After a recent trip to Europe where I quite literally wanted to heave-ho my backpack off a moving train, I decided that enough was enough and I needed to invest in a quality pack instead of these cheapo models I had been using.

I have been a minimalist backpacker for years, always on the mission to get my pack as lightweight as possible. In the past, my main requirement was that the bag was lightweight and had a decent amount of pockets. I also needed it to have lockable zippers. I didn't give much thought to the comfort of the bag while wearing it. I figured if it was light enough, and I didn't stuff it too full, then comfort would be inconsequential. 

Oh, I was SO wrong. 

The backpack you choose 100 percent has to be comfortable to wear. It needs to be built properly to allow you to stow your belongings and have quality straps (shoulder and hip) in order to evenly distribute the weight. If not, you end up having all the weight on your shoulders and without proper padding this can be a nightmare. 

Believe me, I know. 

The G4 Free Backpack 

My last pack was this beauty from Amazon. It was actually recommended by a travel vlogger that I follow. But I'm guessing she must have just used it to carry things from the airport to the hotel and dropped it and wasn't doing "real" backpacking (wearing the pack all day long) like I was. If she was doing the former, then this bag actually wouldn't have been that bad. This bag is super lightweight like she described in her YouTube video. It also has a lot of great pockets and even a plastic storage pocket for wet things. I liked all those features.

However, one of the things that makes this bag the absolute pits is the straps. The shoulder straps are just pieces of fabric with absolutely zero padding. There is a dinky sternum strap (that feels like it will break at any moment) and no hip belt. The latter is a 100 percent necessity. Without it, ALL of the weight in your pack will rest squarely on your shoulders. It doesn't matter how light you try to pack your bag, having 15-20 lbs pulling down on your shoulders all day long will wear on even the hardiest of backpacker. 

This was the bag that I wanted to toss off the train. 

Evaluating Hiking/Camping Packs 

Upon returning home, I started looking around for a proper bag to replace said-cheapo bag from Amazon. However, it really wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

I'm quite easygoing, especially when I travel, and don't have a lot of requirements. However, as I started thinking of the ideal backpack for my needs, I realized that I really did have some specific "wants."

I started out looking at outdoorsy backpacks designed for hiking and camping. But I soon realized that those aren't really helpful for the type of urban backpacking I was doing. 

Why? 

Well, most hiking/camping backpacks are just huge sacks without many organization pockets. They also don't have dual zippers to allow for locking up the bag. I can see why they are designed this way. After all, you really don't need to lock up your things in the woods. Who are you trying to keep out with that padlock? A bear? Hmph.

However, being able to lock up your bag is really important for urban backpacking especially if you stay at hostels, like I do, and want to lock your bag when it's left in the luggage room (or just want to lock your bag during transport on subways, etc.).

As a result, I sadly had to cross the "hiking/camping" backpack off the list. 

Moving on to Travel Backpacks

The next place I looked was travel backpacks. Those were a little frustrating as well because I felt like many of those were built heavier than I wanted. They also were mainly "suitcase" loading style and I preferred top loading. 

See what I mean? Not an easy task at all! 

However, I finally narrowed it down to two brands and styles: the Osprey Fairview and the Cotopaxi.

I bought both brands from Amazon so that I could have free returns on whatever didn't make the cut. I purchased the Osprey Fairview 40 and the Cotopaxi 28, 35, and 42. 

The Osprey Fairview 40L

I was secretly hoping that the Osprey would be the best bag because I had way to get it cheaper through a professional discount. However, when it arrived and I inspected it, I was extremely disappointed. The style is just strange. Maybe it's great for some people, but I just did not like it at all.

Why?

Well first of all, the backpack strap access is odd. The straps tuck away behind a panel and the way to get them out is to unzip a panel. When it's unzipped, you just have to find a place in the bottom section of the bag to stuff the panel. That's just odd to me. The flap could easily come out when you're walking and you'd have to remove the pack and stuff it back inside.

What's even stranger is the part of the backpack that rests on your back is edged by the one half of the zipper. Can you even imagine how uncomfortable that would feel and also what potential damage that could do rubbing against your skin or clothing?

The bag is also a 40L, but I feel like I could fit more in a much smaller pack. The design is really stiff and extra padded which eats up a lot of the space unnecessarily. There's a lack of pockets for organizing, too. And the overall bag is heavy, which is a huge deal breaker for me. 

To be honest, the bag just looks clunky and cheap, and definitely not what I would expect on a $200 backpack. 

The Cotopaxi Backpack

The Cotopaxi, on the other hand, was surprisingly exactly what I was looking for.

The 42L pack came first and I knew right away I loved this style. It was a little large for me. I barely even needed the one side for all of my stuff. I told you, I pack very light.

But things I did love: the pockets. There are tons! There's even a dedicated pocket for my laptop (and cord) which is so wonderful because it will make getting my computer out at airport security so much easier. It also allows me to pull out the computer easily to work on trains, etc. I loved the fact that the zippers could be locked by slipping my own lock through the pulls.

And the straps could be tucked away, like the Osprey, but NOT like the Osprey. There wasn't that weird zipper thing, but rather you just tucked the straps behind the main panel. Brilliant.

I also loved the fun colors, which if you choose the Del Dia, are unique to each individual bag.

I didn't think I was going to like the suitcase style, but honestly, I really liked it on the Cotopaxi.

In the end, I was pretty certain that the 42L would work because it was too big, so I was super interested to see what the 28L and 35L would be like. 

The 28L arrived next. I really liked it too, However, it just felt a little small. All my stuff fit just fine, but it just seemed like there was zero wiggle room. I really felt like if it was just a little bigger, it would probably be perfect. And guess what? That was true!

The 35L was absolutely the perfect fit. It had all the pockets and organizational features of the 42L, had those awesome lockable zippers, the outside laptop pocket, and terrific padded shoulder and hip belt straps. And because it's the Del Dia, I have an original one-of-a-kind pack with its own unique color scheme. 

I felt like Goldilocks testing out porridges and beds to find the perfect fit! In the end, the 35L was JUST RIGHT! 

Final Decision 

To make a long story short, the Cotopaxi 35L was the winner! 

I'm so excited to take this bag on my next trip. So excited, in fact, that it's already packed and ready to go! 

Stay tuned on how it stands up to the rigors of my travel adventures.