Stop Trying to Make the Perfect Travel Backpack. Arc'teryx Already Did It.
I don’t know anybody who’s as picky as I am when it comes to luggage. I rarely pack light, yet I rarely want to bring a suitcase; in my ideal world, I’d have a backpack or a weekender with enough storage space to hold everything I’m bringing, that’s easily accessible to me while I’m traveling, ‘cause who has the time to unzip and entire suitcase on the floor of an airport to grab one phone charger? Not me.
Historically, my search for the perfect travel bag has not been very victorious; I’ve rotated through handfuls of backpacks, tote bags, and weekenders. The ones that are spacious are usually spacious just because they have one big main compartment that I can jam everything into, but if I need something while in transit, getting it out and re-packing the bag is a nightmare. The ones that have plentiful pockets and compartments are, in my experience, lacking volume capacity.
It wasn’t until it occurred to me to widen my search for travel accessories outside of the realm of travel brands that I found something that I finally loved. When I put myself in the shoes of, say, a hiker or camper, I turned to Arc’teryx, and the Mantis 26 Backpack is now the one thing I’ll never, ever travel without. Even if I forget my passport, at least I'll have this with me.
Turns out, what I was looking for in a travel backpack were design features that belong to technical backpacks, used for things like hiking and camping. Arc’teryx designed the Mantis 26 with technical specs designed to make your life easier, rather than with the bells and whistles that travel companies usually design their backpacks for, like sleek leather exteriors and slim silhouettes that don’t allow for things to be stuffed inside.
When I was first packing up this backpack, I was absolutely amazed by the capacity it has. Seriously—I’ve never used a backpack with so many different compartments to hold all of my things. This backpack has one main storage compartment that holds up to 26L, and it includes a padded back panel with frame sheet and aluminum stay so that, no matter what, the part touching your back always stays flat; no random sharp corners poking at you here. The main compartment also has a slip pocket for your laptop (I fit two laptops and an iPad in there with no problem), as well as a smaller zip pouch, which is where I keep my passport, wallet, keys, hand sanitizer, and headphones.
I’m really not exaggerating when I tell you my jaw actually dropped as I discovered all of the other pockets and compartments this backpack has, too. There are two stretchy, mesh water bottle pockets on the outside, with elastic bungees to secure them in place; usually, I find these pockets to be way too tight for my Owala on other backpacks, but surprisingly, it fits perfectly into my Mantis 26, without me having to wrangle it in. There’s a shallow top zip compartment that allows easy access to a few things—I put my TSA-sized toiletries in there, so I can take them out quickly as I go through security. On one side of the front is a medium-sized zip pocket, and on the other side is a larger zip pocket. Both of these are roomy enough for dopp kits, books, chargers, e-readers, or anything else you need to shove in there. In my initial trip with the Mantis 26, I packed my electronics, snacks, my toiletries, jewelry, a flat iron, a hair dryer, a water bottle, two notebooks, and a small purse, and still had room to spare. Plus, it’s still carry-on size for travel by train. How can any other backpack beat that?
You might be surprised to find out that, despite all the stuff I put in my Mantis 26, it wasn’t even that heavy. Sure, on a scale, it’s probably heavy, but the Mantis 26 performs like a beast; it’s designed for outdoor treks, so the weight is evenly dispersed so as to not drag you down.
In addition to two padded straps, this backpack has a sternum belt and a waist belt, both of which are adjustable and removable. It’s water-repellent, too, with a sturdy, durable, 100 percent recycled polyester construction that feels remarkably lightweight. Not only would other travel backpacks not be equipped to hold everything the Arc’teryx can—much less in organized pockets and compartments—, but if they did, they’d feel unwieldy and heavy.
It's ridiculously easy to store and find things in this backpack, even at a moment's notice. If you're someone who gets TSA anxiety and rushes to pull things out of your bag and quickly shove 'em back in, you can kiss that feeling goodbye; the Mantis 26 makes things absolutely seamless.
The only downside to this backpack is that there isn’t a trolley sleeve that makes it easy to secure to the handle of a suitcase, but that’s because this backpack isn’t intended for airport travel; it’s much sturdier than that. I’ve had no issues wearing it on my shoulders, but you can also just hold the top carry strap with the handle of your suitcase and roll them together with ease, if you prefer. Really, it doesn’t matter whether I’m traveling with other luggage or not, if I’m going on a longhaul flight or a short day-trip—I’ll never travel anywhere without this backpack again.
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