Arva Tour 32 or Arva Ride 30

I’m seeking a recommendation as I have a hard time choosing between these 2 backpacks and I can’t find a dealer here in Barcelona who have them in stock to see and try. Basically I need a backpack I can EDC (both sizes are great for me for this purpose), and I can attach a helmet of my kid when needed. I do a “resort” ski trips once every 2 years. No free riding. Does anyone have experience with Arva ?

The tour seems to be a lot lighter so I assume it is better for a hot climate. The Ride has a roll top and size expansion that can be handy, BUT misses side pocket - it has a removable hip-belt which is a good feature. The tour’s hipbelt seems light and thin enough you can wrap it around the backpack so it’s not in a way. I’d like to pull the trigger on one of them in January. The materials seems very different, can anyone comment on durability?

Thanks for any info or your point of view on these 2.

Give me some names

I'm looking for a new backpack, and I'm having trouble finding exactly what I'm looking for.

The Topo Rover backpack was almost perfect (and I've used it for about 5 years), but the water bottle holders drive me crazy (way too small, and unusable if the backpack is too full). I also got tired of the opening mechanism. I'd prefer not to clip/unclip everytime I want to grab something, and if the top pocket got too heavy ruined the structural integrity of the bag.

Here's what I'm looking for:

Purpose: an all-purpose bag that I can use to bring my laptop to work, bring on a hike, take on an airplane as a carry on, and bring around town to yoga class, etc. So, something lghtweight but durable, comfortable to wear for long periods, and versatile. (Not looking for any kind of internal frame situation). The Rover weight, fabric, and design was perfect in this regard.

Style: I love the look of Topo Designs, Cotopaxi, and Fjallraven packs. Looking for something fun and colorful!

Capacity: about 26 L? Medium size. Big enough for sandwiches/layers while hiking, but also to accommodate a fuller load if I'm using it as a carryon (2 books, laptop, snacks, sweater, toiletry bag, chargers).

Water Bottle holders: Again, I really want larger or more flexible water bottle holders, ideally large enough that they can fit a Nalgene 32 oz wide bottle. This is a major flaw of the Rover backpack and the dealbreaker on most other backpacks I'm interested in. If the backpack is pretty full, you can barely shove a small bottle into the side pockets. Terrible design. I would love at least 1 water bottle holder that isn't seriously compromised by what's in the backpack (or that eats into the volume of the pack). I love the flexible/expansive/elastic material used for the water bottle holder in many of the North Face backpacks, for example.

Small pockets: Ideally 2-3 smaller external pockets for paperwork, passport, wallet, phone, etc. I tend to put a lot in these pockets.

-Ideally would include a key clip in some pocket. but it's easy enough to sew one on, so not a deal breaker.

-laptop compartment: basic, no need for much padding, just a sleeve. 13 inch.

Any ideas? I was interested in the Cotopaxi Chiquillo 26L Backpack ... but sadly small water bottle holders are a deal breaker. (Why not just use the mesh they use on other packs?! Ugh). The other Cotopaxi packs don't seem to have the external pockets I'm looking for. The Cotopaxi Cusco 26L seemed perfect, but no longer on the website...

Help!

Edit: No budget. I'll pay what's needed if I find the perfect pack!

Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy a backpack for weekend trips (2-3 days) in urban settings. I think a 30L capacity should be enough. Comfort is my top priority since I’m a small woman and can’t carry too much, so I’d prefer something lightweight with both chest and waist straps.

Here are a few options I’ve been considering, spanning different budgets :

• Decathlon Arpenaz 100 30L: Affordable with good storage options.
• Salomon Trailblazer 30: Reasonably priced and stylish; seems more comfortable than the Decathlon one but might have fewer storage options.
• North Face Borealis (or similar): Tons of storage and super durable, but they seem a bit heavy?

Do you have any opinions on these models or suggestions for other backpacks I should consider?

Thanks in advance!

Update :

• Burton Day Hiker 30 : same functionalities as the Decathlon one but with higher quality and a greeeaat look

I have a master-piece potential 2 way backpack that unfortunately got a nasty food oil stain on the inside as I made the mistake of putting my lunch in there which spilled. Looking for advice on how to clean/remove the smell, it was a curry oil which has left a strong smell behind

I was able to use a hand cloth and some dish soap to remove most of the oil staining but the smell has lingered.

Thanks in advance

Hi all.

Bit of a depressing one but my wife has just been diagonsised with brain cancer. Shes going to be spending a significant amount of time in a hospital some distance away.

I dont drive and may not always be able to rely on other people to take me

Im looking for a backpack to make dealing with this eaiser.

Ill need something that meets these critera at least somewhat.

1. can carry quiet a load comfortably as Ill be moving a lot of stuff too and fro.
2. resillient - Im heavy on things due to being quiet clumsy so Ideally this thing will need to take a beating
3. Easy to clean - Itll be important to keep it clean when my wife has Chemo. So itll need to be an easy clean.
4. compact ish? - I dont want to take up too much space in the ward so while this isnt critical a small foot print would be better.
5. cheap ish - again more of a nice thing but keeping costs down to would be nice to be able to spend money on my wife rather than stuff.

I thrifted this and curious what the company is. But can’t find anything about it online.

As the post says I am looking for a new backpack to use for work and travel. It should be able to fit a 17” laptop and have a side pocket on each side for a water bottle and umbrella. I would prefer the price to be less than $200. Any recommendations are appreciated.

I'm quite fond of the features of the Targus cypress (no link because post with link was deleted for some reason). It has two handles - to carry vertically and horizontally - a laptop compartment, and a clever convertible strap system. I am not fond of the plastic material. I'm looking to switch to canvas (ideally) or light leather. Does anyone know of a bag like this? The main features for me are the two handles and the presence of some kind of strap - it can't be just a briefcase. If all else fails, could someone just recommend a minimalist bag of some sort, as long as it has a laptop compartment, and is made of natural materials? Thank you so much.

Hi everyone,

I’ve built a simple website to check if a carry-on bag meets the size and weight limits for various airlines: https://axeluser.github.io/carry-fit/.

I originally created this for myself while searching for a new bag that would comply with the airlines I usually travel with. Even though it was made for my specific needs, I thought it might be helpful for others too.

It’s still a work in progress—I’m working on things like automated testing to ensure the airline limits stay accurate and consistent over time.

If you try it out and have any feedback or ideas, I’d really appreciate it. Hopefully, it can save you some time and hassle when choosing your next carry-on!

I'm goin to study abroad for a few months and I want to get a new backpack to carry my essentials while traveling. I'm going to be spending at least 15 hours on the plane so I'd want something big enough to carry anything that I could possibly need. I looked at a few travel bags but they seemed super bulky since I'd also be using this bag for school and I don't think that I'd need to walk around with something too big. Currently I'm looking at the North Face Jester because it looks like both a big enough bag to carry something essentials on a plane but small enough that it wouldn't look that weird.

TLDR; Want a bag that I could travel with that isn't too bulky too walk around school and is probably around 25-30L.

I never found a good post for this when I was starting out so I'm dropping this here with hopes it may help someone. Most of what I mention I purchased myself while more specialized tools were provided from work. If any of this is provided for you that's great. Whatever you use just ensure that it won't fail you when you need it. This also works for me and may not work for you, but maybe you'll find something you hadn't considered before!

If you're anything like me you typically have multiple tool kits. Either it be a backpack, tool bag, tool case, spare parts, etc. and it can be a lot to carry with you. I wanted to condense as much as I could without sacrificing anything. Something like a Milwaukee Packout could easily fit everything inside, but it can get expensive and you won't always need something that big. What helped me was condensing my entire tool kit into smaller kits under a "tier" system. Tier 1 being the kit I always pull out and can complete the most basic jobs with. The following tiers being able to do what the others before can't. All but the final tier fits in my backpack, and instead, fits in my pelican case.

List

-Backpack: Fjallraven Raven 28 I spent forever finding a bag that worked. Brands like Swissgear and Ogio are great but I'm not a fan of the compartments, compression straps, or the organization. The Raven does such a good job in all these categories. The laptop compartment can fit two computers inside if you're traveling for work and have a gaming laptop. The main compartment is spacious enough to fit my tools. The secondary compartment is just as deep as the main compartment which is great for an admin pouch, mouse, cables, etc. It has a fleece lined sunglasses pocket that I put my phones in. It's made from extremely durable material for every days use and I've yet to feel any discomfort while it's under load. My only complaint with this bag is the water bottle pockets as they don't stretch at all. It's not the biggest deal as it still fits my Owala in it. If you wanted something a bit more like a North Face you could use their Fjallraven Skule 28 which has relatively the same layout. You could also try brands like GORUCK which utilizes modular designs or if you're into the more tactical layout I've never had an issue with Mystery Ranch or Vertx products. Another sort of slept on bag is the Burton Annex. I don't know what it is about that bag but it just doesn't die. I've had mine for six or seven years now and the only damage is to the zipper for the fleece pocket, but I ever zipped that pocket closed anyway. It is a top loader with one big compartment and if you just like throwing sh*t in a bag you can't go wrong with it.

-Tier 1 Admin Pouch: This for me was just a pouch I had lying around from my time in the military that I got as a gift. It fits my notebook/pen, flash drives, zip ties, compact tools, and any notes I want to throw in there. No matter what this kit comes out of my bag. I never used to use an EDC type kit like this, but it's actually been so useful. Just use whatever works for you! The patch on mine is an inside joke with my friends and I lol

-Tier 2 iFixIt: This is my personal kit for both at work and at home. I had a trainer tell me when he saw it that I needed "real man tools" (which I also have), but after he used it he went out and bought one. I love the extension and I haven't had any rounding on my bits which is a plus. I don't use half of the bits in there and you could easily go for something else. I just recommend having some sort of precision bit driver.

-Tier 3 Tool Bag: I used to always carry around a Husky tool bag which worked great. For bigger projects I just wanted to free up a hand to open up doors while I'm dragging a Pelican case around. I came across this Tufformation Tool Bag and it's working wonders. Best of all it fits in my backpack without taking up much space at all.

-Tier 4 Pelican Case: This I wont show because it's not mine. This was provided from work with specialized tools and has our logo branded on it. It's a Pelican 1560 with foam cut outs for my calibration equipment.

-Portable Charger: Anker Prime 200W or really anything that can charge your laptop if its USB-C. Going onsite without an available power source has slowed down my work before and it's an expense that pays for itself.

Any questions, suggestions, etc. please feel free to comment. I have a lot that's not shown like my big tool kit, but the purpose of this post was to show what all fits in my bag.

https://preview.redd.it/yuj69o1cgv7e1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5234195a9f2d710152d552668c4cdfca93b3948

https://preview.redd.it/bkwt3q1cgv7e1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32a5f0613cb36d898d15ed2decd238df6111d3fa

https://preview.redd.it/9o8lro1cgv7e1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b172b19de077a59eee40732a6d8a8334dd09fbf

https://preview.redd.it/tdj06o1cgv7e1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=757e90ba4b76fd9bb49734413766c943d1bbbcfe

https://preview.redd.it/154ku22cgv7e1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5cddc0897f1ffdb0ac2e099cb90452baf72f8fe

https://preview.redd.it/9ecdj02cgv7e1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ba4e44827d89b4d49c76fe06e1824459402aea4

https://preview.redd.it/u9doy12cgv7e1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=121b1ef4eef0f69f0f7e1c2059955095496c3eb6

https://preview.redd.it/u5ycoj2cgv7e1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c80434f26f5cd5843f6ea24d59106e304818bce4

https://preview.redd.it/llacz2cdgv7e1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2fc17bc50a1a12e01488d3666b7ef78ee236010

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https://preview.redd.it/891uk5cdgv7e1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf0c6e365101f0acfe1e89ad6bad5c10ba5b7c26

https://preview.redd.it/a886z4cdgv7e1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2d3f6e6dae3eac56b5301f3bd975fd855dd0f3d

First off, I’m so glad I found this sub! I’ve always loved backpacks but felt like I never found people that shared that interest. I’ve travelled a ton but I was always taught to pack light and only use cheap travel goods so you don’t have to care if they get lost or damaged. Now I want to see how upgrading my travel gear would change things, so after lots of research and hyperfixation I decided to go for the Aer TP 3 small so I can use it as my personal item/large edc. Now I’m trying to figure out what accessories or items I may want to compliment the bag. Right now I’m looking at the Thule Compression Packing Cubes and 1 or 2 Hero Clips. Any alternatives and suggestions would be super appreciated thanks!

Raven 28l I’ve carried for 2 years. Hoping this bag will stick around so not sure if anything can be done to prevent further wear. I’ve tried to be good about waxing it but maybe it needs more. Might also be rubbing on my belt and I could wear it lower.

I'm a college student. I usually don't pack too much, but it be good to have space and multiple pockets for travel. Water resistant (rain) preferable. Can anyone rec me any good backpacks (price range <$200)

My current bag is a scan smart Swiss backpack. It's old, worn out, but still usable. But maybe I should just keep using it?

Hello

I moved from my old TNF Vault that served me 8 years to an Osprey Nebula 32L, but I'm currently thinking of getting rid of it as it's way too big for my needs.

I'm looking for a bag around 20-24L that would work to take to work (13inch laptop + iPad + water bottle + lunch) and will also be OK as a day-to-day pack for going around town. So far I've been tempted by Fjallraven's Skule 20L and the Kanken 15inch laptop bag, although I fear I'm being tempted by the sheer ubiquity of the brand.

Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

I'm getting a new bag for school/ uni and am considering the Osprey flare, nebula and parsec. I'm currently leaning towards the flare due to it being cheaper but was wondering if the other 2 bags are worth the extra price.

Hi! I'm probably looking for the impossible here, but is there a backpack out there that's 1. quite formal and business-appropriate, 2. roomy (for traveling, albeit in addition to a carry-on) and 3. not too pricey?

I'm traveling for a job talk (academic) so I need a professional backpack, but I'm only brining a carry-on so would love to be able to put some of my stuff in the backpack. I'm also a grad student so I'm broke :)

Thanks!

I was thinking about getting myself a backpack for the New Year, but it still costs $200 even though it’s already the end of December.

Does it make sense to wait for discounts until spring 2025 or do they not happen? I bought a lot of things from them, but I would like to save on the fifth backpack at home (wife won’t understand me huh).

So I am looking at the Built for Athletes Pro Series 45L because I really like how the gym shoes go in the bottom but $290 without taxes looks a bit too much.

https://builtforathletes.com/products/pro-series-backpack

I need a big quality bag because I leave my house at 8am and come back at 11pm so the bag should hold gym clothes, belt, lifting straps, shoes, towel (wet bag to put the towel in it) and everything needed to have a shower,also a tooth brush and a deodorant, most importantly 3 meals with some snacks, a water flask and a coffee flask! And thats about it 😂

Side note: Some people say that the Amazon 45L Tactical Bag is good but it looks like it wont last and I need something durable for my long day.

Another side note: I have a 20% discount for the built for athletes bag

Thank you guys in advance!

I have a hiking Osprey bag and love it. For my daily carry when I need it I have an old Hurley backpack from like 2007? Lol it’s been solid for its limited use but is finally falling apart. I won’t be wearing the new one for super long periods but maybe 20 minutes at a time tops in most scenarios.

I carry some writing supplies, a couple notebooks, and occasional work laptop. So primarily stuff like that and not a ton of weight but the notebooks can add some bulk depending how many I have in use.

I really leaning towards Osprey Nebula,Comet, and Metron. They all seem pretty similar but I just am slightly overwhelmed with all these options. I did stumble into some of the northface options, Mystery Ranch, and Fjallraven conversations on the sub but I figured at this point it would be better to ask the experts.

Overall I am pretty open to suggestions in the same realm. Any help is appreciated!

Does anyone know where I can find one that looks like this and isn’t terrible quality? Can cost any amount, thank you.

Hi Reddit,

I'm Looking for any recommendations on 40L+ soft/no frame backpacks as a gift for my wife. I was looking at the Cotopaxi 42L, and Osprey Fairwview 55L,, but the frames appear rigid, which my wife specifically mentioned she didn't want. I think its mostly about being squishy enough to cram into tight spots, or to be minimally packed for shorter trips without having a giant bag with a bunch of empty space. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I’m looking for suggestions on stylish and lightweight backpacks that can pass as fashion bags but also as backpacks that can carry stuff and not be too bulky on the shoulders.

I have a cheap faux leather backpack that can hold some stuff but it’s cheap looking and is falling apart, and the zip is not great and keeps breaking.

Any suggestions on what people have tried and recommend? TIA!

I’m planning some international travel soon and wondering if the Shimoda Action X50 v2 is carry-on friendly, particularly for airlines like WestJet and LATAM. The backpack's dimensions (22 x 13 x 9 inches) seem to slightly exceed some carry-on size restrictions, especially the height.

Have any of you successfully traveled internationally with the X50 as a carry-on? Did you face any issues at check-in or boarding?

Alternatively, would it be worth investing in something like the Tenba Axis v2 24L or 32L, which seem to fit within airline limits? I want to avoid checking my camera gear at all costs.

Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Hi. I'd like to purchase a backpack that would be a good compromise between casual work days and a 2 weeks upcoming trip to Japan. I'm 6ft5 so I think 25L should be perfect.

Here are criteria I care about:

FOR WORK DAYS:

• I care a lot about design. I don't like black simple designs, I like fancy shapes, colors. Most backpacks from Columbia, North Face, Fjallraven are cool for me, but I don't really like brands like AER. Ideally I'd still like to wear coats with a backpack and look decent.

• Should be able to carry a big chunky PC of 17"

• Shouldn't look too thick on the back. I

FOR MY FIRST ONE BAG EXPERIENCE:

• Should be able to fit under the seat.

Any good recommendation for under 200$? The cheaper the better!