Minimalism Doesn’t Carry the Load.

5 backpacks that actually see time outdoors

You know the guy.

Opens a drawer, and everything’s lined up just right. Watches mostly. All synchronised. There’s a dress watch for the office, a sport one for the weekend, and a few he doesn’t really wear. Jesus, sorted by colour too.

I sort of get it. There’s something reassuring about having a collection of something.

I’ve got a less polished version.

Mine are in a loose pile by the door. Some half-packed, one has half an energy bar in a pocket. Most smell faintly and all have scars from an adventure. None of them match, but all serve more than one purpose.

I don’t think of them as a collection. The backpacks I’ve come to own are perhaps my possessions that get used the most, and that became extensions of me. I couldn’t tell you where the one is that I left home with to go travelling 12 years ago, but I could tell you what it looked like. I could also tell you what one I had at school - a typical black rucksack, Billabong. It wasn’t the one I really wanted though, so I used a Tipp-Ex pen to draw the “Element” logo on it. As the boys turned into working men, swapping their backpacks out for briefcases, I clung onto the practicality of the backpack.

Minimalism gets talked about like it fixes things. All you really need is one bag, jacket, cooker, sleeping bag etc. One setup that covers everything. Buy cheap, buy twice. Enough of this, I’ve tried it and it works until it doesn’t. And when it doesn’t you notice pretty quickly.

Save opinions about over consumerism and fast fashion for another article. What I am focusing on here is picking out the right tool for the job. Most days on the road aren’t that clean, and things change. Be it the A plan you had, or the complete opposite, you’re carrying too much of something. That’s where the one-bag idea starts to feel optimistic.

And if you’re like me, you don’t have the money to get this wrong.

So I don’t buy gear for the sake of it, and I sure as hell don’t replace my shit every year. Backpacks aren’t an accessory I throw on like a new watch strap. If something doesn’t have a job, it doesn’t stay. But I’ve also stopped pretending one thing can do everything well. I’d love to go flyfishing with an ultralight, waterproof, compressible, ripstop, wireframe do-it-all. But then I wouldn’t.

What I’ve ended up with is a small rotation. Five, maybe six backpacks that are all now time served. From climbing mountains on my skis, to catching a flight. My pile isn’t minimal, but it’s not excessive either.

And if “saving the planet” is part of the conversation, it probably starts there anyway. Things that last usually don’t need replacing.

I write more about the gear that actually works for life on the road, over at Advanture Magazine.

1. The One That Gets You There | KELTY REDWING TRAVELLER 40L

This isn’t the bag I reach for when things get serious, it’s more so the one I take when everything else around the trip matters. I realised I’d been missing something fairly simple. The kind of bag I left home with years ago. One you can cram full, throw on your back, and not think too much about. Something easy to travel with.

The Kelty Redwing Traveller is that bag for me. It looks fairly understated, which I like as I don’t want anyone taking guesses at what I’m carrying when I’m a tourist. Kelty has been around since 1952, quietly making gear that’s meant to be used, not fussed over. I’ve got the 40L pack. It’s not the one you plan trips around. It’s the one that comes along for everything else. Flights, trains, last-minute packing, and whatever the first few days turn into.

I flew to Scotland recently for a PR trip, driving around and sleeping in the back of cars. Space was tight, and I am glad I brought along a backpack that easily stowed away under a seat. The Redwing Traveller was carrying just enough clothing, a camera kit, notepad and pen, plus my wash kit. It wasn’t full by any means, but that wasn’t what I needed. The Kelty pack carried my essentials to Scotland, and just became a day bag once I was there. Food runs, short hikes, camera kit thrown in without much thought. That’s really where this pack works for me.

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2. The One That Lives With The Van | (TNF duffel)

I’ve had these strapped to roof racks, bike racks, shoved into footwells and left in the dirt. They tend to end up wherever there’s space. The North Face duffels in my pile are the bags I’ve now owned the longest.

I didn’t buy mine. I won two of these while I was living in a van travelling around Australia in 2014. I entered a TNF photo contest with this image of my girlfriend, and won first place. They’ve stuck around ever since.

They take a beating without much thought. I’ve thrown everything in them from dive gear to cooking kit to whatever didn’t fit anywhere else. The thick recycled polyester body material is bombproof - I’ve never worried if it might rip or tear while strapped to the outside of my camper van. It’s not hard to overpack these bags, and when you do, there are backpack straps to let you sling this thing on your back. They are built for road tripping.

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3. The One That Keeps It All Within Reach | Cotopaxi 60L Tote)

The Cotopaxi Tote works differently. It’s open, no lid, no structure. It reminds me of a bucket that you put the essentials for the day inside, without overpacking it. I tend to use it for days where there’s a lot of gear involved. An example I can think of is when I prepare for a day of ski touring. Boots go in, helmet dropped on top, and clothing layers stuffed around the edges. Nothing is hidden. You see it all, and stops you from forgetting stuff.

I’ve left skins behind before. Everyone has. But when they’re sat right there on top of everything else, it’s impossible to leave them behind.

Internal and external side pockets are for the smaller bits like sunscreen, a multi tool, and whatever else just ends up floating around. But the main gear sits there in the open, that’s the point.

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4. The One That Makes Everything Else Look Cheap | YETI SKALA 32L & 50L

I didn’t need this bag. That’s probably the point. Does it look like a bag I want to be wearing as I scramble around the mountains … yes!

The YETI Skala is a backpack you’re always slightly aware of. Clean design, solid build, the kind of thing you notice straight away when it’s leaning up against the van.

And yeah, it’s expensive.

I took a couple of them out ski touring with a friend. Skis strapped on, heading up through the trees in the sun. It was the usual start to a long day. They handled it just fine. No complaints there. But that’s not really why you end up with one. As with the rest of the YETI product range, these backpacks look fantastic. I’m wearing the 50L in the photo above, in the classic ridgeline white YETI is well-known for.

The tactile nature of the back does not disappoint. Big zip tags are easy to use with thick gloves on, and the taped zipper reaches right down the back of the bag to let you open it up to access all the contents. This is a very nice bag, did I say that already?

Does it perform? Yes, perfectly. Padded straps mean you can load the bigger pack up more. The 50L is an ideal size for a 1-2 night camping trip. And the smaller 32L version doesn’t skimp on the best bits such straps for your skis/split board and the lightweight frame. If I was to summarise the YETI Skala in one line, it’s simple - a sweet bag you notice every time you put it on.

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5. The One That Gets You To The Summit | Patagonia Ascensionist 40L

This is the one I stopped thinking about a long time ago.

No extra pockets. No clever features. Just a single compartment, a lid, and enough attachment points to carry what matters. Ice axes, rope, and carabiners. I was underwhelmed when I first got it, but it turned out to be the technical pack I ended up needing for the harder mountain days I now enjoy.

The Patagonia Ascensionist is properly light at under 900 grams. The kind of pack that disappears once it’s on your back. The durable ripstop material doesn’t look a day old, and the bright orange gives me confidence when I’m out in the mountains on my own.

There’s nothing here to admire. No details you keep coming back to because it’s not that kind of bag. I bought mine when I started getting serious in the mountains around 8 years ago, and today you can find the exact same one for under 150 bucks.

You pack it, you move, and you get on with it.

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6. The One That Carries Almost Nothing | Salomon 8L Running Vest

I nearly didn’t include this bag. Because it carries almost nothing. It’s technically a vest, not even really a bag. But it’s exactly the bag I need when it’s 35°C on the trail and the only goal is to keep moving.

I’ve used Salomon running vests for years now, across thousands of kilometres of trail running and long walks. They force simplicity in a good way. You carry only what you need for a few hours outside. There’s just enough space to carry some lunch, a water bladder and a couple of smaller hydration pouches if you have external pockets on the straps.

That’s it. My favourite trail tested, lightweight, functional bag that lets you carry food and water. When you move like this, you don’t need more than that.

My Take Away

Minimalism never carried anything. It just looks tidy from the outside.

The bag pile stays.