our honest opinions in the reviews, both the positives and the negatives. This review may also contain affiliate links.

Overview

The SHIFT is a 27-L office-to-gym backpack meant to help you transition smoothly from your desk and laptop to hitting the weights. It includes 3 top-loading compartments (with internal pockets and a 16" laptop sleeve), water bottle pockets, and water-resistant coating. At 27L, the SHIFT has enough space for a basic office carry, such as a laptop, headset, wireless mouse, notebook, laptop charger, glasses, and various small items (cables, writing utensils, etc.) plus a pair of gym shorts, t-shirt, and socks. Though you can fit more, one thing to keep in mind is that your work clothes (e.g., slacks, button-down shirt, undershirt, belt, and socks, will take up much more space than your gym clothes. So, while you CAN fit more than a basic work carry + gym clothes, you might not want to unless you plan to change back into your work clothes after your workout. Aside from the compartments, the key noticeable feature is the four compression/attachments straps over the side panels. The middle compartment has its own volume, so the main compartment isn’t quite 27 L; it feels more like 22 L in total (including the secondary middle compartment’s volume).

Pros

• Durable materials with waxed canvas and ripstop nylon lining
• Strong stitching with plenty of reinforcements

Cons

• Shoulders straps are not contoured, and you can feel them pinch against your armpit
• Compression straps get in the way of opening the two large compartments and the water bottle pockets
• Admin compartment’s zipper is in a trough, which can trap water

Organization

• Main compartment — This compartment has a lightly padded 16" laptop sleeve (but no false bottom). While a 16" laptop may be able to technically fit in the sleeve, the side walls of the main compartment would make it pretty difficult to get a 16" laptop in and out. On the front wall are two zipped, mesh pockets that are 6.5" x 10" (H x W) so you can store some bulky things in there like a laptop charger.
• Middle compartment — In front of the main compartment is a second compartment that has a bit of its own volume. It’s about 12.5" x 10.5" x 1.75" (H x W x D) in size and has a lightly padded tablet sleeve against the back wall and a zipped mesh pocket against the front wall. Though the zipper goes almost all the way down the side, the side straps get in the way so you may end up just opening the top of the compartment to use it.

• Admin compartment — In front of the middle compartment is an admin compartment with two 6" x 5" slip pockets inside. This compartment does not have its own volume, so stick to small or relatively flat items. The main issue I have with this compartment is that the zipper is in this little trough. So, in heavy rain (and I have been caught in heavy storms multiple times in the past month), water can easily pool right on the zipper, and seep through quickly.

• Dual water bottle pockets — The large, gusseted water bottle pockets on both sides of the bag are wide enough for 1L Nalgene bottles. The pockets themselves are not elasticated but there is an elastic cord with a cord lock if you have thinner bottles that you want to keep secure. It’s an extra step, though, so I would definitely have just preferred the bottle pockets themselves to be elasticated. I just ended up leaving the cord lock loose at all times. But another issue that introduced is that it leaves the water bottle pockets wide open. If you’re caught in rain, water will collect in the water bottle pockets, which do not have a drainage port. And given the decent water resistance of the fabric, the water will stay in the pocket for a little while.

Additional Features

• Compression/attachment straps — There are four compression straps made of 1.5" wide webbing: two on each side of the backpack. Though it looks like the straps run across the front face of the bag, they actually don’t and the portions on the front are just for style and are stitched directly into the front panel. The two upper straps attach to the front of the backpack via large G-hooks. If you leave those straps pretty loose, there is a chance that the G-hooks will accidentally come undone. Since the main compartment and middle compartment’s zipper go further down the side than these straps, I tended to only unzip the top of the compartments to use them. It’s too annoying to have to undo the G-hooks every time. The two lower straps do not have G-hooks and are attached to the front panel, but they do have adjuster straps so you can tighten them. As mentioned above, I kept these loose all the time so that I could more quickly use the water bottle pockets.

• Grab handles — The grab handle at the top of the backpack is folded nylon webbing. Very simple, but it works well.
• Lash points — The shoulder straps have both have a couple lash points made of 1" wide webbing. The width of the webbing can make it a bit tougher to use if you’re clipping a small carabiner.

Notably absent are a sternum strap and luggage passthrough, both of which you would expect in a typical EDC backpack.

Construction and Comfort

The SHIFT backpack is 17.3 x 11 x 7.9 inches (H x W x D), 27L in volume, and comes in at 2.9 lbs. It’s on the heavier side for an EDC backpack, but it uses some hefty materials and components. The exterior is a water-resistant Scottish waxed canvas from Halley Stevenson (cotton, waxed finish). The interior is a ripstop nylon.

Though the zippers are YKK, the main compartment and middle compartment’s zippers felt a bit sharp and scratchy to me, which slightly detracted from the user experience for me. The admin compartment uses a #8 RCz and the internal zippers are #5 RCz. At least those zippers are much smoother and don’t have sharp edges. The rest of the hardware is all metal, so those are super durable and you won’t have to worry about breaking them if you accidentally step on it. The craftsmanship on the backpack all looks very solid. There were no loose threads and plenty of reinforced stitching at all the key weight-bearing places. So overall, it’s a very durable and tough backpack.

The SHIFT backpack’s shoulder straps are not contoured and are pretty wide, so I can feel them pinching into my armpits every time I wear the backpack. The back panel has some sort of dual density foam (or a closed-cell foam padding sheet and open cell padding on top of that) and is mostly covered in mesh. But there is no real airflow, even with the mesh, so your back can get sweaty quickly. The shoulder straps have the same padding and mesh. The wall between the main compartment and middle compartment also has a thin layer of padding, as does the bottom of the backpack. These help provide a little bit of extra protection and also helps the backpack retain its shape and not fold over into an amorphous blob when empty.

Additional Notes

Final comment, since this is something that is important for some people — because the SHIFT is rectangular in design, including a flat bottom, it stands upright on its own quite well, especially if you’ve got a set of clothes in the main compartment along with your work EDC.

Summary

Overall, the SHIFT backpack is a durable and robust backpack. While it works as an office-to-gym backpack, there isn’t really anything about it that makes it specifically designed for that purpose, so it essentially is an office/EDC-focused backpack made by a manufacturer who focuses on gym bags. You can take a relatively large EDC or office backpack for the same purpose. There are some design choices that I would change — the zipper choice for the two larger compartments, the admin compartment’s zipper design, the water bottle pockets’ design, and the comfort of the shoulder straps and back panel. But it gets the job done and it will last you many years.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the KNKG SHIFT Backpack and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

KNKG SHIFT Backpack Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Overview

The Jumper invokes memories of the classic JanSport backpacks in that it has a minimal appearance. However, behind that modest appearance is a bag packed with intention. The Jumper converts between a camera backpack and an EDC backpack by using Velcro camera dividers in the bottom half of the main compartment and a removable partition between the bottom half of the main compartment and the top half.

The Jumper is 23 L and as a camera backpack, I can fit a DSLR body and 2 lenses (depending on their sizes), and a few accessories like a small flash diffuser or some spare batteries + a charger. The 18L version of the Jumper is better suited for a mirrorless setup + a couple lenses. In the top half, I can keep a notebook/book and a laptop charger, or I can store a small drone there instead, or a very light jacket. In the other compartments, I can carry my laptop, cables, and various small EDC items. On the outside of the Jumper, I can also carry a water bottle and a tripod. As an EDC backpack, I can carry my laptop, headphones, a mouse, wireless keyboard, a notebook, laptop charger, and glasses case, plus a water bottle and various small EDC items.

The main compartment is a top access zipper, as well as a U-shaped zipper on the side that lets you swing the backpack around on your right shoulder and quickly access your camera. Additionally, the bottom half of the Jumper’s front panel also has a U-shaped zipper that lets you open up the front panel, which is essential for using the camera dividers.

Pros

• Very discrete look for a camera bag
• Padded interior with modular camera dividers gives lots of flexibility

Cons

• Minimal ventilation or breathability on the back panel
• Not the most robust fabric (640D polyester exterior), and not ideal for water resistance

Organization

• Laptop Compartment — The back of the Jumper has a padded laptop sleeve that can fit 16" laptops. Though there is a bit of padding on the bottom, it doesn’t have a true false bottom. So not the greatest impact protection. This compartment is the only one that uses Aquaguard zippers, so at least you have some decent water resistance here. The 18L version also fits a 16" laptop.
• Main Compartment — This compartment is accessed via the top U-shaped zipper, the side quick-access zipper (very similar to what Boundary Supply did with their Prima backpack), or a front panel. The front panel opening is just the bottom half of the front panel with a zipper just behind the admin compartment. There is a middle partition that separates the bottom half (where the camera dividers are) and the top half, which is separated into its own section. The partition has Velcro on 3 sides so if you’re not using the camera dividers, it can be pulled off and stowed. The zipper that opens the camera section is very close to the admin compartment zipper, which can easily lead to grabbing the wrong pull. There is no organization for SD cards or batteries, even in the camera section, so it would be best to have a pouch or some form of your own organization for that. At the top of the front wall is also a zipped compartment where you can store your laptop charger or glasses case. Bulky items in there can make the opening to the bottom of the main compartment a bit tighter.

• Admin Compartment — The bottom half of the front panel has an admin compartment, which has 4 elasticated, mesh pockets — two along the back wall and two along the front wall. These work for a small wireless mouse, camera battery charger, some cables, or wireless earbuds. It can get really tight if you put 2 bulky items opposite of each other. If you’re comfortable dropping memory cards (in cases) into these slip pockets, that can be your card organization too.
• Front Pocket — In front of the admin compartment is a small front pocket with a horizontally zipped opening. This pocket doesn’t have any notable features, and I usually just kept some snacks in here. This pocket is also only on the Large version of this backpack (23L). The Regular size (18L) doesn’t have this pocket.

• Hidden Pocket — Mid-way up the side of the back panel is a small, zipped pocket for small, flat items like a passport or a thin wallet.
• Water Bottle Pocket — One water bottle pocket with an elasticated gusset. It’s large enough to fit a 1L Nalgene bottle well.

Additional Features

• Sternum Strap — Removable sternum strap that attaches via the daisy chain on the shoulder strap. Uses a side-release buckle in the middle and has an elastic portion.
• Luggage Passthrough — Wide luggage passthrough across the middle of the back panel. Allows you to keep the backpack upright when using the passthrough.
• Tripod Attachment Straps — Above the water bottle pocket is an adjustable attachment strap that goes across the side panel — hold a tripod in the water bottle pocket and use this strap to keep it more secure. This strap also has a G-hook. At the bottom of the backpack are two more adjustable straps so you can also hold the tripod under the bottom of the backpack instead. These straps, however, do not have a G-hook. So, you’ll need to loosen the straps to slide the tripod through and then re-tighten them.

Construction & Comfort

The Jumper is 18.25" x 11.5" x 6.5" (H x W x D) and 23L, which is a good size for an EDC backpack or a photographer who just wants to carry a more casual setup. It comes in at 2 lbs. — quite light for a 23L camera backpack with modular dividers. The 18L version of the Jumper is 16.25" x 10.5" x 5.5" (H x W x D) and 1.8 lbs. For someone who is 5'10 or taller, Brevite recommends the 23L Jumper. The 18L version may feel a bit too small on your shoulders and also looks small for someone taller.

The exterior fabric is a recycled 640D polyester, made from recycled water bottles. The interior lining is a 210D nylon. Neither of these are the most robust or water-resistant fabrics you’ll see in backpacks, particularly for a backpack meant to carry potentially thousands of dollars of camera equipment. It’s not terrible, especially together as a multi-layered backpack shell. But it’s not prioritizing protection. Additionally, the zippers around the main compartment are not Aquaguard or water sealed. Only the laptop compartment uses sealed zippers, though the main compartment does have a flap to cover the non-sealed zipper. The zippers are made by Zoom Zippers and the rest of the hardware is from Duraflex. The hooks and buckles all feel very robust and durable. Overall, the bag feels good to the touch, but I wouldn’t consider it premium and it wouldn’t have been my first choice of materials for a camera backpack.

In terms of comfort, I’d say the Jumper is mediocre. The back panel is padded but doesn’t have airflow. So, your back can get sweaty, especially when carrying camera gear on a hot day. The shoulder straps are noticeably narrow, which means a smaller surface area for the weight to sit on your shoulders. They are padded and contoured though, so it still feels okay and at least it doesn’t pinch your armpits.

Additional Notes

• The interior color matches the exterior, so with the black Jumper, the interior is all black, which can make it more difficult to find small items in the backpack.
• All the main compartment’s zippers, the admin compartment’s zippers, and the front panel pocket’s zipper can congregate in the same area, so you might end up accidentally grabbing the wrong zipper pull

• Brevite notes that the backpack is machine washable, which is super convenient. I have not tried it, so I can’t attest to how well it works, but it definitely beats having to hand wash

Summary

Overall, the Jumper offers great versatility, converting between a classic-looking EDC backpack and a discrete camera backpack. It works well for someone who is looking for a backpack that works for the office but can also take it on a trip where they are carrying a relatively basic camera setup. Where it does not stand out as much is in the fabric options. It uses materials that feel nice and light, but you lose a bit in weatherproofing. So it’s certainly not an adventure camera backpack, but good for a day out in the city.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the Brevite Jumper and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

Brevitē Jumper Camera Backpack (23 L) Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: The CPP2 20 was provided by Aer as a sample for review. We’re grateful for the opportunity to review the bag, and we publish our honest takes, positive and critical.

Overview

• 20 L capacity
• 3-ish compartment design with a dedicated laptop compartment separate from the clamshell main compartment (this is what distinguishes the City “Pro” line from the regular City line),
• Multiple small to medium-sized external access pockets
• Single side water bottle pocket
• Side handles and luggage pass-through
• Available in Cordura ballistic nylon, X-Pac VX-42, and Ultra400X fabric

The CPP2 20 is, as you would expect, very similar to the regular bigger City Pack Pro 2 backpack. The most noticeable difference is that the 20 L only has 1 bottle pocket whereas the 24 L has 2.

Perhaps more surprising is that the CPP2 20 and the Travel Pack 4 also share very essentially the same design/layout, with the main distinction (apart from volume) also being that the Travel Pack 4 has two water bottle pockets.

While the City Pack Pro 24 L is large enough for a weekender trip, the 20 L is definitely more compact and still squarely in everyday carry like its smaller sibling City Pack. The 20 L is unique in that it brings back the small side quick access pocket from the original City Pack Pro, which tracks with its greater focus on everyday carry.

Organization

What I like:

• Retention of a dedicated laptop compartment, which has not just a padded/soft-lined sleeve for a laptop, but an additional sleeve on the opposing side for documents or just chucking your power brick inside. Between the two sleeves is still space for other flat things. The laptop compartment essentially has 3 areas to partition items.

• Standard clamshell main compartment with a stretchy sleeve on the backwall and two zippered pockets behind the front panel. Pretty much standard for a log of bags these days. As usual, I never stored anything in the bottom interior zippered pocket.
• The front top “hatch” admin pocket. While it only has one zipper, I find it simplifies the motion needed to access and open it. I like that I can just use one hand to open it completely, and fold down the flap to reveal everything inside. The admin organization is also simple/minimal enough to not be overwhelming, yet functional to actually stow and organize several smaller items.

• The side quick access pocket with key leash — really convenient to reach for my keys without taking off the bag. Plus, the zipper can be tucked in between the flaps so it’s barely noticeable.

• Having a large-ish zippered dump pocket on the front — great for a light jacket, a compact pouch, or snacks
• The fact that the top quick access pocket uses a stretchy material and doesn’t sag too much into the main compartment

What I don’t like:

• I wish the laptop compartment had a sleeve/taco-style pocket that kept items in the upper part of the bag, instead of the deeper document sleeve it currently has. While I store my power brick in there, it just sinks to the bottom and easy to forget that it’s there.
• The tiny zipper tab for the top quick access pocket. I do appreciate that it’s not so dangly as the other zippers, but it is a noticeably harder to grab and open, especially with the Aquaguard zipper.

Materials and Construction

What I like:

• As with most of Aer’s products, the bag feels well constructed and long lasting with high quality fabrics and materials
• With the Ultra variant, I like the hypalon zipper pulls — nice and grippy
• Good quality ripstop lining and stretch fabric (for the top quick access pocket that drops in the main compartment as well as the side zip pocket), that doesn’t feel like will tear or wear out easily
• Counter-pull hypalon tabs on the main compartment and front bottom zippered pockets, and zipper garages in a few key places
• The bag is well structured but not overly rigid. This applies more specifically to the Ultra and X-Pac variants.
• Horizontal luggage pass-through!

What I don’t like:

• The bag doesnt stand on its own when lightly or moderately loaded — you have to fill out the bottom with something dense, but books that lean forward won’t cut it; they’ll contribute to the pack tipping forward.

• Aquaguard zippers throughout the exterior. For the laptop compartment I think it makes sense, but don’t particularly love the extra friction they create especially for the top quick access pocket, which already has the tiny zipper tab that’s hard to grab.
• Similar to other Aer bags, depending on where you tend to rest the zippers, there can be a lot of long zipper pulls congregating in one place. Especially the top front admin pocket and the main compartment’s zippers. Not a big deal, just takes a little more effort to find the right zipper you’re looking for.

Neutral:

• The shape of the bag tapers slightly at the bottom, which means the footprint of the bottom of the bag is smaller than you might expect.

Comfort

What I like:

• The shoulder straps are wide, have nice closed cell foam, and underlined with soft mesh. The bag is comfortable to wear!
• The back panel itself is nicely padded and has a natural concave curve to it. It’s not stiff but it also doesn’t just flex/bend by itself.
• The top and side handles are padded and smooth and edgeless; nothing digging into my hand when grabbing these to maneuver the bag. Just note that the side handles aren’t centered along the height of the bag so they’re not for briefcase carry, more for hauling.
• Sternum strap is easily adjustable by sliding along a rail of webbing, and also removable. One side has a stretchy part and it’s on the non-adjustable side (win!). That means if you need to you can tighten the sternum strap more compared to if the elastic strip was on the adjustable side.

Neutral:

• Magnetic sternum strap — sometimes the two pieces clip together themselves, and when that happens it’s a mild nuisance to have to separate them before putting on the bag.
• The bag isn’t particularly light (around 2.5 lbs for the Ultra variant), but it’s also not as heavy as other bags with the same feature set.

Aesthetics

Pretty much all the Aer bags in the city and travel collection look the same. Same general curved capsule-like shape, same mid-line zipper across the front. I like that the branding on the City Pack series is more subdued with tags off to the side rather than front and center logos.

The choice of fabric makes a big difference in the aesthetic. Ballistic nylon has that classic, traditional office professional look, whereas X-Pac and Ultra gives a more technical, futuristic slant on the otherwise ordinary shape and zipper lines. While the Ultra is slightly lighter in weight and incredibly strong, it does get wrinkled and develop a worn appearance over time that ballistic nylon, and I think even X-Pac, does not develop. Some wrinkle-prone areas are already noticeably more crinkled relative to other areas.

The available colors are all dark (black, navy blue, or olive), so there’s no bright or fun exterior colors. However, the X-Pac and Ultra variants have some brighter interior colors which are nice touches. Bright orange for X-Pac and a muted lime for the Ultra.

Summary

Just in the last year, the quality of compact everyday carry bags in the 18–22 L range has become quite competitive, and the CPP2 20 may be at the top for me. Its practical quick-access organization in combination with structured construction at a modest weight makes it so easy to integrate in life. The fact that you can get it in a special fabric like Ultra is pretty cool. Honestly, between the City Pack 16 L and the City Pack Pro 24 L, the CPP2 20 L hits a real sweet spot; I’d recommend it over the other 2 packs for most people looking for an everyday carry office bag.

Price ranges from $199 to $249, so the value is OK for a mass-produced backpack, but in the middle when it comes to comparable bags. Aer does run regular sales during holidays, so best to take advantage of one of those for a better value. For comparison, the EVERGOODS CTB20 retails at $270 for their regular solution-dyed nylon, the Alpha One Niner Evade 1.0 retails for $269 for the Ultra400 variant, and the CTactical CT15 Lite retails for $215 for the Ultra200 (shipping adds another $20 or so). I’m confidently guessing that Alpha One Niner and CTactical are smaller production studios compared to the quantities that Aer is producing so that’s something to bear in mind when comparing prices.

Thanks for reading this review! Check out our Instagram to see what else we’re testing!

Aer City Pack Pro 2 20 L Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Our Travel Pack 4 (28L) was provided to us by Aer. We are hugely grateful for the chance to try it, but we also caveat that we provide our honest opinions in the reviews, both the positives and the negatives.

Overview

• 1680D CORDURA ballistic nylon; also comes in X-Pac and Ultra400X (Challenge Sailcloth) versions
• 3.52 lbs. in weight
• 19.25 x 12.75 x 8 inches (H x W x D); 28 L volume
• Separate laptop compartment (up to 16")
• Dual water bottle pockets
• Internal framesheet for structure

The Travel Pack 4 features three main compartments (a laptop compartment, the main compartment, and an admin compartment) plus four additional external pockets. The main compartment has a clamshell opening that lets you pack very efficiently. For traveling, I can fit a medium-sized packing cube with clothing (13.75 x 9.75 x 3 inches), a Dopp kit, a case for headphones, a book, a case for glasses, and my laptop charger in the main compartment. For the office, I can use it to bring a notebook, headphones, a mouse, a keyboard, laptop charger, glass case, a set of gym clothes and sneakers in the main compartment. Both of these loadouts will mostly fully pack the main compartment, though you can overstuff it if you want. If you’re going on a longer trip (e.g., over a week long), the 28L might be too small, though of course it depends on how much you pack.

Pros

• Very durable construction and materials
• Good balance between large space for packing for travels and organizational pockets
• Large, elastic mesh water bottle pockets can hold a variety of sizes well and still stay out of the way when not in use

Cons

• Admin compartment only has one zipper
• Admin compartment’s opening can feel a little small
• On the heavier side for a backpack of this size

Organization

• Laptop compartment — The compartment has a laptop sleeve and large tablet sleeve. The laptop sleeve fits 16" laptops, is lined with microfleece, is padded, and has a false bottom.
• Main compartment — Plenty of cargo space and easy to pack with the clamshell opening. Also has a stretchy tablet sleeve on the back wall and two zipped pockets on the front wall. The one on top is 6.5 x 10.5 inches (H x W), though the zipper is 1.5 inches down from the top, slight stretchy, and has a small loop for your key leash. The one below is 8 x 10.5 inches (H x W) but is a bit less convenient to use without opening the clamshell all the way. Both pockets use a horizontal zipper. In the Travel Pack 3, instead of the lower pocket, there is a huge flat pocket with a vertical zipper along the side where you can keep your collared shirt nice and flat or your flip flops separate. Some people may miss this pocket. Some people won’t even notice.

• Admin compartment — The admin compartment has a zipped pocket about 6 inches deep, two slightly elasticated pockets (4.5 x 5.5 inches and 4.5 x 3.5 inches), a wide pen sleeve, and a removeable key leash. The entire compartment is about 9 inches deep, which is a significant change from v3, which had two rows of small pockets and was much deeper. This admin compartment only has 1 zipper, which has been a nuisance in my view, albeit a minor one. I also wish the zipped opening went down a little further to give you wider access.
• Front panel pocket — Beneath the admin compartment is an 11 x 11-inch zipped pocket. There aren’t any features in this pocket. Just extra space to keep your snacks.
• Quick access pocket — At the top of the backpack, between the laptop compartment and main compartment is a quick access pocket that is roughly the width of the whole backpack but only 2.75 inches deep. Compared to the v3, the v4’s pocket is not as deep. It also uses a soft elastic fabric instead of microfleece. With the size of smartphones today, I feel like the v4 reduced the size of this pocket a little too much. My S26 still fits no problem, but with a wallet, work badge, and keys, I can see a large phone having trouble fitting or just barely fitting. The nice thing about the reduced size, however, is that it doesn’t get in your way when packing the main compartment.
• Dual water bottle pockets — Deep, elastic mesh-like water bottle pockets on both sides of the backpack. Some people may feel like the elastic is a downgrade from the v3’s single water bottle pocket, which was a zipped pocket that expands when you unzip it to hold a bottle. I definitely prefer the v4’s redesign. It brings the pockets to the bottom of the side panels instead of having it around the middle of the side panel like the v3. The v3 design also required an extra step of unzipping the pocket in order to store your bottle. The v4’s elastic is stretchy enough to fit 1L Nalgene bottles with no trouble, but secure enough for thinner bottles like a medium S’well bottle.

Additional Features

• Smart tracker pocket — Small slot for your AirTag or Smart Tracker located at the top of the main compartment’s upper interior pocket.
• Sternum strap — Fully adjustable and removable sternum strap that is attached to webbing straps along the shoulder straps. It uses a Fidlock magnet and also has an elastic section, which the v3 did not have.
• Grab handles — Four grab handles. One on the top, one on the bottom, and one on each side panel. The v4 has the side grab handles more centered down the middle of the side panel, instead of closer to the back panel, where the v3 had them. But they’re also closer to the top due to the bottle pockets. The top grab handle on the v4 is behind the laptop compartment’s zipper (at the back edge of the top panel). The v3’s top grab handle was centered at the top of the bag. In any case, I love these grab handles. Though the bottom handle is just a piece of webbing, the other three are padded and easy to grab, but also stay out of the way when not in use.
• Load lifter straps — Pretty standard design, but they also have loops at the end of the webbing to make it easy to pull while wearing the backpack.
• Luggage passthrough — The luggage passthrough on the v4 runs horizontally, allowing the bag to sit upright when using the passthrough. On the v3, the luggage passthrough run vertically up the middle of the back panel, requiring you to lay the bag on its side to use.

• Counter pulls and lash points — The external zipper pulls are all Hypalon instead of the cord with plastic tab that the previous versions had. There are Hypalon counter pulls around the middle of the side panels to use when opening/closing the lower front panel pocket and a pair at the bottom corners of the front panel, giving you leverage when opening/closing the main compartment all the way. The shoulder straps each have a Hypalon lash point as well. On the v3, these were webbing.
• D-rings — Similar to the v3, there are a pair of D-rings toward the top of the side panels (one on each side) and on one shoulder strap for whatever you wanted to attach.
• Compression straps — There are none! Just calling this our because it’s a significant design change from the v3. It gives the bag a cleaner look. And the water bottle pockets are pretty deep. Still, if you wanted to carry a tall item like a tripod, it may be difficult using only the water bottle pockets.

Construction and Comfort

The 28L version of the Travel Pack 4 is 19.25 x 12.75 x 8 inches (H x W x D) and comes in at 3.52 lbs., which is a bit on the heavier side for a 28L backpack. It uses 1680D CORDURA ballistic nylon for the exterior and a lightweight ripstop nylon for the interior. Both fabrics are bluesign approved. Though it’s not a technical material, 1680D ballistic nylon will have some natural water resistance, and is very robust. This is partly why the bag weighs so much and feels quite beefy.

The zippers are all YKK and seem like #8 RCz for the admin and laptop compartment, and #10 for the main compartment and lower front panel compartment. I’m not quite sure why the front panel compartment uses such a large zipper when the other compartments use #8. The laptop compartment’s zipper is Aquaguard. The plastic hardware is Duraflex and all feels as durable as you’d want a travel backpack to be. Overall, the craftsmanship is also top notch, and the anchor points all have reinforced stitching. This backpack will last many years.

The back panel has four quadrants of mesh-covered soft padding with an airflow channel running down the middle. The padding feels like some type of open-cell padding against the firm framesheet. The shoulder straps are contoured and have a dual density padding. Altogether, the Travel Pack 4 is quite comfortable, in my opinion, particularly for a larger EDC backpack.

Additional Notes

While you can get the Travel Pack 4 to stand up on its own, you have to pack with heavy flat items on the bottom. The bottom of the bag tapers slightly so it doesn’t have the widest base. So, the backpack tends to lean/fall forward.

The first few weeks I was using the bag I tended to mix up the zipper pulls between the main compartment and the admin compartment because those zippers are so close to each other (less than an inch apart). The zipper pulls on Aer backpacks are rather long and this isn’t something isolated to the Travel Pack 4. Even in the Tech Pack and City Pack, if you leave the zippers in the same general area, you can get confused on which compartment’s zippers you are grabbing.

Lastly, while I think the 28L size fits me well, I can certainly see the 35L version being too bulky on someone smaller. For reference, I’m 5'11 and over 200 lbs.

Summary

Overall, the Travel Pack 4 is a fantastic backpack. The 28L version is a great large EDC that I use for work and the gym. It’s also great for short term travel. I’ve used it on week-long trips with enough space for all my clothes and gear, though I tend to pack relatively light. If you find yourself struggling to fit all your work gear in a 20L backpack, or if other travel backpacks in the 35–40 L range are just too big for your style, this could definitely be the backpack for you. While some people don’t agree with the changes from the v3 to v4, I am a fan of most of them and the only things I’d really change are putting a second zipper on the admin compartment and allowing the admin compartment’s zipper to open a tiny bit further. It’s definitely a backpack that I’m going to keep and use often.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the Aer Travel Pack 4 and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

Aer Travel Pack 4 (28L) Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: The Evade 1.0 was provided by Alpha One Niner as a sample for review. Nevertheless we always publish our honest opinions, positive and critical.

Overview

• 21 L volume (but packs larger, closer to 24 L)
• 3 compartment design — dedicated laptop compartment, main compartment, and admin compartment
• Two front quick access pockets — one at the top and one at the bottom
• Dual stretch water bottle pockets
• Self-standing structure and beefy harness with adjustable sternum strap
• Travel-friendly with luggage pass-through
• Available-ish in Ultra400TX, X-Pac X42, or 500D Cordura

First, let’s just call out what changed between the Evade 1.0x and the new Evade 1.0.

• The 1.0x, being special edition, was made only in X50 X-Pac, had Aquaguard zippers, and had leather zipper pulls and leather top handle. The new 1.0 is more “standard issue”. While the Ultra400TX variant is definitely the premium pick, it still uses RC zippers, 17337 textured webbing, and paracord zipper pulls with a grippy plastic grabber. The standard pulls are much easier to use. 👏
• The 1.0x was not a true full clamshell opening — the zippers stopped an inch or two from the bottom. The new 1.0 has a true clamshell opening with the main compartment zippers going all the way to the bottom, just slightly underneath the bag so the front panel can drop completely open. 👏
• The 1.0x’s bottom front zipper pocket had a rain flap, which made it hard to open sometimes and know whether it was zipped or not. The new 1.0 removes the rain flap altogether. 👏
• The 1.0x had a vertical luggage pass-through on the back which meant you had to turn the bag on its side to slide over your roller luggage. This was an awkward choice given the whole bag is oriented vertically, and there are no side handles. The new 1.0 rectifies this by having a horizontal strap instead. 👏
• The 1.0x had side bottle pockets that were made of the face fabric with elastic bands. The new 1.0 bottle pockets are made entirely out of stretch fabric, which feels the same as on their Penumbra 2.0. I didn’t have an issue with the 1.0x pockets but these accommodate larger bottles.
• The new 1.0 also has customizable back panel stiffness by providing access to both the HDPE frame sheet and the foam insert — you can remove one or the other or both! Personally, I like the stiff structure so I run with both in, but it’s neat that one can tailor the stiffness to their preference.

Is it worth the upgrade? While I’d argue that all the changes are quality of life improvements, I don’t think it’s a compelling upgrade since the design is largely unchanged. The answer depends on how much the quirks with the 1.0x annoy you. If you were content with the 1.0x, then save your money. If you’re itching to reap the benefits of those refinements, try to sell the 1.0x to subsidize the new 1.0. There’s no real reason to keep both apart from collecting.

Materials and Construction

What I like (apart from the changes from the 1.0x):

• The Ultra400TX and X-Pac fabrics are great for giving the bag structure and a less rumpled appearance, which is what I prefer. They’re also quite water resistant. Nevertheless, I think the 500D is appealing for those who want a softer more flexible day bag that’s more inconspicuous (and it’s cheaper).
• Padded flat bottom — this bag stands on its own really well. It does tend to have a forward lean, but like the 1.0x, it almost never tips over.

• The 17337 webbing is my favorite type — not slippery, easy to grip, feels robust.
• Non-Aquagard zippers FTW — much easier to open/close. Rare to see a bag with Ultra/X-Pac without Aquaguard zippers.
• The craftsmanship and construction are top notch — it does not feel like this bag is going to fall apart under heavy use.
• Horizontal luggage strap!
• Side webbing attachment points to mount pouches

What I don’t like:

• It is on the heavier side for a 21 L bag at 3.39 lbs. But for Alpha One Niner, that’s pretty good. Some of the older versions were 4+ lbs!

Organization

What I like:

• The 3-ish compartment design. I say 3-ish because the laptop compartment is technically part of the main compartment but goes beyond just being a sleeve. The back wall of the main compartment is the laptop compartment. You can also see from the main compartment that the laptop compartment is suspended and pushes into the main volume rather than the laptop compartment having its own volume. It still feels like a separate compartment because it has dedicated top zipper access.
• Top quick access pocket is super easy to open, is large enough to fit more than a few loose items, and has soft lining.
• Front admin compartment goes all the way to the bottom, and the built-in pocketing without the additional organizer still provides sufficient pocketing for most of my needs.
• PALS webbing at the top of the inside main compartment to mount a pouch and make good use of the upper volume. My Wotancraft med pouch gets mounted here.

What I don’t like:

• Like the Evade 1.0x, there isn’t really a medium-sized external pocket for a bag of chips, which is really useful for storing lunch while traveling. The interior top zippered pocket behind the front panel can serve that purpose, but it’s an extra zip to get to, and it takes up space in the main compartment so it can get crushed.
• The bottom front pocket becomes less usable and is totally flat if the admin compartment has items at the bottom.
• The stretch bottle pockets, after some use, don’t really stay tight against the bag when empty.

• I wish the laptop compartment had a “taco” style pocket at the top, rather than just a single sleeve. I like having my laptop and power brick in one compartment instead of needing to open multiple just to get my computer setup.

Comfort

What I like:

• The straps and back panel are well padded and comfortable with the contoured shape and spacer mesh underneath
• No load lifter straps to complicate things
• Top webbing handle sticks up so it’s always easy to find/grab
• Loops at the ends of the webbing for easy shoulder strap tightening

What I don’t like:

• It’s a little heavy, and slightly bulky for a 21 L bag, but then again this does run large for that listed volume

Aesthetics

What I like:

• Doesn’t look tactical
• While not particularly minimal and sleek, it has a relatively streamlined silhouette (not like other bags that have layers and layers of pockets that result in a bulky telescoping box)
• Minimal branding — tasteful embossed black leather patch
• Lining colors — light brown (Savannah) for the Ultra variant, and crimson red for the others. Nothing too bright/flashy, but also still high visibility

What I don’t like:

• The Ultra400TX version is black, but it has a shine to it that I don’t particularly love, and it doesn’t match the deep black of the stretch bottle pockets. The other fabric variants look better imo.
• The removable leather patch/label is a very non-standard size. If you remove the patch you’re left with a black rectangle that is too small for common 3x2 rectangles or 3x3 circle patches, but too big for a 1x1 or 2x2 square patch. The black loop again doesn’t color match with the Ultra. Also, it’s very close to the bottom of the bag and I don’t think patches look particularly good in that position. Perhaps keeping the front clean and putting the loop field on the side of the pack higher up would look better. Purely subjective preference.
• Is a little bulky on-body, especially in photos

Summary

There’s no question that the Evade 1.0 is an excellent pack. Small enough for daily carry and spacious and deep enough for minimal travel. I much prefer it over the Evade 1.5, which is just too deep of a bag for my needs. With solid construction and high-quality materials, it’s an easy recommendation that, while not cheap, is fairly priced and a good value for what you get.

Plus, A19 is run by Helmie and a small team, and they are always very authentic, trustworthy, and grounded in their communication and social media updates. I’ve never heard of anyone complaining or being critical about Alpha One Niner’s customer service, which I cannot say for many bag companies or makers.

Thanks for reading our review! Check out our Instagram to see what else we’re testing.

Alpha One Niner (A19) Evade 1.0 2026 Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Our Adventure Pack was provided to us by XOÀI. We are hugely grateful for the chance to try it, but we also caveat that we provide our honest opinions in the reviews, both the positives and the negatives.

Overview

The Adventure Pack is a 25L backpack that has the style of a hiking daypack but not to the extent that you would see in a day hike bag from Osprey, Gregory, or Deuter. I see it as targeting micro-adventures. You can use it for your day out in the city, a short hike at a nearby park, or on a casual bike ride on a local trail. It is adventure-oriented but without the true hiking pack features, like the suspension systems for your back panel and shoulder straps, load lifter straps, and a structured waist belt that can fully support the backpack itself. In exchange, you get affordability and some admin organization.

The main compartment is a full clamshell opening pocket, which is also not common for pure hiking packs, but very common in travel-oriented bags. Though it has a sleeve you can use as a laptop sleeve, it’s not particularly tech oriented. On a day hike, I can bring a light change of clothes, a light jacket, a packed lunch, some granola bars, and a couple bottles of water. This would not completely pack out the Adventure Pack either. If I use this as a commuter EDC bag, I can fit a laptop and charger, notebook, a wireless keyboard, a pouch with headsets and a mouse, a water bottle, a small umbrella, some snacks, and various small items like cables. This would not completely pack out the backpack either and you still have a tiny bit of space left.

Pros

• Affordability and ethical manufacturing
• Has versatility with organization to be an EDC or adventure bag

Cons

• Waist belt is very floppy and only serves to stabilize the backpack, it doesn’t take weight off your shoulders.
• The interior lining can feel loose in some parts
• I don’t love the bridged shoulder strap design (both straps being made from a single piece of foam)

Organization

• Main Compartment — This compartment is well padded on the back panel but has no padding on the front, sides, and bottom. There is a large laptop sleeve that fits a 16” laptop and has a false bottom. On the front of the laptop sleeve is a large tablet sleeve. Both sleeves have a very thin piece of padding sewn inside the fabric of their front faces.

• Quick Access Pocket — On the top of the backpack in front of the main compartment’s zipper is a felt-lined quick access pocket if you need somewhere to throw your sunglasses or phone.
• Front Panel Compartment — The front panel compartment has a 9.5" x 8.5" zipped pocket (W x H) with a key leash and two 4.5" x 6.5" (W x H) mesh elastic pockets. The compartment only goes halfway down the front panel of the backpack, which has its pros and cons. You have much less storage space for large items, but at the same time, you don’t have to go digging in a giant dark pocket to find something at the bottom and it doesn’t reduce the usable space in the main compartment.

• Dual Water Bottle Pockets — The water bottle pockets are made of a soft mesh, elasticated, and relatively deep. However, the elastic top is not very tight, leaving the opening pretty wide, which allows medium-sized water bottles can fall out when you bend over. This has happened to me multiple times in my month of using this backpack. Large bottles, like a 1L Nalgene bottle, that will force the elastic to stretch aren’t an issue. But my medium-sized S’well bottle fell out easily when I bent over to pick something up or tie my shoelaces. The mesh is also relatively thin, and you can see through them when they’re stretched out. This does make me feel like they may not be the most durable if they get caught on something (e.g., a branch or some thorns). The bottoms of the pockets are not mesh and use the same polyester as the side panels. Since there is also no drainage port, any spilled water will sit in the pocket.

• Waist Belt Pockets — Both sides of the waist belt’s wings have 7" x 2.5" (W x H) pockets. Big enough to keep some fruit snacks on hand, but not big enough to keep your phone nearby, which is something I look for in a hiking pack — this lets me keep my GPS/map nearby as well as my camera.

Additional Features

• Waist Belt — The waist belt itself isn’t very padded. It has a tiny layer of padding in the fabric but it’s so thin that it’s basically negligible. This makes the wait belt very floppy. So, it doesn’t have any structure and isn’t really able to take any weight off your shoulders, like the thick waist belts you see on trekking and hiking backpacks. Like waist belts that are just made of webbing strap, it just keeps the backpack from jostling around.
• Sternum Strap — Fully adjustable and attached to the shoulder strap via rails. The strap itself has an elastic section in the middle and also has a safety whistle integrated into the side release buckle.
• Compression Straps — Both sides have compression straps with side release buckles. You normally wouldn’t see side release buckles on a compression strap, but they’re necessary for this bag because the main compartment is clamshell opening.
• Bungee Cord — The front panel has a bungee cord organizer, which makes a great place to throw your jacket when you start sweating on a hike. These bungee cords or a kangaroo pouch are vital features to a day hike backpack, in my opinion, though I prefer the kangaroo pouch for its versatility a bit more.
• Grab handle — A folded piece of nylon attached to the top of the bag provides a grab handle. Nothing fancy, and no padding in it.
• Lash Points — On the shoulder straps and across the front panel are lash points for carabiners or whatever your preferred method is.

Construction and Comfort

The Adventure Pack is 19 x 11 x 8.5 inches (H x W x D) and 25L in volume. It comes in at 1.9 lbs., which is pretty light overall. The front panel and front of the shoulder straps are 400D ripstop nylon with a TPU coating for added water-resistance. The side panels use an ECOPAK recycled polyester, which is a technical fabric and feels similar in density and thickness to the front panel. The interior lining feels like a light nylon. It’s a little loose in some parts, which can make it feel a bit cheap.

The back panel is a mesh-covered EVA foam with 5mm ventilation holes spaced through. Though the backpack doesn’t have a hard frame, the full sheet of EVA foam basically acts like a frame, giving the bag sufficient structure. The shoulder straps use the same EVA foam and are lined underneath with mesh.

The zippers are YKK RCz with the main compartment being #8 and the other exterior zippers being #5. The rest of the hardware is UTX Duraflex and made from recycled plastic. It all feels very sturdy and I don’t have any concerns about their durability. The side release buckles, in fact, feel quite stiff. Overall, the bag seems decently solid, though I haven’t put it through the test of years on the trail.

The shoulder straps are slightly contoured, but less so than most true hiking backpacks are. I’m not a fan of the bridge shoulder strap design (where the shoulder straps are one single piece joined at the top). This makes it a bit less comfortable for people with wider necks or large upper trap muscles, especially because these shoulder straps use EVA foam, which is a stiffer foam.

The back panel’s foam padding is also just a large flat sheet. There isn’t any contouring or airflow. Though the padding has holes and is covered in mesh, it’s all going to lay flat against your back. For shorter day hikes or outings, or if you’re not carrying much weight, it’s not a significant detractor. But if you want to use this on longer adventures, other design choices may be more suitable.

Additional Notes

The interior lining is all black, which can make finding small items inside a bit of a scavenger hunt. The main compartment being clamshell opening does help, but I don’t want to have to open the main compartment all the way every time. So, best to keep small things in the front compartment or the quick access compartment.

One area where the Adventure Pack shines is its sustainable approach to materials and production and its good pricing. This is part of the ethos of XOÀI Packs, and something that they built the brand on.

Summary

Overall, the XOÀI Packs Adventure Pack is a nice pack that fills a niche between your office commuter and your hiking pack. It doesn’t do the best for either the office or the trail but can sufficiently stretch in either direction. I’d make a few design changes — e.g., separate pieces for the shoulder straps, slightly denser material, and padding in the waist belt. It’s best suited as an everyday adventure type of backpack and the eco-conscious user.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the XOÀI Packs Adventure Pack and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

XOÀI Packs, 25L Adventure Pack Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Our CT21 v3 was provided by CT as a sample for review. We are grateful for the opportunity to review and always share our honest opinions, positive and critical.

Overview

• 21 L volume
• Dedicated laptop compartment behind the shoulder straps, with an opening for a hydration bladder hose
• Clamshell main compartment with two zippered pockets behind the front flap and an elastic sleeve against the back wall
• Flat front zippered pocket with a few slip and pen slots and key leash
• Small top quick access zippered pocket
• Dual water bottle pockets that have L-shaped zippers to expand/contract
• Beefy and cushy shoulder straps with included adjustable and removable sternum strap along MOLLE webbing

With all of these features, the CT21 is quite a versatile bag, and for the most part they’re all well executed. You can use it for office commuting, hiking, or minimalist travel. Let’s get into the details of what I like and don’t like about the bag!

Materials and Construction

There are quite a number of variants of the CT21 and it’s not easy to keep up. There are tactical and slick variants (MOLLE or no MOLLE on the front), versions with or without water bottle pockets, and an assortment of color and material choices at any given time (currently a lot of ECOPAK). I have the slick with water bottle pockets in ECOPAK EPX240, which has a heathered denim face fabric. The interior lining is a 210D ROBIC ripstop.

What I like

• All the materials are solid — reputable fabrics, YKK Aquaguard zippers, spongy closed cell foam, Duraflex buckles
• The exterior fabric is highly water resistant
• Stands well on its own with a flat padded bottom, even when packed in different ways. It’s an incredibly well-balanced bag in my experience
• Useful webbing counter pulls at the bottom of the bag where the zippers for the clamshell opening end
• Stitching and craftsmanship are top notch; no sign of wear or tear so far as far as I can tell
• Zipper garages on the front and top external pockets to protect those small openings from the rain

What I don’t like

• I’m mixed on the water bottle pockets expanding/contracting via zippers. I would prefer just straight elastic, but I understand that it loosens over time and this solution avoids that.

• A couple other things that tie into the organization, which I’ll get into below
• The top quick access pocket results in a highly visible sack that drops into the main compartment.

Neutral

• The bag does have a taller proportion (about 19 inches tall) and is moderately heavy at just under 3 pounds
• There are slide buckles at the bottom of the back which I’m guessing are for a waist belt if you want to attach one

Organization

What I like

• The 3-compartment layout (dedicated laptop, main compartment, admin compartment) — it’s a practical design for commuting and travel and is implemented in a lot of bags for a reason
• The main compartment doesn’t seem to have much depth to it, but it can expand more than you think

• The internal pockets in the main compartment have some volume. The top opaque zippered pocket in particular can stash some snacks without getting crushed.
• The front zippered pocket admin makes it more useful than just a flat deep pocket by keeping smaller items at the top while larger flat items can go to the bottom (e.g., a museum or zoo map).
• Love the retention of a water bladder hose opening, and it’s done in a way that doesn’t totally compromise water resistance

What I don’t like

• Having the laptop access behind the shoulder straps — it’s a hassle to get to EVERY time. It’s one aspect they should not have copied from GORUCK

• The front zippered pocket is still quite flat and not practically accessible when the main compartment is full
• The admin slots in the front zippered pocket are also very flat, and the pen slots are pretty tight.
• The top zipper quick access pocket has a somewhat tight opening, due to the binding edge being right under the zipper. Exacerbating this is that this is the only pocket that is black inside and not a high visibility color.

Comfort

What I like

• The straps are great — super supportive foam padding, nicely spaced out at the top, a J-curve for contouring, and relatively wide for weight distribution. The underlining is a slicker nylon packcloth material so they slide on/off pretty smoothly.
• Top handle is similarly robust and easy to grab
• Back panel is well structured with thick foam and a frame sheet, yet still flexible enough to bend according to your back’s shape
• Sternum strap has the elastic stretchy portion on the non-adjustable side! That means you can adjust the other end “all the way” vs. when the elastic is on the adjustable side

What I don’t like

• Sternum strap is height adjustable but within a single MOLLE loop. If you need to adjust outside of that, you’ll have to remove both sides and reattach along another MOLLE loop

Aesthetics

Being a tactical bag company, the overall look is, well, somewhat tactical even with the slick variant. Overall, I’m pretty neutral on the aesthetic. There’s nothing head turning about it; it’s a pretty traditional tombstone silhouette with a rectangular loop field for morale patches. Apart from a subtle logo on the loop field, there’s no external branding. There is a label on the inside of the main compartment.

A few notes:

• I like that CT uses brighter interior lining for visibility, and you usually have choices. The bag I have has an orange lining.
• When the water bottle pockets are unzipped, they will expand outwards, which can look a little bit like mini rocket boosters on the pack. You either like that or you don’t.
• The bag has a slimmer profile, especially in proportion to its height

Summary

It’s fair to say that CT’s design and construction of bags have continuously improved over the years, and they are very receptive to user feedback in order to make regular revisions and iterations as they manufacture the bags themselves. The CT21 version 3 is one of their signature mid-size backpacks and is itself a result of multiple rounds of tweaks. With the high-quality materials and construction with truly reasonable prices, it is a very good value product (the caveat being shipping from Vietnam to the states is not cheap).

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Chuyen Tactical CT21 v3 Backpack Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.