I used to be ready at my gate in Tokyo Narita Airport, about to stroll out onto the tarmac, sweating by my Smartwool tee. It was 33 levels Celcius outdoors (91.4 levels Fahrenheit), and I might anticipate the identical the place I used to be going. Each time I placed on my NEMO Vantage Countless Promise Backpack, overstuffed with journey necessities, I mentioned a quiet prayer, thanking the designers who put CCubed on this comfy, well-ventilated pack.
CCubed is an “modern cushioning materials“ fabricated from 97% air. It’s mentioned to outperform conventional PE or EVA foams and is totally recyclable. I’d by no means seen it earlier than a media demo with NEMO final 12 months, and it caught my consideration straight away.
I’ve used this backpack a number of occasions every week for over 12 months. It’s traveled from my residence in Colorado to Utah, California, the East Coast, and all through Asia. NEMO took an enormous step into the pack market with each its Vantage and Resolve, and I wished to verify to place it by as thorough a check as potential.
Briefly: If a well-organized pack makes you smile, then the NEMO Vantage will make your complete day. There isn’t a scarcity of compartments and intelligent and useful group. The entrance expandable shove-it pocket is nice for less-organized vacationers. As a complete package deal, this travel-oriented pack gives consolation, simply adjustable straps, and the flexibility to flex for nearly any journey. Its recycled materials additionally held up over rigorous testing. And the comfy CCubed cushioning materials was gentle and ventilated surprisingly nicely. It has some small drawbacks — however total, it is a extremely succesful bag for vacationers.
When you’re looking for daypacks, try GearJunkie’s information to the Finest Daypacks to see extra choices.
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Dimensions
19” x 11” x 11” -
Verified weight
3 lbs., 1 oz. (30L), 2 lbs., 9 oz. (20L) -
Sizes
20L, 26L or 30L -
Materials
100% recycled polyester, proprietary recyclable PET, CCubed foam, Bluesign-certified -
Options
a lot of compartments, tech pocket, duffel zip, shoe compartment (on 30L mannequin)
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Preferrred for metropolis or off-road journey -
Packing capabilities of a small duffel -
Unbelievable air flow and luxury -
Very sturdy -
Constituted of recycled supplies
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Water bottle pockets are too small (no water bottle pockets on 20L) -
Barely heavy in comparison with different daypacks -
$180-200 for a daypack is kind of costly
NEMO Vantage 20L Daypack Evaluate
I bought a sneak peek on the first samples of those packs from NEMO again in June 2023. I used to be on a press journey within the excessive nation of Colorado’s Entrance Vary mountains. After over 20 years as a tenting, sleeping pad, and tent model, NEMO introduced it was including packs to its gear lineup.
I bought my fingers on a pattern and proceeded to take it world wide on a multicountry journey.
This pack, at a minimal, needed to work nicely as a carry-on and “journey” pack. It additionally needed to flex from day by day commuting to heavy use on planes, trains, mountaineering trails, and extra. I can safely say that this pack is now well-traveled in sizzling, humid, and ever-changing mountain climate.
Touring and Testing
The NEMO Vantage pack, in contrast to its extra technical Resolve counterpart, is extra geared towards commuting, day by day carry, and journey. I additionally used it a good quantity for my on a regular basis trail-to-town hikes, as a carry-on, or as a packed street journey bag. Once in a while, it was additionally my spare tenting backpack.
For journey or car-based adventures if you don’t want probably the most technical options or one thing ultralight, the NEMO Vantage is a flexible do-all choice.
The Vantage is a perfect journey pack. All through my time on the street, I discovered it to have the packing capabilities of a small duffel. This factor merely swallows gear. And regardless of being constituted of recycled supplies, it held as much as the sturdiness check. There was some small put on and discoloration on the underside, however except for that, it held up. (Although, contemplating the worth tag, I’d anticipate nothing much less.)
My favourite characteristic, although, was the CCubed — a recyclable substitute to EVA and PE foam. Not like these different sorts of foam, this one is 97% air, based on NEMO. That permits it to wick sweat and assist it evaporate extra effectively.
I skilled some minor again sweat whereas sporting the NEMO Vantage on my travels. However I by no means had any sweat, rubbing, or uncomfortable points with the shoulder straps, due to CCubed.
Some Room for Enchancment
One gripe I had with this pack was its lack of water bottle pockets. The 20L model doesn’t have any, and that’s a characteristic I ceaselessly use. Retaining your water bottle within the pack takes up plenty of room unnecessarily.
The capability of the Vantage — particularly with the expandable stuff pocket on the entrance — is a profit. However as I found, it can be a detriment. Simply because this pack can match a ton of stuff doesn’t imply it must be bursting on the seams. It bought fairly heavy after I had it stuffed full for longer-distance journey. I needed to train some restraint whereas packing.
Lastly, there may be the worth tag. $180-200 is lots to spend on a daypack. It’s clearly sturdy and can final a very long time, and a part of what you’re paying for is the sustainability efforts behind the design of this pack. However nonetheless, it’s expensive. There is just one different pack in GearJunkie’s Information to the Finest Daypacks that’s dearer.
Notes on Sustainability
The NEMO Vantage backpacks be part of NEMO’s 100% recyclable Countless Promise Assortment. The daypacks, together with the Vantage 20L that I examined, use NEMO’s CERO materials containing 95% recycled PET and PET that’s unique to NEMO. The packs additionally use 100% recycled yarn and solution-dyed materials.
NEMO Vantage Countless Promise Backpack: Conclusion
The NEMO Vantage backpack holds all of the day by day requirements required to go from the airport to the workplace, commute to the gymnasium, or hike. It’s value noting that the hiking-specific and barely extra technical NEMO Resolve daypack differs from the Vantage. This pocket consists of an expandable entrance stash pocket and extra compartments for laptops and tech. The Vantage is available in 20L, 26L, and 30L choices.
Personally, the 20L measurement was lots for me. For many vacationers who prefer to journey gentle, its an important choice. It’d even really feel like overkill in some circumstances. I packed it to the gills with a spare pair of footwear, electronics, books, rain shell, passport and visa documentation, and journey necessities. If I used to be touring for an extended time period, the 26L in all probability would’ve been barely extra comfy with extra capability.
I feel that 30L could be plenty of area for many journey and workplace wants, however for individuals who prefer to pack extra or go on longer journeys, NEMO has you coated.
I plan to make use of my NEMO Vantage 20L as a lot as I can. I already know that for consolation, capability, and sturdiness, it will possibly maintain as much as lots — from mountaineering to the highest of Mt. Fuji right down to wandering by a nationwide park at sea stage. And I’m actually wanting ahead to seeing the place it takes me subsequent.