Best Travel Backpack for Men

Best Features

 

• Sturdy hip belt and rigid backpanel: During our time overseas, we tried to embrace a healthy balance between working and exploring. During the exploring, we spent a lot of time hopping from city to city. With all that moving, you want a pack that can spread load weight efficiently, and the Kestrel’s sturdy hip belt and rigid frame make carrying heavy kit easy and comfortable. 

 

• Top-down and bottom-up packing with side access: Chipp’s time in the Marines instilled a “rolled kit” approach to loading packs. Roll your gear as tight as possible and slide it down from the top - good use of space and easy to pull gear out quickly. This pack lets you top load and access the bottom of the pack’s separate compartment through a lower zipper (clean laundry in the top; dirty laundry and sneakers in the bottom!). Plus, the Kestrel even has side access zippers, meaning you can get gear from any part of the pack without dumping everything. 

 

• Straps for external loading of a tent: When we weren’t working or exploring cities, we also did a lot of camping. As a pack designed for hikers, the Kestrel has straps that let you externally load a tent - great design for people spending time in the field, city settings, or airport terminals. 

 

• Fits in airplane overhead bins: Related to airports… This pack fits into airplane overhead bins. If you want to avoid checked baggage fees, that’s a huge plus. 

 

• Osprey lifetime guarantee: As with all its products, this backpack comes with Osprey’s amazing lifetime guarantee. Rip it up on the trail? Send it back for a new one!

 

Manufacturer’s Specs

 

Here’s a full list of the pack’s features published by Osprey: 

 

• Breathable AirScape ridged foam backpanel with adjustable torso length

• Fixed top lid with external zippered pocket and under lid zippered mesh pocket

• Dual tuckaway ice tool attachments

• External reservoir sleeve

• Dual upper reverse StraightJacket side compression straps

• Dual lower side compression straps

• Zippered sleeping bag compartment with floating divider

• Removable sleeping pad straps

• Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachment

• Front panel hybrid shove-it pocket

• Dual stretch mesh side pockets

• Zippered hipbelt pockets

• Dual front panel daisy chains

• Integrated removable raincover

• Side zipper access to main compartment

• Full-length vertical zippered side pocket

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Story from the Road

 

Namibia is an outdoor paradise. During our six weeks there, we wanted to explore as much of the country as possible. But, we also needed to work for a few days every week - somewhat difficult to do from the middle of the Namib Desert! We compromised - rented an apartment in Windhoek where we’d work during the week, and we set out on outdoor adventures in different parts of the country every weekend. 

 

The Kestrel was perfect for this sort of travel. Before our camping excursions, we’d load it up with our kit and throw it into the back of a rented pick-up. Once we set up our tent, we then had a great backpack for hiking and exploring the local areas - easy transition from travel/work to backpacking! 

 

Affiliate Disclosure

 

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