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How to Choose an Adventure Travel Pack

Caroline Maahs | July 10, 2023

In between daydreaming about your trip and officially booking it, you need to find the perfect travel pack. Whether you’ve planned a quick weekend getaway at a cabin or a 3-week homestay in Havana, read on for a breakdown of our Allpa Travel Collection, including carry-on compatibility, the best bag for the length of your trip, packing guidelines, and more. 

For more details on carry-on compatibility, scroll to the bottom of this post for a handy chart that spells it out by airline.

PackSuggested Trip DurationDimensionsPack WeightCarry On?
Allpa 20L1-2 days

17" x 10" x 8"

1 lb 6 oz Yes
Allpa 28L2-3 days19” x 12” x 9”2lb 10ozYes
Allpa 35L1-2 week22" x 12" x 10"3lb 8oz Usually
Allpa 38L1-2 weeks22” x 14” x 12”6lb 14 ozUsually
Allpa 42L2+ weeks22” x 14 “x 11”4lbs 2oz Usually not
Allpa 50L2+ weeks23” x 13” x 12”2lbs 10ozNo
Allpa 65L2+ weeks27” x 16” x 13”8lb 4 ozNo
Allpa 70L3+ weeks26” x 13” x 12”2lb 12oz No 

Allpa 35L Pack

Suggested trip duration: 1-2 weeks 
Dimensions: 22" x 12" x 10" 
Pack weight: 3lb 8oz 
Carry-on compatible? Usually. 

Not too big, not too small–the bestselling Allpa 35L is just right. It’s carry-on compatible with most airlines (minus smaller regional flights), and it’s great for trips up to about 2 weeks long. 

What Fits Inside: If you take our Allpa 35L packing tips into consideration, you should be able to pack a dopp kit, a smaller daypack, a few outer layers, 1-2 pairs of versatile shoes (or more if they’re thin, like sandals), 3-4 casual/active outfits, and 3-4 dressier/around-town outfits if you go the mix-and-match route.

Seasonal Factors: While a 35L might work for 2 weeks in the spring and summer, it might be best suited for a shorter trip of 3-5 days in fall or winter depending on how many bulky layers and shoes you’re packing. 

Carry-on Considerations: With the standard carry-on size being 22” x 14” x 9”, this pack should theoretically fit in most overhead bins, but make sure to confirm with your airline before assuming you can carry it on.

Allpa 42L Pack

Suggested trip duration: 2+ weeks 
Dimensions: 22” x 14 “x 11” 
Pack weight: 4lbs 2oz 
Carry-on compatible? Usually not. 

It’s our biggest backpack-style travel pack, and some might even say it has too much space. For a long-haul trip, the Allpa 42L is it. 

What Fits Inside: If you’re heading out on a trip with a variety of adventures that call for more shoes, multiple jackets, or a wider range of casual-to-fancy fits, the 7 additional liters of space will give you plenty of room. 

Seasonal Factors: This pack is great for fall and winter trips that require more layers and bulkier shoes, but be aware that with the extra bulk, the 42L might only work for a week-long trip. 

Carry-on Considerations: If you’re planning to use this pack as a carry-on, make sure to pack light–it’s borderline too big for an overhead compartment and may not fit if it’s completely full.

Allpa 28L Pack

Suggested trip duration: 2-3 days 
Dimensions: 19" x 12" x 9" 
Pack weight: 2lb 10oz 
Carry-on compatible? Yes. 

Our second smallest of our backpack-style adventure travel bags has a butterfly opening and zippered mesh compartments (just like the 35L and 42L) for easy access and organization. 

What Fits Inside: In the Allpa 28L, you can comfortably pack a pair of non-bulky shoes, a jacket, your dopp kit, and some mix-and-match outfits to last a long weekend. If you need to pack extra gear that won’t quite fit inside, the exterior latch points work great for attaching accessories like a hat, shoes, a hip pack, or a water bottle. 

Seasonal Factors: For summer trips, there’s plenty of space in the 28L for a long weekend. But on winter trips, the pack will fill up quickly and may turn into just an overnight bag, so consider wearing your bulkiest layers and boots on travel days to free up room in your pack. 

Carry-on Considerations: This pack will likely fit in overhead bins on even the smallest of planes, and could possibly fit under your seat depending on how packed out it is.

Allpa Mini 20L Travel Pack

Suggested trip duration: 1-2 days   
Dimensions: 17" x 10" x 8" 
Pack Weight: 1 lb 6 oz
Carry-on compatible? Yes.

This 20L version is perfectly sized for anyone who prefers a smaller pack—whether that’s for a day trip or for your kiddo. 

What Fits Inside: In the Allpa 20L, an adult can comfortably pack a jacket, dopp kit, and some mix-and-match items to last a day or two. If you need to pack some additional gear, you can use the exterior latch points to attach accessories like a hat or shoes. If the pack is being used by a little llama, the interior space might go a bit further and last them two to three days.

Seasonal Factors: For warmer weather trips, the 20L of space will be suitable for a day or two with minimalist packing. But on cooler trips, the pack will fill up quickly and will likely turn into just an overnight bag. So, make sure to wear your bulkiest layers and boots on travel days. 

Carry-on Considerations: This pack will fit in overhead bins on even the smallest of planes, and likely under your seat, too.

Allpa 50L Duffel

Suggested trip duration: 2+ weeks 
Dimensions: 23” x 13” x 12” 
Pack weight: 2lbs 10oz 
Carry-on compatible? No. 

If our backpack-style Allpas are too small, the Allpa 50L Duffel is great for extended trips, gear-heavy adventures, or cold-weather travel requiring a lot of layers. This durable duffel has a separate bottom compartment for dirty laundry or shoes, external side zip pockets for quick organization, and a classic main compartment for stuffing in all your gear and apparel. 

Need more space than a travel pack but still want to carry your luggage like a backpack? This duffel comes with backpack straps so you can do just that.

Allpa 70L Duffel

Suggested trip duration: 3+ weeks 
Dimensions: 26” x 13” x 12” 
Pack weight: 2lb 12oz 
Carry-on compatible? No. 

As the biggest pack in our collection, the Allpa 70L Duffel is perfect for your longest or most gear-intensive trips. While identical to the 50L in features and function, this durable pack offers 20 additional liters of space (that’s like, five extra pairs of shoes worth of space!).

This pack is definitely one you’ll have to check, but it has space for all the shoes, jackets, fits, and gear you need for up to a month of travel–even if you’re an over-packer. And like the 50L Duffel, the 70L comes with backpack straps to keep you nimble between destinations.

Allpa 38L Roller

Suggested trip duration: 1-2 weeks   
Dimensions: 22” x 14” x 12”   
Pack Weight: 6lb 14 oz   
Carry-on compatible? Depends. 

This burly, 2-wheeled roller bag is perfect for city travel. “But four-wheel rollers are so hot right now! Why only 2 wheels?” Great question, my friend. While swiveling 4-wheel luggage is meant to be pushed in front of or beside you and works great on smooth surfaces, 2 large rollaboard wheels are designed to be pulled behind you and are generally more durable. We made our wheels bigger and burlier, too, so they glide effortlessly over uneven terrain or dirt roads. If you’re planning to hit some cobblestone streets during your travels, this Allpa Roller is your best bet. 

Aside from the wheels, the Allpa 38L Roller also has a split-case, butterfly-style opening for easy organization, and a molded EVA back panel for added durability. This pack is 3 liters bigger than our Allpa 35L Travel Pack, so it’s good for trips lasting 1-2 weeks.

Allpa 65L Roller

Trip duration: 2+ weeks  
Dimensions: 27” x 16” x 13”  
Pack weight: 8lb 4 oz  
Carry-on compatible? No. 

Identical to the 38L roller in features and function, the Allpa 65L Roller delivers the same durability and organization, with over 1.5x more space. You’ll definitely need to check this bag, but it’ll set you up with all the space you need for long-haul, gear-heavy, or cold-weather trips.

Allpa X Hip Pack

Dimensions: 11” x 8” x 3.5” 
Compatible with: Allpa 35L Pack, Allpa 42L Pack 

If you’re looking for a dedicated bag for the essentials, the Allpa X 4L Hip Pack is here for it. It’s perfect as an in-flight travel buddy, or at your final destination as an alternative to a purse or backpack. It has the same butterfly-style opening as our Allpa travel packs, and it fits perfectly into the top compartment of the Allpa 35L and 42L for easy storage when you don’t need it.

Allpa 60L Gear Hauler

Dimensions: 20” x 14” x 14” 

While you may not use a bag like this for airplane travel, the Allpa 60L Gear Hauler Tote is an MVP for road trips or even train travel. It works perfectly as a grocery bag, beach bag, ski boot bag, and more.

Standard vs. Del Día

Although identical in features, sizes, and functions, our Travel Packs and Gear Haulers come in 2 different fabric families: standard and Del Día. Our standard packs come in seasonal colors and are made with TPU-coated polyester (recycled materials coming soon!), and our Allpa Del Día packs are made from remnant materials that are totally one-of-a-kind (hence the wild color combos). 

To Check or Not to Check: That Is the Question

The standard carry-on size is 22” x 14” x 9” but limitations vary from airline to airline. We rounded up some of the most popular domestic airline carry-on guidelines so you don’t have to. Don’t see your airline’s info here? Check out their website. Note that an Allpa 28L will fit in an overhead bin even if it’s stuffed to the gills, but the 35L and 42L are where things get a bit murkier. While the 35L will fit in most (but not all) overhead bins, the 42L generally cannot be fully packed out and still fit in an overhead bin.

AirlineDimension
Standard22” x 14” x 9” 
American Airlines22'' x 14'' x 10''
Delta Air Lines22'' x 14'' x 9''
Frontier Airlines24'' x 16'' x 10''
Southwest Airlines24'' x 16'' x 10''
Spirit Airlines22'' x 18'' x 10''
United Airlines22'' x 14'' x 9''

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