Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Review

The Cotopaxi Allpa is the golden standard for travel backpack internal organization. The numerous internal mesh pockets mean there is a spot for everything. In addition to this, the backpack is quite comfortable, has multiple carry options, and can stow and protect lots of gear.

Performance Comparison

Storage & Protection

The Cotopaxi is more than up to the challenge of storing clothes and other travel gear for your next trip. Our testers used this bag for a four-day trip to the cold and rainy Pacific Northwest, as well as a base-camp bag for travel and car camping through California. They packed plenty of sweaters, shoes, and gear and still had room to spare. Speaking of rain, the exterior shell is not advertised as waterproof, but we found that it keeps your gear decently protected from the elements. Water beads up on the fabric, but we did notice some seepage around the zippers in our rain test. The latest model of the Allpa favors lightweight material and forgoes a rain fly, but still does a decent job.

Given the size and dimensions of the Cotopaxi backpack, we were impressed with the amount of gear we were able to stow inside. The bag is available in four different size options: 20-liter, 28-liter, 35-liter, and 42-liter. We tested the 35-liter and think it is more than adequate for several days' worth of bulky gear. We found it difficult to overload the Cotopaxi, which can be both a blessing and a curse. The individual pockets are helpful for organizing your clothing but are challenging to “stuff pack”, so if cramming in clothes randomly is your style, the integrated storage cube style may limit how much you can fit in the bag. If you are a systematic packer and seek organization within your suitcase, the Cotopaxi works wonders.

During our hands-on high-pressure hose test, we blasted the Allpa from every angle to check for protection from the elements. Water beads right off of the Cotopaxi's exterior shell. The material is TPU-coated 840-denier polyester and 840-denier ballistic nylon paneling. We did notice that water invaded the main compartment via the zipper, but thankfully, the laptop pouch stayed completely dry.

The laptop compartment of the Cotopaxi is well padded and offers two felt-lined pouches to protect your electronics. However, we find the zipper awkward to use when the bag is full because it stops just short of the full width of the bag. But more importantly, it kept our electronics safe from any damage during travel. Clever anti-theft or outright zippers are present on all of the external pockets, except the smallest accessories pocket on the top. There is also an anti-theft zipper feature on the quick access pouch, but appropriately, it is slightly quicker to undo.

Ease of Use

When you are enjoying your dream vacation, time spent fiddling with luggage in the hotel and hunting for your favorite shirt is time wasted. How easy and intuitive a backpack is to use directly impacts our travel experience, and we were very pleased with Cotopaxi's user-friendly design.

Aside from the laptop pocket, there are two external pockets on the Allpa. The larger is ideal for storing headphones, your wallet, or some snacks during travel. However, anything larger will need to go into the main compartment. When we tested previous versions of the Allpa, we found ourselves wishing for more storage and organization features on the outside, and with this recent iteration, our wishes were granted. There's a second small stash pocket on the outside that can fit your keys, phone, or sunglasses, but perhaps not all three. There's also a water bottle pocket on the side.

The Cotopaxi shines in its ability to act as a traveling wardrobe. This is especially useful for those who like to destination-hop and make frequent trips in and out of hotels with bags in tow. Being able to live out of your bag with all contents remaining in your bag until you need them makes doing so a much more expedient process when compared with having everything strewn across your accommodation. Not to mention, you are much less likely to leave items behind if they stay packed! The Cotopaxi unzips on three sides to lay completely flat — just like a suitcase — exposing three different-sized mesh pockets. The full-size pocket is ideal for large clothes, pants, and shirts. The half-size pockets fit a variety of mid-size items like shoes or toiletries and help organize easy-to-lose items like socks or gloves.

Comfort & Fit

Travel backpacks are meant to be carried, and as such, the comfort of a bag can be a make-or-break factor for some. This is especially true if you plan to cover significant distances on foot, say from a bus station to a hostel in a remote area of Patagonia, or if you simply like to pack a lot of clothes. We were comfortable carrying the Cotopaxi, and like that, the waist strap is removable and can be used at your discretion. The padded back panel was nothing special, but overall, we felt the bag carried its weight well.

We traveled with this bag over the holidays, wearing it the entire time we were at the airport. We also put the Cotopaxi through the paces in our home test lab. We loaded it up with over 15 pounds and compared the support it provided relative to other bags in our lineup. Ultimately, the Cotopaxi passed our tests. Though the back panel is comfortable, it is not the most structured and supportive that we tried on. Many bags feature stowable waist straps, but the Cotopaxi's are fully removable. This is a great feature as we found the belt unnecessary on our travels and preferred not to use it, but we like having the option if we ever needed more support. The shoulder straps are ergonomic and comfortable, though not the most padded.

Versatility

The Cotopaxi is available in three different sizes and Cotopaxi's signature bold colorways. Given the layout of the pockets and the size, this bag is definitely fine-tuned for travel, and it isn't well suited as a day pack or hiking bag. However, it is great for any type of jet setting, whether business or pleasure, provided you like bright color options.

The functional aspects of the Cotopaxi are just as suited to a business trip as they are to a beach trip. The mesh internal pockets are reminiscent of a suit organizer in traditional suitcases and can help keep clothes folded neatly. But if your destination is more tropical, the pockets work just as well for bikinis and flip-flops, and the fun color schemes will feel right at home among palm trees and Hawaiian print shirts. However, the eye-popping colors may be a deterrent if you need your luggage to match your business attire while traveling.

Should You Buy the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L?

The Cotopaxi Allpa travel backpack is one of the most organization-friendly bags we tested. The compartmentalized interior is ideal for those people who need a place for everything, and we loved that the mesh pockets still let you see the contents of each pocket with ease. When you consider that this is a bag specifically designed for life on the road and living out of for short periods, it is easy to see why it excels as a staple piece in our carry on luggage arsenal. If that sounds like what you're searching for in your next bag, we recommend the Cotopaxi Allpa wholeheartedly.

What Other Travel Backpacks Should You Consider?

Are you not a fan of folding clothes before packing and prefer to root around to find what you need instead of remembering which pocket you placed it in? We recommend you check out the Osprey Sojourn Porter 46L. This beefy travel backpack has a large main compartment and sturdy sidewalls that let you pile in an absurd amount of clothing and gear before cinching it all down with dual clamshell compression straps. It's also one of the most rugged and comfortable backpacks in our lineup. If you are looking for a slightly smaller bag than the Cotopaxi, The North Face Base Camp Voyager backpack may be a good option. This bag features one removable divider to help organize your gear and one large mesh pocket on the flap to help store smaller items. Externally, the Voyager has some of the nicest quick-access pockets we've seen, including two soft-sided tablet pockets, a dedicated laptop sleeve, and numerous small pouches for your travel essentials.