I love backpacks. I have since I got my first (probably Jansport like everyone) backpack as a kid.
As I have gotten older, I have become obsessed with intentionally packing gear to be more productive, more prepared, and all while still not carrying a truck on my back.
Granted, a good portion of this comes down to the gear with which I fill the backpack. However, from experience, a good backpack is the solid foundation to which a strong every day carry is built.
In the past I have tried a lot of backpacks. And when I say a lot, I mean most likely significantly more than what you’re thinking.
My (seemingly) never-ending quest to find the best backpack slowed dramatically, nearly to a halt after my last round of backpack reviews, and even my work from anywhere review.
In fact, I was incredibly happy with my backpack rotation. I had one kitted and ready to go for a normal remote work day, one for when I’m just grabbing my iPad and a pair of headphones and headed to a coffee shop, and another for when I needed to pack some more gear in addition to my every day gear.
I was not looking for another backpack. Though I still love backpacks, I had reached a point of being so happy with my setup, I focused on other endeavors because I genuinely didn’t think I could find a bag that could be a better fit than anything I was currently using.
However, as these things tend to happen, especially to someone like myself who is entrenched in the gear and gadget world, I caught a glimpse of an updated version of my daily bag.
A lightweight, still with most features, in a gorgeous speckled gray, backpack. And man, is this thing gorgeous.
This is the Nomatic Navigator Lite 15L.
The Bag
The backpack itself is a 15L lightweight backpack made up of “Water Resistant and Durable 400D Nylon by 330 Poly Melange”… for those who have no clue what that means — it repels water, and is very lightweight, while staying durable.
It can fit up to most 16” laptops, has a generous internal storage compartment with organizational pockets. Most backpacks have organization, or claim to. This bag has the entire “wall” that is shared with the laptop sleeve on the other side covered in different sized pockets that are perfect for holding smaller gadgets and gizmos. I have an external SSD in one, USB-C adapter in another, portable power bank in another, and more in the other pockets depending on the day.
The top front of this bag includes a microfiber-like pocket. For me, this is literal perfection as I am incredibly OCD about my tech. I (gently) throw my headphones of choice (still the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro) in there with a microfiber for my glasses, and a MagSafe power bank from Anker.
Daily Use
For the past month, I have used this bag almost daily to go back and forth between wherever I may be working that day (or throughout the day). Recently, I have been running an iPad Pro only workflow, helping drop the weight of my carry even more. Additionally, I have chosen to start biking when I can. All of this together has resulted in a wonderful experience using this backpack. I love how functional this bag is for me, how it can carry everything I need for my day, all without looking like it is going to burst at the seams.
While I still resort to a larger bag if I need to carry a lot of gear, for my current setup, this is the best possible bag I could have asked for. And once again, I am content with my bag. Let’s see how long this one lasts — hopefully quite a while.
