Posts Tagged daypacks
Eagle Creek Packable Daypack
Here at the Practical Travel Gear Blog, we’re big fans of anything that packs down to a little pouch and can then pop out Transformers style when you need it in your travels. So I was pretty darn excited when Eagle Creek gave out samples of this Packable Daypack at an adventure travel conference I attended in the fall.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one who gave this a thumbs up because for the next few days, the host city of San Cristobal de Las Casas was awash in tour operators with this Eagle Creek daypack slung over their shoulders. Many of them surely packed something else for carrying around their daily essentials, but they liked this better.
The photo at the top is what this daypack looks like when you stuff it in its sack for packing. A little smaller and thinner than a paperback book (and obviously more squishable). Then the photo on the right shows what it looks like in use: a nice backpack-style daypack that will hold 11 liters of your stuff. On the two trips where I’ve used it this thing has been stuffed with a super-zoom hybrid camera, tripod, guidebook, notebook, a phone or music player, pens, a windbreaker, and assorted papers. I’ve still had plenty of room to spare.
There aren’t a whole lot of bells and whistles to this, but the zippered front pocket does have a key clip on a loop and there’s a fabric loop on the top for hanging or grabbing. The backpack straps are made of a mesh, which surely helps with the weight and packing compression, but they’re also quite comfortable and they keep your shoulder from getting sweaty.
The fabric is strong, water-resistant ripstop nylon. Here’s the amazing part though: it comes with a lifetime warranty. When’s the last time you saw that for a product retailing for under 30 bucks?
This packable daypack comes in three colors: black, Pacific blue, and “Morocco.” You can buy direct from Eagle Creek for $27.50 or follow these links to order from Zappos, Amazon, or REI.
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Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on March 14th, 2012
Tom Bihn Ristretto for iPad
Unless you absolutely have to, why lug your laptop around every time you travel? When you’re toting around your iPad or netbook, it’s so much better to bring a smaller bag—one that isn’t built to fit a laptop and the kitchen sink. The Tom Bihn Ristretto for iPad (and iPad2) is a great option.
While the size requires you to pare down, there’s plenty of room for your iPad or netbook, cell phone, wallet, notebook, pens, keys and even a water bottle. The padded compartment protects your iPad, while an easy-reach pocket allows you to grab your phone or pen on the fly. A zippered secure pocket is included, for items you want to hide away. The small bag is roomier than it looks. I was easily able to get a camera, book and sweater for the plane trip in with all the other gear.
Use the shoulder strap or a removable waist strap—perfect for securing your bag while you’re biking around any city. The Ristretto comes with the Tom Bihn “standard” shoulder strap, which has a 1 1/2-inch-wide nylon webbing strap and a wide foam pad for your shoulder.
For a little bit extra ($20), you can upgrade to the “absolute” shoulder strap, which has a soft, durable neoprene pad with comfortable stretch backing. I picked the upgrade strap, and it’s made a big difference when I’m hauling a lot of stuff around. It may not make the best sense for the Ristretto, since it’s a smaller bag, but I also use my shoulder strap on other bags—any that have hooks for D-ring attachments will do.
Tom Bihn makes other Ristretto bags that fit larger technology, so if you just can’t part with that 11-inch or 13-inch MacBook Air, there’s a Ristretto for them as well.
The Tom Bihn Ristretto for iPad lists for $125 and the one place to get it besides their store is on the Tom Bihn website. (Their bags are made in the USA and to enable them to keep doing that, they’re only sold direct from the company.)
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Posted by Jill in Business Gear, General Gear on February 24th, 2012
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
