The Cotopaxi Allpa 35 is a 35 litre pack designed to be used as cabin baggage. Since it arrived with me I’ve been trapped on the ground, but having finally got airborne I can now review it as it’s intended to be used.
Brand: Cotopaxi
Product: Allpa 35 back pack
From: cotopaxi.com
Price: £200
Tested: by Hannah for two flights/four planes/one return trip!
Three things I’d change
- I’m not convinced by the web strap zip security – I think they’re more of a faff than a help.
- An elasticated water bottle pocket on the outside would be really handy.
- It’s about £50 more than similar sized ethical luggage, though it does have a lot of features.
Three things I loved
- Think about how you pack and you can fit a lot in without unpacking at every security check.
- It’s pretty comfortable to carry – the backpack straps aren’t an afterthought.
- Clamshell suitcase convenience in a carry on sized pack.
My test sample is made in the distinctive Cotopaxi multicoloured ‘Del Dia’ style, from remnants and offcuts of fabric. Each piece is then chosen to fit the pattern by the person sewing the bag, reducing waste and creating a unique mix of colours. There are single colour options available if you prefer, and at time of writing this Del Dia option isn’t listed on the UK site – though it is available in the USA.
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Originally the Del Dia options were pot luck – you got whatever colour mix they happened to send you, but now you get to choose from a gallery of specific options. The single colour packs include a TPU coating on the outer panel – the green one on my pack – for added durability and waterproofing, which you don’t get on the Del Dia version. There are also smaller 28 litre and large 42 litre options. At £200 the Allpa 35 is not cheap, but it is well made and made ethically; Cotopaxi is B-corp and Climate Neutral certified.
The Cotopaxi Allpa 35 can be carried by handles on the sides and top (there’s even a handle on the bottom), or with the rucksack straps – which includes a chest strap – on the back. There is also a padded waist strap, which Velcros in place. I removed this for my trip as I didn’t anticipate carrying the bag far, and was trying to reduce the overall bulk of the bag. I could also have stowed the straps inside the back cover, the shoulder straps unclip so you can insert them inside the padded back of the pack. Unlike some suitcases with backpack straps, the backpack design is comfortable and padded, rather than being a thin and uncomfortable optional addition.
Starting at the back, there is a lightly padded zipped section for carrying a laptop. There’s an extra sleeve fitted inside this section, but it isn’t big enough for my laptop, although my laptop sat comfortably enough within the main zipped section. On the other side of the back is a full length zip that accesses the back of the main luggage section. Handy if you want to get access without laying the pack down, though it does tend to lead to a lot of rummaging around – unless you’ve put the thing you need at the back of the pack.
Next from the back is a zip which opens almost all the way round, allowing you to open up the bag like a book – or clamshell as this luggage style is known. On the right hand side, with the separate laptop section at the back of it, there is a zippered net fronted section the size of the whole bag. Within there is a small zippered pouch suitable for keeping small items secure – useful perhaps for tucking away some travel money or documents when you don’t need ready access to them. The rest of this zippered section is deep enough to fit shoes or a decent number of clothes.
On the left hand side of the ‘book’ you’ll find two smaller zipped pouches at the top, one of which contains the rain cover for the pack. Below this is a fairly square section into which you can fit plenty more clothes. My size 7 shoes just fit in there – if you have much bigger feet you’d probably need to put shoes on the other side.
These two internal halves fit plenty of items into them, but the book nature of the pack and their net covered halves means that you really need to open the pack out properly to access the items in here. If the halves aren’t excessively stuffed you can slip small items like a hat and gloves in between the halves, but put too much in here and the bag is difficult to close and spills out the contents when you do open it up.
Closing the ‘book’ and turning to the front of the pack, there’s a top zipper which opens up on a pocket about 1/3 of the length of the pack. Inside here is another zippered net section with two small pouches. I used this area mostly for document folders and other items I know I’ll need during a trip, plus the clear security bag for liquids.
If you pack carefully, thinking about what you’ll need access to on your journey, and what can wait until you arrive, the Cotopaxi Allpa 35 is very effective and you can get a lot in it. I found it much easier to use than a classic cabin sized suitcase, thanks to being able to tightly pack in everything I didn’t need on the journey into the two halves of the ‘book’, and using the front 1/3 pocket for the things I would need to take out to use or to get through security. If you’re carrying the pack through a town or on a train you might want to think twice about using this pocket for your valuables since it’s fairly exposed and accessible, but for the purpose of an airport – where you’re generally not hemmed in or letting your luggage out of your sight – I found this pocket ok.
While I didn’t experience any trouble getting through the airlines I used, I suspect that if you packed the bag to maximum capacity – or in an irregular and lumpy shape – you would struggle to get it into one of the more stingy budget airline cabin bag allowance checking cages you get at the airport. Officially it’s 51 x 30 x 20cm in dimensions, but that really does vary depending on how you pack it, since there is no rigid frame anywhere in it.
I didn’t have cause to test the rain cover, but it does fit easily over the pack giving good coverage. Velcro and elastic loops are there to hold it in place, but unlike some covers it seems to me that it’s voluminous enough not to have a tendency to ping off the pack.
Where the bag falls down is as a day sack. It works best when packed quite full but neatly, otherwise things seem to sink to the bottom of the back and create a rather large, baggy and boxy backpack. There are no compression straps or drawstrings to compress the pack if you’re not using its full capacity. The book like opening works less well when out and about – although there is the rear side zip, you can’t really reach inside it to pull out a jacket through the top like you can a standard backpack, so if you’re walking along or queuing rather than somewhere with a surface to open the bag out onto, it’s a bit awkward.
The zips take a bit of getting used to as well. They’ve got decent sized pull tabs on them, which tuck in behind cross pieces of webbing which go across the zip track. This provides a bit of casual security and stops the zips catching and opening, but also makes for some fiddly access, especially in gloves. You also have to be sure to tuck the pull tabs in or you’re leaving the bag less than fully zipped up.
There are lots of webbing loops on the pack, so if you really wanted to load yourself up with dangling mugs, water bottles and so on, there is room to load up the outside of the pack. However, as there’s no stiffening or structure to the body of the back, I think it would get a bit unwieldy if you added too much – it’s no Duke of Edinburgh hiking pack. For flying out to a week’s riding trip with hand luggage only however, you could clip your helmet on the outside of the pack and fit all your other belongings inside.
Cotopaxi Allpa 35: Overall
There are so many different sections and zips on the Cotopaxi Allpa 35 that you really need to figure out a system of where you’re putting things, and then stick to it. Once you’ve figured that out, you’ll find that you can carry an awful lot of gear in this backpack. The nature of the two halves mean you lose some of the depth you might get in a suitcase – for example a bike helmet won’t easily fit – and the soft case doesn’t offer protection against squashing in transit. However, if you’re just trying to fit in as many clothes and shoes as you can to avoid hold baggage fees, I think you’ll fit a lot in here – easily enough for a week away if you’re a careful packer that doesn’t need a new outfit every day. If you don’t need the protection of a hard case, it’s a great light weight solution – and if I’m going to have to run between flight connections I’d always rather do it with a pack on my back than trailing a little wheely suitcase.
