Alpaka's gear is just so clean. Next to Bellroy, they make some of my favorite products (aesthetically). Their Metro is my daily driver for when I need to go into the office. Great review as always, John! Do I need this bag? Nah, but Imma plop myself down for 27 minutes and watch you go through it anyways!
@@UnPackD I think their new Lite Travel Pack is super clean. Don't have one yet, but it's on my shortlist for my next trip in a few months. I only have their Lite Duffel and Market Tote at the moment, but the new Transit Workpack Pro (22L) looks to be great for EDC!
I love this bag! It's my every day bag for work, but also my one bag for traveling. I can't say enough about how amazing it is. I wanna pick it up in another color/fabric, currently have it in black xpac
@@Josh_587 honestly I’m so impressed with this bag, it works wonderfully for me too as an EDC bag. Yours is X42 xpac. I actually prefer X42 over this VX21 xpac but I do love this coyote and black color way. Thanks for checking out the video 🫡
I first really liked these type. Had one from aer. But I noticed they limit me in useable space. I still like those designs for edc. But for travel I want to be able to carry my stuff. Which means those large compartments for the laptop and in the front are more cumbersome than useful. You have to split stuff out just to use the actual volume. Like with the aer I had my ipad in there and then my Kindle on top of the ipad just to use that volume in that compartment. Also, just get one 65-100 w charger with 2 ports rather than those 3 xd. I do tend to carry a really small 30w one close at hand for my phone.
@@DaemonViews you’re exactly right right, with the main compartment feeling shallow, I wanted to maximize my space elsewhere. That’s why one of my critiques was the oversized laptop compartment. I just picked up a UGREEN 3 port slim fast charger with the Black Friday sales going on!
Thank you John. Great review. Great job. You are going to do great in this space with your content. I'm still undecided though. Evergoods? Alpaka? or Goruck? Trailing the pack. I love them all but I'm still looking for an EDC and travel carry-on under 20L. I'll settle for a 22L if it has enough organization. I can't make up my mind. Thank you! God bless! Be safe! 🤙🪖👮🙏🇺🇸
How I approach it typically is think what kind of access I want. Evergoods is horizontal access, handy when during carry, annoying when next to you. Aer is the other way around fe. Goruck has no admin but gives a larger interior.
@@mvangils410 👋🏽 thanks for checking out the video! My recommendation for sub 20L travel bag would be the Evergoods CTB20 but knowing what kinda of bags you already own, you might find the harness lacking compared to your MR bags and that m23 you have coming. On the flip side since it’s a smaller bag, it’ll probably a lighter load to carry and the harness might be sufficient. @DaemonViews had some good suggestions and points.
Good review. I like the look of the bag, but I wish the front "flap" pocket had more volume/dimension. I've always hated those pockets that are put in the front with no depth, and can only fit something thin (some Aer bags have the same issue). I'm also a dual water bottle pocket guy, so it'll be difficult for a company to beat my Evergoods CTB for travel.
@@kaochao2356 the CTB line is goated for for traveling imo, my beef with EG bags is you can really stuff the hell out of them so they become quiet turtle shell looking and the harness cannot support the weight, comfort wise (imo). This bag has a long of things “right” per se but I agree, the front pocket is very tight when the bag is maxed out. I did get use out of it when I EDC’d it but I know most people wouldn’t use this for EDC. Maybe on v2 they’ll add some corner gussets like the admin pocket above to give it some volume. Not sure if that’s even a possibility or what effect that would have on the overall design of the bag though. I know ZERO about designing bags 🤷🏽♂️🤣
@@UnPackD Thank you John. I don't plan on over packing it, it will only be for essentials/EDC and for carrying-on only the essentials on the plane such as electronics and a jacket. So I really don't ever worry about over packing. I always check-in at least one suitcase and have a rollie with the "personal item", my backpack, as the carry-on. Besides I only airplane travel once a year and maybe a second time once in a blue moon for international travel. In the states I drive my truck everywhere I go. It's more convenient. The Evergoods and Alpaka are neck to neck. I love both of their gear/kit. I'll keep watching and doing my research. Thank you! God bless! Be safe! 🤙🪖👮🙏🇺🇸
@@PotatoSpudRucking I’ve been looking at the Step 22 Tiger Trove in both the standard and long length. Have you seen those? Yeah I’ve been cramming all sorts of things in that area, such as large amount of space with easy access to since it’s at the top.
Nice bag, but I found it to be not too efficient use of space. Front admin pocket and rear laptop compartment take up too much space. This bag is basically maximum carry on size, but I found that the Tortuga 40l lite travel bag to have very similar exterior dimensions, but main compartment is MUCH larger. The Alpaka Elements travel bag, like many of their other products, is a good looking bag, though. Very stylish. And Alpaka’s customer support is good
@@d.nakamura9579 Yup, I had very similar opinions about it, that was my biggest critique of the bag. The utilization of space wasn’t the most efficient for travel. On the flip side, it was actually very good in my EDC mode for work. Seems like it’s a tight rope to walk when a bag tries to fill multiple roles. Overall I did still did enjoy the bag and because the comfort was off the charts for me, it’s still gonna be a easy pick for my next trip
@@UnPackD I am looking at this bag as mainly an EDC. I travel for work once a month or so and always have a duffel with me so I am trying to find the goldilocks bag that works as an EDC but also can be loaded up with tech for a quick trip. I bought an AER city pack pro but just sold it had a almost turtle shell look and feel and the straps were too close together for my broad shoulders. Great review on the alpaka, and i appreciate any feedback on how you think this would be for an EDC for a 6"4" dude lol
@ I used it for weeks as an EDC and it worked fantastic. It has a crap ton of organization so that could be a pro or con depending on your preference. This bag gains its volume from height, not depth so for some as tall as you that’s a good thing. I don’t like a turtle shell look either. The laptop compartment is very generous so your larger devices or multiple devices should be just fine. I rucked 3 miles with 45ish pounds loaded and it was very comfortable with the hip belt attached. The only downside is, since you travel with a duffel bag (assuming that’s your carry on), this is too large to pass as a personal item. It would almost be like traveling with 2 carry on’s. Not sure how much you need to hold but the GORUCK GR1 or the GORUCK M23 are taller and not too deep with great straps for broad shoulders but those bags have their own set of potential issues. Do you require thin straps or do you prefer big beefy straps?
@@UnPackD Got it! That GR1 looks nice but holy price tag! I think i lean toward thin straps, I am currently back to my trusty Eddie Bauer bygone 30L while i shop around for another bag. The back panel on the bygone 30L measures 20.5" so seems similar to the Alpaka when it comes to size and I have never been flagged for it being a carry on. With that being said, I never pack it 100%, i always leave 20% empty as I hate fighting for space when trying to get items out of the bag. Do you think the Alpaka with a lighter load would pass easier for a personal item?
@@Kwisss kinda changed my mind on making a video on it, it’s a 1 of 1 experimental from last year. So not readily and not similar to other Rabels. Love the bag very much but it’s kinda small for me so I’m currently looking to get a Amhara travel bag
@UnPackD weight nowadays is an incredibly important factor for traveling (I would say 1st factor for traveling abroad), since most regional airlines have strict weight limits of 8kg or below for carry-on, so companies should really start taking that seriously and stop making backpacks above 1kg if they want to succeed in the current environment. Brands like Bellroy have perfectly understood that and are making backpacks around 900g or so
@ you’re absolutely right, when I was traveling around SE Asia, I chose the ULA Dragonfly for this exact reason, bag alone weighs 780g. It’s always a trade off though, these heavy bags are always more comfortable because they tend to have more padding. Definitely would stick to flying/traveling around the states with this one due to its size and weight
@@UnPackD yeah that bag is completely kick-ass but I really hate the aesthetics so I'm sticking with my Bellroy Transit 28L (which is discontinued) for now
@@leotravel85 🤣🤣 it’s definitely not a looker for sure unless you’re into the “hiker” vibe (I’m not) but for a 30L bag it does well. I need to get on the Bellroy train and try out some packs.
Your presentation style is so helpful, dude. Thank you
@@MuchoArigato much to learn and improve on but definitely appreciate the compliment 🙏🏽
Alpaka's gear is just so clean. Next to Bellroy, they make some of my favorite products (aesthetically). Their Metro is my daily driver for when I need to go into the office.
Great review as always, John! Do I need this bag? Nah, but Imma plop myself down for 27 minutes and watch you go through it anyways!
@@BiggDeli I need to get on the Bellroy bus. What’s a good bag you recommend for me to try out?
Always appreciate the support, brother 🫡
@@UnPackD I think their new Lite Travel Pack is super clean. Don't have one yet, but it's on my shortlist for my next trip in a few months.
I only have their Lite Duffel and Market Tote at the moment, but the new Transit Workpack Pro (22L) looks to be great for EDC!
Great video and really awesome backpack I have never heard of and no other backpack reviewer has ever mentioned it. Thanks John.
Thanks for watching!
I’ve been here since you started and your videos are really getting better already. 🎉 keep it up!
@@aramyth 🫡 thanks for sticking around hanging with me. I appreciate the compliment.
I love this bag! It's my every day bag for work, but also my one bag for traveling. I can't say enough about how amazing it is. I wanna pick it up in another color/fabric, currently have it in black xpac
@@Josh_587 honestly I’m so impressed with this bag, it works wonderfully for me too as an EDC bag. Yours is X42 xpac. I actually prefer X42 over this VX21 xpac but I do love this coyote and black color way. Thanks for checking out the video 🫡
Awesome video. Keep it up. Appreciate your detailed vids.👋👋👍👍
@@copper7187 Thank you! 🙏🏽
Another great video! This bag is really nice, may have to check it out
@@NightShift_EDC Thank! Let me know and I’ll send it over.
I first really liked these type. Had one from aer.
But I noticed they limit me in useable space.
I still like those designs for edc. But for travel I want to be able to carry my stuff. Which means those large compartments for the laptop and in the front are more cumbersome than useful.
You have to split stuff out just to use the actual volume.
Like with the aer I had my ipad in there and then my Kindle on top of the ipad just to use that volume in that compartment.
Also, just get one 65-100 w charger with 2 ports rather than those 3 xd.
I do tend to carry a really small 30w one close at hand for my phone.
@@DaemonViews you’re exactly right right, with the main compartment feeling shallow, I wanted to maximize my space elsewhere. That’s why one of my critiques was the oversized laptop compartment.
I just picked up a UGREEN 3 port slim fast charger with the Black Friday sales going on!
Great review! Wish that colorway were available more often.
@@maicco333 agreed, this color way is super cool.
Thank you John. Great review. Great job. You are going to do great in this space with your content. I'm still undecided though. Evergoods? Alpaka? or Goruck? Trailing the pack. I love them all but I'm still looking for an EDC and travel carry-on under 20L. I'll settle for a 22L if it has enough organization. I can't make up my mind. Thank you! God bless! Be safe!
🤙🪖👮🙏🇺🇸
How I approach it typically is think what kind of access I want.
Evergoods is horizontal access, handy when during carry, annoying when next to you.
Aer is the other way around fe.
Goruck has no admin but gives a larger interior.
@@mvangils410 👋🏽 thanks for checking out the video! My recommendation for sub 20L travel bag would be the Evergoods CTB20 but knowing what kinda of bags you already own, you might find the harness lacking compared to your MR bags and that m23 you have coming.
On the flip side since it’s a smaller bag, it’ll probably a lighter load to carry and the harness might be sufficient.
@DaemonViews had some good suggestions and points.
Did it have the glow in the dark keychain?
@@maddmarkmusic it did, I dropped the ball on mentioning that. I put it away when I got the bag and forgot about it.
Good review. I like the look of the bag, but I wish the front "flap" pocket had more volume/dimension. I've always hated those pockets that are put in the front with no depth, and can only fit something thin (some Aer bags have the same issue). I'm also a dual water bottle pocket guy, so it'll be difficult for a company to beat my Evergoods CTB for travel.
@@kaochao2356 the CTB line is goated for for traveling imo, my beef with EG bags is you can really stuff the hell out of them so they become quiet turtle shell looking and the harness cannot support the weight, comfort wise (imo).
This bag has a long of things “right” per se but I agree, the front pocket is very tight when the bag is maxed out. I did get use out of it when I EDC’d it but I know most people wouldn’t use this for EDC. Maybe on v2 they’ll add some corner gussets like the admin pocket above to give it some volume.
Not sure if that’s even a possibility or what effect that would have on the overall design of the bag though. I know ZERO about designing bags 🤷🏽♂️🤣
@@UnPackD Thank you John. I don't plan on over packing it, it will only be for essentials/EDC and for carrying-on only the essentials on the plane such as electronics and a jacket. So I really don't ever worry about over packing. I always check-in at least one suitcase and have a rollie with the "personal item", my backpack, as the carry-on. Besides I only airplane travel once a year and maybe a second time once in a blue moon for international travel. In the states I drive my truck everywhere I go. It's more convenient. The Evergoods and Alpaka are neck to neck. I love both of their gear/kit. I'll keep watching and doing my research. Thank you! God bless! Be safe!
🤙🪖👮🙏🇺🇸
maybe you can try fitting the modern dayfarer tech pouch on top off your 14” laptop in the compartment 😊
@@PotatoSpudRucking I’ve been looking at the Step 22 Tiger Trove in both the standard and long length. Have you seen those? Yeah I’ve been cramming all sorts of things in that area, such as large amount of space with easy access to since it’s at the top.
i’ve heard of step 22 but i think they’re specialized in overlanding gear which I’m not into so I didnt pay them much attention 😂
Nice bag, but I found it to be not too efficient use of space. Front admin pocket and rear laptop compartment take up too much space. This bag is basically maximum carry on size, but I found that the Tortuga 40l lite travel bag to have very similar exterior dimensions, but main compartment is MUCH larger.
The Alpaka Elements travel bag, like many of their other products, is a good looking bag, though. Very stylish. And Alpaka’s customer support is good
@@d.nakamura9579 Yup, I had very similar opinions about it, that was my biggest critique of the bag. The utilization of space wasn’t the most efficient for travel. On the flip side, it was actually very good in my EDC mode for work.
Seems like it’s a tight rope to walk when a bag tries to fill multiple roles. Overall I did still did enjoy the bag and because the comfort was off the charts for me, it’s still gonna be a easy pick for my next trip
@@UnPackD I am looking at this bag as mainly an EDC. I travel for work once a month or so and always have a duffel with me so I am trying to find the goldilocks bag that works as an EDC but also can be loaded up with tech for a quick trip. I bought an AER city pack pro but just sold it had a almost turtle shell look and feel and the straps were too close together for my broad shoulders. Great review on the alpaka, and i appreciate any feedback on how you think this would be for an EDC for a 6"4" dude lol
@ I used it for weeks as an EDC and it worked fantastic. It has a crap ton of organization so that could be a pro or con depending on your preference.
This bag gains its volume from height, not depth so for some as tall as you that’s a good thing. I don’t like a turtle shell look either. The laptop compartment is very generous so your larger devices or multiple devices should be just fine. I rucked 3 miles with 45ish pounds loaded and it was very comfortable with the hip belt attached.
The only downside is, since you travel with a duffel bag (assuming that’s your carry on), this is too large to pass as a personal item. It would almost be like traveling with 2 carry on’s.
Not sure how much you need to hold but the GORUCK GR1 or the GORUCK M23 are taller and not too deep with great straps for broad shoulders but those bags have their own set of potential issues.
Do you require thin straps or do you prefer big beefy straps?
I replied to your question but somehow didn’t show a direct reply
@@UnPackD Got it! That GR1 looks nice but holy price tag! I think i lean toward thin straps, I am currently back to my trusty Eddie Bauer bygone 30L while i shop around for another bag. The back panel on the bygone 30L measures 20.5" so seems similar to the Alpaka when it comes to size and I have never been flagged for it being a carry on. With that being said, I never pack it 100%, i always leave 20% empty as I hate fighting for space when trying to get items out of the bag. Do you think the Alpaka with a lighter load would pass easier for a personal item?
Curious, what happened to the Azo Equipment Rabal review?
@@Kwisss kinda changed my mind on making a video on it, it’s a 1 of 1 experimental from last year. So not readily and not similar to other Rabels. Love the bag very much but it’s kinda small for me so I’m currently looking to get a Amhara travel bag
That's like a billion dollars
@@junelopez9520 what is?! 👀
Too heavy
@@leotravel85 for a “35L” yeah slightly, luckily the harness was comfortable enough to mitigate it. At least for me anyway.
@UnPackD weight nowadays is an incredibly important factor for traveling (I would say 1st factor for traveling abroad), since most regional airlines have strict weight limits of 8kg or below for carry-on, so companies should really start taking that seriously and stop making backpacks above 1kg if they want to succeed in the current environment. Brands like Bellroy have perfectly understood that and are making backpacks around 900g or so
@ you’re absolutely right, when I was traveling around SE Asia, I chose the ULA Dragonfly for this exact reason, bag alone weighs 780g. It’s always a trade off though, these heavy bags are always more comfortable because they tend to have more padding. Definitely would stick to flying/traveling around the states with this one due to its size and weight
@@UnPackD yeah that bag is completely kick-ass but I really hate the aesthetics so I'm sticking with my Bellroy Transit 28L (which is discontinued) for now
@@leotravel85 🤣🤣 it’s definitely not a looker for sure unless you’re into the “hiker” vibe (I’m not) but for a 30L bag it does well. I need to get on the Bellroy train and try out some packs.
C’mon guys it’s just a bag.
@@freshestmanonearth a really nice one though!