When we identified the soft goods categories that we wanted to isolate and study, we began with the Travel category. Our initial design ideas stemmed from weekend travel trips where we wished for a more versatile carry system that adjusted to your needs as they change to account for things like different activities, different lengths of stay, and different carry needs. So of course we started with bags that were marketed as dedicated travel solutions. But what defines a travel bag and what distinguishes it from other bags?
An easy identifier is the bag’s overall capacity/volume. Bags like the AER Travel Pack, the Evergoods CTB 35, and the GoRuck GR3 all market themselves as dedicated travel bags, primarily based on their overall volume, usually around 30-35 liters. The pack dimensions are usually carryon sized with most of the volume being in one big main compartment where you can fill it with all your travel essentials.
Volume is an easy identifier, but there are other features you might find in a dedicated travel bag. Some examples include: load lifters, a hidden passport pocket, a quick access pocket, padded hip belt, clamshell opening, multiple grab handles, and so on. Some of these features carry over to other categories as well like the load lifters and padded hip belt which you could easily find on lots of outdoor bags.
We like travel bags as a soft goods category because we can study and incorporate features from bags that are built to carry a lot of weight and with the expectation that you could be walking many miles for a really long time with them on your back. And although they are not always the lightest packs, there are many bags out there which achieve a remarkable volume to weight ratio that ultralight folks can appreciate. In any case, a big consideration with travel bags is comfort which is why you’ll often find wider straps and more padding in dedicated travel bags. As mentioned earlier, travel bags also tend to boast a broad spectrum of features that you could find in other categories, and so we study them to better understand how those features integrate into a design that is often simpler and sleeker than a technical outdoor bag. In terms of a soft goods category, travel bags represent a great starting point as we plug and play different features and design considerations to build an adaptable pack system.
COVENANT is a small grassroots brand building from the ground up. Every ounce of support matters and we’re thankful to all the folks who have reached out and engaged with us since announcing the brand. Our goal is still to launch a Kickstarter campaign/pre-order sometime Spring 2027 and we’re working every day to make that a reality. If you like what you read today be sure to share it with a fellow gear head, we appreciate it.
