Elements Travel Backpack Features

This bag, while pretty sleek in its shape and build, manages to pack a lot of features into itself, which I love to see. Options are always a good thing for folks when packing because no one out there really packs the same. It’s a super personal thing.

On the outside, we’ve got a nice and deep admin style pocket that does have a little bit of its own volume so you can use this for more than flat documents and accessories. Below that, there is another, flat pocket with a weather protecting flap on it. Interesting design choice but still functional, and looks nice. The admin pocket has lots of compartments to play around with and the interior is nice and high vis (this goes for the entire bag, actually).

Additionally on the outside, you’ve got quite a few lash points for attaching straps (two included as mentioned). Side compression strap with metal hardware (note: just one). Loadlifter straps (a dying breed it seems on packs in this size range). Magnetic sternum strap. Gusseted water bottle pocket that’s not huge but is fine for most people that aren’t trying to take an entire lake with them. Lastly there is a secondary side storage pocket that’s great for some quick grab items (the larger slip pocket in it fits my iPhone 16 Pro just fine). Also worth noting the admin front pocket has a hidden Airtag spot. Nice.

While I saw no branding, zippers are YKK, and they are all “aquaguard”. For the laptop, main compartment, and admin pocket - they are also locking in case you need that extra piece of mind.

There is a luggage pass through on the back (more info later on this). 

The straps are nice and wide, and they have an interesting 3D diamond pattern on them.

Moving inside, there’s more to discuss here. The bag opens in a vertical clamshell style rather than a suitcase style clam shell. Not my preference, but this is a personal thing. There are more zippered pockets on the inside of this flap, but those get harder to use depending on what you have in the front pocket. There are convenient mesh pockets on each side of the main compartment, too. Lastly, you’ve got a bunch of molle webbing inside to help find uses for Alpaka’s modular stuff, of which there is quite a bit to explore. Again, this bag has options.

The Bad

I did have some nits to pick with this bag. 

The first would be the color and look of the Axoflux. It’s VERY military looking in the green. That’s OK for some - but it looks like a straight up army coat color in real life. I know olive/army green is a trend now, and it looks awesome on X-pac. But in this fabric it was a little too authentic/true green, if that makes sense. I also didn’t love the look of the blue version. So, I’d stick with black or definitely the X-pac versions.

When packing, the bag FELT a little small for 35L. Might just be my choice of cubes and how they Tetris’d in, or because I had the compressions too tight and I sabotaged myself. But, it just felt a little tight and maybe the volume on the front of the pack cuts down on the packable volume. I think for anyone that is experienced in packing down slim and knows exactly what they like and are streamlined, this won’t be an issue. But for trouble packers or maximalists or newbies, this probably won’t be your bag. Add a pair of shoes or camera and things will get tight quickly, gear depending. Just things to consider. Additionally, maybe I did leave some volume on the table, but just describing the feel of it.

Then, that luggage passthrough. What the heck? This is placed “off center” on the back of the bag. So that creates an entirely poorly balanced scenario when you do stick this on top of the roller. It’s a very odd choice that was very noticeable in practice and I was kind of flabbergasted when I noticed. It doesn’t make it unusable or anything - let’s not be dramatic. But it also doesn’t make sense to me other than they had to compromise somehow based on their design of the back padding and channels. Weird.

Alpaka, man you make some great stuff. But the harness system on this hip belt? What in the what? Folks - NO reviewer has mentioned this either in video or in writing (at least that I could find). But I’ve never in my life seen a belt with both standard pinch clips, as well as G-hooks. It made ZERO sense to me and I found it BAFFLING. What the shit was I supposed to do with the g-hooks? But that begs the question - why is this even a risk on a hip belt? Why over complicate it this much? The clasp should be the easiest part of the entire thing. So, I’d add an FAQ, video, or consider updating that design. Sure you could say I was a little dense, but literally every other hip belt out there: pass it through the velcro holding, fasting the clips, tighten the straps. Done. For this one, the hip belt straps have an EXTRA set of straps that actually need to be threaded BACK UNDER the pockets, and g-hooked to some quasi hidden loops. This creates the tension in the rest of the belt. Fine. But Christ on roller skates, put a diagram on the product page or something. Or maybe have the g-hooks pre-threaded backwards already so it makes sense. Maybe this was just a QA issue and mine wasn’t pre-threaded but yours will be. It would make more sense why no one mentioned this if it’s normally “pre-threaded”. I have to laugh a little bit though because that took me DAYs to figure it out. And my wife, who is a designer and is used to clips and working with her hands, had no sniff how to do this either. Pictures here so you can visualize what I mean and hopefully I will save you some trouble. It works! But boy did I have to earn that one.