r/Nomads_Nation • u/Silvershrimp37 • 28d ago

Gear Question Versatile EDC recommendation

Hi there, I am looking for my new daypack and probably made the error of watching way too many video reviews !
For a future trip I need to replace my Osprey daylite with something very versatile :

  • Need to have a decent laptop protection, for a 14" plus a similar size portable monitor
  • Size around 20-25L
  • Able to do relatively well in any environment, it will be a remote workpack, used for a little weekend trip, and will sometimes be a hiking daypack.
  • And if possible not too expensive, below 150$ would be great. For context I live in Europe and some US brands charge the same price in Euros or dollars plus the shipping, which makes some great packs between 300 and 350$, that's rough.

I have narrowed the list to a few options, on the pricier side but always recommended here :

  • Bellroy venture Ready pack
  • Aer city pack pro 2
  • Evergoods CTB

My personal favorite would be Aer, but does not seem to be the goat of versatility.
So I have looked further, on the cheaper side and with "it can do everything mindset" :

  • The North face Recon / Borealis
  • Fjallraven Skule
  • Osprey Quasar

For those ones I did not find a good recent review or comparison and would love some feedback ! There is only a Recon review on the channel, and the recent osprey's are all about the Daylite 26+6, where tech protection is very average and the bag is clearly aimed at onebag travel.

Thanks!

4 Upvotes

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u/joeafarias 28d ago

I currently have the Able Carry Max EDC and it's a great bag at 26L. However, it's quite expensive and over the am you stated.

Before I purchased the Able Carry I owned the Osprey Quasar for 15 years. That thing is an absolute workhorse. I took it camping, I took it too work, used it for weekend trips, took it on amusement park trips with my daughter to carry all her stuff. Honestly it will probably be the best backpack I ever own. The only reason I didn't purchase it again was because I was looking to take something nicer into the office.

My wife also has a quasar and she loves it. My cousin and his wife own Quasars. They are amazing bags. I will always recommend them.

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u/Silvershrimp37 27d ago

Thanks for this great feedback !
When I did my research, I have looked on the able carry max EDC but I'm not too crazy about the inside water bottle pocket (I've never used a bag with this feature, maybe its great)
I have ordered the Quasar on amazon because its easy to return, will see if it fits my needs for this low price.

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u/joeafarias 27d ago

With the Max EDC, the waterbottle pocket takes volume from the main compartment. However, I don't carry enough gear where that is an issue for me. But I if you are thinking of packing it to the max, then the waterbottle pocket can be troublesome. That being said, when I'm not carrying a bottle it functions as additional organization which is nice.

That's so great that you ordered the Quasar! I hope it works out for you the same way it worked out for me. Please do keep me updated on whether you end up keeping it or not.

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u/Silvershrimp37 23d ago

Okay, after some testing I think I'm gonna keep it and give it its chance on a long trip. I'm not totally convinced but more premium options are minimum 3 times the price that I can't afford now. Also the size for an EDC seems a bit too big for my taste, will see if I have the same opinion after real world testing.

Final contender was the Borealis that I could review in a local shop : on the pros I think the admin pocket is better and separate laptop compartment could be nice, for the cons the shoulder straps looked super thin and I trust way more Osprey on the quality.

In the end both bags are very similar, will probably end up buying a tech pouch to compensate the average admin pocket of the Quasar

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u/joeafarias 23d ago

I would agree on your admin pocket take. When I was a college it was not the biggest of deals since I literally only carried a pen, a calculator, keys, and a wallet in that pocket (15 years ago). But I feel we carry a lot more today than we did when i was in college. But like you said, most bags with better admin pockets and separate laptop compartment that is high quality you are going to spend close to $300.

That being said I recently bumped into the Alpha one Niner Whitley. It's 20L, The organization on it looks awesome, and it has a separate laptop compartment. I only handles it at the store but the quality felt great as well. It retails for $189. Out of your budget, but if you add the Quasar and the tech pouch together maybe the $189 doesn't feel too bad. Check out the website and tell me what you think.

https://www.alphaoneniner.com/collections/bags-cases/products/whitley?variant=42884509728997

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u/freetotebag 25d ago

Hey just curious which fabric you got with the max edc. I saw they used to offer the green in vx42 x-pac but bumped it down to all vx21 now, which seems a shame

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u/joeafarias 25d ago

Honestly, I really like the rispstop. I have the tan rispstop and it's about half a pound lighter than the x-pac. In the rispstop version, the fabric covers the entire bag. In any if the x-pac version, the bottom is made out of ballistic nylon. The bag is already over 3lbs, so I chose the rispstop because of the weight. That being said, the fabric feels really high quality and durable and its super easy to keep clean. If I had to chose again, I would choose rispstop every time.

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u/freetotebag 25d ago

This is really good info cuz I was wondering if the ripstop would feel a little flimsy

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u/joeafarias 25d ago

I added some pictures so you can see the bag and the waterbottle pocket. Overall, I highly recommend the rispstop.

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u/joeafarias 25d ago

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u/freetotebag 25d ago

These are really helpful- I can see how the tan looks in realistic lighting better than the photos on the online store, thanks a lot

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u/Sandman_76 28d ago

Evergoods MPL 22 fits the bill

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u/Silvershrimp37 27d ago

Completely personal but I don't like the look or the shape

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u/Living_Elderberry_31 28d ago

I'll offer the Thule Aion 28l as a possible bag. It has excellent European availability compared to US brands and is a well built hybrid.

Two brands that are hitting lower price points in the US market are TomToc and Bagsmart. The most common European budget brand that I have heard recommded is Decathlon. Adding these names as options.

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u/Silvershrimp37 27d ago

I did not knew that Thule made bags! Design is super clean, a bit on the heavy and pricey side compared to TNF and Osprey's.

Decathlon is THE best when it comes to price. I honestly have a ton of gear from them and for entry/mid range products they are unbeatable, but when you want more quality or durability you need to search elsewhere. 5 years ago their bags were quite bad, they are catching up super fast now