Nomatic Travel Bag Review TLDR
- Pros: Best Travel Backpack on the market, Carry On size, Waterproof, Spacious, Minimalistic design.
- Cons: Non-Compressible making it not the best for a daypack, Price.
- Stars: 4.5/5 Stars
- Price: $229 (Check Deals) *Exciting life shared in pictures below NOT Included*
- Website: Nomatic.com
Nomatic Travel Bag Review
- About Me And My Lifestyle
- Nomatic Travel Bag Features
- Nomatic Travel Bag Video Review
- Highest Funded Kickstarter Backpack
- About Nomatic The Company
- Nomatic Travel Accessories (coming soon)
- Other Nomatic Backpack Review
- Nomatic Travel Pack Review (coming soon)
- Nomatic Travel Backpack Review (coming soon)
- Nomatic Backpacks Alternatives
- Nomatic vs Minaal (coming soon)
- Nomatic vs Tortuga (coming soon)
About Me And My Lifestyle (for context)
I’ve been living out a single backpack traveling the world since April 2016 as a “Digital Nomad“. I run this blog which has a fairly big readership and also I’m the head of SEO and organic growth at Foundr Magazine which is one of the largest online business magazines in the world.
I have a very active lifestyle and do crazy shit from climbing the world’s third highest mountain pass with everything I own to meeting the Dalai Lama. I don’t spend much time in a single spot and usually move from spot to spot on a weekly basis and I sometimes bike across countries with my backpack so having the right gear is a huge deal for me.
At the start of 2018, I upgraded my full-time backpack to the Nomatic Travel Bag and in this pretty long article, I’m going to share my opinion about it.
Transparency: I WASN’T given the Nomatic Travel Bag for Free. I paid for it (along with the Vaccum pack) with my own money, however, the links to Nomatic.com on this site are affiliate links so if you click through and buy the bag, I earn a small percent at no extra cost to you!
To put the bag to a test I have been living out of the Nomatic Travel bag and ever since I got to have taken over half a dozen flights, went hiking for hours through rice fields and also rode nearly a 1000 kms across the island of Flores (in rains) on a motorbike so far 😉 (Last updated: April 2018)
Nomatic Travel Bag Features
Now this backpack has a ton of features, a little too many to be honest haha. Watch this video that they put out if you want a quick summary of what the Nomatic Travel Bag is/ can do. I’m going to dive into the ones that I like/don’t like/ got my attention after the video.
Duffle + Backpack Strap System
You can use the Nomatic Travel Bag as a duffle bag as well as a Backpack! How amazing is that? and also it uses the same strap system so that when you are using it as a buffle bag the backpack straps are snug and vice versa. The only con is that the straps are on the back so you are holding the bag horizontally which for someone tiny like me might be a little weird as the bag can’t be held touching the body.
Personally, I don’t use the Nomatic Travel bag as a duffle often, it’s more of an additional feature for me. I tend to use it when I’m in more urban areas and giving talks at coworking spaces or conferences.
Waterproof & Durable
The Waterproof and durability of the Nomatic Travel Bag were one of the major reasons I actually decided to buy it. I just did a 1500km long biking ride around the island of Flores in Indonesia and since it was the end of the rainy season I ended up getting a few days with rain.
When I was biking the island of Flores it began to pour, in the past I would have to stop to put a bag cover over my backpack, however with the Nomatic travel bag I was able to carry on biking through the beautiful island.
I was able to bike around without having to worry about my electronic devices getting wet thanks to the great waterproof material and zippers.
Size
The dimensions of the backpack 21″x14″x9″ which is big for a daypack but perfect for a travel backpack, it fits the carry on requirements for the majority of airlines thus perfect for someone like me who hates checking in luggage when flying (trust issues).
If you are tall it might be good to use as a daily bag but for someone tiny like me, due to the lack of compressibility it’s not necessarily the best backpack to use to go cafe hopping every single day, but as a full-time backpack it’s amazing.
Volume
Due to the incredibly thin (yet strong) material on the Nomatic Travel Bag, the volume on the inside of the bag is incredible, you can fit sooooo much stuff in it. The true volume is 45L but it’s honestly more spacious than most 60L backpacks I’ve used.
Shoe Compartment
For most people, a compartment just for shoes may seem like a waste (Well you can use it for something else) but for someone who lives out of a backpack, the ability to have a spot especially for their shoes or flip flops is a life saver.
Worldwide Shipping
You can ship the Nomatic Travel Bag anywhere in the world (except active war zones :/ ). I managed to ship mine to an address of a friend in Malaysia.
Have you tried calling customs? If you can reach them there, that would be the fastest way to get it to you 👍🏼
— Nomatic (@Nomaticgear) March 14, 2018
You are responsible for Customs, Duty, Taxes, or any other importing fees for international orders, however, Nomatic’s team is incredibly responsive and helpful in the entire process. So it doesn’t matter if you are in the USA or India, you can get the Nomatic Travel Bag.
Free Shipping is a plus for anyone in the US (you only pay sales tax if you are in Utah).
Rfid safe pocket + Free TSA Approved Lock
The bag comes built in with an RFID Safe pocket and comes included with a TSA Approved lock to lock it up. This might not be useful for the majority of travelers out there. But it’s an additional feature that adds a special security touch to the Nomatic Travel Bag.
Laundry Bag
The bag comes included with a laundry bag?! no seriously, it’s a tiny laundry bag that you can hang on any hook or doorknob of an Airbnb you rent. It fits in at the bottom of your shoe compartment.
Waterproof Bottle Pocket
There’s a water bottle pocket at the top of the bag that’s separated from the rest of the bag on the inside with waterproof material. I personally would love to also have a bottle pocket at the side for the times when you are using the backpack normally and want your water bottle to be easily accessible.
Laptop + Tablet Compartment
The laptop AND Tablet compartments are located right next to your back so you can open up your bag to lie the laptop flat when going through security at airports. It fits Laptop up to 15″ but you might struggle if you travel with a bigger laptop. You can use the tablet compartment for a kindle like me if you don’t use a tablet.
Padded Removeable Hip Straps
The Nomatic Travel Bag comes with padded hip straps that are removable which is such a convenience as you can use them when you are going on long journeys and have them off when you are just going around town and you don’t have to leave them dangling around.
The straps come with pockets that you can keep your passport and boarding pass in (How cool is that?)
100% Satisfaction Money Back
If you are not satisfied with the Nomatic Travel Bag or any other Nomatic products, you can just send it back thanks to their 100% 30-days money back no-questions-asked guarantee.
Misc Features
The Nomatic Travel Bag is a backpack with so many features that I’m sure I’m missing into diving into them all so I’m just going to highlight a few more than I really found interesting.
- Sock and Underwear pocket
- Notebook pocket
- Cord Mangement system
- Roller Bag Sleeve
- Fleece Lined Valuables Pocket
- Large Opening for Easy Packing
If it wasn’t obvious I really like this backpack,
However, it’s not necessarily perfect. It depends on your needs, if you are a digital nomad like me, the Nomatic Travel Bag might just be your new travel backpack! Here’re a few downsides to the Nomatic bag.
Price
It’s not really cheap, at $200+ for a fucking backpack?! that’s a pricey purchase for a lot of people (no shit Sherlock!). That’s almost half a months salary for a lot of people around the world so it’s not necessarily the best backpack if you are on the tight budget.
It is however great value for someone who’s focused on being extremely functional and I personally live out a backpack so it’s like a home to me and I did a ton of research before getting the Nomatic bag and honestly, I’m happy with my decision.
Maybe give the Osprey Porter 46 if you are looking for a more budget option. The Quechua backpacks are pretty great too, I used to use them!
Non Compressibility
Due to the structure and material of the backpack, it’s not necessarily the best daypack to carry around town to go into a cafe. But then again how many people go to a cafe with their full-time travel backpack every day. Get the Nomatic Travel Pack which is designed for everyday use as well and you have got the perfect (but little expensive) combination.
Nomatic Travel Bag Video Review (Coming soon, check this in the meantime)
Do you still have doubts about getting a Nomatic Travel Bag? How about watching a 30 mins review?? Well, Chase Reeves my Go-To Backpack Reviewer did a Nomatic Travel Bag review, enjoy!
Check out the Nomatic Travel Bag on their website
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