Sometimes, you need to carry more stuff than your favorite waterproof backpack can handle. When that happens, the move is usually ditch the compact rucksack and take a bigger backpack. If you don’t have that, you can also compress your stuff inside either using straps or a packing cube like people do with luggage. The Airback Travel Deluxe eliminates this need by integrating a built-in compression sack in the main compartment.
That’s right, this travel backpack has a main compartment with an integrated vacuum compression system, allowing you to take all air out of the main storage area to maximize space. No need to use packing cubes, compression straps, or vacuum compression bags to tidy everything into a tight pile – just put your stuff in the main compartment and activate the compression system to push everything down in a compact bundle.
The Airback Travel Deluxe’s compression sack comes with a built-in valve that you can use to siphon all air out of the space, essentially compressing everything inside without a single inch of wasted room. According to the outfit, this allows it to fit 50 percent more stuff than similarly-sized backpacks, allowing you to pack a whole lot more than would normally be possible. How do you suction the air out? It comes with a bundled pocket-sized pump that you can stick on the valve to remove all air with the press of a button.
Aside from the compressible main compartment, there are two odor-free zippered pockets inside for items you’d rather not keep inside the compression sack (like dirty clothes or smelly shoes). There’s also a dedicated laptop compartment in the back, complete with an integrated TSA-approved lock, so you can keep your expensive electronics away from would-be thieves. Other storage compartments include a front top pocket large enough to keep travel headphones, a hidden zippered pocket on the back, and a side pockets sized for water bottles.
The Airback Travel Deluxe has a standard volume capacity of 22L, although it does have an expandable design that lets you increase the depth by opening a few zippers and loosening a few straps, which gives it a roomier 45L capacity. Combined with the compression system in the main storage, the outfit claims it can fit an actual 60L of gear inside, which is a crazy amount of gear to fit inside a back that doesn’t look all that big. Of course, fitting 60L of gear in a travel backpack means you might end up going over the 40-pound weight limits many airlines impose on carry-on luggage. To make things easy, it comes with a grab handle on the side with an integrated digital weighing scale, so you can just grab that and check whether you’re still within limits.
Around the back, it has 3D padding to keep things comfortable when you’re on the move, along with adjustable padded straps. There’s also built-in USB ports that you can hook it up to a power bank inside the bag, in case you want to charge your phone without taking the power bank out. Aside from the travel backpack, they also have a smaller Airback Urban, which, unfortunately, doesn’t come bundled with an air pump (or, in this case, air suction).
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Airback Travel Deluxe. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at €199.