If you’ve been outdoors lately, traveling or on the trail, you’ve undoubtedly seen at least one Cotopaxi Luzon day pack on the back of a fellow traveler.
A new bag for Cotopaxi, an outdoor adventure company with a grassroots vibe, the Luzon 18L is a colorful, almost whimsical daypack known for its individuality and simplicity.
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The Luzon only features one main compartment, closed with a simple drawcord opening. It has basic mesh backpack straps and a sleeve for a hydration pack (not included). It packs down to almost nothing, since it has no internal frame or bulky parts. What you DO get: a totally individualized design.
Each Luzon is hand-designed in the Philippines factory used by Cotopaxi. The designer can use any color way he or she desires, and you cannot request particular colors when you order a Luzon. The result is a literal rainbow of colorful Luzons…all different from one another.
When you open the box containing your Luzon at home, the color way will be a complete surprise.
I cannot tell you firsthand how comfortable or practical the Luzon is…because the day my sample arrived in the mail, my teenage son grabbed it before I could even take it out of the box.
Immediately, he was smitten, and he’s been using ‘his’ Luzon for day trips on the trail, school field trips, river rafting adventures, and travels ever since. On the left is a photo of our actual Luzon, chilling by the trail.
The Luzon is made of 100% ripstop nylon shell fabric, and has proved to be very durable so far. You do get one front zippered pocket, but otherwise, there are no compartments other than the hydration sleeve.
It’s definitely best for minimalists, or those who just need to stash a packable day pack into their carry-on for the occasional excursion while traveling. It only weighs 300 grams, and as aforementioned, it has an 18 liter volume.
Does the Luzon live up to it’s hype? For $49.95, the price feels a bit steep for a simple day pack, but darn it…the unique color way panels are appealing.
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No doubt it will continue to be a popular choice among teenagers and young adults like my son, but I can see the appeal for all ages. Often when traveling, simple is best, and I can absolutely see myself stashing the Luzon into my travel duffel to use on my next international trip….if I can steal it back from my son, that is.
Look for the Luzon on any outdoor gear site or in any outdoor store. Don’t bother trying to select your color, however! If you really need some control over your color way, buy on Amazon, where you can at least select a hue.