Posts Tagged daypacks
Eagle Creek Conor Flashpoint Waterproof Daypack
Most daypacks are designed to withstand a little mist or drizzle, but that may not be sufficient if you’re a flashpacker with a couple thousand dollars worth of gear on your back. In this digital age, that’s not an unusual premise: add up the value of a camera, smart phone, and netbook or iPad alone—all items that do not take kindly to getting wet.
Eagle Creek has a whole line of rugged backpacks meant for being your weatherproof bag for laptops and more. They’ve got the Checkpoint Friendly fold-out laptop section for airport security scans, plus lots of gadget pockets for all the little gear items you have along. With this Conor Flashpoint one I was able to stuff in everything I needed for the day, including my super-zoom camera in its case, plus a water bottle on the side in the carrier.
I left my laptop in the van for this hike to a waterfall in Chiapas, Mexico a couple weeks ago, but I did have a camera, a phone, and a notebook in there when this photo was taken. It was drizzling rain there already, but then when we got close to the Cascada El Chiflón falls, we went from being a little wet to absolutely drenched, just from the spray coming off the falls. (They were so powerful, after days of rain, that a one-ton or so boulder was swirling around in the surf below us.)
This backpack came through that daunting test just fine. The inside stayed dry. The Conor Flashpoint is billed as “weather resistant,” not waterproof, but it’s got the kind of treated material you see in packs from North Face and Brooks-Range that are meant to keep out the elements in climbing expeditions. The seams and zippers are sealed, so the water stays on the outside until you open the bag up. I can’t testify that it’ll keep your things dry forever, but in my hour in the elements it was fine. Under normal conditions, you would probably find shelter or an umbrella by then.
This daypack has all the features you would expect in terms of ample pockets for gadgets and pens, several compartments, and side pockets. The mesh backing will keep you from getting an overly sweaty back and there’s a sternum strap if you’re carrying a lot of weight. I found it to be quite comfortable without that thanks to the ergonomically curved shoulder straps. This bag isn’t all that large—28 liters/1700 cubic inches—but it holds a laptop up to 17 inches. It weighs in at just over two pounds.
Other nice touches include zippers that can lock and a handle on the top for picking it up without slinging it over your shoulder. There’s also a flap on the back that allows you to hook it onto a rolling suitcase handle as you move through airports.
See more at the Eagle Creek laptop solutions page, where you will also find their waterproof Cicada packs that have an extra flap of protection, zipping out like wings. The Eagle Creek Conor Flashpoint pack lists for $145 and comes with a lifetime warranty. It’s only available in black. Check prices online at Magellan’s, Altrec, or Amazon.
See more Eagle Creek gear reviews and other daypack reviews.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, General Gear on November 2nd, 2011
Pacsafe Venturesafe 200 – Daypack with Extra Security
If you want to make sure nobody can steal what’s in your bag without a big fight, carry your belongings in a Pacsafe bag.
Some travelers worry a lot about things being stolen out of their bag. Unlike the fears of being a terrorism kidnapping victim in the Middle East or getting beheaded by narcos south of the border, this one actually has a good chance of happening if you’re not careful. Even in places people feel are safe, it’s dangerous to let down your guard: more tourists get robbed in Italy than anywhere else. If you’re on a subway or in a crowded market anywhere, odds are someone is working the angles, trying to find a score.
As the value of what travelers are lugging along with them goes up with the number of gadgets they’re packing, you can easily have the equivalent of $1,000 on you—and thieves know it.
I’ve been recommending Pacsafe products for a long time. I reviewed a few of their items on the old version of this gear blog that are still available, like the Metrosafe 200, a portable locking safe, and a Daysafe slash-proof laptop backpack. Here we checked out a theftproof laptop bag in a more conventional briefcase style.
I like this cool little Venturesafe 200 bag because it’s a nice size for a day of sightseeing. Everything seems to be sized just right. The back pocket can hold a Kindle nicely and the phone pocket is the right size for my Android smart phone. With those two things in there (and lots of little things), I can still fit in a super-zoom camera. There are additional pockets for other items and gadgets, a clip for keys, and a secret zippered pocket facing the top.
All that’s well and good for travelers, but the real advantages to this small daypack are all the security measures. First of all, the strap over your shoulder is slash-proof and snatch-proof. A thief can’t quickly cut through it with a knife because there’s wire mesh inside. The same wire mesh goes through the whole bag as well, so the old trick of slashing the bottom of a pack and taking what’s inside won’t work with this. The extra-strong zippers tuck into little pockets so they’re hard to reach. A robber can’t unbuckle the strap without turning a knob to the side at the same time.
None of these thing will keep a really determined bad guy from just taking your whole bag—especially if you’re swinging it around while stumbling drunk down the street alone—but they put up levels of deterrent. Those will usually be enough to thwart a thief who is in a hurry and doesn’t want to get caught. They’ll move on to another mark.
Like all Pacsafe bags, this Venturesafe 200 one feels very strong and well-made, like it’ll outlast all your travels. It comes with a two-year guarantee. There are four color choices and the list price is $54—not bad for something that’s like a daypack with an insurance policy attached. It also comes in a larger 300 size that’s less purse-like or if you want to carry around an iPad or netbook.
See all the details at the Pacsafe website and check prices online, where it’s often discounted.
Pacsafe VentureSafe 200 Compact Travel Bag at eBags or get it at Amazon.
Posted by Tim L. in Business Gear, General Gear on August 31st, 2011
For the Flashpackers: Briggs & Riley Excursion Field Bag
Whenever a new Apple product takes off, a whole bevy of accessories hits the market from hundreds of manufacturers feeding off the big glowing fruit. Now that the iPad is taking hold and a second version is out, bags to hold the device are popping up like mushrooms.
I particularly like this Briggs & Riley Excursion Field Bag just hitting the market though because it’s not as “man purse” looking as many of them out there and it’s big enough to hold plenty of other items that aren’t just toys. Or you can use it for a Kindle instead of an iPad and have room for all the things you need for a bus/train/plane ride.
Since I can’t justify the expense of an iPad at this point just to have another gadget to carry around, that’s how I’ve been using it. I pop in my Kindle, a few magazines, a notebook, a camera, and a water bottle. It also has a place for pens, my keys, and my phone. All set!
This being a Briggs & Riley item though, it’s not some flimsy piece of junk that’s going to fall apart in a year. In fact it comes with a lifetime guarantee. It’s made of lightweight but strong ripstop nylon, with good buckles, Velcro, and zippers.
Plus there are lots of nice little touches I enjoy, like a built-in loop strap that goes under your iPad or Kindle: you just pull up on the tab and your device pops up like bread in a toaster. That also keeps it suspended from the bottom of the bag a tad. Naturally there are loads of pockets and compartments on the inside, but there is one zippered pocket on the front that’s the perfect size for your passport and plane ticket.
This Excursion Field Bag, which comes in the same colors as the rest of the BRX collection, is big enough for small netbooks from the likes of Asus, so it could be used as a real work bag as well. It retails for $80 and is just now hitting the real and virtual shelves. Get it online direct right now at the Briggs & Riley website.
Speaking of Briggs & Riley, congrats to Katie N. of Oregon who won a free carry-on BRX wheelie suitcase in the round-the-world contest sponsored by Practical Travel Gear and others.
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Posted by Tim L. in Business Gear, General Gear on May 11th, 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
Eco-friendly Haiku Travel Bags for Women
My new favorite everyday bag is the Haiku Hobo in chocolate brown. It’s got this great rounded-corner, trapezoidal shape that is surprisingly roomy — the top compartment opens wide with a clever diagonal zipper (see photo below). There’s tons of space to put all the crap stuff I seem to need to carry around on a daily basis, and then some. (Seriously, I’ve fit a set of workout clothes, a water bottle, legal pad, wallet and giant cosmetic bag in here, without it bursting at the seams.)
Besides its cool design and voluminous space, I adore the Hobo’s pebble-texture faux-leather accents, the magnetic-closure front pocket and two exterior slip pockets. The inside is lined in easy-to-wipe-clean nylon with Velcro and zip pockets. Double straps are adjustable and come with a removable Velcro cushion (which I removed). Straps extend so that I can sling the bag across my chest — convenient for hands-free sightseeing and souvenir shopping.
Style, function and attention to detail are key for Haiku, a woman-owned company, as is the environment. So much so, Haiku will stop making bags in its original, petroleum-based primary fabric (like the Hobo style I have), and use solely eco-friendly cyclePET fabric moving forward. CyclePET is created from 100-percent post-consumer PET (polyethylene terephthalate) beverage bottles.
Now, the good news is, each bag that Haiku creates out of cyclePET material keeps 22 plastic bottles out of landfills. Bad news — that cool pebble fabric I love so much in the Hobo won’t be in production much longer. Alas, I’m confident that the updated eco-friendly Hobo will be equally as lovable, also with textured fabric and new recycled aluminum hardware.
Haiku’s current Rumi collection is already made out of cyclePET. Designs include a backpack, messenger bag and a little skinny-strapped shoulder bag. As soon as my 11-year-old daughter got a look at the little Rumi Pouch — basically a multi-faceted wallet with a bunch of little zipper pockets, credit-card slots and a detachable shoulder strap — she claimed it as her own. She likes that it also holds her cellphone and chapstick. She uses it as a purse when she goes to the movies with friends; but it could also be used as a wallet within a larger bag. That detachable shoulder strap makes it easy to use on its own when you really only have to carry some cash, lipstick and a hotel-room key.
The Rumi Pouch retails for $42; the Hobo is $78. Shop for many styles on the Haiku website. Browse offerings and check prices on PlanetShoes.com or Backcountry.com.
Posted by Kara in Travel Light on April 5th, 2011
