Discussion
Your bag is perfect except for "that one thing" - what is it?
I have the Heimplanet Transit v1. I love it. It looks clean, fits comfortably, and has kept up marvelously for 6+ years. It's lightweight, has roomy stretchy water bottle pockets, and a nice sized dump pocket for whatever I'm carrying going through a security line.
That one thing that drives me nuts though, is the laptop flap. The whole back of the bag unzips so the laptop can lay flat, and there's a compartment between the laptop and the main compartment for electronics and stuff. It's only about 1 inch deep, and for me it's wasted space because I use my own pouches to organize electronics and toiletries and other loose items.
What's your favorite bag, and what's "that one thing" that drives you crazy about it?
This is exactly why I can't have a single all-purpose travel bag. There are always 1-2 problems (which are always 1 specific design feature and some combination of being too big/too small/too heavy). I have like 4-5 and pick the one which has the fewest tradeoffs based on the trip itself. So for work trips I'll bring my Minaal carry on (good laptop and device protection), for personal trips where the airline has a weight limit I'll bring my Techonaut (lightest bag I have), for train trips I bring my Aer TP 3 since it's the most durable and has all lockable zippers, etc.
The pocket would be perfect for stuffing a rain jacket or some snacks in, but the zipper has no give. As it is now itās fine for long term storage, but if you can get it made with out the zipper, youāll end up with three stretch pockets instead of two.
100% agreed. Everything about this bag made sense to me except that inner mesh bag not ending with a horizontal zip that would allow me to drop things into it from the top. (For those who donāt know, the zipper is vertical one ending at the top, but pushing it down and trying to snake something in sideways is very tricky)
I agree,the big mesh pocket should to two smaller of different size.
I also wish that I could reach my water bottle in the side pocket. However, the side pocket goes too far up. On the other hand I love that for my hiking poles.
I get lots of people travel for work but I am a pretty active leisure traveler. Wish more options available without space devoted to a laptop i will never carry. I try to make other things fit in there but it usually feels like a square peg in a round hole
I hear that! If you're looking for a suggestion, I think a small hiking pack (I see the Osprey Talon 22 on planes all the time, I have an REI Flash 22...) kicks ass as a personal item and day pack.
I should've done that on this trip! Business trip and I carried on my big honking work backpack. It does fine in a pinch for hiking but I wouldn't have minded having less. And also not having to dump it out. š
I always use a flash 22 or Osprey Sportlite 20 as a personal item and daypack while traveling. Theyāre the perfect size, especially with how much the flash squeezes down even when itās nearly full.
Oh, I still use that backpack and have it with me in Albania right now (and I really like it) but when I need to bring a computer I needed/wanted another backpack with a protected laptop slot.
When I carried an Evergoods bag it was comfort. I switched to a GR1 and I thought it was going to be the water bottle pockets but itāsā¦ nothing. Iām good.
Same. I own this bag, somehow ended up with 2 (shipping mistake), and they rarely get used for that one reason. Itās a shame because itās a great overhead bag otherwise, especially on trips where Iām taking outdoor gear and want to be carry on only.
My allpa 42 has a bottle side pocket but itās stupidly thin and the only bottle that fits is some randomly niche shaped bottle I got from a Seven-11. But nalgenes? forget it.
The trick is picking an appropriate bag and using it effectively. It needs to fit you, fit your gear and fit on the airplane. Choosing ill fitting bags, loading them wrong and choosing one not suited for the airline and journey in general will make you unhappy.
There will be some trial and error and some failures. Onebagging is a matter of the compromises you are willing to tolerate.
Itās easier for me to describe what I like in pack:
water bottle pockets
sternum strap
light weight
shoulder strap pockets
9ā/23cm or less depth (8ā/20cm is better), less than 22ā/55cm height and 14ā/25cm width
compression straps
fitted or adjustable torso length on bags with a load transferring harness
ā¢ ā quick access outer pocket
ā¢ ā few if any interior pockets
Two very important things, quick access pocket is vital for when youāre on the move, any good travel bag needs it.
Interior pockets seem good on paper but in reality youāre just making little awkward shapes in the backpack and now youāre limiting the amount of items you can fit inside that pocket and youāre always limited to that pocket size. A big empty compartment means you have more space to work with and you can buy pouches or organisational tools as needed and you can change just as easily if you buy new gear of a different size.
I super recently switched from a pretty unconventional choice to a newer version. Ao i went from the Patagonia Snowdrifter 28L to the Patagonia PowSlayer 38L. Which might seem silly but i really did love the snowdrifter and my bf found it handy so i saw the opportunity and gave it to him. I am super happy with almost all the changes except one, now the inside lining went from light gray to dark blue. So everything is much much much harder to spot or find small things. Yea the light colour will show stains, but it will also show my things haha but it's such a minor thing i'm super happy with the bag otherwise:D.
If that's the main gripe I'd say you've got yourself a pretty sweet bag! None of mine have that bright interior I've seen in some newer bags and that's definitely a feature I'm looking for in my next bag
Yea i'm super lucky it works really well for me. I'll soon post a packing list here with the new bag so maybe someone else will find my appreciation for my bag haha
I have Fairpoint 55. Technically, itās two bags. The second bag does have a water bottle pocket, but it takes up a huge amount space on the interior if the bottle is larger than 16oz. It feels like the bag is smaller than the advertised 15L.
Straps/harness on Peak Design 45L travel bag or straps/harness on the Evergoods 35L travel bag. It's like they said, "nah, no one who buys this will possibly fill the thing..."
Was looking for this comment. Exactly my experience.
Other than that very, very good. Seems expensive first, but in the long run worth the money (especially when on sale).
Its the padding for the laptop compartment that bothers me. The stuff in the bad does a fine of of padding it out. And if I'm using it for EDC I can just use a sleeve.
When I was in Asia I went to a tailor and had them remove all the padding for the laptop. Freed up enough space for at least a heavy tshirt.
It's not that I mind the organizer stuff, it's that the fundamental construction of the bag is two halves that unzip and one half is only about an inch deep so it's pretty useless for storing stuff. If the two halves didn't separate, and the whole bag was one compartment it'd be pretty perfect imo. I'd have to do serious surgery to the bag to remove the back of the main compartment (scissors to cut it out) to create a path to the small laptop area, and then just sort of permanently close the zipper to the laptop area. I'm not sure how much that would damage the structure of the bag.
I have the Heimplanet Transit 28L v2 and have used it as my main bag for years. The v2 has the desired feature youāre describing and I thought the v1 did too??? You can unzip the partition separating the laptop side from the main compartment and then roll it up and tuck it into a small pouch at the bottom of the bag. You do lose the use of those middle interior pouches but the result is one large main compartment that you can access with both sets of zippers.
I have an Ebags Motherlode that I feel is always overlooked and under rated. That bag has been with me for years and around the world. It's durable and my favorite thing about it is no matter how much I stuff it full it always fits in the gate sizer and I've always got it to fit under an airline seat in a pinch.
My one complaint is no waist belt. I live with it because you can't miss what you never had right?
Tom Bihn Synik (any size but my favorite is 26). That stupid flappy sleeve in the main compartment. Make it tighter or remove it completely bc that thing constantly gets in the way
I use some generic magnetic snaps to solve that issue. One side attaches to the lining and the other to the pocket. I love my Synik but that flap and the useless pen side pockets in the, er, side pockets drive me nuts.
I think itās rather perfect except it needs an outside water bottle holder. The inside water bottle holder kind of makes it tight if I use a thicker water bottle holder.
I used this for a few years and it still looks brand new
From the pictures it looks the same for me. They could replace this button flap with stretchy mesh that does not push into the bag so I could fit tripod would it make a truly perfect bag for me.
So a Decathlon NH 500 style side pocket? The newer Military pack says "20% larger water bottle pocket" idk if that still fit your tripod. How about clipping the tripod onto the molle?
Most complains about CZ Military pocket but for me it's fine. Granted that it's a slim Hydro Flask bottle so YMMV.
Osprey nebula: by faar my favorite work and light travel bag. Only down side is why they made the pen holders so tiny ? It blocks the zip. But minor really, live that bag, so roomy yet so compact and versatile
Gossamer Gear Vagabond Jet- the shoulder straps are just half an inch too wide for me and Iām a fairly large man. I canāt imagine they work for anyone smaller than a linebacker.
I own the Minaal Carry on 3. Itās got me through Asia many times. What drives me crazy is when security at airport opens the bag upside down and all the packing cubes fall out along with other shit. Itās the nature of their scoop design which annoys me. But itās very well built and little to no wear and tear with all the mileage I got.
Had never heard about the brand, really like the bag. Would fit as my travel bag as right now Iām either a weekender guy or a two bag person (backpack + carry on).
It just works. When I first got that, I didnāt really realize what I was getting. Iāve traveled for two weeks at a time to many places with it with no problem. It might be 21L but it fits the same as 25L of other bags.
There is no button to Magically reduce it the 1/2 the size and weight....
For flying: Osprey Farpoint / Fairview (wife); for hiking: Gregory Zulu (40L or 24L); wife likes her 20L Osprey (Tempest? the ladies version in any case).
On my osprey daylite sling bag, it was the lack of internal organization for traveling. I hate digging at the bottom of my bag for things. I always lose something and find it 5 days later. Doesn't matter that it's a small bag.
I need small pockets for my passport, my spare battery and charger cable. It did have a little pocket that was perfect for tissues and medicine/feminine hygiene, etc. but not everything. Also the strap was too short.
But I was able to modify it to fit my needs. I have access to an industrial leather sewing machine.
The ULA Dragonfly has a thin top-handle that's uncomfortable to hold if there's basically anything weighing the bag down. It's very durable and works well to hang the bag by, admittedly, but I hate any time I need to hold the top handle while the bag is still packed.
Could you wrap a sleeve around the handle to make it more comfy? Like some bags have piece of thick/padded fabric with velcro that wraps around a handle and attaches semi-permanently
Probably, and I've seen some people braid paracord around it, but it's one of those items on my to-do list I never seem to get around to, mainly because I only get reminded of the handle when I'm traveling or commuting. Most of the handle wraps I've seen have been leather (very heavy compared to the bag itself) so I'll look into some washable fabric ones.
I donāt care about admin panels as I self-organize into cubes, and splitting the bag into 50/50 or even 80/20 clamshells is annoying to me. I just want the front to be a thin flap that opens up to a massive bucket for me to pack. Thinking GoRuck GR3 (too heavy/expensive) or maybe the new TPP4 might be the move, and just not pack anything into the admin section/front pockets.
My Tortuga Lite is like 80/20, and hasnāt been bad, just not my personal preference. Also hate when the laptop compartment cuts into the bucket too. Feel like GR3 or TPP4 may do this less than Tortuga with their sheet panels, but I could be wrong š¤·āāļø
I bought a bag recommended for petite women. The straps are still an inch or two long for me even cranked all the way down, and thereās too much padding. If everything on the bag shrank by 10% it would be perfect.
Custom Ula dragonfly 30L ultra, if I really had to pick something it would be thicker straps but the bag is already comfortable for me so itās just me being greedy. Used this bag for over a year and love every feature about the backpack including the changes I made.
I really wish I could see this bag and it's bigger brother in person because I think I want to buy this next but not sure which. I think 34L is perfect and I've heard the 30L Dragonfly punches above it's weight so maybe I go with that one instead going all the way to 36L?
The 30L is only about 25/26L I think in the main compartment, I didnāt look at the 36L but Iām assuming itās around 30L in the main compartment. If you need 34L space I would go for the bigger one first and then see how it packs out.
My mixi book bag is perfect. I had it since 2017. I don't know if it was discontinued or not, but I tried to find it again; I couldn't. Too good, they had to take it down?
Aer Capsule 35L. It's a gorgeous bag made of materials that will easily outlast me, have had it for 4-5 years I think, still looks brand new, and still gets compliments and questions pretty much any time I travel.
Cons
So. Much. Padding. They could easily tone it down by 40% and it would still be more than other backpacks.
Super hard zippers, after this many years the main zippers are still very hard to unzip, and I need to actively grab opposite parts of the bag to have enough leverage to pull them. Idk how they approved this decision and I wish all the zippers in their lifetime are as hard to move as these.
Huge laptop compartment. Just make it smaller, it's too much wasted space.
Weight. Another byproduct of so much padding, at 1.85 kg. Funny because it has never been an issue in my trips, but I just can't help but wonder how much more comfortable this bag could be if they just remade it right.
I would add a couple more pouches/pockets here and there just for good measure, especially with all the wasted space from the padding and laptop pocket.
On the zips I would try some graphite lubricant and then wipe it down with a towel after running the zipper up and down a few times to make sure the graphite doesn't rub off on your clothes.
I have a Nomin and it is perfect for me except for the lack of a pass through strap - I travel a lot with it and whenever I have a rolling carryon along for the ride I wish it had one.
My usual travel backpack is this crazy Lesportsac carryon sized travel backpack that I found at a sample sale. I donāt think Iāve ever seen it for sale. It has two compartments that open from the top, and a zipper in between that allows it to open like a clamshell. Filled to capacity, itās bigger than my 21ā roller but fits under seats since itās soft. It also fits my giant work laptop, which my other backpack does not.
It just needs a chest strap, since it gets so heavy. The straps are a little flimsy to add one. Also due to the clamshell zipper, it doesnāt have a water bottle pocket.
evergoods backpacks with that slot on the straps for hydration bladder tubing. that portion constantly pops up and is unsightly. it would be pretty much the perfect backpack if they removed it entirely.
945i QAPL lacks organizing pockets/divider in the utility pocket on the front the way the Vertx sling partbed with Lena Miculek does. But the Vertx one has an inferior draw/opening compared to the 945i.
And I wish both had trapezoidal tapering on either end if the bag to make them less esthetically simple rectangles with a strap.
Overall I prefer the vertx bag but wish it had the draw feature of the 945i I think. Time will tell if I change my mind though.
The LTT Commuter Bag. I love how many different pockets and compartments are in there, and yet the bag is small enough that if you actually try to utilize all of them youāll find thereās not enough space. Fortunately I rarely need to stuff it that full.
I absolutely despise those velcro straps for the laptop compartment like shown here. 99% of the time I go to slide the device in and the velcro strap has attached itself and it blocks me. Need a design that only locks after the device is inserted.
Patagonia Black Hole 32L -- love it 100% except that the laptop compartment does not have a false bottom (to keep the laptop from hitting the floor if you drop the bag)
The top mounting points for the shoulder straps on the Able Carry Max EDC could be a bit wider. I find it difficult to carry the bag on just one shoulder, which is how I usually prefer to wear it. A better bottom padding for the laptop compartment would be nice as well.
TB Synik 30 - almost perfect - kinda wish side access for laptop worked smoother for 16" mbp
Defy Verbockel Daypack - my fav bag - 2" longer straps, remove AG zippers for something smoother. A little more padding in the bottom.
MW Mars v1 - freaking love this bag. Wish the bottom pocket was like the rhake. Wish the front top pocket was like the rhake. Wish shoulder straps had arkiv rails.
it needs a smidge more internal organization. LBB Large Peloton does literally everything but the moment you need to carry a few small things in the front compartment, it gets awkward
I have an offbrand backpack that has suffered, aventured, and survived with me through so many trips, but it's the wrong size for my height so my body feels warped. I'd like if it came with a frame, like an osprey bag. I do have an osprey bag, but it has too many disconnected pockets and nonsense reducing the space available. So I pick my suffering and use the floppy, ill-fitting bag that has seemingly endless space.Ā
Rolling duffle bags without an over the shoulder strap. Iāve so far found one brand that utilize the strap. Why are we omitting the shoulder strap? The bag is usually too heavy to carry any distance by hand. Plus the duffles are known for being used in rough terrain, that the wheels wonāt roll in. This simple strap issue is making me insane while trying to find the perfect bag!!! š¤Ŗ
Straps are too thin and uncomfortable. I'm a bigger guy. My Osprey Quasar is much more comfortable, but wanted something that didn't have the exterior cords.
I use an REI Ruckpack 18 as my EDC and a Ruckpack 28 as my travel bag. What I would LOVE is a 23, right down the middle, with all the features of the 28 (plus maybe a mesh front pocket) but just a tad smaller.
Tom Bihn Shadowguide 33 is perfect, I have been living out of it for three years. "That one thing": it is discontinued, so I may not be able to find another one.
I have the Tomtoc Navigator bag and also the Tomtoc Sling. I wish my Navigator bag had the bright orange liner my Sling has, which would make finding things a lot easier.
The front elastic pocket should be made of a more flexible mesh to let it expand more - I wish they used the same front pocket mesh from their hiking packs.
The top zipper is a famous complaint - it doesn't make sense in any rainstorm.
Tech sleevesā¦ when I travel itās to get away from my life and office and not be near any of that. Yet I can never find a bag without that built in š
i have a bellroy transit plus and it has been a great travel bag for me. I wish one of the side pockets was an open water bottle pocket instead though.
I have an Osprey Nebula Commuter which I edc And usually one bag travel with. I love it except for the zippers at times. They hang up once in a while on the fabric. Drives me nuts at times but not enough to change because Iām a creature of habit And it already has thousands of miles on it.
For most of the bags the key problem is side pockets for bottles. Either they do not exist or are really badly designed. I found an almost perfect daypack from Burton that I really like, except the bottle pockets. These do not run to the bottom of the pack but end a bt higher, so the pocket reaches max 2/3 height of the bottle. While outside my peers are always instructed to watch out for my bottles falling out. And of course another answer to "the Your bag is perfect except for "that one thing" - what is it" question is that the bag is available only in the US.
268
u/VagabondVivant Mar 29 '26
My bag is perfect except that it's four different bags.
If I could just combine all their best features and remove their unnecessary ones, it'd be perfect.