The Cotopaxi Nazca 24L Travel Pack That Transforms To Your Needs

Sometimes you’re just going on a short trip somewhere and you only need 5 days worth of clothing.  You don’t need a large 60L backpack but you do need is a bag that’ll be versatile, keeps your clothing and gear organized, and looks good.  

This is my review of the Cotopaxi Nazca 24L travel pack and why I’ve really enjoyed using it so far for short-trips.

Finding the right bag is hard

You can never have enough bags right?  The challenge I’ve always had is with the awkward 5 day or less trips.  You aren’t packing much but you’re bringing enough where a simple backpack is too small.

Tell me if you can relate.  It’s these trips where you could totally use your carry-on suitcase but it always feels a bit strange because you’re going camping, short work trips or weekend getaways.  The suitcase would totally work BUT it feels like overkill.

I’ve been in so many situations where I’m that guy that packed a hardcase suitcase while everyone else has showed up with a duffle.

So what’s wrong with the duffle?  Don’t get me wrong, you can fit a ton of stuff in there but the gripe I’ve always had with duffles is that they’re incredibly uncomfortable to carry on your shoulder as a messenger-type bag, and it’s hard to find things inside because you end up just throwing things inside.

Review of the Cotopaxi Nazca 45L

So what’s so great about the Nazca travel pack?

Knowing about Cotopaxi from the Del Dia I reviewed, I’ve had my eye on their products for awhile.  “Gear for good” is their motto and that’s always something I’ve appreciated.

Okay so onto the travel pack.  First of all, it’s called a travel pack because the Nazca has multiple personalities.  It can be transformable between being a backpack, messenger bag, or just something you want to hand carry.  This is probably the best feature of the bag because it gives you options.  If you’re going long distances, backpack will be more comfortable but if you want to sling it on your shoulder real quick as a messenger, just detach the shoulder straps and waist straps and tuck it in.

Everyone knows my obsession around rolling clothes and packing efficiently.  The thing with duffles is that in order to stay organized, you’ll need a good assortment of organizers and cubes and even then it’s just stuff thrown into a bag.  Where the Nazca strives is how it has organizers built into the bag.  When you open up the main zipper, the bag opens up like a book and you get two organizers on each side.  It may not look like a lot of space but once you roll your clothes, you can fit quite a bit.

Beyond clothes, there’s all the things you’ll need quick access to and that’s where the front and back zippered pockets come into play.  On the front, you can throw in all of your essentials like sunglasses, charging cables, power bank, chapstick etc.  On the back side, there’s a slot that’s big enough for a 13″ laptop.

HOW TO PACK THE NAZCA

Worried about security?  I thought one thing that showed Cotopaxi’s attention to detail are the simple zipper safeguards that dissuades thieves and their prying hands.

Oh and did I say that it looks good?  I think the key thing is that it doesn’t look like something built as luggage.  It’s just your everyday looking bag that could easily be your off-the-street Hershel bag.

Features

• Water-resistant 630D nylon/cotton canvas shell
• Suitcase-style zippered opening with internal mesh storage compartments
• Separate zippered, padded laptop sleeve (fits 15in laptop) for easy access
• Tuck-away backpack straps and removable shoulder sling strap
• Zippered, fleece-lined front pocket for sunglasses and electronics
• Fits the carry-on restrictions for any airplane

What could be improved

No product is perfect right?  If I were to point out areas of improvement, this would be my list:

• The padding on the shoulder and back is decent but would love to a bit more to increase comfort
• 24L is good for the minimalist traveller but I’d be interested in seeing a slightly larger 30L for those that don’t necessarily travel as light
• No water bottle holder or any sort of external quick-grab pockets which some are used to seeing in a backpack