An Underdog Bag Brand Just Became a Serious Contender in the EDC Category

This backpack combines some of the best travel-friendly features with a more svelte, everyday-carry-friendly package.

Mous Optimal Protective Lid Pack closeup

Published April 23, 2025

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Updated April 23, 2025

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There’s no single “best” everyday carry backpack. Some are extremely tough, but might be extremely expensive. Others offer excellent organization, but at the cost of additional bulk. Every single one requires the user to make some measure of sacrifice.

That said, some do an impressive job of balancing their pros and cons in ways that might make you wonder if they have any downsides. The Mous Optimal Protective Lid Backpack is one such bag.

Mous Optimal Protective Lid Pack worn on back — The Protective Lid Pack has a name that doesn’t do this bag justice.

Minimalist looks, maximum protection

The Protective Lid Pack might win some hearts with its appearance alone. Its styling is exceptionally minimal while still having some character. You wouldn’t confuse it with another bag on the market, but it isn’t boastful or gaudy.

Yet it also offers all the conveniences you’d expect from an everyday carry backpack. These include an external water bottle pouch, some easy-access zippered pockets and even compression straps.

To be fair, some of its styling is owed to its material makeup. The exterior — including the protective lid from which it derives its name — is crafted from 840D ballistic nylon alongside 500D panels. Furthermore, that fabric boasts a weatherproof triple-layer polycarbonate and polyurethane coating.

Together, these materials and their coatings make for an extremely robust bag that can handle almost anything you throw at it daily. Hell, they’re more than many expect from travel or outdoor bags.

Spoiled for organization

A rock-solid exterior alone does not make for an outstanding EDC bag. But this Mous pack also has you covered on its storage front. You might even call it overbuilt.

With a 23-liter capacity, it hits the sweet spot on overall storage for everyday carry — not too much, not too little. However, it’s how that storage is spread out that really makes this bag special.

All in all, it offers a whopping 18 different pockets and pouches to choose from. That includes a large clamshell main compartment, a dedicated laptop compartment lined with impact-resistant AiroFoam, additional internal and external zippered pockets and more.

Better still, all of that (and more) is available in a bag that still fits under most airplane seats—meaning it’s small enough to count as a personal item. Should you want to use it for travel, there’s even a luggage pass-through.