It may be easy for some, but I always have difficulty choosing which bags to take on each trip.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an indecisive person usually, however depending on where I’m going and what I’m doing, the selection of checked or carry-on bags is an important factor.
But Cotopaxi has made it much easier with the introduction of the Allpa 35L Travel Pack.
The rugged, 35-liter backpack system is made for adventure travel, but you don’t have to use it that way.
Most recently, I took mine on a trip to a luxury travel conference in Mexico’s Riviera Maya. The pack itself is made with TPU-coated 1000D polyester, with durable 1680D ballistic nylon paneling.
There’s a suitcase-style, full-wrap zipper to open up the main compartment, so it doesn’t feel completely like a backpack in terms of how to access your gear.
A low-profile harness includes contoured shoulder straps, a padded hip belt, a breathable air mesh back panel, and an adjustable sternum strap.
All work together to help distribute the weight of what you’ve packed so that you’re comfortable hauling it around when you’re on the go.
On the inside, there’s a large, zippered mesh compartment on one side and a subdivided zippered mesh compartment on the other.
On the outside are padded laptop and tablet sleeves accessible through a zipper. There’s also shortcut zipper that provides access to the main internal compartment without having to take the pack off your back.
A compartment on the top is designed with passports and other small essentials in mind, which is subdivided for added organization.
All external zippers have theft-resistant webbing sewn across the openings. Four reinforced grab handles provide multiple carry points when the shoulder straps are tucked away.
There’s also a rain cover that packs down within the pack.
The Allpa pack is designed to pair with Cotopaxi’s stowable Batac Daypack, so you can leave the main pack in your room and use the smaller pack for day hikes and trips around town.
With the Allpa, you also get a mesh laundry bag, a nylon shoe bag, and a snap-on mesh water bottle sleeve that lets you customize the pack.
The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack comes in true blue or black (mine’s blue, so it doesn’t blend in with all my other black travel items) and lists for $199.95 on the Cotopaxi site.
Remember, it includes the stowable Batac Del Dia 16L Daypack, so you’re getting two packs in one purchase.