I came back to Canada a little under a month ago from a trip through Southeast Asia armed with my LTT Commuter Backpack. While traveling, I wrote a blog post on my experiences with the bag after one month, and decided it was worth a follow-up, after completing the entire four-month trip. I will keep to the same categories, and build upon what I learned previously, and how I grew with the bag.
It remained clear that this was not a backpacking bag, and was more suited to being used for your daily commute - so I will not be taking any marks off for features that are missing or problems I had that were clearly outside the scope of this bag. That being said, the bag worked amazingly well for such heavy, constant use, and I did not find myself unsatisfied at any point in the journey.
Loadout
The inside loadout remained very similar throughout the final three months of the trip. I removed the Wacom tablet and the postcards due to lack of use, and I changed which travel adapter I was using multiple times.
For the side pockets, I had originally been traveling with two water bottles, a 40oz Hydroflask and a 40oz Grayl filter bottle, but they started to get heavy day after day, so I moved to just one 40oz bottle.
Storage
The storage features of this bag remain standout, with tons of room for tech, and everyday essentials. My experience with the storage did not change over the last three months, since I kept most of everything in the same place - I did happen to lose a SIM card somewhere in the bag, however, so maybe too many pockets can be a bad thing?
When I got back home, I needed to add both spray deodorant and the LTT Screwdriver to my bag, so I discovered a small horizontal pocket at the bottom of the pocket of holding. This ended up being perfect since I can keep the deodorant easily accessible in the screwdriver pocket, and the screwdriver, which I use less often, at the bottom of my bag.
Design
The design of the bag, both inside and outside, remains great. While I found the bright orange to be a little off-putting at first (even though it is my favourite colour, which I am sure you can tell by the blog theme), it makes the bag its own. The only downside of the overall design is that when not fully loaded, the front panel can start to collapse in on itself, which looks weird. As long as you are loading up the bag with all of your daily items, you should not run into this problem.
As I progressed to the warmer months during my travels, I found the backpack to lack breathing room, and my back would get very hot and sweaty while wearing it in warm, humid weather. This will probably apply less to those using it in North American climates or inside, but it is something to consider. I would not consider it a deal breaker, just something to be mindful of.
Fit
The backpack continued to fit as well as ever, and over the last months on the trip, I would just make small adjustments to the straps, depending on the load of the bag or the activity I was doing. I prefer it lower on my back while walking around a city, but tighter and higher when it is heavier or while hiking. The padded shoulder straps were a feature that any bag in this price point should have, and they get more and more useful as you wear the bag for longer, with heavier loads. I was thankful for them every day I put the bag on and took it off.
Durability
After an additional three months of heavy daily use for over eight hours a day, the backpack held up very well. I had no rips or tears, and the couple of times I spilled something on the bag, I was able to clean it off easily, and no residue was left behind.
Upon return to Canada, I gave the bag a bath, and all of the dirt washed off, returning the bag to its “like new” condition. This is the first time I have ever had a bag clean off so well after a long trip! That might have been due to its brand-new state immediately before departing, but it was a positive sign.
I did continue to experience the tech pocket zipper getting stuck in the inside pocket fabric, but I was yet to experience any tears.
One major durability concern I have is the water bottle pockets. I switched my loadout to only include one water bottle after the first month, and this caused the side pockets to get stretched out unevenly. Originally, I always kept the bottle on the left side of the bag, and after a couple of days, I noticed that the left pocket was more stretched than the right. Going forward, I will be switching my water bottle each day, to try and reduce the occurrence of this. While it falls within the expected use/deterioration of the bag, I was really hoping the elastic would be more durable.
I had one part break on the bag while traveling, and that was the small plastic clip that held the excess backpack strap against the actual backpack strap. This was my own fault, however, since, I hit it against something, somewhere, at some point, while on the go. I contacted LTT Store Support to see if I could purchase a new one or even have them send me the 3D model so I could print one myself, but they instead offered to refund or replace the entire bag! I did not need that in any way shape or form, nor did I expect that level of service, but they insisted. This was standout customer support, and it reminded me why I really enjoy purchasing from LTT Store.
In Conclusion
Now that I have returned home to Canada, I am using the bag for its intended purpose, commuting to and from work daily. I have switched up the loadout, and the bag is now properly adjusted for civilian life. I have no major gripes about the bag, and its small size continues to make it a great option for anyone looking for a style-conscious, tech-focused daily carry backpack.
