topo design can be Simply make the best bags in the world. The Denver-based Gorpcore brand sells gear that looks good, lasts forever, and has all the features a discerning guy wants in a bag, without making the product feel overpriced. If I ever win the lottery, I won’t tell anyone, but there will be signs — like I’m carrying groceries from Trader Joe’s in two mountain gear bags. (I currently use blue polypropylene Ikea bags and shop at Aldi.)
In March, I took a spring break trip to Ireland and Scotland with a carry-on sized roller bag and the Topo Designs Rover Trail Pack as my personal items. I’m testing new bags frequently, and I didn’t think much about the decision to commit to the Rover for a week. I quickly learned that when you carry a bag on seven flights and stay in eight different hotels over 10 days, you get to know it pretty well. By the time I got home, I was convinced that the Rover was the best backpack I’ve ever used.
topo design
rover trail pack
Like the six or seven other models of Topo Design bags I’ve tested — and perhaps more extensively than any others — the Rover manages to artfully incorporate all the thoughtful little features I’ve admired in other backpacks, without even a hint of pretentiousness.
At the top of the bag, there is a zipped compartment that opens to reveal a rucksack-style opening, which closes with a drawstring. This is where I like to keep my keys, any important paperwork I have, and sometimes my wallet. Usually, I check the zipper twice and triple to make sure nothing is falling out. No need for a rower, as inside that zipped compartment there’s also a clip for keys and an extra zipped mesh sleeve. This feature lets you double-bag anything you don’t want to risk losing – in my case, passports for me and my daughter. When I went through the TSA line at the airport, I locked my car keys for the week, locked the passport in a mesh sleeve, and never worried about losing it.
Photograph: Martin Szymar
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