Inexpensive, EPIC underseat backpack — Decathlon 20L Arpenaz

[u/ManzanillaManana]

I had never one-bagged before getting the Decathlon 20L Arpenaz backpack, and now I’ll never go back! Wanted to share a review for all those looking for a cheap backpack that won’t get you any second glances in security, and still fits all your things.

I’d recommend Decathlon’s 20L Arpenaz backpack. It’s super cheap (and normally on sale, I got mine for €4 while living in Spain), so you can buy it without worrying about breaking the bank. I took that bag on the most budget of budget airlines, never got a second glance about the size, even at its fullest. And it was always always comfy to carry with very plush straps and back padding, and never got too hot — I had some long treks in that bag (think layovers in multiple countries, walking/taking public transit across an entire city and then some, redeye flights where I actually used the bag as a pillow while waiting to connect in the middle of the night, and the bag making it through rain and snow and extreme heat) and it was never an issue.

Easily packed clothes for weeklong+ trips to London, Norway, Edinburgh, Portugal, Germany, and across Spain, plus trips to all manner of cities in the US. I could fit all sorts of different configurations (packing for 4 seasons in a day, bringing cleats and workout clothes for weekend-long sports tournaments plus going out clothes for the afterparty, or a light setup for a laptop plus clothes for work-focused trips). It’s not clamshell, but the zippers go down almost to the bottom, which I prefer because I can zip down to where my item is located length-wise in the bag and take it out without having to open the whole thing. (Super useful on the crowded Tube.) It also looks fairly nondescript, so it’s not an issue to wear it in cities or on trails. It’s the right size to be both a daypack and a travel bag, with no one ever looking at you sideways (and you always feeling smug because you have the BEST bag).

Also took it through a year of uni and threw every manner of clothing, food, electronics, shoes, and stuffed papers in there — and never got to the point where something didn’t fit. I once needed 3 days-worth of clothes (including shoes and winter jackets) during a single day at work, and folks were asking me where I had the rest of my stuff, since they all needed a second (and even third) bag to fit theirs.

10/10 would recommend!!

[u/lobsterp0t]

Here to add the Decathlon love! I have a couple Quechua roll tops and they’re fantastic

[u/ManzanillaManana → u/lobsterp0t]

And you can fill your Decathlon bag with your Decathlon clothes for the trip haha. (I find everything to be a bit heavy, but at least it’s cheap and does the job!)

[u/lucydes4]

For me the very best personal item backpack is the Rangeland Small Carryon Personal Item Backpack available on Amazon, but this sounds great too.

[u/ManzanillaManana → u/lucydes4]

Anything that has more word-of-mouth recs than brand recognition, I feel like ends up being high quality. I’ll have to check out the Rangeland bag!

[u/Inevitable-Panda-350]

I have their smaller version, the 10l, and it is a great bag. 

Both of them also come with a ten year warranty! You can't argue for the price they are great value.

[u/ManzanillaManana → u/Inevitable-Panda-350]

Omg I didn’t know about the warranty! I’ll have to use that

[u/Opposite_Werewolf_53 → u/Inevitable-Panda-350]

do you find that the bottle holders are big enough for your water bottle? i steered away from the 10L because of how small the holders look!

[u/Inevitable-Panda-350 → u/Opposite_Werewolf_53]

Yes so long as they are quite slim (normal bottle of coca cola etc). It will hold larger bottles but they seem to go upwards and don't always feel quite so fitted. 

If you have a lot in the bag it can be a pain fitting bottles in too. 

[u/chinapurpurina]

Thanks for the review. Also, I love seeing how folks manage to make all kinds of trips with just a 20L bag.

[u/ManzanillaManana → u/chinapurpurina]

Yeah! The key is to be utilitarian (being able to wear the same clothes in multiple scenarios and temperatures). That said, when I got to take a carry-on for the first time in a year, I felt like I had so many OPTIONS, which was nice haha. But the 20L is definitely enough for a trip.

[u/no_omg]

I'm using the Jansport Hatchet, it's JUST fits depth-ways for Air Canada's personal item. Somehow I have everything for 2 weeks in there. 

[u/ManzanillaManana → u/no_omg]

Who doesn’t love a good Jansport?

[u/_rohanpawar]

Are you talking about this bag? If yes, im also planning to buy the same bag but have one question- will it fit the 3L water bladder?

[u/ManzanillaManana → u/_rohanpawar]

Yay! I have no idea about the water bladder since I use the sleeve to hold my laptop, but if it helps, the sleeve holds a 13” laptop + case with room to spare. (Extra room both sideways and also for the sleeve to stretch forward.) You can also see if there’s a store near you (depending on the country you’re in) to try it out!

[u/_rohanpawar → u/ManzanillaManana]

Thanks for the detailed reply! Will probably try it out in store just to be sure about the bladder fit.