u/kendrickdisch

Kelty Redwing Traveler 40 is bag #9 of #15 in my travel bag “month” series

I chose to tackle Travel Bag Month (testing/reviewing 15 travel backpacks in 30 days), but in hindsight that plan was too ambitious, I’m now aiming to get this series wrapped by end of July. Thanks for the grace!

Background

Kelty is one of the Godfathers of backpacks. Dick and Nena Kelty started custom building external frame hiking packs from their home in California in the 50s and as the ‘outdoors’ became a recreational activity they became the standard for decades. Eventually other companies came up with better frame technology and Kelty was sold. The company changed hands a bunch of times since and sits with Exxel Outdoors now, who are better known for entry level outdoor gear at Walmart and Target.

I don’t think this is a “private equity siphoning the cash” situation, but more of a heritage name under ownership that wants to compete at lower prices. I was curious to see if this bag was ‘good enough’ and I wanted to see if the hiking pedigree actually shows up in a travel bag. I also was intrigued at the size. I’m a big guy and this is a big bag. I paid for this bag myself.

Bag Deets

• $179
• 42L
• 3 lbs 7 oz (1.6 kg) empty with the belt and sternum strap
• 22 x 16 x 11 inches (56 x 40 x 28 cm). *Too large for carry-ons but there’s a caveat.
• Torso range 17 to 21 inches (I'm 22”).
• Colors: Burnt olive or black with green accents.
• Limited lifetime warranty, which for Kelty means manufacturing defects only, not wear or material breakdown.

Materials

I think materials is one place the lower cost comes into play.

600D recycled ripstop polyester. This is a middle of the road denier and I think it strikes a fine balance. Polyester over nylon means cheaper and better UV and dry time, but less abrasion resistant, which matters on a bag that's going to get checked or dragged around outdoors.

Steel perimeter frame instead of aluminum, steel is cheaper and heavier.

Non aquaguard YKK zippers but not the smoothest in the series, especially on the curves (could be a new bag issue or maybe just some zipper oil).

Zipper pulls are just cord tied to the head, no metal tab, feels like a cost cut.

Found a couple loose threads, but nothing to worry about.

It does have duraflex buckles.

Layout

The wing side pockets are the main story on the outside and the namesake for the “Redwing” series of packs. There are three zones per side: a tall slip pocket, an L zip pocket with it’s own capacity, and an elasticized water bottle pocket. These pockets are nice to have, but give the bag some extra width and push it outside of standard carry on compliance. But If you don’t put things in these pockets, the bag will be around 14” wide, which could fit into the sizers of many airlines.

Front pocket is quite spacious with it’s own capacity as well and some little admin style organizer features. This pocket has one zipper head, using a half zip configuration, wish it had two so you can limit how much you open it to retrieve things.

The main compartent is a panel loader that also works as a top loader depending on how far you unzip. nice easy access to the full bag when needed. There’s a couple of decent mesh pockets on the flap.

This is also where you could access the frame sheet if desired.

There’s a Hydration bladder sleeve with a tube port at the top, but this is more likely a laptop sleeve that fits a 16 inch macbook pro with no issues.
The laptop is also accessible via a side access zippered opening.

Lighter interior lining which is nice for those that are afraid of the dark.

Capacity

Full standard loadout fit with room to spare and that’s without using the side pockets all (except for water bottle). No bulging, no stressed zippers. My walking weight was 27.7 lbs.

I feel like I could have fit a few more tshirts in the main compartment and another one or two in the front pocket. Then I still had side pockets for more stuff if needed or if not flying.

Comfort

This is where the hiking DNA pays off. Fit was great on my long torso, hip belt transfers load properly, back panel foam is genuinely good and springs back fast. Shoulder straps are surprisingly thin but I actually found them comfortable. I think the strap shape fit me well too.

Friction Points

No luggage pass through, which for a travel bag seems like a miss.

Shoulder straps don't stow or remove, so if you end up having to check it those straps become conveyor belt food.

No load lifters (and heads up, some of Kelty's own product photos show them, which appears to be a mistake).

Not a friction point, but a wish: No reinforced bottom on a bag clearly built to get set down on rough ground.

Some squeaking on the walk I couldn't fully track down.

Branding is a little noticeable, not egregious, just larger than most of the other bags in this series.

It likes to roll over onto it’s front, but mitigated a bit if you can pack something solid in the bottom front of the main compartment.

Sternum strap on a rail, which I like, but not removable and nowhere to store if you don’t want to use a sternum strap, it just dangles. Which is weird cuz it’s the only strap on the whole bag that has a dangle stopper. Every other strap is crying out for a dangle stopper. Especially on a travel bag!

Limits of this test

I walked one mile and did a few test packing tests with my standardized loadout. I can't speak to how the fabric or coating holds up over months, or what it’s like to use on a long multi day trip. This is a bit more than a first impressions, but not a long term real world usage review.

Verdict

Very comfortable and spacious bag held back a bit by a bunch of almosts. For it to be a better travel bag, I’d really want stowable straps, especially at this size. If I was hiking the El Camino, I would definitely consider the 30L version of this bag. I’d also consider higher end bags, but I liked this enough for it to be considered.

If you want a comfortable, outdoorsy pack and you're not chasing premium build or strict carry on compliance, it's a real option at this price.

If you are a business traveler, and fly a lot and need a luggage pass through and stowable straps for checking in, this probably isn't the one.

The hiking lineage is real and you feel it. The travel specific stuff is where it comes up short.

Full video review: https://youtu.be/x2QDOsbCnFs

I'm testing 15 travel backpacks this month/summer (June + July) -- same standardized loadout, same one-mile walk, same points of discussion for each bag. This is bag number eight. The Groundtruth RIKR 38L hybrid duffle pack.

Bag Deets

• This bag was originally launched via Kickstarter in March 2023.
• $395.
• 38L.
• 1.6kg / 3.5 lbs empty.
• Dimensions approximately 55cm x 33cm x 25cm / 21.5" x 13" x 9.8".
• Carry-on compliant.
• Fits up to a 16" / 40cm laptop.
• YKK AquaGuard zips throughout.

The Brand

Groundtruth is the most sustainably minded brand in this series, and probably in my entire collection. It was founded in the UK by three sisters, Sophia, Nina, and Georgia Scott, documentary filmmakers who spent years making films about environmental crisis. They saw the plastic problem and started a company to address it. The founding premise wasn't "let's make a sustainable bag." It was: what would a supply chain look like if you built it from scratch with sustainability as a non-negotiable?

Materials

This is the part I spent the most time on in the video but I'll try to keep it tighter here.

100% of the bag is made from recycled materials. The problem they ran into early: existing recycled fabrics didn't perform the way they needed. So they invented their own. The shell is technically called GT-PC-RK-01-CO2 TRISTOP Ballistic 600D 100% recycled PET (needs a consumer-friendly name!).

Standard ripstop uses a square reinforcement grid. TRISTOP changes that grid from squares to triangles. Triangles distribute force differently under stress. They combined that with a ballistic weave (yarn physically twisted as it's woven) adding a second layer of structural strength. No other brand is using this construction. The fabric is heavily coated, so it feels smooth rather than textured. That coating is also what gives it the weather protection. Groundtruth calls it "stormproof", it handles heavy rain but it's not submersible. I think this material has a cool look to it and quite a nice feel for a coated fabric.

The water bottle pocket zones use heavier Ballistic 1200D recycled PET, I assume for increased durability on the water bottle pockets. Interior mesh is recycled fishing nets. Thread, buckles, and webbing are all recycled. The zip pullers are Groundtruth's own GT-OCO-CO2 hardware (captured CO2 emissions embedded in recycled polypropylene, co-developed with a company called Oco). Shoulder strap padding is Algae Bloom foam; algae harvested from polluted waterways, blended into an EVA compound. 123 plastic bottles removed from our environment per bag. 100% vegan and Carbon neutral through entire product development and production.

One note: one of those high tech zip pullers broke on camera during filming the review. Wasn't really being rough with it. So I'll be following up with the brand on that just to see what they say, but it’s not a warranty issue (since I bought this bag used, it's not covered), so I’ll just replace the zipper pull.

Layout

Clamshell opening. Two main compartments with a mirrored D-shape geometry; rounded on the outside edges, flat where they meet in the middle. Looks unusual in clamshell mode but settles into a rectangular shape on the back.

The front pocket is a standout feature here: it opens wide and also gives you direct access into the main compartment on that side. Put your tech kit or jacket on the left half, reach in from the front pocket to grab it, no need to open the full clamshell. Clever and useful.

Top quick-access pocket with keyring. Side laptop compartment, fleece-lined, fits a 16" / 40cm MacBook Pro no problem.

Another nice design element: Two side water bottle pockets that disappear completely when empty. Tight fit for a 32oz / 950ml Nalgene, easy for a 29oz / 860ml bottle. Drain holes at the bottom of each pocket.

There’s four little lash points on the front panel and a vertical luggage pass-through on the back panel.

Limited external organization overall. You've got the top pocket, the front dual-access pocket, and the water bottle pockets. That's it. Will need to rely on some pouches to stay organized.

Key Feature

Three carry modes: backpack, duffle, briefcase. The hip belt pulls double duty as the shoulder strap as well. It removes and clips along the side of the bag to become the duffle shoulder strap. I haven't seen this executed on any other bag (Have you?). No dangling straps either due to clever buckle/strap management.

Capacity

Claims 38L and I think it delivers that. My full standardized loadout fit without causing stress to the bag or zippers. Had to use a water bottle pocket for my workout bands, which I consider acceptable. Maybe could have fit another tshirt or two inside the bag.

Comfort

Took it on my one-mile dog walk; pretty comfortable overall.

The Algae Bloom foam padding on the shoulder straps compresses a lot under load. I'd like a bit more density there.

Back panel has zero ventilation; the coated TRISTOP fabric isn't breathable at all. In reasonable temperatures that's going to be noticeable, but I was too hot to really notice.

With the laptop loaded, the hip belt creates a visible bulge that presses into the lower back. Not painful but worth knowing. I also felt the laptop through the back panel, so wouldn't mind a bit more padding on the back.

At 6'3" / 190cm with a 22" / 55cm torso, the bag height fit me well. Shorter torsos may find it too tall.

Sternum strap was fine.

shoulder strap length: Padded = 17.5" / 44cm, webbing = 21.5" / 55cm.

Hip belt/duffle strap total length: approximately 45" / 114cm.

Loaded weight for the walk: 27.7 lbs / 12.6kg.

Friction Points

Shoulder strap padding compresses under load.

The hip belt/duffle slips off one shoulder easily if you're carrying it single-shoulder duffle style. Could use some grippy material on the underside.

Top grab handle is hard to locate and grab cleanly (too much going on up there with the strap stash pocket) and it’s flat profile. Side handles are solid.

No bottom handle.

Limited external pockets.

Back panel ventilation is nonexistent.

Zipper pull broke during the review. That’s a concern.

Limitations of my review:

I’ve packed and loaded this bag a few times and walked a mile with it. But I can't tell you how the materials hold up over years or what it’s like to really travel with it. What I can tell you is how it performed on a standardized test and my opinion on the layout, comfort, materials, and feature set. You can use that information to help inform your buying decision.

Verdict

The sustainability is the story here along with some cool innovations and design choices. The dual-mode hip belt / duffle strap is genuinely clever and I haven't seen it elsewhere. I also do really like the feel and look of the tristop fabric.

Overall the bag packed well, was pretty comfortable on the walk (although I do seek some improvements), and feels like high quality materials and craftsmanship, despite a zipper puller breaking during testing. That isn’t enough to worry me. I’d buy this bag again.

And I definitely want to try some other products from them in the future!

Full video if you want to go deeper: https://youtu.be/8iXRapQbDQI

Reviewing 15 travel bags this month. Same loadout, same one-mile walk, some points of discussion for each bag. This is bag seven. The Pakt One Travel Bag V3 35L.

(Yes, I’m behind schedule. Life happens! Just going to keep going and try to get them posted asap.)

Background

Pakt is out of Bozeman, Montana. This is their flagship backpack, now in its third version. I've tested previous versions of this bag and did a full V2 vs V3 breakdown on my channel. Coming in with more context than usual. I expected good. Did they deliver?

Disclosure: Pakt sent me this bag for review.

Bag Deets

• 35L base, expands to 40L (45L-50L size also available)
• 3.9 lbs with hip belt and sternum strap
• 19.5" x 12.5" x 9"
• Fits up to 16" laptop
• Stowable shoulder straps and hip belt
• Internal frame (more significant than people realize for weight distribution to hips)
• $349
• solid lifetime warranty.

Materials

420D rNylon Wave exterior (Pakt calls it ballistic-style yarn). Tougher than plain weave at this denier. Recycled nylon. There's a slight texture to it and it resists lint and pet hair. It's not my favorite hand feel in the series but it’s good and I don’t have any concerns or complaints.

Gold interior lining. The gold against the black exterior looks genuinely great. Small detail that lands every time. Whoever made that call got it right.

YKK zippers. Duraflex hardware. PFAS-free DWR. Zero plastic packaging. It literally comes in a cardboard box wrapped by a piece of paper, like a fresh fish purchased right off the dock.

Also made in a Fair Trade Certified factory. Solid lifetime warranty. The founder answers his own emails. I know because I've emailed him. In fact each bag comes with a card with his email on it. That's rarer than it should be.

Layout

Suitcase-style clamshell. Split down the middle, zipper on each side to contain your stuff when opening flat. Laptop sleeve sits center between the two halves, not at the back panel like most bags. I don’t mind this placement but with a very heavy laptop, I might prefer it against my back. Accessible from the top without opening the clamshell.

In fact, most compartments of the bag are accessible from the top. Admin section, laptop sleeve, RFID pocket, both main compartment halves… you can get into almost everything without fully opening the bag. That's a real quality of life difference over a week of travel and it’s one of my favorite features of this bag.

Shoulder straps are removable due to the torso adjustment system. I raised the idea of offering more strap options (different lengths, widths, shapes, J-cut vs S-cut) with Pakt directly. They said good idea but color matching made it complicated. Fair constraint. I still think there's more to explore there. The straps they have are decent, just not exceptional.

Luggage pass-through on the back panel. Capable handles on top, bottom, and both sides of the clamshell. These are must haves for a travel bag IMO.

Internal aluminum frame. This is rare and it’s a great feature because it really helps transfer the weight down to the hips. This is hiking backpack technology.

Capacity

Held everything in my standardized loadout with room to spare. No expansion needed. I also slid the Pakt Mode daypack into the expansion compartment with my full loadout still inside just to see what this bag can actually hold. It held more than the GR2 40L. That genuinely surprised me.

Shape is shorter than I'd like. More square than rectangular. Same issue I had with the Bellroy; it sticks out more than a taller bag would. I understand why. Airline carry-on compliance dictates the dimensions. I respect the decision even when I'm not thrilled with it.

Comfort

Decent. Solid. Not a standout in the series and not a complaint either. If I had to answer the question “is it comfortable” with only one word, I would say “yes”.

Hip belt is pre-curved, removable, multi-layer. I got it to the right position but it meant letting the bag hang low, which moved the shoulder straps up into my armpits. That's a long torso problem. A shorter person will probably loves this pack.

Shoulder straps are dense and firm. Think the foam in a shoe sole. There's give but it's not soft cushioning, not what I would call “padding”. I'm neutral on them. They did their job for a mile walk without earning a complaint. They are stowable which is a really nice feature for a travel bag.

Load lifters present.

Adjustable torso system with four positions. Genuinely useful for shorter torsos. Good feature, executed well, helps some people. Just not me. At 6'3" with a 22" torso I'm already at the top slot and there's nowhere to go, I would need a taller bag for it to matter to me.

Friction Points

Front pocket gets hard to access when the bag is fully packed. The stuff presses against the opening and your hand scrapes the zipper getting in. It's one of those things you wouldn't notice on a light travel day but would drive you crazy on a heavy one. Worth knowing before you plan your packing around quick access to that pocket.

Laptop sleeve gets snug when both main compartment halves are stuffed. Still accessible from the top, just tighter than when the bag is half-packed.

Context of my review:

I've used earlier versions of this bag on actual trips so I have more context here than I do with many bags in the series. But I still can't tell you how the materials hold up over years or how the zippers feel after 50 trips. What I can tell you is how it performed on a standardized test and my opinion on the layout, comfort, materials, and feature set.

Verdict

One of the most thoughtful brands I've encountered in this space. Not just the products. The whole operation.

The bag itself is solid across the board. Surprising capacity. Very functional layout. A gold interior that makes me happy every time I open it. The shape works against taller frames but that's a deliberate trade-off for airline compliance and I respect the reasoning even if I don’t prefer it.

But that keeps the bag in the running for international trips with more strict rules about sizing.

I expected good. And I think they delivered better.

Check out my full review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lQhqRoyxFaU

Testing 15 travel bags this month. Same loadout, same one-mile walk, same discussion points each time. This is bag #6. The Lander Traveler 35L Rolltop.

Background

Lander is a sub-brand of BGZ Brands out of Lehi, Utah. BGZ started in 2002 making screen protectors for PDAs. Grew into phone cases, cables, lanterns. Lander came to be in 2015 and had a successful kickstarter but overall is not talked about much online.

Almost no reviews of the 35L Traveler V2 exist, so hopefully this is helpful to some people.

Bag Deets

• 35L rolltop
• 3 lbs
• 13" wide, 21.5" tall, 7.5" deep
• Shoulder strap: 19" padded, 17" webbing, 15.5" to back panel
• $175
• 1-year warranty

Materials

Ballistic nylon shell. Feels coated. Lander doesn't much info on the site, so I don't know much more about the materials, but I did try to dig up more details.

Laptop comparter aka "Crash Pad" uses TPU-coated ripstop with taped seams. YKK Aqua Guard zippers throughout. Water resistance is clearly a priority.

Back panel is semi-rigid foam, ribbed for ventilation. Feels like a sleeping pad in a mesh cover. Increases the laptop protection a fair bit.

Layout

Rolltop main compartment secured by side release buckles. Full-length side zipper wraps around the bottom and opens the whole bag flat... well except it's not flat. It's just an awkard almost flat situation.

"Crash Pad" laptop compartment in the back panel. Fits up to 19" says Lander, though the opening measures 10.5" wide, so double check your laptop width. "Hot Route" cable channels let you run a charging cable to your laptop or phone without opening the bag, via some pockets on the back panel. Not sure I trust my devices to be charging inside of a backpack due to heating up and risk of damage and also bent/broken cords/ports.

Shoe compartment at the bottom with huge capacity, secured out of the way with internal bungee when not in use.

Front pocket is legitimately good. Deeper than it looks, small hidden key clip inside. Best pocket on the bag. Above that is a small fleece-lined sunglasses or phone quick access pocket.

Multiple grab handles; top, bottom, both sides. Nothing fancy but they work well.

Capacity

Using the standard loadout, got everything in except the second packing cube. Flight essentials pouch was clipped externally. BUT the bag measured 23.5" tall fully loaded because I was taking advantage of the rolltop to a serious degree. Probably out of carry-on spec for most airline sizers.

Comfort

Comfortable on the full mile walk: Quite good.

Bag height fits my 22" torso well. Back foam is stiff but comfy. The shoulder straps are thin, but did the job pretty well. Skipped the sternum strap, felt like it pulled the straps inward when spreading out was more comfortable for me.

Worth knowing: I'm 6'3". The fit I got may not be the fit you get.

Friction Points

Loading this bag is genuinely awkward. The main zipper runs the full length of the rear panel. No bowl shape when you open it. You're setting gear into a horizontal slot and fighting the zipper closed around it. Moving the zipper toward the front would fix it. Don't know why they did it this way, but I'm not a bag designer. It seems like a bit of a nightmare to deal with loading/unloading while on the go.

Rolltop buckles have no adjustable webbing. I think I was slightly abusing the rolltop with my loadout so that it made it a bit tight to get the rolltop clipped closed and I would have appreciated a bit more length there.

It has a one-year warranty. Which I find sort of hard to swallow. A year for a bag is nothing. I worry they don't have confidence in their own products.

Verdict: Some good, some bad. Comfortable, looks great, front pocket is excellent, water resistance is serious. The awkward loading experience is a real problem and the lack of a strong warranty is hard to ignore on a $175 bag.

Check out the full review on YouTube for more details: https://youtu.be/LUgrpgKSvsw

I'm testing 15 travel bags this month. Same loadout, same one-mile walk, and same discussion across every bag. This is bag five, and it wasn't on the list when the month started. I added it last minute because it's live on Kickstarter right now and the campaign closes June 27th. I didn't want my review to come out after the kickstarter ends.

Disclosure: Atlas sent this to me for review.

Atlas Packs has been making adventure camera bags for a decade and is run by Allan Henry, a photojournalist who's obviously spent a lot of time thinking about how to carry stuff. I sat down with him recently for a full conversation about the bag and the design process. Link at bottom if interested. If you're a bag nerd it's worth your time.

They decided to expand into EDC/Travel type backpacks, hence the kickstarter. My review covers the Getaway version, but there's also the Day and the Mission.

Bag Deets

• Capacity: 25 to 32L expandable
• Empty weight: 2.9 lbs
• Dimensions: 19" tall, 10.5" wide, 6" unexpanded, 8" expanded
• Price: $285 to $399. Same price across all three bags in the lineup. Fabric choice drives the price, not bag size.
• My review copy: UltraGrid Challenge Sailcloth

Layout

Four distinct compartments, each with a clear reason for being.

The front panel is where I'd start if I were showing this bag to someone. It opens into a laser cut MOLLE admin panel and it just works. I think of it like a pegboard above a workbench. You set it up exactly how you want it and everything is right where you put it every time after that. Having it on the inside instead of the outside is a smart call too. Your stuff stays clean, dry, and not a target for theft. It looks like a pretty basic bag on the outside.

The expansion pocket is the most interesting layout of the bag. It's not a zipper expansion. The depth is built into the pattern of the pocketing itself, and when the bag is stuffed full you can actually see it working, the way it widens in certain spots and narrows in others to create and release volume. I didn't fully appreciate it until the bag was loaded. It's a clever trick.

The laptop compartment is a full clamshell, lies completely flat, and fits a 16" MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro without any issue. There's mesh organization pockets on one side with a half divider. These are very flat and really only useful for flat items like cables, card readers, hard drives, etc.

The main compartment is a large open zone lined entirely in Velex. No fixed organization, no predetermined layout. The whole interior is yours to configure however you want using the accessories, which we'll touch on further down. Obviously with a bag like this it's up to you to build out the main org as you see fit.

The "pants pockets", as Atlas calls them, behind the shoulder straps are a good spot for a passport or a phone. The luggage pass-through works really well for stashing the shoulder straps for briefcase mode carry.

One little thing I found interesting: the morale patch field is on the side of the bag, not the front. Most bags default to the front. Keeping it on the side keeps the front face very clean. I don't have a strong preference, as I'm not much of a patch wearer, but I thought it was a deliberate and interesting choice. Curious what you all think.

Single water bottle pocket (24 oz fits; a 32 oz didn't).

Materials

There are a lot of fabric options to choose from when ordering the bag and you may need to do some homework before choosing. Six tiers total, ranging from the base 210D Ripstop Nylon up through several Challenge Sailcloth variants including recycled options.

The UltraGrid version is what Atlas sent me and it's also the one I chose when I pledged to the campaign. I had a feeling it was the fabric for me and I think I was right. Although I am pretty interested in the other fabrics as well.

The ultragrid is more flexible and malleable than I expected. Squishy is the word that comes to mind. Also, very thin and very lightweight.

These YKK PU coated zippers are some of the best I've tried. Smooth, matte finish, no resistance. PU coated zippers are usually finicky and these aren't. The only comparable zipper I've encountered was on a WaterField Designs and it worked just as smooth there.

Entire line is PFAS free, which matters to me and probably matters to you too if you're paying attention to what your gear is made of.

Capacity

This bag is smaller than everything else I'm testing this month. I built this series around 35 to 45 liter bags and this one tops out at 32L. But Atlas claims this backpack can work for travel, at least on shorter trips, so it got the travel bag month treatment.

With my standard loadout it held everything except the jacket, the second packing cube, and the 32oz water bottle. The 24oz went in fine. I estimate my loadout at close to 40 liters in practice, so the fact that it held as much as it did genuinely surprised me. When the bag is stuffed you can see exactly how the depth gets created by the construction. but when the bag isn't stuffed, the material just disappears and it's back to looking like a daypack. It's damn near magic IMO.

I took it on a one-mile walk to test comfort and the fully loaded weight came in at 25.6 lbs.

Comfort

Most comfortable bag I've tested so far this month, and that's at 25.6 lbs with no frame sheet, no frame stay, no sternum strap, and no hip belt. That's pretty impressive.

I'm 6'3" with a 22" torso and getting bags to wear comfortably on my frame has been a recurring challenge and it's part of the reason I started reviewing bags.

The shoulder straps are pretty well padded but nothing crazy. They are pretty wide and I think that helps a ton. They are 3" wide and I forgot to mention that in my video but I should have. The modified yoke connects the straps above the top of the back panel rather than directly to it, and that upper connection creates something that functions like a load lifter without technically being one. I'm still working to fully understand why it works as well as it does. We talk about it in the interview with Allan if you want to go deeper.

Strap measurements for context: 18" padded, 17.5" webbing, 16" back panel to furthest strap point.

One issue worth flagging, and this may be a pre-release sample thing: the end of the shoulder strap webbing is sewn in a way that creates a small hard edge and it rubs the inside of the arm during the walk. It seems like an easy fix and I hope it gets addressed before production bags ship. My preference would be a loop at the end of the webbing, which would also function as a lash point and make strap adjustment easier.

No sternum strap included by design. Allan wanted a clean look and I get it, it looks sleek. $15 add on if you want one. No hip belt option on the Getaway. I didn't miss it at 25.6 lbs, which tells you something about how well the shoulder harness is working.

Friction Points

Water bottle pocket: 24oz fits, 32oz doesn't.

Shoulder strap webbing end rubs the inside of the arm.

The fully packed silhouette is very rounded. I personally prefer a boxier look, closer to the Matador Globerider. Not a deal breaker, just a preference.

Price starts at $285. You're paying for premium and in my opinion you're getting it.

Ships late 2026/early 2027 for Kickstarter backers. That's a long wait. but that's the nature of Kickstarter and you're getting a better price for the patience.

Small batch, DTC only, no retail after the campaign. Atlas offers a money-back promise on unused bags, which takes some of the risk out of backing something you haven't held yet.

Accessories/Ecosystem

The CapCase system is the headline here. Modular gear boxes in at least 12 different sizes, hard and soft sided versions. It does zip shut, but there are magnets that hold the lid to the base for temporary security. And they are strong. The entire interior is Velex lined so the cases and accessories can also be customized with dividers for your org needs.

There's something called the "stash pouch" and each bag comes with one. Mesh on one side, Velcro on the other. Attaches anywhere inside. I think they have 4 sizes of those.

There are several other cool accessories worth a look but I'm not trying to sell you, just sharing my research. Go look it up if you're intrigued so far!

Conclusion

Limits of perspective: pre-release sample I've had for a week, I haven't traveled with this bag or stress tested the handle attachment points over time. Take the comfort assessment as a starting point, not a final word.

This bag gets a ton of things right. The materials are genuinely impressive, it surprised me on capacity and it surprised me on comfort. Smaller than most of what I'm testing this month but it carries more than you'd expect, and it does it in a way that feels like it was designed by someone who actually works for a living.

You can see my full review here: https://youtu.be/ItoxfXrGAxE
And my conversation with the designer here: https://youtu.be/UjSjDzCClIA

I'm testing 15 travel bags this month. Same loadout, same one mile walk, same evaluation criteria. This is bag #4 in the series, the Bellroy Transit Travel Pack Pro.

Background

Bellroy's a certified B Corp. That's a great thing! It means they're for profit company but they are legally required to consider impact on employees, customers, community, and environment. This is a potential solution to our capitalistic death spiral. It's not just greenwashing. B Corps are worth supporting.

On bags, Bellroy offers a six year warranty which is clever. Most brands say "lifetime" and hide behind the vagueness. Bellroy defines it and lives with the consequences. Six years is their honest assessment of how long the materials are designed to last. Clear, transparent, no surprises. More brands should do it this way.

Bag Deets

30L base, expands to 38L via a wraparound side zipper. Weighs 2.98 lbs empty. 19.7 inches tall, 14.6 wide, 5.1 deep at 30L, 7.1 deep expanded. Fits a 16 inch laptop. Carry-on compliant for many airlines.

Shoulder straps: padded section is 17 inches, webbing is 16 inches. Bellroy lists shoulder strap lenght on their website. First brand I've seen do that. It's important and more brands should do it.

Materials

Shell is from recycled Dura Polyester (plastic bottles). It's got a sheen to it. Slicker than their typical fabric. Bellroy says that means better weather resistance and easier to clean. I got smudges on it right away, so I think that easy to clean claim will need to be tested sooner rather than later.

YKK AquaGuard zippers on all exterior pockets. Leather accent pulls on the zippers and front branding.

One thing I didn't expect on a brand new premium bag; a loose stitch at the top. Haven't seen that on a new bag in quite a while.

Key Features

RFID passport pocket inside the laptop sleeve.

Zipper loop anti-pickpocket detail on the laptop and main compartment

Auto-locking water bottle zipper (I didn't test this feature).

Expansion system.

Shoulder straps are well padded.

Layout

Clamshell main compartment. Opens suitcase style. Dedicated laptop sleeve at the back with a tech pocket in front of it and an RFID passport pocket tucked inside.

Front pocket is deeper than it looks. Goes more than halfway down the bag. Deep enough to fit a toiletry kit if you want to keep it out of the main compartment. Above that is a bit of admin section; Pen slots, key leash, sunglasses zippered soft pocket, twin slip pockets.

Main compartment is intentionally minimal. Elastic webbing for compression, two mesh pockets on one side that share space with the front pocket but do have some actual usable depth, one small internal zip pocket that I didn't understand the use case.

Water bottle pocket is zippered on the left side. Bellroy says it fits a 20 oz bottle. I put a 29 oz in there and it fit (when the bag is empty). More on this point in a second.

There's a wraparound zipper that unlocks a few more inches of depth on the bag and they say 8 liters of additional storage space.

Capacity

At 30L with my full standardized loadout the bag was maxed out. Jacket didn't fit. Extra packing cube didn't fit. Flight essentials pouch had nowhere to attach. Water bottle didn't fit. Expanded to 38L I got the jacket and the extra cube in but still no water bottle and still nowhere for the flight essentials pouch. For context, I think my test loadout is roughly a 40L loadout. The Matador Globerider at 35L got it all in (pouch attached on outside). So did the GR2 (pouch attached on outside).

Comfort

The straps look impressive before you put them on. Thick dual-layer construction -- thin outer layer that seems to be there to match the bag, dense thick foam underneath doing the actual work. Unusual design. Haven't seen it before.

But they narrow down hard toward the bottom. On me (22 inch torso) that narrow section hits right at the armpit. Right against the side of my chest. It wasn't comfortable when I put it on and one mile of walking didn't change that.

Due to the squarish shape and not long enough for my torso, it felt like a cardboard box strapped to my back. Not a bag I was wearing.

Sternum strap is on a rail which I like. Micro-adjustable. But even at its lowest point it still ran high on me and felt almost like a clavicle strap.

Someone built differently might have a totally different experience with this bag.

Friction Points

I think of this as a 30L bag with overflow capacity. I don't think it's truly a 38L bag. At my full standardized loadout it looked stressed. Zippers under tension, bulging everywhere, water bottle didn't fit. I'd suggest trying to forget about the expansion until you're desperate for a bit more space, then a light bulb goes off and you say "wait a second... doesn't this bag expand a bit?"

The water bottle pocket borrows space from the main compartment. When the bag is full you can't get the zipper closed around a bottle. Couldn't fit even a 16 oz bottle with a full pack. On a travel day when you need both a full bag and hydration, that's a problem.

No lash points anywhere on the exterior. Nowhere to clip a flight essentials pouch, a hat, anything external.

Top handle sits pretty flush to the bag, harder to grab than I would prefer.

Conclusion

For me this is a pass. Straps aren't built for my frame and the capacity ceiling is lower than the numbers suggest. For someone with a shorter torso, traveling light, values a streamlined appearance, this bag may work.

Full review is up on YT if you want to see more details!

https://youtu.be/H3AuCLv52Zo

Got my hands on this pre-release sample of the Getaway Pack from Atlas.

It's a 25-32 ish liters pack; sort of an expandable-ish pocket in front that lies more flat if you don't put stuff in the back of the flap. They call it a pop-out, but it's not a zippered expansion situation.

This one is the Ultrgrid version. Very lightweight and seems to be built well.

So Atlas has been a hiking/camera backpack company for the last 10 years, but they just launched a kickstarter with some options that are more daily/travel oriented and featuring a variety of cool fabrics.

There are 3 different backpacks in the release and a ton of accessories. I backed the campaign and then reached out to the maker and was sent this pack so I could review it on my YT channel.

I'm also going to interview the founder/designer u/atlaspacks on Friday to ask him some stuff about the bags/fabrics/accessories/campaign/design etc... I'll post that interview to my channel too.

I'm happy to try to answer questions and/or take the questions to him on friday if I can't answer. Keep in mind, I don't have my full thoughts formulated yet.

I'll put the link to the KS in the comments for those interested.

I'm testing 15 travel bags in June with the same loadout and a one-mile walk for each one, and then the same 5 topics of review. This is bag #3.

The Globerider has a strong word-of-mouth reputation for a bag that hasn't been around that long. Wanted to see if it holds up.

Bag Deets:

35L, 3lb 7oz with the hip belt. 420D Bluesign-certified recycled nylon with a PFAS-free DWR coating. Two-piece internal frame, an HDPE framesheet that gives the back panel its shape, and a removable aluminum framestay that actually transfers load to the hips. Not many travel bags have both. YKK zippers throughout, PU-coated on all exterior pockets. Stowable hip belt and shoulder straps.

Layout + Features

Multiple ways into this bag. Clamshell opens suitcase style. Top loader gives you quick access to the top of the main compartment and the laptop sleeve. Side zip goes straight into the laptop sleeve too.

The mesh interior pockets in the flap have real depth, my dopp kit slid into one perfectly. The frame components are accessible through a Velcro panel at the bottom of the laptop section if you want to pull them out.

The front kangaroo pocket might be my favorite feature. No zipper, no magnet, just a big pleated spandex style meshy pocket. When you're traveling you pick up stuff along the way and having somewhere to stash it temporarily is quite useful. Hardly any travel bags have this and I love it.

Hidden passport pocket behind the back panel under a velcro tab. Grab handles on all four sides. Luggage pass-through. Hanging loop on the back. Hip belt has a little webbing pocket for excess strap. Load lifters. Color-coded zippers on the top and front so you know which compartment you're getting into. Security loops on the main zipper.

Capacity

Held everything in my standardized loadout except one little pouch I clipped to the outside. The GR2 40L did the same thing, and that bag is supposedly 5L bigger. Impressive for 35L.

Comfort

Most comfortable bag in the series so far. I have a 22-inch torso and I wish it was a couple inches taller, but the hip belt still landed in the right place if I let out the shoulder straps a bit and let it hang a bit lower on my back. Back panel ventilation is fine, not as good as the North Face Base Camp Voyager Pro but I don't think it's going to be a problem for most people.

Friction points

Hip belt removal is finicky. It's technically removable and stowable but getting it in and out is more of a production than it should be. There are bags that handle this better. A workaround: wrap it around the front and cinch it instead of stowing it. Cleaner profile, faster to undo.

The zipper cover on the top pocket catches in the zipper pretty reliably. It has to be there to protect the zipper right on the top, so I don't know what the fix is, but i'm trying to find stuff to mention and this is all there is.

This bag has very little to complain about.

Verdict

This one is a contender for at least one award in the roundup video at the end of the month. The frame system, the kangaroo pocket, the multi-point laptop access, and the capacity at 35L all stand out. The hip belt situation is a real friction point but it's not a dealbreaker.

I'm tempted to get the 45L just to see if the fit/comfort is even better for me.

Full Review video with the capacity test and walk: https://youtu.be/ljx_bl3C2jQ

What do you think of the Matador Globerider 35L?

Tested the Goruck GR2 40L as bag #2 in a series I'm running all June: 15 travel bags, same loadout, same one mile walk, then covering Layout, Materials, Features, Capacity, Comfort, and Friction Points.

Layout

Double panel loader, two main compartments, one larger than the other, open flat for easy loading. Laptop goes in the back via an L-shaped zipper.

The main compartments are where the design gets interesting. There are pockets everywhere! The mesh pockets are actually large enough for pouches. The field pocket has depth enough that I could insert my entire dopp kit without issue.

Features

The pockets have a variety of orientation which is nice because if you're organized and you know where everything lives, you can get into those pockets from multiple directions without fully opening it. That's clever.

The thing that I haven't seen many other people talk about much: if you're not using the front compartment the bottom of it folds upward and front compartment sort of becomes flat and the bag barely sticks out. It's almost like an expansion section. So if you're lightly packed you're not carrying around an extended profile for no reason. Good pattern design.

Durable laptop protection. Kind of a thing Goruck is known for.

Molle webbing on front and sides. Useful for attaching things!

Capacity

Full travel loadout fit. Tight and a little lumpy but it all went in. At 40L it's larger than some others being tested, but I was surprised everything fit.

Materials

Really good. My copy is the Robic version. 420D ripstop nylon. Robic is lighter than the 1000D Cordura, but it trades some abrasion resistance to get there. It's not currently available and Goruck hasn't said when or if it comes back. Which is a shame because I really liked this fabric. I hope they do bring it back.

YKK Aquaguard zips, 550 paracord pulls. Zero complaints on materials. My only complaint is that Goruck isn't actively selling GR2 in robic right now.

Comfort

Decent for short walks but by the end of the mile my shoulders were definitely noticing it. The straps are thick and well padded, but all the weight is on your shoulders the entire time. There's no hip belt included and at this load weight (29lbs) I actually would've appreciated one.

The strap length is a personal fit issue for me. Padded section is 17 inches, webbing is 15 inches, 32 inches total. But the bag is 22 inches tall, which means the total opening from back panel to furthest point the shoulder straps can be away from the back panel is only 12 inches. I was maxed out and still wanted more room. For comparison the North Face base camp voyager pro (reviewed earlier in the series) has 15 inches of depth in that measurement area. On my bigger frame that difference is noticeable. The bag was essentially pulling my shoulders back the whole walk (i think it was helping my posture actually), it wasn't painful, but I was aware of it the whole time.

It was also very stiff on my back. Felt like a board. I may try to remove the framesheet and see how that feels, but I didn't do that in this test.

But I also want to add that Goruck has very specific ideas about how a backpack should be worn and how the pack should fit for heavier weights. I'm not willing to say I'm right and they are wrong because we might both be right or I might just be out of shape and need to ruck a hundred miles and then I will see the light of this design. So this is just my amateur opinion after walking with it for a mile. No need to come at me!

Friction points

No hip belt, no option to add one.

EDIT: it's been pointed out to me that a molle webbing hip built option is available for purchase seperately. I hadn't seen that but I may have to give that a try.

Sternum strap sold separately, but I couldn't get it comfortably placed, and I think it's a PIA to move it up or down.

One of the biggest complaints with this bag is no water bottle pocket but you can add a molle water bottle pocket but it's not integrated.

No luggage pass-through, which matters if you ever travel with a roller.

No back panel ventilation.

And you have to move the shoulder strap every time you open the laptop compartment, not a dealbreaker, but if you're in and out of that sleeve a lot you'll get tired of it.

Overall

Layout is great. Capacity is great. Materials are excellent. The friction points are real but most of them are solvable. The strap length isn't, at least not without modifying the bag. Short hauls this thing is hard to beat. Longer carry days, my shoulders would've wanted more support than this bag can give and without a good hip belt there is some concern. (I may try out the molle hip belt option in the future)

Full review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fPfzUuGIVW8

Been testing the North Face Base Camp Voyager Pro 36L Travel Pack and Modular Accessories this week. It's part of a series I'm posting this month: 15 travel bags, same loadout, same one-mile walk, same categories of discussion. The idea is that testing them all back to back with the same gear makes them easier to compare. So far it's working.

The Base Camp Voyager Pro is one of the more interesting bags in the lineup because it's not just a bag. It's a system. North Face sells it with three modular accessories: a lightweight day pack, a crossbody, a shoulder strap pouch. The pitch is that they all work together. I'll get to whether that's true.

First, the bag itself.

COMFORT: Back padding is the reason I bought it. At least an inch of foam and a deep air channel covered by mesh. I saw this in person and decided right then I wanted to try it. Shoulder straps are less padded but wide and comfortable enough, though slightly short. I have a long torso, and they could have used another inch. Sternum strap is actually positioned right for a long torso, which doesn't happen as often as it should. I wore it high the way you're supposed to, and it was fine, but I actually preferred it hanging just slightly lower. Comfortable either way. Didn't need the sternum strap for short walks.

LAYOUT: The layout is a full clamshell (book style) that opens flat. Most of the organization is on one side including a laptop sleeve that easily fits a 16" mbp, tablet sleeve with cord slots, and a flat zippered mesh pocket. The other side is your main packing area. Mostly a large cavern. There's a zippered divider that contains the things but then rolls up and stashes when you don't need it. Shoe compartment at the bottom that compresses flat when you don't need it. On the front is a vertical zip pocket that's bigger than it looks, and there's a top pocket that held more than I expected. Those are important for accessing things while on the go... more on that point later.

Packed a lot without much fight: Aer packing cube, Pakt travel cube, dopp kit, travel pillow, 16-inch MacBook Pro, tech pouch, and a few smaller pouches. Stuffed but it all went in.

FEATURES: Biggest luggage passthrough I've ever tested... runs the full length of the back panel. Double water bottle pockets on both sides in stretchy mesh, fits a 29 ounce bottle without any issue. Beefy handles on the top and both sides. And there's a small zipper flap at the very bottom to protect the zipper from puddles and abrasion. The main zipper sits right at the base of the bag, so that flap is actually very thoughtful. Not many bags think to do that.

MATERIALS: 300D recycled polyester with TPU lamination, ballistic nylon on the bottom, DWR coating throughout, YKK zippers. It's stiff and it's heavy, 4.18 lbs empty is on the higher end for a 36L travel bag. The material is durable and easy to clean, which matters. Whether it feels premium is a different question. North Face makes good products. I'm not sure they make premium products. The warranty is weak, which doesn't help the case.

THE MODULAR SYSTEM:

Overall, I was disappointed. The day pack and the crossbody attach to the front of the bag with four hooks that thread through a row of lash points. Once it's on, those hooks cross directly in front of the main zipper of the bag as well as the attached bag. Meaning you cannot access the contents of the bags without taking the hooks off first. For a travel bag, where you're getting in and out of the main compartment constantly, that's a fundamental design miss. They could have easily put the lash points behind the zippers of the add on bag so at least you could access that.

The hooks also just dangle when nothing's attached to them. There's not really a clean way to stow them. You can hook them onto some webbing loops on the side in a pinch but it's not a real solution. And the lash points they hook onto are bar tacked into the fabric but they look like a weak point under repeated compression. Might hold up. Might not. Doesn't inspire confidence.

The lightweight day pack is actually a decent standalone product, but I wish it had a water bottle holder. Fits a 16-inch laptop, moderately padded, elevated base, two mesh pockets and a key clip on the front. Simple and thin shoulder straps, no sternum strap or waist belt, which is fine given the weight it's meant to carry. One problem is the shoulder straps aren't stowable so they can flop out the sides when you've got it attached it to the main bag. Another missed opportunity to streamline the system.

The shoulder strap pouch seems like the most useful of the modular bags. It slides onto a webbing rail on the shoulder strap and snaps in place. Quick access pocket right where you want it. It also doubles as a tiny sling, holds a phone and a wallet just fine. I can see that use case actually happening. Going for a swim, swimsuit has no pockets, you've got a tiny sling already built into your bag. That's clever. This is probably the one accessory I'd actually see being a good purchase if you grab this backpack.

The crossbody is the weakest item on the list. Origami-style internal organization, similar to a Peak Design pouch, so it could be a tech pouch as well, which would be great but then the non-removable strap is a bit annoying. No reason it couldn't be removable. If you're using it as a crossbody, it's missing an external zippered pocket and it's just too big too fit into either of the main exterior pockets of the main backpack or the day pack. Would've been smarter to make it fit.

VERDICT: the idea is good, the execution is very basic and leaves a lot to be desired. The hooks block access, the dangling hardware is annoying, the pieces don't nest or stow cleanly, and the lash point construction is a durability concern.

It's a solid travel backpack with many great features and it carries comfortably. BUT there are better modular options out there.

Full video is up on the channel if you want to see the zipper thing demonstrated in real time. It's pretty absurd.
https://youtu.be/gVmbqvwL7eM

Used it for a 10 day trip to Mexico. Long days on foot with my wife, lots of walking, excellent real-world test.

TLDR: very good for tall people or people with long torsos. Lightweight but has some structure. Has a stretchy kangaroo pouch. Good balance of features, including a velcro back wall to attach organizers as you see fit.

The fit

This is the thing that surprised me most. The bag is 22.5 inches tall and I have a 22 inch torso. It sits perfectly. Most bags are built shorter and the load never sits where it should on my back. This one does.

The shoulder straps are long and wide. They're thin, which sounds like a problem, but the width distributes the load well enough that it hasn't mattered. I've had zero shoulder fatigue. The sternum strap hits exactly where i think it feels right, not up on my collarbone.

The bag itself

28 liters but it carries more like 22 because I'm not filling it up. The drape is good. Doesn't look or feel like a big bag most of the time, but the capacity is there when you need it. Also that height just looks right on me since I'm tall.

Water bottle pockets fit a Nalgene 32oz + a bit more. Front dump pocket is a real travel bonus and probably the 2nd best reason I like this bag. Great for stuffing an extra layer or snacks or whatever you grabbed. The smaller admin pocket is good, but not sure why they didn't add more velcro loop field to that area.

No built-in organization in the main compartment. It's all velcro loop panel and Tactigami accessories. I'm still figuring out that system but the blank canvas approach is interesting.

I've been carrying my Fuji mirrorless inside. Just dropped in, no sleeve. Put an extra large battery flat on the bottom so that hits the ground first instead of the camera. Not ideal, something I'd sort out before another trip.

Has a waist strap but I didn't use it.

A few things I'd change

No luggage pass through. That's a miss for a travel daypack. I might try to add one. I'd also like a different closure on the front dump pocket. The permanent attachment works but a side-release buckle would be cleaner or maybe a G hook.

Overall

It's a lightweight ripstop nylon bag so it's not going to last forever under hard use. I think that's a fair trade for how light it is.

Best walk-around bag I've used so far for my specific needs. Happy to answer questions but I invite you to check out my YT review for more details. I rambled for 36 minutes. I'm sure I must have touched on it... also get a peek at the streets of Mexico City!

https://youtu.be/GBEtwtEj_Gg

ThinkTank Darklight 20L Review

Bought this bag because it looks cool. That's the honest reason. Took it on a work trip recently and have some thoughts.

What works

The exterior is solid. YKK zippers throughout, ballistic nylon on the base, the bag stands on its own.

20L is a great size so it can double as a personal item and still be wearable for a full day of working. It does fit a 16" macbook pro.

It's pretty comfortable to wear and I had no complaints about shoulder straps.

The personalization side was more fun than I expected. I'm not a patch guy but I ended up with a few on there and actually enjoyed putting it together. The MOLLE panel gives you a lot of customization options and it feels appropriate on this kind of bag.

But a word of warning: anything you put on the front panel is going face-down at some point since you access this bag from the back.

Where it could be better

The interior feels dated. Same divider system ThinkTank has been using forever, nothing new happening in there. The top compartment is the biggest miss for me. The lid geometry creates a bunch of dead space and if you look at ThinkTank's own product photos you can see that space is always empty. If you're shooting all day with the camera in your hand you're not reaching in there for a body constantly, so that space could be more useful for quick access to small things like batteries and memory cards or microphones.

The waist strap is removable but not stowable and getting it on and off isn't quick. So I just took it off and left it off. The wierd thing is ThinkTank already makes a really good modular belt system and this bag doesn't connect to it at all. That's a head scratcher.

Water bottle pocket is fine but a full sized bottle presses into the bag and eats into your storage space. Pockets in general are limited for the price.

Top handle is a folded piece of webbing. Not comfortable under load. Had to add a third party handle wrap.

The laser cut MOLLE panel looks cool but I'd honestly rather have webbing. ThinkTank uses webbing on the top flap and it feels better. That's subjective of course.

Overall

ThinkTank knows how to build a bag. The construction is solid and the exterior is functional and looks great. But the interior and the feature set feel like they haven't asked hard questions about what a camera bag needs to be in 2025 (the year it was released). I feel like many other brands are pushing forward with innovations and ThinkTank isn't.

I did a review on YouTube with a lot more details if you want to check it out: https://youtu.be/1mveId2EBss