November 1, 2021 | Paul Rogers

The Adventurer backpack that is worth using on Instagram has been tested by GearJunkie. Spoiler alert: This is a good one.

Adventurist Backpack Co. in Denver started in 2017 as a passion project of married couple Matilda Sandström and Kelly Belknap.

Avid global travelers, they want to create high-quality outdoor products, but also want to solve the shocking poverty problem they have witnessed, not only in all parts of the world, but also here in the United States. Therefore, for every adventurer backpack sold, the company donates 25 meals to Feeding America, a hunger relief non-profit organization.

Browsing the Adventureist website is definitely a feel-good experience, filled with beautiful photos of millennials wearing the brand’s unique minimalist backpack in an often stunning environment, as well as the company’s touching story and mission statement.

But does the Adventureist backpack really make you feel good?

To find out, I tested two of their models, the Adventurer Classic and the larger Weekender, on and off the trail west of the San Gabriel Mountains. I have found some simple but well-thought-out products during these days of hiking, which seem to be durable, bulky and versatile.

Classic is the original product of Adventure Backpack Co.. This unobtrusive bag measures 10.5 x 15.5 x 6 inches, has a capacity of 16 liters, and weighs only one pound.

Like all Adventureist backpacks, its functional design is influenced by the Swedish style of Sandström's hometown. And all adventurers are born to be unisex. The seven available classic colors provide something for everyone.

For Classic, I chose a 5-mile cross-country hike, along the narrow rocky creek bed. Only accessible during a wildfire in 2016, this hidden canyon requires a lot of climbing on boulders and waterfalls. And it's already half overgrown with weeds.

I think the compact Classic is very suitable for climbing rocks, avoiding branches, and crouching to explore abandoned mineshafts that grow on the walls of ravines.

The Classic side pockets are too small for the 20-ounce wide-mouth water bottle I usually use, and are clearly designed for the standard 16.9-ounce PET container. The fit is very suitable for these and will not fall off even at extreme angles.

I also brought a warm hoodie, beanie, woolen leggings, minimal first aid kit, a Tupperware sandwich container, small binoculars, flashlight, travel sunscreen and insect spray.

The main compartment of the Classic comfortably swallowed most of the items I carried. The flashlight, sunscreen and insect spray fit perfectly with the zippered pocket on the front of the backpack. This also applies to wallets, keys and mobile phones. The inner padded sleeves can hold up to 15-inch laptops.

With padded front and rear, I hardly knew I was wearing Classic, even though the boat only weighs 6 pounds.

I found the $65 Classic to be a pleasure, and the whole process turned into a very sweltering noon hike. It is easy to slip off the back when needed. It turns out that it is equally comfortable when carried on one shoulder. When I need to be completely unimpeded, its top handle is small enough to throw away the waterfall (this also proves its Waterproof!).

Weekender is the largest Adventurer backpack, measuring 13 x 17 x 6.5 inches and weighing 1.25 pounds. With its 23.5 liter capacity, I can carry everything I put in Classic twice. In addition, its side pockets fit a pair of wide-mouth water bottles that I use very closely. Weekender is only available in black or pine green.

Like Classic, the $85 Weekender has breathable (if slightly wider) padded shoulder straps, which can spread my small load well even through the thinnest T-shirt (total 7.4 pounds). I unwisely packaged it with the same content as in Classic, so even with Weekender's filler, Tupperware sometimes moved to uncomfortable places.

In addition to the main compartment, Weekender also has a separate zippered pocket that can hold laptops under 17 inches, an internal zippered phone/wallet pocket, and an open pocket that is perfect for placing maps (assuming I’m not the only one still People who are using them))!

To test this sturdier backpack, I chose a 10-mile afternoon hike on the Pacific Ridge Trail as it winds through the Indian Canyon above Acton, California. But Weekender can easily provide enough equipment and food for the adventure from dawn to dusk, and can even live up to its name within a few days.

Even in 70-degree weather, during the first 5 miles of my PCT hike uphill, the sweat on Weekender's back was less than my usual backpack. And, just like Classic, it will slip off easily whenever needed. The synthetic leather top handle proved to be a boon once again.

Not having a chest strap is a bit disturbing at first, just because of habit, but it is only advisable when such a relatively small bag is absolutely packed with unusually dense items.

Although I only tested the Adventurist backpacks for a week, I think these backpacks are life-long, thanks to their unpretentious versatility and lifetime warranty.

I found that these two Adventureist backpacks are made of waterproof 1000D polyester by two family-owned factories in China, which are strong and well stitched.

They kept their shape very well, even though they were empty, when I ambitiously stuffed things into the Classic's front pocket, the YKK zippers showed no signs of malfunction. The synthetic leather shoulder strap on the classic model (all Adventurist bags are 100% vegan) is secured in place with magnetic snaps to easily keep things tidy.

To be fair, these are not aimed at hard-core hikers, and many photos on the company's website show the urban environment. But my experience has found that Classic and Weekender are excellent daily backpacks, which abandon all the cumbersome military-style shoulder straps and pockets that are common but may not matter for many products of similar prices. It is this stylish and simple style that makes the Adventureist backpack suitable for a variety of scenarios.

After a quick wipe, I used the Adventurer Classic as my overnight bag when celebrating our wedding anniversary.

A change of clothes, a wash bag, and a bottle of wine are not very stylish in a four-star hotel. You can even show up on professional dates with an adventurer bag, at least in black, without frowning.

Adventurist Backpacks are designed by a couple in their 20s and are geared towards equally young travelers, students, hikers, and even urban explorers. Of course, my 23-year-old twin daughters quarreled for Classic and Weekender as soon as they arrived.

Compared to many fancy hunting and military backpacks on the market, the Adventureist backpack seems a bit expensive for this seemingly basic bag. However, over time, considering lifetime maintenance or replacement guarantees, they are likely to prove to be a better choice for recreational hikers.

Adventurist backpacks are mainly sold through the company's website, with free shipping and 30-day returns within the United States. If you buy an Adventurer backpack for your next trip, they will even extend the return period until the end of your trip.

And don’t forget that although the 25 donated meals sold each time may sound trivial, to date, Adventure Backpack Co. has donated more than 177,000 meals across the United States.

View the Classic prices of Adventure Backpacks View the weekend prices of Adventure Backpacks

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