This roundup is part of This Year in Gear, a look back at the year’s most notable releases. To stay on top of all the latest product news, subscribe to our daily Dispatch newsletter.
Arc’teryx Granville Line
Price: $169+
From: arcteryx.com
Arc’teryx’s new Granville line is an updated take on the sleek urban-inspired Veilance line for the commuter. These minimalist bags transition seamlessly from city to mountain, just like the rest of Arc’teryx’s jackets and fleeces.
Avo Drybag
Price: $133
From: yourdew.com
Most drybags are minimalist by design, but the Avo adjusts that conception in the hopes of boosting versatility — the bag has exterior pockets for small items, a water bottle sleeve, a foam bottom for impact resistance, a laptop sleeve and the safety-first reflective detailing of a commuter pack.
Bellroy Sling
Price: $99
From: amazon.com
Like its wallets and backpacks, Bellroy’s Sling is notably minimal yet exceedingly intelligent in design. While a backpack might leave you with lots of unused space, the Sling keeps everything you need to carry tight and neat.
Black Ember Forge
Price: $265
From: blackember.com
Black Ember is known for its modular backpacks that do everything, and the latest bag will continue that trend. If you travel all the time, this bag will quickly win you over with its intuitive packing sections and handy uses.
Evergoods Civic Half Zip 22L
Price: $159
From: evergoods.us
The Half Zip’s shape, the location of its pockets and its mountaineering-grade fabrics can only be appreciated through use. This is at once a backpack you know, that you’ve carried since grade school, and also something entirely new with the potential to improve how you lug stuff from point to point.
Filson Rugged Suede Backpack
Price: $595
From: filson.com
Made with North American hides, thickened in the cold and tanned in Chicago by Horween, the Rugged Suede Backpack will stand up to decades of hard use.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Prism Pack
Price: $335
From: hyperlitemountaingear.com
The Prism is the most traditional-looking backpack that Hyperlite has put out to date. And while Hyperlite made the Prism specifically with ice climbing in mind, thanks to its bevy of smart features, it’ll serve you well on other adventures too.
Kammok Burro Packs
Price: $29+
From: kammok.com
Made with the company’s custom Adamas fabric (a 70-denier ripstop nylon with a laminate core and a PU coating), these bags are sleek and lightweight yet rugged and weatherproof. They’re also versatile, making them the type of pack you might use in a city Monday through Friday and carry to a summit on the weekend.
Mystery Ranch Urban Assault 24L
Price: $165
From: huckberry.com
Mystery Ranch updated the Urban Assault’s design to make it even more functional for life around town in a new 24-liter model. The military pack maker took advantage of that extra space in the main compartment with more internal sleeves and pockets for all the other things you carry every day.
Osprey Katari Hydration Packs
Price: $55+
From: rei.com
Osprey is well-known for its hiking backpacks, but its latest bags are for mountain biking. So while there’s an airmesh backpanel and soft shoulder straps, Osprey skipped things that might get in the way while you’re hunched over the handlebars, like a hipbelt.
Patagonia Planing Collection
Price: $79+
From: patagonia.com
The standout feature of each bag is its ability to keep your ocean-soaked gear separate from anything that you don’t want to get wet. Even in the smallest pack, there’s enough space for a laptop, towels, snacks and a change of clothes.
Peak Design Everyday V2 Bags
Price: $80+
From: peakdesign.com
When Peak Design launched its Everyday bag collection on Kickstarter, it earned $6.5 million. Now those bags are getting an upgrade.
Rapha Bike Bags
Price: $65+
From: rapha.cc
If you’re thinking about planning a bike packing trip, or just getting into bike commuting, these packs will make your life a lot easier thanks to the instant organization they’ll add.
RMU BRFCS
Price: $185
From: huckberry.com
Rocky Mountain Underground, or RMU for short, is a ski company, but its BRFCS is a contender in the realm of adventure travel bags. It can be carried like its namesake, with backpack straps and a stow-away hipbelt or as a shoulder bag.
The North Face DynoCarry Collection
Price: $100+
From: backcountry.com
This series of four innovative backpacks uses a system called DynoCarry to facilitate unmatched and uncomplicated adjustability. Example: tug on one piece of webbing and both shoulder straps to adjust and equalize the full load.
30 Things That Made Camping Better in 2019
From a biodegradable cooler and spicy bison jerky to an ultralight backpack and an origami-inspired kayak… Read the Story
Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.
