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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

topodesigns.com