Kelty Redwing 44 Backpack

Have only used this for one trip but it was 3 months in East Africa, including 3,000 miles by motorcycle - so I think I was able to put it through its paces.I switched to this bag from a bigger drawstring style bag and I regret not making the switch sooner. The Redwing held up great against all the abuse I threw at it, and isn't showing any sign of wear at all. The design is very smart - I was traveling with 2 folders of documents, an 11" laptop, 3 packing cubes of clothes (2 pants, 7 t shirts, 4 button up shirts, wool long t shirt and leggings, 3 pair shorts, 7 pair socks, 7 underwear) head lamp, kindle, assorted electronic accessories, mirrorless camera with standard and telephoto lens, toiletries, rain cover, thick leather moto jacket, and a leather messenger bag. Everything fit into the bag no problem and I was very happy with how accessible everything was. There's enough pockets/compartments for everything to have a spot, without being just a mess of zippers and velcro. Build quality is very good.This is not the most technical of bags for camping or long back coutnry treks, but is perfect for long-term, adventure oriented travel and will perform fantastically in all but a handful of situations. This backpack is always an asset and never a hindrance.

I just got home from 26 days in Europe with this backpack. It was a champ! It held up so well and seemed to have room for everything. The pockets on the outside are great for staying organized. The material is good quality and the zippers are strong. When looking at these bags at the store, I was drawn to the fabric of the 2013 version rather than the newer fabric of the updated Keltys. It just seemed more rugged and durable, and I liked that the whole bag was black for blending in a little better.As a 5'8 woman, I was able to easily carry this bag with about 26-30lbs through airports and train stations with no problem. On trains, others were having trouble finding places to stow their large suitcases, but this bag easily fit in overhead compartments. (It's also awesome to have a bag like this for Europe since there are steps and cobblestones everywhere!) The handle at the top and directly on the front of the bag made lifting the bag much easier.My husband is 6' and used the 50L version of this bag . Throughout the trip he commented on what a great bag it was and how comfortable it was to carry. The distance between the straps was just right for my shoulders, but would have been a little snug on him. The 50L is designed exactly the same, but better for taller/bigger people.It's important to note that I wasn't carrying this bag all day, every day-- just to and from wherever we were staying and the train station. On days that we were just stopping in a city for a few hours, my husband and I stowed both of our bags in a locker or the left luggage service at the train station. When we did have to carry these bags for longer distances, we were grateful for the comfortable straps and waist belt. The straps are exactly right on this bag-- very easy to adjust, and they tuck away easily.I also loved the way that this bag unzips almost all the way down to the bottom for quick and efficient packing. There's an inside pocket that I used to stow a vertical file folder of all our trip information, and the front pocket has lots of spots for storing smaller items. There are roomy zippered side pockets that also have a gap between it and the actual bag, so that makes it possible to store longer items (like an umbrella) on the side. There are also mesh/elastic pockets on each side that fit water bottles. We each used two ShackePac packing cubes (1 small/ 1 medium size) that made packing clothes really easy, along with a couple other small organizing bags.I had no problems with bringing it as carry-on luggage on airlines (Icelandair, Vueling, Condor).We followed the advice of others for this bag and made sure that ours were not overly stuffed for the plane, and divided some of the bulk/weight among our second "hand luggage" day bags. No one every questioned us about the weight or dimensions.The only complaint/ modification we made to these bags were to switch out all of the rope zipper pulls for a wire cable and clamps (see picture below). This allowed us to lock our bags securely with just a normal TSA lock. I came across a tutorial for this online and it was pretty easy to do, and would definitely recommend this simple improvement to others wanting to use this bag for travel. It also still wouldn't keep me from giving this bag 5 stars because it exceeded expectations in so many other ways.If you're not sure if a 44L will be big enough for a month of travel, it definitely is. We packed clothing for 7 days and did laundry twice. There was more than enough room for all the travel essentials and for the souvenirs!I will be using this bag on future trips, and am sure that it will last for many years.

I took this on a backpacking trip ~1.5 weeks through Europe. We changed hotels multiple times, and it was so wonderful using a backpack instead of a clumsy, bulky rolling suitcase.This backpack can fit a lot. I was genuinely surprised. I used the 2 biggest packing cubes: "Compression Packing Cubes Travel Luggage-Organizer Set Packs More in Less Space" sold by Nomadz.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076625C8H/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B076625C8H&pd_rd_wg=bqdpN&pd_rd_r=C10CZBY4YYP2ZXS6YPGA&pd_rd_w=9ltxII could fit 5 pairs of pants, 2 dresses, 1 sweater, 7 shirts, scarf. I also fit 1 bra in the pocket on the very top and my socks and underwear in the side pockets. I placed my toiletry bag in the front pocket. I had a decent amount of room above the packing cubes to pack some personal items. Everything fit!!The belt allowed the bag to rest comfortably on my hips, and the chest strap helped with this too. In addition, there are 4 straps that can help you compress the bag a bit more so that it doesn't stick out as far behind you.The bag fit comfortably in the carry-on compartments of both planes I took. Though if it is a smaller plane with nonstandard compartments you may have trouble with that. I had no problems though.I really can't recommend this backpack enough!! I may never use my rolling suitcases again... maybe for the really long trips!

Great pack to travel with. The four of us..two parents two teenagers all got the same packs and travelled through Europe for 32 days. Lightweight and comfortable and more than enough room to carry all our stuff. It was very handy that you can access your entire bag. You don't have to remove everything like a top load pack. The exterior compartments were large enough to hold extra shoes as well as guide book or tablet.ProsVery well made and durableFit in overhead bins on planes carry on size.Comfortable waistband and highly adjustable.Not a big bulky pack. Compression straps on the packs worked well.Exterior handles work well if you want to carry your bags.Used packing cubes inside the bags to increase organization.ConsNone we could think ofWould definitely buy again.

Wanted something for short international trips, after a lot of searching decided to give this one a try. Used it once and I am not disappointed at all. It's actually bigger than it looks but not big enough to exceed hand luggage restriction on airlines. The only one thing missing is harness inside main compartment because content can be placed as a suitcase but when used as a backpack all contents slide down to the bottom. Harness would have kept the content in place. A part from that, its comfortable on back for long periods and walks, solid built and strong enough to hold way above 10KG.

I love this backpack. The size and organization of pockets is great for weekend trips, hikes or airplane travelling with a handbag.The material is light and durable, all the straps, belts and zippers are of high quality.The organization of pockets is very convenient, there are many small and large pockets for different stuff.I really like the main opening which opens all backpack from the front almost like a suitcase, it makes it access stuff hidden deep in the backpack.I strongly recommend to buy this unique backpack!

Really like a lot of the features of this rucksack including being a front loader, the pockets, the size, the sturdiness and the comfort of it. However, didn't choose it for one very important reason. I found the straps located too close together around my neck so felt like it was digging into my neck. Maybe I've just got a wide neck?! An extra few centimetres between the location of the straps at the top is all it would have taken to make this rucksack perfect for me.

Soy un mochilero con bastante experiencia a mis espaldas, después de un gran viaje de 10 meses por Europa con otra mochila (una Farpoint 55 de Osprey) me puse a la tarea de buscar un reemplazo que cumpliera con las medidas de carry-on de las low-cost airlines europeas.Después de mucho investigar me decidí a comprar esta Redwing 44 de Kelty y no me arrepiento en lo absoluto.La mochila es lo suficientemente pequeña para ser carry-on en cualquier compañía ya que no se pasa en ninguna medida. Es bastante cómoda de llevar, le he metido hasta 15 kilos y sin ningún problema. El padding de las correas y el hip belt es bastante generoso, además, la espalda no hace contacto directo con la parte trasera de la mochila, lo que ayuda a no sudar tanto al hacer caminatas.Sin duda este modelo es el híbrido perfecto entre una mochila para andar de ciudad en ciudad y una mochila para "meterse al monte" un par de días. Tiene en la parte inferior un sistema tipo MOLLE que te permite llevar una bolsa de dormir con tranquilidad, de igual forma las bolsas laterales pueden ser utilizadas para transportar una casa de campaña.Ojo, para expediciones de más de 3 días en la montaña esta mochila no es la adecuada, pero si tienen planeado hacer un viaje donde van de una ciudad a otra, y quieren tener la posibilidad de hacer unos cuantos hikes más o menos demandantes, esta es la mejor opción. Además, el precio es bastante bajo.El nuevo modelo se pasa uno cuantos centímetros de las medidas de carry-on más comunes y es por eso que me decanté por el modelo 2016.En cuanto al espacio interior, es bastante generoso, nunca me he quedado sin poder llevar lo que he querido, el sistema de cierres es incluso mejor que el de mochilas que se abren por completo (tipo clamshell) porque, al no abrirse hasta abajo, te permite empujar y realmente compactar todo, lo que da mayor volumen libre al tope.

I purchased this backpack with the intention of spending a month travelling In Asia using only a single carry on backpack for all my gear. I was impressed with the Redwing 44. Not only did it have lots of room and useful compartments for separating your belongings, it was relatively lightweight on its own and fit well in overhead bins on all the different airplanes we travelled on (14 in total). The bag lived up to all the previous reviews I'd read prior to purchasing my own and I look forward to many more trips with it. The only downside that I found with the bag was the lack of a compartment to stash the straps in when tucking it in bins or cargo holds. It was comfortable to carry, had a great suspension system, keeping the pack itself from sitting flush against your back (much appreciated in the 40 C degree plus heat) and held up well. I would recommend this pack to anyone who enjoys travelling light but wants the functionality of a well made pack instead of a suitcase or duffle bag.