By Charlie Pankey
The Best Travel Backpack I’ve Ever Owned
I’m 56 years old, and for most of my life my travel strategy could best be described as… a duffel bag. Throw everything inside, zip it shut, and hope I remembered socks. If you asked my wife to describe my packing style, she’d probably refer to is as, a travelers hot mess. Honestly, she wouldn’t be wrong.
For years I never thought much about travel luggage. Most of my adventures revolved around road trips into the Sierra Nevada, camping weekends, backpacking trips or chasing stories for Sierra Rec Magazine. A duffel bag always seemed good enough because I was focused on the destination, not how I packed to get there.
Earlier this spring, Matador sent me its new 45L Global Travel Pack to begin testing before the company’s completely redesigned travel collection officially launches this fall. I remember being in intrigued with its design and function at the Oma Event in Denver. Another trip where i had packed in a duffle bag.
This fall Matador isn’t just introducing a few new products this fall. The company has completely reinvented its travel lineup around a simple philosophy: thoughtful design, purposeful organization and gear built specifically for the way people travel today. It isn’t a refresh. As the catalog boldly states, “This isn’t a rebrand. It’s a reinvention.”
Over the past four months that backpack has traveled with me through Washington, Oregon and Idaho. It’s ridden in the back of my Avalanche, carried through airports, hauled into hotels and packed for weekend camping trips. For me I meant I stopped reaching for my old duffel bag—and that’s probably the highest compliment I can give it.
Sierra Rec Field Tested
Time Tested: March–July 2026 (4+ Months)
Where It Traveled: Washington • Oregon • Idaho • Airports • Hotels • Road Trips • Campgrounds
Best For: Frequent travelers, road trips, weekend adventures and one-bag travel
Not Ideal For: Ultralight backpacking or travelers looking for an under-seat personal item (it works but its big)
Sierra Rec Recommendation: ★★★★★ Highly Recommended – Love this piece
At Sierra Rec, we believe the best gear reviews come after months of use—not a weekend of testing.
The Biggest Surprise Wasn’t the Backpack
The biggest surprise wasn’t how much the backpack could carry or how comfortable it felt. It was really how simple it was to pack and organize. Everything had a place, everything was easy to reach and with the new packing cubes everything fit. (Im a classic over packer)
For the first time everything had a place. My laptop was protected and easy to reach. Charging cables stopped disappearing. My wallet, sunglasses and headphones were always where I expected them to be. Even the top access pocket, which seemed like a small feature at first, quickly became the one I used dozens of times during every trip. Surprising how many times Im reaching for gum, snacks, wanted a safe place for me keys etc..
Matador calls this Dual Access Architecture™—quick access while you’re traveling, full clamshell access when it’s time to unpack. I didn’t know the name while I was testing it. I just knew I wasn’t living out of one giant compartment anymore. The clamshell access, proves to be the game changer on longer trips. Its the moment that you realize this “Backpack” is a true world traveler bag. I felt like I had a large Luggage carrier, divided, neat, easy access. The interior mess zip areas also meant nothing fell out of place when i opened the bag.
Every Detail Feels Intentional
The longer I carried this backpack, the more I appreciated the little things.
The fabric feels durable without looking overly technical. The handles are exactly where your hand expects them to be. The deep water bottle pocket actually holds a full-size bottle securely. The laptop sleeve is easy to access, whether you’re standing in an airport security line or unloading at a hotel.
Then there are the zippers.
Normally, zippers are something I notice only when they fail. These Zippers look good and feel strong. They opened smoothly every single time, even when I had the bag packed tighter than I probably should have. Later I learned Matador had actually developed its own DuraGlideâ„¢ zipper system specifically for this collection.
That explained why they stood out. Another note, if you get this bag, take your time and study all the zippers, there are pockets i didn’t find until trip two when i got home… this thing has space.
Comfortable Without Pretending to Be a Backpacking Pack
It’s important to understand what this backpack is—and what it isn’t.
This isn’t an ultralight backpack built for twenty-mile days on the trail. It isn’t trying to compete with my backpacking gear, and I never expected it to.
What it is, however, is one of the most comfortable travel backpacks I’ve carried. Whether I was walking through airports, carrying it into hotels or hauling it from the Jeep to camp, it always felt balanced and comfortable. I appreciated having multiple ways to carry it. Sometimes I’d throw it over one shoulder for a quick walk. Other times I’d grab one of the sturdy carry handles. When the distance got longer, it rode comfortably on my back.
Traveling through the airport in Seattle, I Loved that my entire trip was on my back, it carried like a comfortable day pack, easily slide under the chair at the Brewery upstairs before the flight, then once on the plane fits comfortably in baggage department or under the seat if the water bottle is not in the side pocket.
It simply adapted to the way I travel.
The Part I Didn’t Think I’d Like
The backpack wasn’t the only thing Matador sent me.
Along with it came the new Gear Cube Set, a three-piece organization system designed to separate clothing, shoes and travel gear. My first thought was pretty simple: These look like something my wife is going to love.
I’ve never been a packing cube guy. Ok well I did use them backpacking two years ago, they have there advantages for certain.
After spending most of my life living out of duffel bags, adding another layer of organization honestly sounded like more work.
Turns out I was wrong.
I found myself keeping shirts together, socks in another cube and camping clothes separated from everything else. Instead of digging through a pile of clothes every morning, I knew exactly where things were. The backpack deserves most of the credit, but the Gear Cube Set completes the experience by making the entire packing system work together.
I’m not ready to review the cubes on their own just yet. They deserve their own story after a few more trips. But they’ve already convinced me that good organization isn’t about being obsessive—it’s about spending less time looking for your gear and more time enjoying the places you traveled to see.
A Couple Things Worth Mentioning
No piece of gear is perfect, and this one isn’t either.
For my style of travel, the removable hip belt feels like more than I personally need. If I were traveling internationally for weeks with a fully loaded pack, I’d probably appreciate the extra support. My Son and I are planning a trip in Spain in a couple years to hike the Camino, this pack might hold up to a trip like that. For weekend travel, though, I myself am not using it.
I also wonder about airline personal-item rules. This is a true 45-liter travel pack, and one of the things I love most about it is how much gear it carries. That same capacity, however, makes me question whether a fully loaded bag would fit under every airline seat. As a carry-on? Absolutely. As a personal item? I’d check with your airline before assuming it’ll slide under the seat. I was able to slide a half full two night trip from Seattle to Denver under the seat with my water bottle tucked inside. I don’t think it would have fit full and with side pockets used.
Final Thoughts
After four months with the Matador 45L Global Travel Pack, I can easily say Matador has built a better travel experience for me.
If you are a hiker or backpacker, I think you are going to love the feel of this pack. If you are world traveler that is looking to slightly downsize and have a different level of personal security with your luggage, this bag is a champ.
For me, The 45L pack allows me to over pack, be organized and travel how I like. Comfortable, in control and not embarrassing my wife. I love how easy it is to pack, how it feels like it doesn’t mind if i just toss it in the seat and go.
I don’t know if the Matador 45L Global Travel Pack made me a better traveler. It definitely made me a more organized one.
My wife would probably tell you that was long overdue.
Related Sierra Rec Gear Reviews
Coming Soon
- Matador Gear Cube Set Review
- Matador FlatPak Travel Soap Bar Case Review
- Best Travel Backpacks for Outdoor Adventures
- One-Bag Travel for National Parks & Road Trips
