CabinZero Military Backpack 28L Review

You’re probably here because you are looking for a budget-friendly travel backpack that will work as a personal item on budget airlines. Welcome! The CabinZero Military Backpack has a simplistic design, durable materials, and a friendly price point. That’s fine and dandy, but how does it work as a travel companion? Let’s dive in!

External Components

The primary pack material is 1000D nylon, which is durable, rugged-looking, and slightly heavy. The fabric has a water-resistant coating, which does well in light precipitation. It’s best to head for cover in heavier rain rather than let it get soaked, as the thick material takes a while to dry

At the time of writing, the available colorways are Absolute Black, Navy, and Green. We dig the black and blue options because they blend in well, but the green looks army-like if you’re into that sort of thing.

The CabinZero logo is hard to miss and isn’t our favorite. The stitching makes it challenging to remove, so you will have to live with it or make other modifications. At the airport, we saw the same pack with the logo blotted out with Sharpie, which didn’t look half bad. Alternatively, you can cover it with a larger patch.

The pack utilizes YKK zippers, which we’re here for. The external zippers are beefy, which offers more protection for your gear popping out of the pack if you overstuff it. The main compartment has size 10RC zippers, which might seem like overkill, but we dig the addition. The size doesn’t impede anything, but it will add a little weight. There are also locking channels on the heads, so you can bring a lock and keep your gear even more secure.

Both sides of the pack have compression straps. This assists in making the pack smaller when you’re trying to squeeze it through airline security. You can attach gear here, too. The buckles are from Duraflex, one of the best brands in the business. There are no issues here!

The front of the pack has PALS webbing, which is handy for attaching gear. You can attach MOLLE accessories, carabiners, or straps. If you don’t like the look of this, you can opt for the CabinZero Classic Travel Backpack. We dig the inclusion of the PALS webbing on a travel backpack or daypack because it makes it much more versatile. Plus, once you’ve made it through the check-in desk, you can attach the random items you’re wearing onto the pack, like your sling or a packable jacket with a carabiner.

There are handles on the top and side, which are comfortable to use. They are well padded and feature aeration, so you won’t get as uncomfortable as you might have.

There’s one water bottle pocket; however, it won’t work well for larger bottles, like a 32-ounce Nalgene. Standard-sized models, like a 12 or 16-ounce, will likely work so long as they aren’t short and stout.

Fit Notes

The back panel is well padded and has aeration for breathability, too. There are large padded sections on the left and right, and a channel through the middle helps promote airflow. There isn’t much structure here, so it can feel a little bumpy when packed incorrectly. However, if you bring a laptop, this isn’t an issue.

The shoulder straps have padding and aeration similar to the back panel. Load lifters on the top help distribute the weight more evenly and make your back and shoulders more comfortable.

There’s a daisy chain here, too, and that’s how you attach the sternum strap. The design is funky, but it works. It’s also easily removable, which is handy if you don’t prefer a sternum strap.

The pack utilizes strap keepers, too, ensuring the harness system looks sleek and corals any extra fabric. We think this is a solid inclusion!

Overall, the harness system does well. It isn’t the most comfortable pack we’ve tested; however, it will work for most trips. We wouldn’t take it on a day-long hike, but adventures through the city to get to your hotel or Airbnb are fine.

Inside The Pack

Before we dive in, it’s worth mentioning that this pack comes in three sizes. The 28 liter works well as a personal item while the 36 liter is a solid moderate-sized option. Last, we’ve got the 44 liter, a one bag travel option for the digital nomads on a budget. Though this is a review of the 28 liter, the larger packs appear to utilize the same design.

This pack has two pockets: a secondary one and a main compartment. As we mentioned earlier, this pack has a simplistic design. This will either work for you or it won’t, and we’ll do our best to describe it so you can determine which side of the fence you sit on.

The secondary compartment has side access that enables you to get inside while wearing the pack on one shoulder. There’s no organization; however, there’s a solid amount of space here for stowing everyday gear like your phone, wallet, some snacks, and a book. If the main compartment is jam-packed with gear, it’s harder to fit stuff inside this pocket. That said, you can almost always squeeze a few things inside.

The main compartment is where the real party is. Plus, it’s a clamshell-style opening, so you can get into the nitty gritty of packing the bag and getting gear out once you arrive. Or, because there are two zipper heads, you can just open the top portion to grab something quickly.

On the flap of the clamshell, there are two pockets. The top one is crafted from mesh, and the lower is liner material. They’re both pretty large, which is ideal for stowing accessories or smaller clothing items, like socks and underwear. In our experience, these pockets are large enough to replace a small tech pouch, but that will depend on how many cables and dongles you typically bring along for the ride.

On the back wall, there’s a laptop sleeve. While this is one of the worst laptop sleeves we’ve ever encountered, we don’t actually hate it. That might be confusing, so let us explain. For us, this isn’t a backpack that we will always use with a laptop. It’s great to have a space to stow one if we need to bring a computer; however, it doesn’t get in your way if you aren’t bringing a laptop, which is one of the perks of using such a thin material. If you plan to bring a computer on every trip, we recommend choosing another laptop bag or investing in a case. The material holding your computer is thin, and it isn’t raised, which isn’t great. The padding from the back panel is nice, but it isn’t enough to reduce the damage we’ve already done to the laptop compartment’s reputation.

Other than the two zippered compartments and the chaotic laptop slider, there isn’t any other organization in the main compartment. This is something we dig about this pack because the lack of organization allows us to be versatile with what we bring along for the ride. We can stow camera cubes, large packing cubes, a tech pouch, and other large gear here because of the lack of segmentation. If you want a travel backpack that’ll give every piece of gear a home, this isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for a pack that’ll let you get crafty with what you bring along for the ride, this is a solid shout, especially for the price!