Topo Designs Brilliantly Translates a Classic Outdoor Bag into a Minimalist EDC Darling

A pack that paid its dues in rock climbing makes its way into everyday commuting without losing its spirit.

A green and brown Topo Designs backpack with white straps is lying on a rocky ground next to a pair of black and pink climbing shoes with red and white laces and the number "5.10" printed in white on the side.

Published August 20, 2025

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A few months ago, Topo Designs spectacularly beefed up one of its best EDC backpacks into a trail-ready hiking hauler. Now, the brand is reversing that approach for a new release.

The Topo Designs Cosmos Backpack takes a style from rock climbing and brilliantly adapts it to a commuter-friendly everyday carry bag — all without losing its original spirit.

Topo Designs Cosmos Backpack sitting in the dirt in front of a truck tire — The classic concept of a rock-climbing crag pack translates brilliantly into a minimalist EDC backpack.

Rock-solid origins

The Cosmos Backpack is based on a rock-climbing classic: the crag pack. It might be the single most basic, essential piece of EDC that climbers use (carabiners don’t count, as they’re climbing gear, not EDC in this context).

The purpose of a crag pack is to help transport climbing necessities to and from … well, a crag — in other words, a cliff or rock face. That includes stuff like ropes, shoes, quickdraws and whatever else.

This bag [embraces] the minimalist overall styling and utility of its inspiration while also adding some EDC-focused quality-of-life updates.

To that end, they have a pretty minimalist structure, marked by a large drawstring main compartment and some exterior webbing to serve as additional tethers.

This bag maintains those traditional features, embracing the minimalist overall styling and utility of its inspiration while also adding some EDC-focused quality-of-life updates.

Back view of a backpack with dark green fabric, brown bottom, and light beige adjustable shoulder straps with black edges. The backpack has a top handle in the same beige color as the straps. — The padded, adjustable shoulder straps also have webbing for additional gear attachment.

Cliffside commuter

The Cosmos is built outdoors-tough. It has a 400D recycled nylon exterior, 1000D recycled nylon bottom and a DWR coating to ensure it stays weatherproof.

It also boasts a manageable 22-liter capacity, which is accessed via its cinch-collar closure. But it also has webbing on the outside and the shoulder straps for additional gear attachments.

Inside a green and yellow bag, there is a clear water bottle with a red cap and a silver laptop or tablet partially visible in a separate compartment. — Here, you can see the internal water bottle and laptop sleeves.

Inside, however, there are some EDC-friendly additions. For instance, it has a water bottle pocket and an internal sleeve suitable for laptops and tablets up to 16 inches.

The result is a bag that’s the best of both worlds. Yes, it can still handle the rigors of outdoor adventure, should you so choose. But it can also handle everyday life just as deftly.