Bottom Line
The Topo Designs Global Travel Bag is a well-designed, durable backpack with extreme versatility, fit for weekend trips or extended excursions for the lightweight traveler. Its wide variety of pockets and storage options, along with its ability to be carried in three different configurations (backpack, duffel, or shoulder sling), make it one of our top picks for travel backpacks this year.
If you’re someone who prioritizes organization and storage options in their bag, the Global Travel Bag is an excellent choice. The full clamshell access allows the top to lie flat, with zippered pockets on both the inside and outside easily accessible. A roomy laptop sleeve is great for carrying electronics on the go, and 7 other zippered pockets allow you to keep small items secure and essentials close at hand.
At 30 liters, the Global Travel Bag is not as big as others in our lineup. While this is big enough to easily fit enough items for a weekend trip, it may lack the volume most need for any longer. The relatively thin main compartment can be challenging to pack as there is not much room in the body to expand with different-sized loads. For the traveller who maximizes their trips by carefully considering every item in their pack and loves highly organized storage, then the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag may be the perfect choice.
How We Tested
We used the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag over the course of two months for everything from daily commutes to weekend excursions out of town. We intentionally overloaded this pack to test its comfort under weight and to find the limit of how much it can carry.
Quick Specs
Topo Designs Global Travel Bag
Most Versatile Carry System
CleverHiker Rating: 4.4/5.0
Price: $200
Volume: 30 L
Weight: 3 lb. 11 oz.
Dimensions: 23 x 14 x 8 in.
Pros
- 3 carry systems
- Highly organized
- Durable
- Wide clamshell
Cons
- Not the most comfortable fully loaded
- Small bottle pockets
- Thin main compartment
Organization & Storage
For a pack with a smaller volume than others in our lineup, the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag surprised us with numerous organized storage options. The full clamshell design opens wide to reveal the brightly colored interior. We love this design choice as it makes packing easy, and the bright colors allow you to easily locate items within.
The underside of the lid has two zippered mesh pockets, perfect for separating clean and dirty clothes. The outside of the lid has two more larger zippered pockets that work as a laptop compartment or for stowing smaller essentials.
At 30 liters, this pack is right on the line between a weekender and week long pack. We were just barely able to fit everything we needed for a week, but the pack was at capacity with no room for anything else.
At 4 inches deep, the main compartment is much smaller than others in our lineup, and can be challenging to pack when full. The perfect size for weekend or daily use, the Global Travel Bag provides excellent storage and organization options.
Features
The Topo Designs Global Travel Bag stands above the competition for its ability to be used in three carry modes: backpack, duffel, and shoulder bag. Simply clip the included shoulder strap to the D-rings on the side of the pack for shoulder mode. To convert the backpack to a duffel, unclip the bottom of the shoulder straps and zip them into the back panel, and unclip the waist belt for checking as luggage. While a little cumbersome to convert to duffel mode, it is sleek and perfect for stowing in tight spaces.
Including the laptop compartment, the Global Travel Bag has 8 zippered pockets, perfect for keeping all your items separated and organized. While the pack comes equipped with two water bottle pockets, we found them too narrow for a 1-liter Nalgene bottle. Additionally, they are relatively small, which allows tall, narrow bottles to fall out easily when bending over. Despite this small drawback, the Global Travel Bag has plenty of features, sure to please anyone after a highly customizable bag.
Comfort & Fit
We found the Global Travel Bag to be slightly lacking when it came to carrying heavier loads. When packed for a week-long trip, the narrow, relatively thin straps pressed uncomfortably against our shoulders. The waist belt is a simple piece of webbing and does not significantly distribute the load to the hips.
The back panel lacks the structure found in other bags. So it can buckle and bend uncomfortably when fully loaded. For that reason, the Global Travel Bag allows enough comfort for carrying items for a weekend, but it is not our first pick for carrying bulky or heavy items.
Durability & Protection
The Topo Designs Global Travel Bag is built with good durability thanks to its strong construction and reinforced design. The outer fabric is thick and abrasion-resistant, holding up well against rough handling in overhead bins, car trunks, and scraping on concrete.
Heavy-duty YKK zippers and reinforced stitching at stress points add durability, even when the bag is fully loaded. While it isn’t fully waterproof, the materials provide good enough resistance to light rain and spills, keeping your gear protected in most travel conditions.
Should You Buy the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag?
If you’re the type of traveller who wants to add a highly organized pack to help you keep everything sorted, the Global Travel Bag is an excellent choice. It’s 8 different zippered pockets and main body storage provide excellent compartmentalization, sure to keep you organized. Its three different carry systems give it great versatility to adjust to what the road requires.
At thirty liters, it’s just barely big enough for a week-long trip, but its not very supportive shoulder strap and waist belt make it better suited for weekend trips or becoming part of a multi-bag luggage system. Reasonably priced, the Global Travel bag has excellent features and organization, giving it excellent value for the one-bag traveller.
What Other Travel Backpacks Should You Consider?
Check out our full travel backpack gear guide to learn more about our favorite travel backpacks.
Cotopaxi Allpa 35 Review: Also built with excellent storage options, the Cotopaxi Allpa tops our list as the best travel pack on the market.
REI Ruckpack 40 Review: If you’re looking for a more trail-ready pack, the REI Ruckpack 40 has an excellent carry system for carrying loads for longer distances.
Nomatic 30L Review: With its myriad of pockets, the Nomatic 30L is also a standout option if organization and features are your top considerations.
