Capacity
Most travel packs we tested have around 30-40L of capacity, which we found is ideal for long weekends. If you’re a minimalist packer, you may be able to get away with a week of travel in a ~40L pack. If you’re traveling for a weekend, the 30L should do.
However, this is super dependent on the nature of your adventures, too. If your weekend trip involves a lot of gear (e.g. hiking and dressing up for a fancy dinner or a show), you may need a larger bag or better organization. For example, while the author preferred the NEMO Vantage 30L Endless Promise Adventure Daypack over all other packs for most occasions, she opted for the Gregory Border on days she went from work to the crag to climb with friends due to its specific compartment for dirty clothes (useful for climbing shoes, chalk, a harness, etc.).
Size considerations (carry-on compliance)
If you’ll be catching flights, you’ll want to opt for an adventure travel backpack that is carry-on compliant. This compliance varies from country to country, so we recommend looking up the requirements where you’re likely to travel. A standard carry-on size in the US is 22” x 14” x 9”, but it’s a good idea to check with your airline. Some airlines are more strict than others, and some gate agents within airlines are more strict than others.
Weight
If you’ll be carrying your travel pack on your back for long periods of time, you may want to consider weight. While capacity, organization, and comfort are probably more important factors, weight will be a consideration for travelers who will be doing a lot of walking or standing around with their pack on. Our favorite lightweight option is the Six Moon Designs All Day Carry backpack because the pack is ultralight and constructed of extremely durable materials, leading to a longer life in your gear closet. It also has a suspension similar to a backpacking backpack as it is designed for thru-hiking the 500-mile long Camino de Santiago trail.
Comfort
Like with weight, if you’ll be carrying this pack on your back for long periods of time, it’s important that the pack is comfortable. Cushioned shoulder straps and back panels go a long way here, as well as breathability and airflow along the back and optional sternum and/or hip straps. This is one way the NEMO Vantage 30L Endless Promise Adventure Daypack stood out from other packs—the cushioned straps and breathable and thoughtfully-designed back panel make this pack the most comfortable full-featured backpack.
Organization and accessibility features
Every pack has its own unique organization and accessibility setup. Some zip open along the top like a traditional backpack, some butterfly-open into two main compartments, some zip down along the front, and some zip almost all the way around (clamshell/D-zip or fillet-style/U-zip access).
Each pack also has different compartment and pocket setups. To choose, we recommend considering your most common use cases and what you want to prioritize. For example, the Peak Design Travel Backpack is great for air travel and work commutes, but doesn’t have a compartment for laundry or shoes, whereas The North Face Base Camp Voyager 35L offers a many compartments you can optimize for for work-to-gym days or adventure travel trips.
Durability for mixed environments
You’ll want a pack made of quality materials that can handle the environments you’ll be traveling in. If you’ll be in the rain a lot, you may want to consider waterproof packs like Six Moon Designs All Day Carry. Otherwise, water-resistant packs like the rest of our winners may do just fine (especially if you add a rain cover to pull out when needed). The REI Ruckpack 30 comes with a rain cover, while others would require a separate purchase.
Quality materials and construction is also important here because the goal is to only buy once (saving you money and keeping things out of the landfill!). Our testers (and the baggage handlers) are not gentle with gear, so we made sure to put these packs through it to ensure durability. This is what made the NEMO Vantage 30L a winner—it’s among the best as far as durability goes, plus it can be fully recycled at the end of its life as part of NEMO’s Endless Promise, making it a sustainable, worthwhile investment.
Adventure-specific features
Some packs offer convenient features for adventure travel, such as removable hip belts and sternum straps, hydration compatibility, carabiners and gear hooks, and easy-to-clean dirty laundry/gear compartments. Others include rain covers or other waterproofing.
Security features for travel
Travel packs may have security features, such as zippers that lock. The Peak Design Travel Backpack, for example, has zipper locks that hold the zippers in place and zippers that can loop together so the compartments don’t zip open. Other packs, like the NEMO Vantage 30L, have hidden pockets where you can stow sensitive items like a passport or wallet.
Versatility for different activities
Each of the adventure travel backpacks we tested shine in different ways and are best for different situations. We appreciate versatile packs that cover as many purposes as possible. Some packs are more rugged and better for outdoor adventures due to their waterproofness or durable construction, whereas others are more sleek and stylish for everyday commuting. Some have more or better organization options than others.
We recommend considering how you plan to use your travel pack and choose the one that offers the best range of uses for you.
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