Why a travel backpack? I see a million people traveling carry-on only with roller bags. Usually hard side bags. Ultimately, we find travel backpacks more versatile than roller bags. Cobblestones, steep staircases, and even train platform gaps are not roller bag friendly. A lot of times, being able to squeeze and squish a bag into a compartment or on the front of a scooter saves money and headaches. But don’t worry! If you have back issues, or just prefer a roller suitcase – you can still be a minimalist traveler! We just prefer backpack travel.
Picking a Backpack
When I decided to shop for my first travel backpack, I was a little overwhelmed at all the choices. My budget wasn’t large and paying over $300 for a bag seemed completely unreal to me. Was it really worth the investment? Could I find a pack that would work for camping, for weekend trips, and for long urban treks in Europe and Asia?
I did a lot of research, read a lot of reviews, and briefly trialed a couple of different backpacks before settling on the Kelty Women’s Redwing 40L. I have owned it and used it almost exclusively for eight years now. It has not let me down! For reference I am a 5’6″ tall, plus-size female.
Here are the things I love about this bag, and I few things I wish were different or that could be improved:
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Quality
I originally started looking at Kelty backpacks because they are one of the brands that have a consistently high quality rating. You can read another great review of this bag from Pack Hacker here.
You will notice that the stitching, zippers, and fabric on the backpack are very sturdy and well made. In eight years of traveling this bag has been all over the world on planes, trains, taxis, and scooters. It’s been packed heavily, checked, dragged, rained on, shoved in small spaces and generally abused. There is not a single rip or tear. The zippers have never failed and, honestly, it even still looks good!
Affordability
One of the biggest things that drew me to the Kelty product line was the affordability of their packs. Although the best rated travel packs from the various companies I looked at were in the $200-$300 range, the Kelty Redwing 40L was closer to $100 and still had great quality ratings. For a budget traveler, this is a really solid compromise when it comes to price and quality. Thinking of all the broken handles and ripped straps I have dealt with on other (cheaper) travel bags, I have definitely gotten my money’s worth from the Redwing.
Currently, similar Kelty travel backpacks are still in this price range. So if you have a smaller budget I would consider this a really good brand to shop for your travel backpack.
Organization
One of the nicest things about this backpack is the way it is designed for organization. The pack is designed to unzip like a suitcase (only three quarters of the way) which is very helpful for packing and for not having to completely unpack when you need something from the bottom of the bag.
The front pocket’s interior has a number of dedicated slots where things like pens, charging cables, tablets and other smaller items can be secured, organized, and easily accessed. There is enough space that a jacket or scarf could easily be folded and placed on top of these items.
The interior also includes a laptop pocket. While it is not padded, it does allow you to secure a computer or other items (for example a folder with travel documents) separate from the main compartment.
Additional zippered pockets are located on the top and sides of the bag. These are handy for shoes, water bottles, liquids baggies and other items that you may want to reach easily. Not packing these pockets also allows you to give the bag a smaller profile if size is an issue.
There are also various straps and loops that can be used to clip items to the backpack or to strap on jackets or even a bedroll or yoga mat. I often strap my winter jacket on top of the bag to save space. Small mesh pockets are featured on the sides below the larger zippered pockets. I like to pack hats, scarves and other soft items like our foldable daypack (See Review of the Outlander Packable Daypack) in these pockets for easy access.
Size
Sometimes I think my Kelty Redwing 40 backpack is a bit of a Mary Poppins bag. Whether I am headed on a quick visa run (see How to Pack for Visa Runs and Quick Trips) or to Europe for over a month (see Minimalist Packing for One Week to a Season in Europe), this bag always seems to have enough space for everything I need.
Though it is slightly larger than some budget airlines officially allow (see “Cons” below) I have never been forced to check it. The backpack does not look large and can easily be squished to meet the size requirements, unlike a roller bag.
Comfort
Features that I think add to the comfort of the pack are the optional chest straps and padded waist strap. If I know I will be carrying the pack for awhile I buckle these up to help distribute the weight load. This really makes a difference and is a great option that smaller backpacks don’t always include.
The inside back of the pack is also strategically padded for comfort. The padding provides cushion between the bag and your back. However, the cushioning is designed to still allow airflow to keep your back from getting too hot and sweaty. A very cool feature! See what I did there? Hehe
Another comfort feature that I did not pay particular attention to at first but I have come to appreciate is the special curved design of the straps on this backpack. Before we took our five week trip to Europe, I considered buying a new backpack and even purchased a Tortuga Divide Setout (no longer available) to try out.
Jeremy absolutely loves his own Tortuga brand backpack (see Review of the Tortuga 40L Travel Backpack) so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, it was uncomfortable for me in a way I never expected. The straps of the backpack didn’t conform to my figure and constantly and irritatingly rubbed against my upper arms and chest as I moved. Though it was a great looking and practical pack, it was not comfortable for me.
At one point I struggled with not finding my Kelty Redwing comfortable enough. This was when I had already owned the pack for awhile and was carrying some heavy loads. Eventually. I realized that the straps had never been readjusted properly to distribute the weight. Once I readjusted them, I was very happy with the comfort level again.
Cons
One major con of my Kelty Redwing 40L backpack is that it is slightly larger than the current maximum dimensions for carry-on bags on a lot of European budget carriers. These seem to get smaller all the time unfortunately. However, as I mentioned earlier – its small profile and soft sides means it can be easily squished into shape.
Another minor issue is the top handle. Although it is very strong it is not quite wide and long enough. Using it to carry a fully loaded bag tends to be uncomfortable for long as it cuts into the palm. More importantly, when traveling through airports, hanging the bag from a hook on the back of a restroom stall is almost impossible when the bag is fully loaded. The size and positioning of the handle makes it slide off the hook. Fortunately, this is a relatively minor inconvenience and there is an additional handle on the front of the bag that can also be used if necessary.
The waist strap can be a problem at times, since there is no easy way to secure it. That means it can easily get caught on a conveyor belt or that it may swing around and smack someone in the face when you are trying to load it in an overhead bin. If you are checking the bag you can tighten and cross the straps together and buckle them with the waist belt. This secures the straps fairly well to avoid accidents. However, the length of the straps then has to be readjusted for comfortable carrying.
Something else I consider a slight con for budget luxury travel is that this backpack does look like a hiking pack. First impressions are important and sometimes I feel a little awkward handing it over to a porter at a nice hotel. But overall it is a decent looking backpack.
Conclusion
Kelty themselves are no longer making this exact bag but you can find a very similar option here. They also have some newer 36L and 50L bags if you are looking for something a little smaller or larger. It looks like some of the features I consider cons have changed as well, so in the future I will definitely consider buying a new Kelty travel backpack. But for now, this one is still going strong!
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