KotaUL Ultralight Travel & Adventure Backpack

So I’m 59 years old and I’m not a hiker but my wife and I have been “one bag” travelers for the past twenty five years. I had been using a famous travel guru's bag for all of that time. That bag was built like a tank and is showing no wear and tear after all of that time…but there were some downsides:
1. the bag was on the heavy side
2. that particular model had no back ventilation so it was very hot to carry
3. the bag was unstructured so everything sagged to the bottom and weight distribution was a real problem
4. when the 40L main compartment was full, the outer pockets became almost useless as it was hard to get anything that wasn’t basically flat inside of them

So when I started my search for a new travel bag, these were the items that my new bag would have to solve. I have to admit that I was shocked at the number of choices out there for travel backpacks when I began my search. I had no idea! I took my time and did my due diligence weighing all of the pros and cons of the different offerings out there and I narrowed my choices down to three…but only one bag ticked off every box on my checklist. That was Outdoor Vitals KotaUL Travel Backpack.

First of all, the bag is uber lightweight...check. Second, the bag came with good ventilation (as did the others)...check. Third, the aluminum frame kept the bag from sagging on me which my back appreciated...check. Lastly, as Outdoor Vitals say on their website, their pockets are all volumized…meaning stuffing one pocket to its capacity does not affect any other pocket from being used to its capacity. That’s a huge check in my book.

However, I think what really clicked for me and my anal retentiveness was the fact that you had the best of both worlds with this bag in that you have a very generous main compartment at 37L where you can organize things as you like while at the same time you had other pockets that were dedicated and designed to hold all of the smaller minutia that can get swallowed up and difficult to find. Phone, wallet, passports, keys, book, electronics etc. all had a place to be stored for easy access. All of the other bags that I was considering made compromises in these areas in some way or another.

I had a great experience with this bag in Israel and I’m looking forward to another great trip with this bag to Croatia very soon.

Well done Outdoor Vitals!

I’ve only had the bag 2 weeks but it’s hand down my new favorite. Everything as promised. I can’t wait to hit the trails.

Makes flying significantly easier, can load up the pack and still get proper support with the frame. Love the easy to hide hip belts. Just a great over all travel pack.

I’ve never been able to find the perfect carry on bag. My checked bag has wheels and then I end up carrying a rather heavy briefcase or shoulder bag all over the airport. And I haven’t been to many international airports that don’t make you carry your stuff a long distance through customs. It’s miserable.

I recently purchased this pack to make my travel life easier. I’m about to use it on an eight day trip to Panama. I did a trial packing job and was quite surprised to realize how much this pack can hold. And, on my shoulders, with the frame installed, I also am amazed at how light all that gear feels.

The material is light but obviously tough. You can fully organize or do a quick throw and go. There are pockets for everything and they seem extremely well thought out. This is unlike any other pack I’ve ever owned. Just something simple like having four handles in strategic locations is brilliant. In my opinion, everything Outdoor Vitals does has tremendous added hidden value. It’s easy to see that they test and retest the gear they design and they make sure it works.
The only negative I can offer about this pack is that the hip support strap is designed for slender people. I wish it was about 3 inches longer. To counter that, the way they designed it made it possible for me to use some inexpensive velcro straps to lengthen it a little. Not everybody who spends time outdoors is skinny or young. Making a few provisions for us would be greatly appreciated, even if it meant options which resulted in a charge over and above the regular price.

I haven’t backpacked with it yet, but took it for a trip to NYC and it was fantastic! Amazing organization, the nicest carry I’ve ever had for trips. My wife is so impressed she wants one for herself!