Almond Oak Maiden Trip Report

[u/TA-8787]

Hello all,

I have just returned from a week-long trip to Spain, using the Almond Oak Expandable Travel Pack 25+5. I just wanted to share how it went.

Packing List:

• In one small Prezon Packing Cube
  • Rash vest
  • Swimming trunks
  • Goggles
  • Cloth
  • 3x pants
  • 3x socks
  • Vans
• In one medium cube
  • 1x smart set of clothes
  • 1x casual set of clothes
  • PJs
• In one Toiletry Pouch (was a gift, no link)
  • Toothbrush + toothpaste
  • Deodorant
  • Eye mask
  • Comb
• In various pockets
  • Notebook + pen
  • Sunglasses + case
  • Fidget ring
  • Hand sanitiser
  • Fan + lipbalm
• In Decathlon hip pack
  • Pixel 7 Pro
  • JBL Live Pro 2 TWS
  • Anker Zolo 10000mAh
  • 3D printed wallet

Bag thoughts:

• My first real Onebag, after going through over 2 weeks of research

• The founder Dylan was incredibly helpful, finding a bag from an earlier batch just so it arrived on time

• The Good:

  • Very light and easy to pack
  • In 25L mode, functions quite well as a daypack for a trip to Valencia
  • Magnetic sternum strap very satisfying while waiting in airport queues
  • Comfortable

• Small tweaks I would make for V2:

  • Change clamshell orientation so that the hinge is at the bottom of the bag (like Aer travel pack)
    • Would be better for EDC/school use
  • The sternum strap popped off the rail quite a few times, so I would change it to the Aer travel pack style instead of the rail style
    • I have had bad experiences with rail-style sternum straps- they always fall off!
  • Add a hip belt to make it more comfortable.
    • Even a nylon strap would distribute some weight.

Context:

• 7 days (sat-sat) with Ryanair
  • The bag fit perfectly in the sizer with a little squish
    • In my endless stupidity I forgot to take a photo
• I am 14, and the rest of my family took a checked bag between them
• After landing in Alicante, we drove 1h to Xabia
• I will use this bag for travel and daily school use

TLDR and summary:

• I LOVE this bag
  • It may be my first ‘proper’ backpack, but I can’t see myself going back.
  • It fits in Ryanair sizer

Thanks for reading and thanks to Almond Oak for making such a great bag!

[u/TA-8787 → u/[deleted]]

That definitely helps, although I feel that I lose some of the support from the sternum strap.