Posts Tagged backpack
Osprey Verve 10 Hydration Pack
It’s been some time since I bought my ancient Platypus hydration pack. I never did love it, it had some major flaws that have no doubt have since been fixed. The biggest issues I had with my old pack were centered around the hydration unit itself — the water reservoir and how it worked. I could never quite find the valve, it was always flapping around loose. And it leaked like crazy, soaking the right side of my bike shorts right through on those long rides. Not a problem on hot days, but in typical Seattle weather, you don’t need an additional cooling system.
The Osprey Verve hydration pack fixes those two major issues and has a whole mess of nicely designed features to make hauling a bunch of water around with you on your active outdoor adventure easy and comfortable.
First, that issue with the valve. Osprey has a magnet on the valve so it clips to the buckle on the chest strap. The valve is where you expect it to be, it’s not swinging around. It’s bite activated and it has an open/shut mode — you turn the valve to drink from it — so it doesn’t leak. Complaints? Gone. The water resevoir has a wide screw top mouth so it’s easy to fill and a stiff back so it holds its shape; it doesn’t settle to the bottom of your pack the way some of those hydration bags do.
There are lots of nice details that I noticed right away. The zipper pulls have plastic loops on them that are shaped to fit your fingers, there’s no fussing with them. There’s a special clip for your bike helmet — though hey, most of the time, you’re wearing your helmet, right? There are straps you can use to cinch your coat on to the outside of the pack. I attached my rain shell when the sun came out and the weather dried up and my coat was secure and out of the way. There’s a mesh outside pocket, a zippered wallet sized pocket, and a main storage pocket with organizer sections.
My test run with this Verve pack was on a day hike on a mild day. I had a sweater, a rain coat, a pocket camera, my wallet and keys, a few small odds and ends. I was able to stuff my sweater in to the main compartment and, as I mentioned, tie my coat to the straps on the outside of the pack. Everything was secure, the zips stayed shut, the clasps held everything in place. For a minimalist day out, it was absolutely fine — I probably could have squeezed some snacks in there too.
But I couldn’t fit my SLR in the bag, not even when it was empty. I prefer to bring my camera with a telephoto lens when I go play outside, and there’s no way this bag would accomodate it. It’s not a flaw in the bag, so much as it is my own fault for insisting on dragging that much camera around with me. But consider this a heads up. If you’re like me and want your telephoto, this isn’t the bag for you.
Osprey makes a whole lot of packs, many of them include their very well designed hydration system. Day hikers and bikers will find lots to like about the Verve Hydration pack, or the companion Viper line that’s designed for the guys. You’ll just have to pack light. Not a bad restriction to have.
The Verve is available from Amazon for $84. Or follow these links to check prices at REI and eBags.
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Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear, General Gear on July 29th, 2011
Ultra Sil Pack Cover from Sea to Summit
I was pretty disappointed to find out that the pack cover that came with my Kata Digital Rucksack (reviewed here) didn’t stay put when I any kind of active with the pack on. While the pack keeps my gear safe and is made of sturdy enough material to keep my electronics dry in most conditions, there are times when it’s just pouring rain or there’s crazy over-spray from the water. The pack cover is supposed to add extra protection, right? But it’s got to fit right do so.
Sea to Summit makes pack covers that fit but good, stay in place, and act like a rain jacket for your pack when the weather is just too wet to rely on the pack material alone. The covers are made from waterproof ripstop material that’s lightweight and tough. It’s got a stretchy cord that pulls tight for the best fit. The little stuff sack is sewn to the cover so you can’t lose it (a nice touch). The larger sizes have an additional strap that keeps the sides in place — mine is an XS so I can’t say how well that works or how much of a hassle it is to deal with. There’s a little hook on the end of the cinch strap — I used that to attach it to a loop on my pack just in case it did come loose, but it stayed in place during all kinds of outdoor foul weather activity.
You do have to pull the cover away to get in and out of your pack, but because there’s plenty of stretch, it was easy enough to manage, and I liked the extra protection for my electronics in those wet conditions. The pack covers come in four colors — gold, grey, green, blue and red — and four sizes. The XS fits your standard day pack and the measurements given on the Sea to Summit site are correct; I checked and measured to select the right size for my camera gear pack.
Sea to Summit makes lots of “keep your stuff dry” bags and pack covers and more. The pack covers start at about 35 dollars for the small. Replacing a water damaged camera costs a lot more. Keep your gear dry and get a pack cover at Backcountry.com.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear on April 22nd, 2011
LowePro CompuDayPack for Carry-on Luggage
Since entering the wonderful world of DSLR camera ownership, I’ve struggled with how to safely carry my precious camera on a plane, while having enough room in one bag to also carry my laptop, phone, chargers, reading material, sunglasses, water bottle, toiletries and paperwork. I’ve put a small padded camera bag in a favorite large tote, which has worked out okay (but resulted in a huge bag to carry on one shoulder), and sampled the Crumpler Sinking Barge, which was just too much bag for this amateur photographer.
The LowePro CompuDaypack comes thisclose to being my ideal go-to bag for camera/laptop combo carry-on purposes, but does fall just a little short in a couple of instances. And that’s okay: this bag isn’t marketed as a carry-on bag, but rather a student backpack or for use around town.
First, the highlights:
- The exterior material is hearty ripstop nylon; the accent color comes in green (my fave!), though shown here in orange. The colored material has a subtle dotted texture that just gives the bag some added pizazz.
- The camera compartment is in a hinge-like, zippered compartment at the bottom of the bag. You use removable, padded, Velcro inserts to customize the protection for your particular camera and lens(es).
- I fit my DSLR, a long lens, my point-and-shoot camera, a Flip video camera, and assorted chargers and batteries in the camera section with no problem.
- A small exterior pocket with headphones port allows you to listen to music easily on the go.
- The large inner storage area above the camera is nice and wide, and includes many small organizational pockets for pens and such.
- The big, padded zippered area for laptops should fit most 17-inch netbooks. (It fits my big ol’ Dell laptop with extra bulky battery, with room to spare.)
- A thin sleeve pocket near the laptop space can house file folders.
- Shoulder straps are nicely padded for comfort, and I particularly like the “grab handle” at the top of the backpack.
Indeed, this bag holds a lot of stuff, but the main storage area above the camera (pictured below, at left), just isn’t quite big enough for all of my particular junk. On my family’s recent flights to the West Coast, I had my husband store my laptop charger in his bag, because I simply could not fit everything I wanted to have close to me in this Lowepro CompuDaypack.
Plus, even after taking out the charger, I had a hard time closing the backpack with my water bottle (and see-through bag of toiletries, and a snack and a book, etc.) in there. In fact, because the main storage space has only one zipper (not two zippers like the camera compartment and the laptop compartment) I found myself really struggling to close it and the zipper seam (where my water bottle bulged out on the side) started to stretch and pull apart.
I suppose the solution is to carry a bona fide purse for toiletries (and water bottle and charger) as my second carry-on bag. Or stick these additional items in my rollerboard that I store in an overhead bin the next time I travel alone, if I don’t need them right at my feet during a flight.
I think this bag would be close to perfect if a) the main storage compartment had two zippers to meet at the top instead of just one that zips all the way across to one side and b) there was a water bottle holder on the exterior.
With those caveats, I really, really like the Lowepro CompuDaypack, and I look forward to using it on future travels.
Purchase the CompuDaypack on the LowePro website for $99.99. I have also found it discounted on Amazon.com.
Posted by Kara in Business Gear on September 10th, 2010
Checkpoint-Friendly Backpack: Brenthaven MetroLite BP-XF
Going through airport security is enough of a hassle these days, so I’m always looking out for anything that makes the process a little easier. And Brenthaven’s new, checkpoint-friendly MetroLite BP-XF backpack is a well-built laptop and accessories bag that will protect your gear while saving time in the security line.
Brenthaven calls its design X-Ray Friendly, which means normally your laptop will not have to be removed before going through the x-ray machine. It butterflies open with one zipper, giving screeners an unobstructed view of the laptop while it’s still protected inside the bag.
My 15.4″ laptop fit snugly inside with padding all around it. There’s a dedicated storage pocket on the front for a battery and charger, along with two other front, zippered pockets.
The case also features an accessory panel inside with plenty of room for cables, a portable router, GPS, a cell phone or other things you’ll need on the road.
Even though the case is designed as a backpack, it works just as well hand carried with the backpack straps tucked into a rear pocket.
The MetroLite BP-XF goes a long way in protecting your computer, with up to two inches of high-density foam around all six sides and reinforcement around the corners and bottom. And when the laptop can stay inside the case, there’s less risk of dropping it while going through the checkpoint.
The bag is made of rugged nylon and lightweight, at 2.6 pounds.
Brenthaven is also proud of its environmental record, aiming for zero impact on the environment. The company carefully chooses its materials and transportation methods and also invests in carbon credits and other green initiatives.
The MetroLite BP-XF backpack is very reasonably priced for a bag with all these features. It retails for $99.95, with a significant discount available from Amazon.
There is one disclaimer: a TSA screener may still require you to remove a laptop from a checkpoint-friendly bag. I’ve never had that happen, but it could.
Brenthaven’s MetroLite BP-XF backpack has a lot to like. It’s tough, well designed and reasonably priced. And its checkpoint-friendly design can help protect your valuable laptop on those trips through the x-ray machine.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on June 28th, 2010
Amelia Convertible Tote Bag from Ellington Handbags
I write about a lot of bags here at Practical Travel Gear, and I always give bonus points for bags that pull double duty. The Amelia Convertible Tote gets quadruple points for its versatility. I’m freakishly giddy with excitement about the different ways I can use this Ellington tote bag this summer.
The major selling point for this sturdy and durable nylon bag: it can be carried several different ways. Grab two top handles to carry it like a tote bag; attach a long strap to wear across the body or over the shoulder; or expose two “stowaway” shoulder straps and use as a backpack.
Like most of my favorite bags I use every day and for travel, I’m partial to how many pockets and pouches this bag has: there are two with top drawstrings on either side for water bottles or a compact umbrella. You can slide a book, notebook or folders into the exterior pouch that also stores the backpack straps when not in use. The other side has two zipper pockets, one with a magnetic closure and a couple of mesh pouches for a cell phone or iPod. The main compartment is huge — and also has a couple of interior zipper and snap pockets.
I foresee bringing this water-resistant bag to the swimming pool, using it to cart books back to the library (the kids love the local summer reading program), or filling it with snacks and water bottles for a day’s outing to the park. I’m thinking it could carry a bottle of wine, cheese, crackers and crusty bread for a grown-up picnic during an outdoor concert.
While I’m way past the diapering stage with my kids, I think the Amelia Convertible Tote would make a great diaper bag. (It’s designed for women, but I bet my husband would carry it.) It’s plenty big to fit a netbook — the bag is 14-inches high), but it won’t zip shut with my 15-inch laptop inside. It’s not as big as many of the bags I’ve used as carry-on luggage lately, but if I don’t need a ton of stuff with me on the plane (i.e. if I’m not traveling with my laptop or my kids), I’d consider using this bag.
The tote comes in seven colors. I have the purple one (pictured above) with subtle olive-green piping; it’s much more dark gray than bright violet.
The bag is available for pre-order now for $79 on the Ellington Handbags website, with delivery beginning on June 15. Order now, and you don’t have to pay for shipping within the U.S. Also check pricing on Amazon.com for many (many!) other Ellington styles, like the Parkrose Tote or the Lightweight Travel Tote/Backpack.
Posted by Kara in Travel Light on May 28th, 2010
