Review: Topo Designs Daypack
Review: Topo Designs Daypack
9.1.17
Since this is my first review I want to start by saying that I am, in general, obsessed with the details. When I look to buy product or introduce something into my daily lifestyle, no detail, no matter how big or small goes, un-researched and un-obsessed over. Before selecting the Topo Designs Daypack, about a months research went into selecting the perfect option to accompany Glynn and I on our adventures. Glynn was a bit hesitant about my newfound love of backpacks, (somewhat fairly) hoping I wouldn't end up looking like every tech nerd on BART in San Fransisco.
We typically carry a fair amount of gear and supplies while on our adventures and I quickly realized that and we were in need of a bag that could accommodate a few items of camera equipment while allowing a full and free range of motion.
We are usually carrying:
MacBok Air
GoPro 3 Way mount/selfie stick
JOBY camera Gorilla Portable Tripod
Sony FE 3.5-5.6/28-70 OSS Zoom Lens
One Ballpoint Pen
Misc Cables, Chargers, Battery Back Ups
It took me about 2 months of searching, reading reviews, and trying bags before I settled on the Topo Designs Daypack. I wanted a bag that was made to last, a bag that had enough space and organization to store our gear and accessories, and lastly a bag that didn’t look super nerdy or overly tactical.
I have been following Topo Designs on Instagram for a while and I liked the look and simplicity of the products they make especially Topo’s range of bags. I am also a total nerd when it comes to the materials used to make things. For example Topo uses Codura 1000D nylon for almost all of their products, which is the Rolls Royce of nylon fabric offering a high level of water resistance as well as long-term durability. The first thing to typically wear out on any bag is the zippers as they will receive a fair amount of abuse when opening and closing the bag. Topo uses a heavy gauge YKK zipper with a nylon 550 paracord zipper pull for ease of use and long lasting durability and a nice storm flap that covers the zipper to keep dust and moisture out of the bags compartments.
The bag has two main compartments a front external pocket with a big wide diagonal slash opening and a main compartment with again, a wide and large opening which contains a simple yet functional inner bag organization compartments which includes a padded laptop portion and a zipped pouch with a pen pocket and 2 smaller pockets for extra organization on the front of the zippered pouch area. The side of the bag has two quick stash pockets that easily fit a smaller sized water bottle and are great for storing smaller items while on the go. I find these to be quite useful for sashing my headphones or the GoPro Hero 5 Black in-between filming and running to our next spot.
The padded straps are comfortable and not too thick or bulky and the adjustment straps have thumb loops at the end of the straps for easy adjustment. You can get an optional leather bottom on the bag in the navy blue or in the monochromatic all black which I went with because well I like leather stuff and it will add an extra layer of durability at the bottom of the bag when setting it on the ground or sliding it in and or out of spaces like under the seat on an airplane. Overall the bag is quite minimalistic and simple which was one of the things I was looking for when searching for the backpack.
There is only one thing I would have Topo modify with the bag, and before I go into my one gripe, all things considered this is a very small tweak and not a change to the materials, craftsmanship, or the over all design of the bag. The only thing I would advise Topo to modify is the depth of the inner storage pockets. The minimal design is perfect but I find they are about a half inch to short. A standard sized pen when in the pen pocket tends to fall out when you are packing/unpacking the bag because the pocket isn't quite tall enough to keep it secured. Same goes for the zipper pockets and the two stash pockets. I think if they were a little deeper they would have an increased holding capability and secure what they were hiding a little better.
I’ve had the Topo Designs Daypack for about 3 months now and it has fully replaced my Filson briefcase which was my previous daily carry bag. I am a diehard Filson fan but there is something about he convenience and functionality of the backpack that is now suiting my every day needs much better then an over the shoulder style briefcase. I find that I am much more active and more on the go then I was before and the ergonomic functionality of the backpack works much better for me. Glynn continues to make fun of me while also shamelessly asking me to carry her sweater. I think she’s coming around. I even got her to wear it once. She is not happy there is photographic evidence of this…
