The Adventure Pending team was recently sent the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack for review. We had a two-month trip around Portugal and Spain coming up, so we decided to purchase another and take the pair on a tour. Here’s how they performed…
Cotopaxi is one of Adventure Pending’s favourite brands, so we were super excited to try their Allpa 35L backpack out for size. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Allpa, this travel pack is a sustainably built, rugged bag that’s perfect for long weekends away or minimalistic long-term backpacking.
The Allpa can be purchased in a total of six colourways, but we selected the brand’s Del Día option as it’s the most sustainable and offers an element of surprise. All of Cotopaxi’s Del Día packs are made using remnant fabric from other large production runs, keeping excess material out of the landfill. This also means that every pack has its own vibrant and unique design that’s chosen using the creative license of its maker.
We love the ethics behind the Del Día travel backpack, but it’s also really practical. The Cotopaxi Allpa is perfect for long weekends away but can be used for longer trips if you’d like to give the minimalist lifestyle a try.
We carried two Allpas on an eight-week tour around Portugal and Spain (we purchased the original Allpa so we could test and compare the two), so we’ve really tested the bags to their limits. They’ve accompanied us on several buses, planes, and trains, they’ve taken to the trails, and they’ve even been used as occasional office daypacks. Here’s our full review of the Cotopaxi 35L Allpa.
If you can see past the Del Día’s incredible colours for a second, you’ll notice that this is one sturdy pack that’s ready for all adventures. The Allpa is made of high-quality repurposed fabrics that are selected with durability in mind. Pair this with the bag’s extremely chunky YKK security zippers, and you’re off to a great start.
We really chucked our Allpas around in testing and have spotted no signs of wear or tear. We’re particular fans of the zippers, which have battled with way more overpacked luggage cubes than we originally intended. As with any travel bag, it’s good to know you have a little bit of leeway when it comes to packing.
The Allpa does not have a water bottle pocket, but it does have strong carabiner loops which can be used to attach a reusable bottle or two. We haven’t found this to be too much of an issue, but we always prefer to have designated, easy-to-reach bottle pockets on our packs.
With four reinforced grab handles, it’s really easy to manoeuvre the Allpa in any way you’d like. And if you’re met with rain, simply unwrap the pack’s included rain cover to protect your belongings as you move.
Travel pack harnesses have to tick several boxes over at Adventure Pending – they need to be strong, comfortable, supportive, and lightweight. Cotopaxi’s chunky Allpa harness meets most of our needs, but misses the mark in a few ways. Here’s our full breakdown of the pack’s straps and panelling.
Now we’re onto the real party piece – the inside of the Allpa. It’s clear this is where Cotopaxi focused most of its efforts, and it’s paid off in the form of an easy-to-pack and well-organised travel bag.
It goes without saying that the best travel bags have U-shaped zips or open like suitcases, which is the case with the Allpa. This clamshell opening makes it easy to see everything you’ve packed at once and means you’ll never be rustling around for your toothbrush at the end of a long day.
The right-hand side of the Allpa is home to the bag’s main compartment – a zippered mesh pocket. This is great for packing your clothing and shoes into – just use footwear covers to separate the two. The left-hand side of the pack is split into three – a half-sized mesh compartment and two smaller pockets for you to store your rain cover and other grab-and-go items.
For any additional belongings such as keys, pens, money, or even your passport, the Allpa has an extra top pocket on its front side. This includes a mesh organiser which adds that little bit of extra security to the pack. And if you travel with a laptop, you’ll find a separate storage panel underneath the backpanelling. We recommend packing this before adding clothes and other items to the inside pockets of the bag.
There are a couple of really good things to note about the Cotopaxi Allpa when it comes to sustainability and fair labour.
The original Cotopaxi Allpas are made from 1000D TPU-coated polyester and use 840D nylon in their panelling. Conversely, the Del Día Allpa uses high-quality repurposed nylon and polyester. We’d like to see both styles made with recycled material considering Cotopaxi’s environmental stance, but small steps lead to big changes.
It’s also important to note that all Allpa packs are produced in the Philippines by the brand’s principal pack maker. Cotopaxi has shared that this factory is committed to ‘fair labor and environmentally sound practices’, but you can learn more about this on their Made With (Re)Purpose page.
Over our years of backpack testing at Adventure Pending, we’ve found that ‘carry-on friendly’ bags are never really compatible with all airlines. It’s understandable really, as you can’t expect the baggage allowance on an Emirates A380 to be the same as that of a RyanAir Anything.
As long as you don’t overpack your Allpa, you should be able to squeeze it into the hand luggage requirements of most airlines. The only time we had to check ours was on a Turboprop plane between Madeira and Tenerife, which is to be expected.
The Cotopaxi Allpa 35 is a great choice for lots of adventures. Whether you’re heading on a minimalistic backpacking trip or you need a sturdy travel companion for a weekend away, it’s sure to meet your needs.
We love the pack’s simple organisation systems and its strong zips, as well as the option to tuck its harness away and carry the bag using one of four grab handles. If we were to change anything, it would be the weight of the pack and its lack of a water bottle pocket.
Have a question about this Cotopaxi backpack? We’ve answered a few of the most popular queries below.
This particular Allpa offers 35L of space, but Cotopaxi also builds 42L and 28L travel packs.
Cotopaxi has recently reduced the weight of the Allpa 35, but the pack still comes in at over 1.4 KG.
The Allpa Del Día is a more eco-friendly version of the original Allpa. This pack is made using repurposed excess fabric from other outdoor brands, which is why no Del Día has the same colourway.
There’s so many Cotopaxi travel bag options to choose from! If you have any questions about the Allpa 35L, or any pack in the Cotopaxi range, send us a message over on Instagram.
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