People tend to collect things. Baseball cards, comics, shoes,cars, bicycles. Sometimes we don’t even realize it until these objects take over our mental and physical space. I had this epiphany as I was writing this review. I have a lot of backpacks. I collect, analyze and most importantly, heavily use backpacks. The Topo Designs Daypack is my new go-to daypack. It’s not easy to take the crown in my collection and boot my other packs aside, but the Daypack is king. It has a perfect mix of purpose, quality and aesthetics that make this otherwise simple pack a personal favorite. The kind of pack you see with you on adventures that you will one day tell your children about.
I opted for the orange Daypack, a pack that suits your jaunts around the city and will store all the necessities for a day at work. For the last 3 months the Topo Daypack has served as my vehicle to transport a 15″ laptop, a gaggle of pens/pencils, day planner, and of course my daily meals to keep me from becoming grumpy. The pack always carries what I ask of it, is surprisingly spacious, but when it’s not filled it doesn’t become cavernous and floppy. It’s a sturdy pack with a purpose.
This is not a tech pack to store your laptop and gadgets, per se, but can manage this task with some added help via Topo’s laptop sleeves. This is one area I bring attention to for those who plan on buying this as a padded laptop bag. The bottom of the daypack is not padded, so carrying a laptop without the extra padding of a case isn’t recommended. I used the rearmost sleeve to carry my laptop, but would use the main compartment if I decided to use a sleeve. You buy the Daypack for its superior simplicity, not for hundreds of padded pockets you will never use.
The build quality is exceptional. No materials or production techniques were spared. Nothing techy, nothing that needs a manual explaining the why it’s revolutionary. It is just a simple, good, old-fashioned bag made from renowned materials like CORDURA fabric and beefy YKK zippers. These materials come together to create a very durable and useful pack.
The pack retails for $139, a very attainable price for this Colorado, USA made pack that will be a companion for years to come.
Daypack Spec from Topo Designs’ website:
Dimensions: 12″w x 19″h x 6″d
Volume: 1368 cu. in./22.4 L
Materials: 1000d CORDURA® fabric outer with coated pack cloth liner.
Features: Natural leather lash tabs, heavy duty metal hardware, heavy duty straps reinforced with seatbelt webbing, inner organizer pocket and laptop sleeve.
