Before I dive into the Pakt Travel Backpack, below is a peek into my last 6 years of bags:
Timbuk2 Aviator Travel Backpack (Purchased 2014) – discontinued
Beautiful materials, externally quite bulky with a deceivingly small internal capacity. Better suited for short trips. I had no idea onebag travel was a thing back then.
Timbuk2 Blink Backpack (2017) – discontinued
My most used work travel bag. It has both a laptop compartment and main compartment for a few days worth of clothes. Unfortunately my car was broken into last year and this bag was stolen. Thankfully it wasn’t full of anything of value. I would buy another but I’ll take our forced separation as an opportunity to use another bag. This is my only photo of this bag. You can see it’s a bit overpacked.
Osprey Farpoint 40 (2017)
The perfect beginner’s bag. You will encounter testimonies in its favor since the dimensions are under the maximum carry-on limit of most airlines. I used this on a few 14+ day trips but it always felt a bit cramped – even with packing cubes. The outside is turtle shell-like so it was a nuisance when walking through narrow spaces. I lost many water bottles using the outer mesh pockets. This bag taught me to reduce my payload. Best when used with a secondary bag.
Inside Line Equipment Race Day Bag (2019)
My previous onebag. This bag is very minimal with a few internal storage compartments and a large front loading main compartment. One drawback: the zipper pulls aren’t lockable. You need to get creative if hostel lockers aren’t available. The week after I returned from my SEA trip ILE announced their Travel Pack, a similar design as the Race Day Bag but larger at 40L. I ended up selling this to a friend.
Comparison of main specifications:
| Bag | Volume | Dimensions | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timbuk2 Aviator Travel Backpack | 30L | 20.1 x 14.2 x 5.9 in | 4.38 lbs 1.99 kg |
| Timbuk2 Blink Backpack | 24L | 20.9 x 11 x 3.9 in 53.1 x 27.9 x 9.9 cm | 1.63 lbs 0.74 kg |
| Osprey Farpoint 40 M/L | 40L | 22 x 14 x 9 in 55.9 x 35.6 x 22.9 cm | 3.17 lbs 1.47 kg |
| Inside Line Equipment Race Day Bag | 21L | 11 x 6 x 20 in 27.9 x 15.2 x 50.8 cm | 2.54 lbs 1.15 kg |
| Inside Line Equipment Travel Pack | 40L | 12 x 8 x 21 in 27.9 x 15.2 x 53.3 cm | TBD |
| Pakt Travel Backpack | 30L | 17 x 53 x 32 cm 6.7 x 21 x 12.6 in | 4.50 lbs 2.04 kg |
For this review, I’ll keep it simple with some likes and dislikes since this trip was a proper beach holiday. I didn’t check into multiple hostels or travel across multiple cities or countries. Some are in alignment with other reviewers.
After my Blink Backpack was stolen I knew I wanted to replace it with an Aer bag. I think I watched the Chase Reeves Aer Work Collection review a dozen times but could never pull the trigger. His channel, naturally, led me to the Indiegogo campaign (now closed) for the Pakt Travel Backpack. I had to get one.
Likes:
Plastic free packaging and rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) exterior fabric
This is huge. It’ll be a long time until impregnable plastic packaging is phased out. Let’s all agree the world needs to reduce plastic waste and plastic use. Bigger brands should adopt some type of recycled material (see: Adidas Parley). Pakt partnered with SeaHive as their packaging provider. Read additional info here.
TSA Pocket
When you approach the TSA conveyor rollers you have to do your final pat down and pocket dump. Tossing these gremlins into an overpacked backpack compartment means a little effort to fish them out. I’ve misplaced chapstick plenty times this way. Consider this mesh pocket a temporary home for this particular event only. You shouldn’t need to use it for anything else. It is a bit difficult to navigate if your bag is a crowded at the bottom. Josh Fenn describes it in his review as well.
Accessory straps
I bought a sarape and towel while in Mexico. This was the perfect place to keep it with my bag.
Hidden zippered pocket
A quick glance and you might miss it. This is a good hiding place for your money cache or that elusive McDonald’s Boardwalk Monopoly piece. Here I have my passport wallet peaking through.
Clam shell (versus front-loading)
In a hostel, space is a luxury. Dorm mates can be extraordinarily messy sometimes so you might be limited to the space of your locker and bed. This is an inconveniece at night. I hate returning late during quiehours trying to access dopp kits or pajamas in the dark. A clam shell opening allows focused access instead of digging through the bottom of your bag as if you’re searching for loose fries (or chips).
Dislikes:
The base weight.
When it’s empty it does feel like holding your dad’s laptop bag from the 90’s. It’s possible this bag may not be suitable for longer trips abroad but I’m up for the challenge in the future.
One time I had to run between terminals at Heathrow (T3 BA to T4 KLM) while carrying a full Timbuk2 Aviator backpack. It was a tough sprint especially with the weight pulling down on my shoulders. This is not a normal experience but it translates to wearing your bag for long durations.
It’s too soon to give a better review but you will note that my review is in alignment with others already published. Remember, there is no one bag fits all situation; no perfect bag. Find what works with you.
graveyard shiftin 
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