Customer Reviews for Peak Design - Travel Backpack 30L - Black
Customer Rating
5
Thoughtful design and quality
on May 3, 2023
Posted by: Vcm
from Vancouver
I bought this backpack 7 months ago and have flown with it 5 times now plus other travel uses. It fits under the seat fine in a normal 737 and in the smaller prop planes. It is a squishy fit if you have it jam packed. The handles on all 4 sides are very handy, the zipper is very sturdy and easy to use. The laptop slot is perfect. It has held up to Pacific Northwest rain so far, haven't hiked with it though. The straps are comfortable. The side water bottle pockets are tight and can be a tight fit but it holds the bottles in place, no falling out. It fits 2 packing cubes comfortable, the square one and the small one. Can swap the small for the shoe one. Perfect for my short work trips.
After years of carrying a bulky bright orange camera bag, I finally upgraded to this bag in black. It is so slimline and doesn't look heavy, perfect for carry on baggage. I use a different insert for the cameras which works well. I love that there is handles on all four sides of the bag, plus the one on the bag so you can always grab your bag no matter how it is stored. I also love that you can tuck the backpack straps away and attach it easily to your suitcase handle to wheel around.
We use this bag for smaller day trips out with the kids. Very roomy with lots of well organised pockets for storage. Easily fits a couple of drink bottles, pencils, drawing pads, etc. Can stuff kids jackets in with the useful expansion.
Only criticism - there is only one zip to access the main storage compartment. Because of this and because the bag has extra rigidity built in to keep its shape (and to protect the contents) this can make it difficult to access the main compartment while someone is wearing it.
Love my backpack! I have had this pack for over a year and use it all the time. The only suggestion I have would be to move the side zippers so they open toward you. Seuss away from you.
I was searching for a backpack large enough to pack for a few days but not so large that it was uncomfortable on my back or too tight under an standard airplane seat. The bag expands a bit for added space and I’ve enjoyed using it so far.
GOOD Quality of the bag is great, these bags aren't cheap and I looked at many brands to find what fits my needs. It really looks sleek in design and quality, something I'm sure will last for years to come.
The expandability is very handy and the bag still retains its shape.
The way the bag opens is like a suitcase, so you can easily access everything you need to.
NOT SO GOOD I had read it on reviews but it was still worse than I expected and reason for lifting 1 star. The straps aren't that comfortable. At the end of the day, I could have only worn it for a couple of hours in total, but my back ends up hurting from it. I'll be looking into if I can get pads or something for it.
Other thing that's annoying but not a deal breaker is the pocket at the top, I wish it went deeper. It's really small. Or instead of the magnet upside down pouch on the front, a normal zip pocket I'd actually use. I don't trust that something wouldn't fall out of it and be lost, so basically I never use it.
I wish the laptop compartment was separate from the whole bag, so I didn't need to open it up to all my things in the bag to take/put in my laptop.
I just took this backpack 22 hours from San Diego to Florianópolis Brazil. 22 hours of travel. On the way home, I got stuck in sao paolo for 25 hours making my trip home 49 hours. On that epic journey, this thing performed. It paired perfectly with my larger away carry on and I had space to spare for over a week trip. When it is zipped down, it feels just right and the expansion leaves plenty of room for a longer trip. With this combo, you will never need to check a bag. I love that the straps can be put away, the handles on each side, the top pocket and a jacket is easily strapped to the outside. Great bag. I did find that when keeping the bag on my roller, I wished there was a pocket to stuff my passport and phone for security. The top pocket is taken up by a pair of Bose headphones. That is easily avoided by using the away with pocket which is great for stashing pocket items at security.