The Best Backpack. Period.

I’ve been using the same backpack that I’ve hated for just as long for exactly a decade. I know so, because I remember exactly the roommate I bought it from. It’s a K2 ski backpack, and that may be the only thing it’s good for. The problems with it are too many to name, but I can try to start a list. First of all, it’s very slim in general, which may be favorable for staying tight to your body when you’re skiing but it’s goddamn worthless when it comes to packing a day’s worth of work and play gear for the gym into it. Second, I’ve pretty much always got my laptop with me so into the bag my MacBook Pro goes. Oh, what’s that? That’s the sound of the edge of the MacBook slamming into the ground because there’s no protection on the bottom of the backpack. I think the only redeeming feature of the backpack was the padded sunglass pouch in the top. That was always useful.

Nonetheless, I trudged forward with this backpack for ten years. I never replaced it because I was never impressed with any other options. They were either too bulky, had too many “options”, had too few “options” or looked like something Urkel would two-strap. When I got my awesome LiveWell 360 Luxx bag that I stole from Jen it fulfilled most of my daily need for a backpack. Still, whenever I’d ride my motorcycle in to the gym I’d have to switch to the damn backpack for the day.

When my friends at HYLETE announced a the new HYLETE convertible backpack I was intrigued but cautiously optimistic. Like I said, I’ve looked at a lot of backpacks over the years and never pulled the trigger because I was never convinced they’d be any better than the junk I already had. The fact that it was “convertible” made me even more skeptical. Let’s be honest, sometimes when things try to be too many things at once they end up being nothing. But, because I had been so stoked on the previous products from HYLETE (like the shorts, which are still the best gym shorts on the market) I was willing to give it a shot and I pulled the trigger immediately when the bag launched.

Holy hell am I glad I did.

Within about a week, I went on a little writing trip to a cabin in Northern Minnesota. I didn’t need a ton of stuff, but still a week’s worth of clothes and accouterments. I also knew that we’d be spending at least one day hiking, so I needed to bring a backpack as well. What a perfect opportunity to test out the new HYLETE convertible backpack.

I was skeptical of the whole “convertible” aspect, but it was quick and easy to do it. It’s definitely not something you’re going to want to do on a daily basis, but having the feature available to turn it into a weekend bag, or if you really haul a lot of crap to the gym is really priceless.

Once converted, it easily swallowed up everything I needed for the week. I actually could have even stuffed everything into it without converting it, since the main load area also expands out like an expanding suitcase. Suffice to say you can fit a LOT of stuff in this backpack.

One of the side pouches is actually insulated which came in clutch when we took a hike on a hot day, and it kept our water bottles cold.

Inside, it has everything you’d expect like the much needed laptop sleeve that protects my portal to the rest of the world AKA my MacBook.

I took this backpack on our honeymoon, since I knew I could use it as a backpack while on the trip and then convert it into a duffel and stuff it full of gifts and things we acquired on the way home. I had a little problem with one of the straps on the trip, and HYLETE already told me they were going to send me a brand new one (with an improved strap design – talk about good service) as soon as I got home. I took this as an opportunity to see how it would handle being overfilled and then checked in as luggage. I jammed about 40lbs of clothing and gifts into it until it looked like a stuffed sausage:

The bag survived two flights, including a trans-Atlantic international flight completely unscathed AND protected the valuable bottles of delicious limoncello and olive oil I packed away in it. This thing is a tank.

I really can’t say enough good things about the HYLETE backpack, and I’m confident that you will dig it if you pick one up.

Plussssss, if you use the discount code MOVEMENT25 when you check out (please note you do have to create an account on their web site for the code to work), you will get an additional 25% off your first order. As noted in my disclaimer, I’ll get a kickback if you buy it, but why shouldn’t I? I only recommend awesome stuff, and there’s no amount of money for which I’d recommend something that sucked.

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