For once, here is a little feedback. I bought this bag for a road trip in Canada (I'm Belgian). Everything was fine until the zipper on the bag broke after 2 weeks. So I'm in Canada with a defective bag. I had to urgently buy two bags to replace it (a cabin bag and a small bag for every day). With the added inconvenience of having to put this faulty bag in my luggage. I wrote a message to Tropicfeel explaining the situation and returning the bag from Canada and getting a refund. And, drum roll: they don't care. They really don't care. They send me pre-made messages telling me to follow the procedure online. Except that the procedure just allows me to send the bag back from Belgium and have another one delivered to Belgium. I don't know what to do or who to contact. They say they listen to travelers but that's not true. It's just a brand that manufactures bags and at no time does their business model correspond to the reality of a traveler's life. The products are good but if you have a problem with a defective product, it's just dead. Run away.
Thank you, I saw the commercials and was intrigued. Your review really helped me decide against it. It bothers me that the lowest department is basically open. I don't want wet shoes or a wet sleeping bag just because of one downpour. There should really be a zipper there. Two, I don't like the way the top flap is designed. It also doesn't look particularly rainproof and seems a bit too easy to reach into. Three, I prefer packing cubes over the wardrobe style. You saved me a lot of money
I totally agree , buy this if you're looking for a versatile backpack that can be used in many scenarios. In my case I just got it because I fly a lot flow cost , wizz ryanair and this works amazing for the personal item backpack. I think for 1-2 weeks trips in cities or if I would do some hiking , it's perfect. And btw I don't rly like the wardrobe , the concept is cool but for me was quite pricey and I prefer packing cubes.
I do lots of budget flights in Europe too and only like to take a personal item on the plane to save money. I've heard some say this bag won't fit under the seat. How well does it go?
@@williamarnold5826 it's not technically small enough for some of the most strict ones like ryanair, but in practice it will probably fit, perhaps unless you really pack it full/extended
Thanks for the review. However, i have decided against buying this one mainly for 2 reasons. 1. The price (probably my main reason) To get to use the full backpack you need to buy 2/3 accesories additionally to the base backpack, which atleast in europe is around 350-400€. Honestly for this price i can get the Osprey Farpoint, a camera backpack and a small everyday pack, which all have better use for in specific situations that the tropicalfeel shell 2. The "closet" seems to bulky for me. If i want to organize my stuff, i'll just take some basic amazon travel organiser, which takes less space and adds less weight. Even if i want to just drop them in the hostel, i'll just drop 1/2/3 of the organzier bags instead of one. Still have to admit that the whole backpack is really thought through and a nice try to get a all-in-one solution, but the price is really to high
Yeah good points! I'd say the Shell + Wardrobe + 1 Accessory offers the best value at €289 (most people probably don't need the tech pouch and the toiletry pouch for instance... you just choose one). That's a bit better than 400 but still definitely premium priced. I'm personally usually not so convinced by hybrids (I prefer specialized bags) but in the video wanted to be fair to the general concept of the shell. But I probably agree in part with you :) Different pros and cons depending on how you look at it!
@@indietraveller Totally. However, i my case i'd need at least 2 accessories (camera bag + toiletry). I feel like, if you do not buy the accessories the intention of how you should use the bag gets kinda lost. For example, if you only go for the Shell and Wardrobe, you could also go for a "normal" travel back pack and get some wardrobe organziers from amazon and you'd safe probably half the money and got more space to store your stuff. Still nice concept and definetly worth for some people, but i cant see myself travelling 2-3 months with it. It'd say its more like a weekend escape backpack
I ordered mine while in the Netherlands and I got the toiletry bag + wardrobe with my Shell for €250 (down from the usual €360). I ordered it while it was on sale plus I have student discounts, lucky me. I would NOT recommend this backpack otherwise, only buy it if it were on sale
I recommend if you still need one backpack to buy the newest backpack that tropicfeel has. It's has better improvements and also it's a litter cheaper. I have the shell backpack and it's okey but the newest it's a better option. Thanks!!!
i am concerned about the price. We are not able to get the price indication at this point in time. i think i am not a frequent traveller and i may bot even trek the trails or the mountains. So the main backpack is good enough for my every day carry use. Should i need to go for capsule-wardrobe short or long trip travels, i can easily attached cheaper range of packing cubes and slot into the external pocket and secure with a provsion-shop long-string (for drying clothes in hotels/hostels). i can also use the lower portion for my extra pair of shoes/sandals or wet clothes. So, i find the main backpack is good enough as by itself, it already caters to many extension.
Thanks for the review! I have two questions about this bag… 1) Is it really 3lbs (before putting anything in?)? That feels so heavy for a day bag? 2) How big is the center compartment if you didn’t get the wardrobe and didn’t get the toiletry bag? I tend to overpack and find that a 28L is tight, so I worry I’ll have a hard time getting to my laptop when everything is packed. Any advice is welcome, thanks!
the laptop is against the back in its own compartment, so i think u should be able to reach it ok even when fully packed ^^ i'll receive the backpack in 10 days or so, so if u want, reply to my comment and i'll try to give u confirmation!
Hey! I’ve got a doubt I’m hoping maybe you could help me with. I’m gonna go away for maybe 3/4/5 years who knows. And I was planning on taking the Fairview 70 as a main long term backpack, for my summer, winter, etc clothes. Then I was torn to take as a second backpack (carry it on the front on my chest only until I get to the place) between the Fairview 40, the Porter 30 o this Shell. Now, secondary backpack will be carrying my laptop, my cameras, all the electronics I don’t want to put in the big Fairview 70 to check in. I also want it as a secondary travel backpack, let’s say I’m living in Vietnam and I’m going away for a week or a month to Japan, id probably need to take a laptop to work and then enough clothes and stuff. That’s why I’m not sure which secondary backpack I should pick. The Fairview 40 sounds amazing since it’s big and carry, but I’m not sure about the laptop compartment and if it’s been updated to the back. The porter 30 sounds good but my laptop is 15” 6 and they say it hold up to 15”, so not sure if it would work. And now the Shell it says it expands from 22 to 40 like the Fairview 40 but for some reason it doesn’t look as spacious as this one. I’m going crazy right now, and I’m going a 20 days trips to Mexico and I’m not sure which one of them to buy now. As long as my laptop, cameras, and clothes fit… I’m happy but I’m just confused. Scared that the Fairview 40 would end up be too big when I carry it on my chest with the 70 on my back.
no, not included, it's an accessory you can buy separately. But you can use the kangoroo pouch at the bottom as a dirty clothes bag i suppose, and that's included!
Hmm probably, but the tabs are short and fairly stiff so they may not bend and stay that way easily. I'm travelling now (with another pack) so I can't try it out though
Do we even know what materials they even use? Like is it YKK zippers? Is it similar to Cordura nylon fabric? None of this information is on their website, which makes me think they are using cheaper materials but charge a premium.
I don't get into the materials much as it's a lot more complicated than it seems. YKK and Cordura are brands, not types of material. Denier ratings are seemingly more objective but one type of 200d can be much stronger than 400d. So what I generally offer is my subjective assessment
@@indietraveller That is true. But at least I know YKK are far more durable and consistent in quality. Are you able to verify if they are YKK zippers (they should have the branding on it)? The materials should be more than sufficient for practical use anyways... I wouldn't be expecting tears or cuts.
@@Cooper-gh8zt from all the reviews of the backpack i've seen, it may not be the top of the line materials, but they're solid and good enough (most people seem happy and to find it durable, with only a few exceptions who had problems with it)
Ill add some feedback myself, although I didn't buy the Shell I bought the Nest. The wardrobe DOES NOT WORK. So its good you didn't buy one. No matter what I did it wasn't even able to fit into the bag, it was completly defective and overpriced...What did TropicFeel do? Offered me 10% of my original purchase 30 dollars on a roughly $300 purchase. The bag as was showing wear and tear after less than a month of light everyday use...I also bought shoes from them...they fell apart after my first hike...DO NOT BUY TROPICFEEL crap overpriced products.
Wow, sorry to hear that! Sounds really awful. To be honest I've heard several negative stories about Tropicfeel's durability and (lack of) customer service lately... starting to look like a pattern.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience🫂 I want to point out though that it's not an issue of the wardrobe: the wardrobe is not designed to fit the Nest. It fits the Shell, the Hive, and the Shelter. They show is quite clearly on their website, and that's why for the Nest and Nook they use packing cubes instead. Might this also be why they didn't do more than give you a 10% off? Though sorry for the wear and tear🫂
@@nicolasorozco1477 but where did you see the wardrobe being an accessory for the Nest? I don't see this anywhere on site, it's not designed for the Nest. In any case, still sending you some hugs because I can imagine how frustrating it must be to have ordered that with it and for it not to work🫂🧡
@@ZachAgape I bought it over a year ago its possible they changed the configuration of the site and acesssories. In my research I wasn't the only person who had accessory issues. So its possible they removed that option. I even have the customer service emails still telling me that they test the acessories on every backpack model.
For once, here is a little feedback. I bought this bag for a road trip in Canada (I'm Belgian). Everything was fine until the zipper on the bag broke after 2 weeks. So I'm in Canada with a defective bag. I had to urgently buy two bags to replace it (a cabin bag and a small bag for every day). With the added inconvenience of having to put this faulty bag in my luggage. I wrote a message to Tropicfeel explaining the situation and returning the bag from Canada and getting a refund. And, drum roll: they don't care. They really don't care. They send me pre-made messages telling me to follow the procedure online. Except that the procedure just allows me to send the bag back from Belgium and have another one delivered to Belgium. I don't know what to do or who to contact. They say they listen to travelers but that's not true. It's just a brand that manufactures bags and at no time does their business model correspond to the reality of a traveler's life. The products are good but if you have a problem with a defective product, it's just dead. Run away.
Thank you for your honesty! I’m looking for a backpack for a road trip down under, glad I’ve read your comment, before buying one.
I just used it for 2,5 weeks Nicaragua and totally love it!
Thank you, I saw the commercials and was intrigued. Your review really helped me decide against it. It bothers me that the lowest department is basically open. I don't want wet shoes or a wet sleeping bag just because of one downpour. There should really be a zipper there. Two, I don't like the way the top flap is designed. It also doesn't look particularly rainproof and seems a bit too easy to reach into. Three, I prefer packing cubes over the wardrobe style. You saved me a lot of money
Really glad you found this useful!
I totally agree , buy this if you're looking for a versatile backpack that can be used in many scenarios. In my case I just got it because I fly a lot flow cost , wizz ryanair and this works amazing for the personal item backpack. I think for 1-2 weeks trips in cities or if I would do some hiking , it's perfect. And btw I don't rly like the wardrobe , the concept is cool but for me was quite pricey and I prefer packing cubes.
I do lots of budget flights in Europe too and only like to take a personal item on the plane to save money. I've heard some say this bag won't fit under the seat. How well does it go?
@@williamarnold5826 it's not technically small enough for some of the most strict ones like ryanair, but in practice it will probably fit, perhaps unless you really pack it full/extended
Thanks for the review. However, i have decided against buying this one mainly for 2 reasons.
1. The price (probably my main reason)
To get to use the full backpack you need to buy 2/3 accesories additionally to the base backpack, which atleast in europe is around 350-400€.
Honestly for this price i can get the Osprey Farpoint, a camera backpack and a small everyday pack, which all have better use for in specific situations that the tropicalfeel shell
2. The "closet" seems to bulky for me. If i want to organize my stuff, i'll just take some basic amazon travel organiser, which takes less space and adds less weight. Even if i want to just drop them in the hostel, i'll just drop 1/2/3 of the organzier bags instead of one.
Still have to admit that the whole backpack is really thought through and a nice try to get a all-in-one solution, but the price is really to high
Yeah good points! I'd say the Shell + Wardrobe + 1 Accessory offers the best value at €289 (most people probably don't need the tech pouch and the toiletry pouch for instance... you just choose one). That's a bit better than 400 but still definitely premium priced.
I'm personally usually not so convinced by hybrids (I prefer specialized bags) but in the video wanted to be fair to the general concept of the shell. But I probably agree in part with you :) Different pros and cons depending on how you look at it!
@@indietraveller Totally. However, i my case i'd need at least 2 accessories (camera bag + toiletry). I feel like, if you do not buy the accessories the intention of how you should use the bag gets kinda lost.
For example, if you only go for the Shell and Wardrobe, you could also go for a "normal" travel back pack and get some wardrobe organziers from amazon and you'd safe probably half the money and got more space to store your stuff. Still nice concept and definetly worth for some people, but i cant see myself travelling 2-3 months with it. It'd say its more like a weekend escape backpack
I paid 285 (which is still a lot, I know) for the backpack + toiletry bag.
I still could not use it but I am in love with it.
I ordered mine while in the Netherlands and I got the toiletry bag + wardrobe with my Shell for €250 (down from the usual €360). I ordered it while it was on sale plus I have student discounts, lucky me. I would NOT recommend this backpack otherwise, only buy it if it were on sale
Thanks for the review! I am looking for a pack that I can use year-round, I think you've convinced me :)
I recommend if you still need one backpack to buy the newest backpack that tropicfeel has. It's has better improvements and also it's a litter cheaper. I have the shell backpack and it's okey but the newest it's a better option. Thanks!!!
i am concerned about the price. We are not able to get the price indication at this point in time.
i think i am not a frequent traveller and i may bot even trek the trails or the mountains. So the main backpack is good enough for my every day carry use.
Should i need to go for capsule-wardrobe short or long trip travels, i can easily attached cheaper range of packing cubes and slot into the external pocket and secure with a provsion-shop long-string (for drying clothes in hotels/hostels). i can also use the lower portion for my extra pair of shoes/sandals or wet clothes.
So, i find the main backpack is good enough as by itself, it already caters to many extension.
Thanks for the review! I have two questions about this bag…
1) Is it really 3lbs (before putting anything in?)? That feels so heavy for a day bag?
2) How big is the center compartment if you didn’t get the wardrobe and didn’t get the toiletry bag? I tend to overpack and find that a 28L is tight, so I worry I’ll have a hard time getting to my laptop when everything is packed. Any advice is welcome, thanks!
the laptop is against the back in its own compartment, so i think u should be able to reach it ok even when fully packed ^^ i'll receive the backpack in 10 days or so, so if u want, reply to my comment and i'll try to give u confirmation!
Thanks for the review!
Hey! I’ve got a doubt I’m hoping maybe you could help me with. I’m gonna go away for maybe 3/4/5 years who knows. And I was planning on taking the Fairview 70 as a main long term backpack, for my summer, winter, etc clothes.
Then I was torn to take as a second backpack (carry it on the front on my chest only until I get to the place) between the Fairview 40, the Porter 30 o this Shell. Now, secondary backpack will be carrying my laptop, my cameras, all the electronics I don’t want to put in the big Fairview 70 to check in. I also want it as a secondary travel backpack, let’s say I’m living in Vietnam and I’m going away for a week or a month to Japan, id probably need to take a laptop to work and then enough clothes and stuff. That’s why I’m not sure which secondary backpack I should pick. The Fairview 40 sounds amazing since it’s big and carry, but I’m not sure about the laptop compartment and if it’s been updated to the back.
The porter 30 sounds good but my laptop is 15” 6 and they say it hold up to 15”, so not sure if it would work.
And now the Shell it says it expands from 22 to 40 like the Fairview 40 but for some reason it doesn’t look as spacious as this one.
I’m going crazy right now, and I’m going a 20 days trips to Mexico and I’m not sure which one of them to buy now. As long as my laptop, cameras, and clothes fit… I’m happy but I’m just confused.
Scared that the Fairview 40 would end up be too big when I carry it on my chest with the 70 on my back.
It’ll be Indeed too big. I have the fairview 55 as check in bag and the Talon 22 to carry on my chest and find it huge. But hey, I’m a short girl 😅
what did u get and how did it go in the end?
Nice review, thanks!
You're welcome!
Helo, thanks for the review. The shell backpack comes with a dirty clothes bag as well?
no, not included, it's an accessory you can buy separately. But you can use the kangoroo pouch at the bottom as a dirty clothes bag i suppose, and that's included!
i was wondnering on the outside pouch couldnt you tuck the tabs in a little so they go unseen to someone who might pull them?
Hmm probably, but the tabs are short and fairly stiff so they may not bend and stay that way easily. I'm travelling now (with another pack) so I can't try it out though
@@indietraveller what pack have you been/are travelling with?
@Minecraftrok999 right now it's mainly farpoint 40 or peak design 45l
Do we even know what materials they even use? Like is it YKK zippers? Is it similar to Cordura nylon fabric? None of this information is on their website, which makes me think they are using cheaper materials but charge a premium.
I don't get into the materials much as it's a lot more complicated than it seems. YKK and Cordura are brands, not types of material. Denier ratings are seemingly more objective but one type of 200d can be much stronger than 400d. So what I generally offer is my subjective assessment
@@indietraveller That is true. But at least I know YKK are far more durable and consistent in quality. Are you able to verify if they are YKK zippers (they should have the branding on it)? The materials should be more than sufficient for practical use anyways... I wouldn't be expecting tears or cuts.
@@Cooper-gh8zt from all the reviews of the backpack i've seen, it may not be the top of the line materials, but they're solid and good enough (most people seem happy and to find it durable, with only a few exceptions who had problems with it)
Ill add some feedback myself, although I didn't buy the Shell I bought the Nest. The wardrobe DOES NOT WORK. So its good you didn't buy one. No matter what I did it wasn't even able to fit into the bag, it was completly defective and overpriced...What did TropicFeel do? Offered me 10% of my original purchase 30 dollars on a roughly $300 purchase. The bag as was showing wear and tear after less than a month of light everyday use...I also bought shoes from them...they fell apart after my first hike...DO NOT BUY TROPICFEEL crap overpriced products.
Wow, sorry to hear that! Sounds really awful. To be honest I've heard several negative stories about Tropicfeel's durability and (lack of) customer service lately... starting to look like a pattern.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience🫂 I want to point out though that it's not an issue of the wardrobe: the wardrobe is not designed to fit the Nest. It fits the Shell, the Hive, and the Shelter. They show is quite clearly on their website, and that's why for the Nest and Nook they use packing cubes instead. Might this also be why they didn't do more than give you a 10% off? Though sorry for the wear and tear🫂
@@ZachAgape yes I bought the acessories strictly made for the Nest and still didn't fit properly.
@@nicolasorozco1477 but where did you see the wardrobe being an accessory for the Nest? I don't see this anywhere on site, it's not designed for the Nest. In any case, still sending you some hugs because I can imagine how frustrating it must be to have ordered that with it and for it not to work🫂🧡
@@ZachAgape I bought it over a year ago its possible they changed the configuration of the site and acesssories. In my research I wasn't the only person who had accessory issues. So its possible they removed that option. I even have the customer service emails still telling me that they test the acessories on every backpack model.