The "Don't Forget How to Pack" Hack
Written by Adam Concannon.
It's that time of year again, and the busiest travel days are ahead of us. So let's run through a crash course in packing.
Step 1: Pick the right pack for the trip.
It's no different than choosing the right car to drive in snowy conditions, picking the right pack to travel with is key. When traveling, too much bag is just that, too much bag. There's enough variables to holiday travel that you don't need to be wrestling your bag in the middle of it.
Our recommendations:
Global Travel Bag 30L for long weekends. The perfect carry-on bag.
Global Travel Bag Roller (44L) for 1-2+ week trips, it fits in the overhead but is more than durable enough to check.
Mountain Duffel 70L for the journeys that you need to be ready for anything. Fill it up and send it off to your final destination.
Step 2: Have a system.
Prior to working at Topo, I dreaded packing. I never knew how things would fit, and if I had to pull something out at the airport it was a total yard sale. The PackFast™ System and Pack Bags are now my guiding light. Most of my trips are around two weeks, so the Global Travel Bag Roller has been the hub of my system, although I did recently upgrade to the Apex Travel Bag Roller. Apex has the same system with just a touch more incidental protection.
Working in layers, the base of my bag is pants and shoes. At Topo we believe the roll is crucial, so roll those pants up and stick your shoes next to them. Toss a Pack Cube on top of that with t-shirts and wovens in it. Regardless of the season, it's a good idea to bring a rain layer and something cozy. The Global Jacket and Global Puffer Hoodie are my defaults. Both have PackFast™ Systems, which means they are self-containing. The Global Jacket takes a few rolls with the zipper side up and you can utilize the PackFast™ Loop on the back to keep the jacket in a tight roll. The Global Puffer can be stuffed into its left pocket, making both jackets fit perfectly into the bag. Add enough socks and underwear to last you a year and you're ready for that two week trip to anywhere.
Step 3: Pair your bags.
We are huge proponents of one-bag-travel at Topo. But, we are a bag company and there are just some bags we can't leave home without...
The Global Travel Bag 30L has three ways to carry it: crossbody, backpack and a pass-through sleeve for roller bags. Personally I think this bag is optimized as a backpack and pairs well with a crossbody bag that fits under your seat. The Mountain Utility Tote is a great partner if you like having more of a dump bag while on a flight or go full streamline with the Mountain Cross Bag.
The Global Travel Bag Roller and Global Briefcase are the definition of having your travel kit dialed. It feels like traveling with a Transformer, with the seemingly endless ways you can configure this kit. The other option is matching two classics and pairing your Roller Bag with a Rover Pack Classic.
The Rover Pack's PackFast™ Loops allow you to attach it to the front of the Roller Bag. Inspired by how pilots carry their luggage, this is an airport travel pro move.
Holiday travel, and travel in general, usually comes with its own ups and downs (planes am I right?) but your bags should be the one thing you can count on. Be safe out there and don't forget the "how to pack hack."
