This Carry-On Pack Elegantly Solves My Biggest Beef with Minimalist Travel

Cotopaxi’s new Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack might be the ultimate adventure backpack for a specific subset of travelers.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack shown against an abstract illustrated map background.

By Ben Bowers

Published May 5, 2025

·

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

We’ve vetted many excellent travel backpacks over the years, but I’ve never seen an option quite like Cotopaxi’s new Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack.

Its standout feature is a removable top compartment, which transforms into an 8L sling bag that can keep seat essentials close at hand while flying or serve as a daypack at your destination.

Combined with a bevy of other smart design decisions, at least on paper, this might be the one carry-on backpack to rule them all for a specific subset of travelers who love packing light and staying on the move.

Carry-On + Everyday Carry

The Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack shown against a light grey background with the lid detached — This bag’s most distinctive feature is a removable top compartment, which transforms into an 8L sling bag measuring 13 x 8.5 x 5.5 in.

Squeezing everything you need for a weekend into a single bag has its perks, especially for travelers venturing off the beaten path.

But I’ve always struggled with how this packing setup can impact the travel experience once you arrive, especially on short trips.

Some diehard minimalist packers are content with packing and unpacking the same bag for the voyage and daily needs on the ground. Others address the conundrum by tossing in a smaller, compressible bag inside their main pack.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack's companion 8L sling bag shown being worn over the shoulder by a woman taking a photo with her cellphone standing against the railing of a balcony

Hauling an unnecessarily large pack that’s mainly empty for an entire day sucks, in my opinion. And repacking everything in your main bag after less than 48 hours often feels like a waste of time when hours on the ground are precious.

A aqua blue and purplish pink version of the the Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack shown side by side and zippered open to reveal the large central compartment. The blue bag is shown empty and the purple bag is shown holding smaller bags inside it.

Cotopaxi’s new Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack offers a similar solution to the minimalist packing conundrum pioneered by brands like Osprey long ago—integrating a detachable second bag into the main bag’s design.

However, Cotopaxi’s take is far more elegant and cohesive-looking.

Its most distinctive feature is a removable top compartment, which transforms into an 8L sling bag measuring 13 x 8.5 x 5.5 in.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack's companion 8L sling bag shown open to reveal internal storage compartments and travel essentials stored inside. — The companion sling pack also includes internal and external storage compartments for organizing essentials.

The removal sling features an adjustable cross-body strap and external and internal pockets to keep smaller essentials organized.

Everything Else Its Right Place Too

The Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack shown open to reveal packed contents and a bottom zipper pocket — A special zippered pouch at the bottom of the main compartment is intended for shoes and dirty clothes.

Beyond its removable lid sling, Cotopaxi has also integrated a variety of other smart details to stash and store other travel staples.

The main compartment features a separate zippered compartment at the bottom to sequester dirty shoes and laundry away from clean clothes.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack's hidden passport pocket shown with a US passport shown peaking out of it — A hidden zippered side pocket can hold a passport and is still reachable while wearing the backpack.

A separate padded pocket is big enough to hold a 16-inch laptop and a 13-inch tablet together. A mesh side pocket expands enough to hold even a thicker 13 oz Nalgene.

A discrete zippered pocket that’s reachable while wearing the bag is a great place to hide a passport or a thin wallet.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack shown with a fleece rolled on the top of the background against a light grey background — A strap on the top of the main bag can cinch down a loose layer.

When the integrated sling bag is removed, a top strap on the main bag can cinch down bulkier items like a rain jacket or mid-layer.

Fit for All Travelers

The bag’s harness system can adjust by up to 4 inches to accommodate tall and short travelers

While there’s no getting around the backpack’s large size, Cotopaxi also includes an adjustable torso length system that allows up to 4-inches of strap adjustability to help the bag fit comfortably on a wide range of body sizes.

Pricing and Availability

The Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack shown with a laptop sliding out of the back pocket of the bag. A water bottle is also shown sitting in an external sleeve. — A big padded pocket can hold a 16-inch laptop and a 13-inch tablet.

At $300, the Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Pack essentially matches the cost of other larger-sized travel packs we currently recommend, which is fairly impressive when you consider that Cotopaxi sells smaller dedicated hip-pack bags for $75.

The pack is available now directly from Cotopaxi’s site in Black, as well as three more on-brand hues, including Blue Spruce/Abyss, Fig (light purple) and Bronze.

Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack

$300 at Cotopaxi

About the Author: Ben Bowers is the Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer of Gear Patrol. Throughout his tenure in media, Ben has written and reported on everything from consumer tech to whiskey, watches, cars, camping, and personal style. These days, he gets to write less than he’d like to.