The brand Backpackbeat is one of those little companies you read about where the founders weren't completely satisfied with what was on the market for their own needs so they came up with something themselves. The people behind the company are digital nomads, freedivers, and underwater photographers, and it shows is the design and attention to detail. The packs have a bit of a photographers pack look with a very box-like shape but it looked interesting enough for putting to the test on a winter trip to Norway.
What Backpackbeat say:
My last backpack retired and sits in my closet.
Too old to use, too meaningful to easily discard.
I learned to reclaim what I lost in conference rooms: the right to build my own life.
My backpack doesn't have to fit the crowd's template either—from co-working spaces to cloud forests, and everywhere in between.
It has traveled to 21 countries, and counting...
Features:
- Water-resistant canvas with tear-proof durability
- Fits 16" laptop with padded protection
- 4 external pockets for quick-access essentials
- Side pockets for water bottle or bike lock
- Lightweight yet rugged for daily commutes
- 25L capacity for work gear + weekend trips
- 11.4" (W) × 19.7" (H) × 7.1" (D)
On Test:
When you're accustomed to every pack you see having some advanced ergonomic design with arched back, mesh vent to allow airflow between it and the wearer, complex fitting adjusters and waist belts with built in pockets the 7705 looks somewhat old fashioned with its box like shape and simple features but it turns out to be very much a cas of "less is more".
First things first the 7705 comes in just 2 colours; red and green. These, however, are the colours of the two rectangular pockets on the front of the pack rather than the main body. For the green version the main body is black, while for the red version the main body is blue.
What you'll also notice straight away is the miniature packs attached to one of the straps. Of course it looks cute and is a talking point but when it came getting around the departure lounge of Manchester Airport that little zipped back was surprisingly useful. The main pockets were crammed with important items like laptop chargers and the side pockets with drinks bottles but these tiny pockets were ideal for quick access to phone chargers and cables along with the odd chocolate bar that you didn't want squashing. There's also no doubt it adds a little "fun" to the design and who doesn't need a bit more fun in their life.
Talking about airports the great news is that the 7705 is very much budget-jet friendly with its 50 x 29 x 18cm sizing fitting into a Jet2 sizing box with no problems and then sliding under the seat onboard the plane to Bergen.
As mentioned you don't get features like air vented mesh back and waist belts with the 7705, but would you do get is simple functionality. The carrying straps are frill-free, simple padded straps with a single adjustment buckle on each strap and a moveable chest strap. That's it. No whistles, no built in phone pockets, just a pair of straps to go over your shoulders to carry it.
Still looking at the outside of the pack you get 4 pockets; 2 on the side and 2 on the back. The side pockets come with solid press stud fasteners and just fit a reusable coffee mug but are also good for a larger (in my case 1lt+ HydroFlask) flask if you don't mind the pocket lid not closing. The 2 main rectangular pockets on the rear come with velcroclosures and, as mentioned, they're great for those bits and pieces you need for quick access. On the way to Norway it was Laptop charger and medications that I might need to show at customs without having to go rummaging through a seriously packed main pack body, along with my trusty leather expedition notepad with all the important papers to help me find where I was going.
Once on board the Hurtigruten MS Nordlys for my journey up the Norwegian Coast, however, and ashore riding a husky pulled sledge or wandering around Nordkapp the pockets were perfect for slipping a lens into for a quick lens change, knowing that the treated canvas fabric was going to be weather resistant enough to keep the lens safe. When you close these pockets the designers have made sure that the vecro closing flaps completely cover the pocket's opening. If there's a downside it's that once fully loaded you have to release the buckle that secures one side of the main pack lid and you need to be aware that if you overpack the main body of the pack it will limit how much you can fit in these pockets, if only slightly.
Moving onto the main body of the pack the manufacturers highlight that it can fit a 16" laptop with padding as protection, and this is most definitely true. What they don't highlight, though, is that this is in a sleeve at the back of the main body - making it it easy to pull the laptop out quickly if required at airport security then slide it back in again after examination. This internal pocket comes with a velcro closure strap over the top and, as advertised padding to the rear.
Apart from my laptop I managed to fit an unbelievable amount into themain body's claimed 25lt compartment with DJI OSmo, a case full of cables and adaptes, drone. Nikon DSLR with lenses, flash, filters, batteries and pretty much every item needed for a creator along with a few items of clothing in case my main bag went missing.
Mentally I probably missed the compartmentalisation available on the more commonly available rucksacks but I certainly didn't miss out when it came to actual use on the ground. It turned out that I didn't really need a waist belt with bells and whistles and without all the "features" that put the price of a pack up it was both lihtweight (surprisingly so for canvas) and not too OTT in price at £138. Most of all, though, when I had all my most vulnerable electronics and photography kit inside it felt robust. The thick canvas wasn't ever going to risk being ripped open if it caught against some protrusion and while the main compartment and front pockets had simple flap closures they were oversized flaps to ensure nothing inside was subjected to rainor snow.
Would I use it again? Undoubtedly! While I chose the pack primarally to fit with carry-on sizes for the plane to Bergen it more than proved its worth with the build quality and ease of use. Both before and since the Norway trip it's become a daily use pack for safely carrying laptop, charger and a flask of coffee to nd from meetings. It looks different from the multitude of other packs and it may look a little "retro" in it's design but sometimes retro is fine - or more than fine. It's the most simplistic of any pack I have but 3 months on it's had more use than almost any other has had in several years.