Peak Design Is the King of Travel Bags. This Innovative Backpack May Be the Brand’s Magnum Opus

Peak Design’s dominance in the travel bag industry is undeniable. Dating back to 2015 with the Everyday Messenger, every generation of the brand’s packs has been a marked improvement on those that came before. And while the brand specializes in photography-friendly gear, its offerings have transcended into everyday carry and beyond.

The brand just announced a new quartet of offerings. And while they’re all absolutely outstanding (as is par for the course, at this point), there’s one that stands out as a shining example of the brand’s prowess and dedication to its craft: the Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1.

Peak Design

Do-it-all and more

It’s important to look at this bag holistically (which will make more sense in a bit) before we start breaking down its minutiae. Design-wise, this is a clear step forward for Peak Design. The bag (and its siblings) maintains the clean lines, pleasing geometric angles and relatively minimalist look, but the bag is altogether more refined than its predecessors (which were already refined).

Altogether, the bag offers 40L of storage, which is more than enough for a solid weekend (or longer, if you pack smart) of gear and apparel. It is also specifically designed to fit international carry-on standards as a complete bag. However, it has a trick up its sleeve that makes it even better for travel.

Peak Design

As the “2-in-1” in its name suggests, this bag has a superpower: it can separate into two individual packs. The base pack is 34 liters and the secondary pack is a svelte 16 liters, which is perfect as a grab-and-go daypack or, when flying, as a personal item that can hold your seat essentials while the rest of the bag goes into the overhead bin.

When separated, these bags are fully standalone. They both have their own compartments, external pockets and adjustable straps. And they’re super easy to reattach to one another, utilizing a wraparound zipper to connect them when it’s time to head on out again. And yet, that’s just the tip of the iceberg …

Peak Design

The devil’s in the details

The two-bags-in-one situation is a major selling point for this pack, but it is selling it way too short to say that’s all it has to offer. Scour the exterior and internals of this bag and you’re going to quickly discover so much more to love about it.

For instance, it has numerous travel-ready convenience features. For instance, it has a quick-grab strap on five of its six sides, meaning you’ll never be scrambling to grab ahold of it in the boarding or deplaning shuffle. Furthermore, the strap on the back doubles as a luggage pass-through, so you can stash the pack on your rolling carry-on to ease your burden when traversing the airport, train station or wherever else.

Another feature I absolutely adore is that the backpack straps and back pad have integrated magnets. When you’re wearing the bag, they just sort of exist. But when you need to store the bag, the straps snap tight against the back pad, keeping them far tidier than other backpacks and making stashing it a lot quicker and easier.

Peak Design

And thi is all to say nothing of its legion of other features, like external pouches, sneaky security pockets, attachment points, comfortable padding … the list goes on and on.

But here’s the real kicker: this is just one of four bags Peak Design has unleashed. And all of them are exceptional in their own way (and might even be better than this one for the right person). You’re gonna have to spend some time digging through them to know which one(s) suit(s) you best. But, I promise you, if you’re anything like me (an EDC and travel bag fanatic), that will be a genuine treat.

Peak Design

Availability and pricing

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 will retail for $400. However, the project is live on Kickstarter right now, starting at just $319. (For reference, the project has already secured over four times its $100,000 goal.)

You can also score any of the three other bags via the same Kickstarter campaign. The Travel Crossbody Sling 3L starts at $79 (down from $100); the Travel Weekender 25L starts at $159 (down from $200); and the Travel Backpack 20L starts at $159 (down from $200).

Peak Design

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1

• $400 at Kickstarter

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Related Topics