Heimplanet Transit Line Daypack 24L Review

Heimplanet’s description of the Transit Line Daypack is ambitious, to say the least. They say it’s “…the perfect solution for every trip and every day.” Why, that sounds like our kind of bag—the kind we can take to and from the office, even if that means a co-working space on the other side of the planet. Indeed, we do see the kind of versatility they’re aiming for.

It has a slight hint of travel backpack-ness, courtesy of a clamshell opening with a tub-like main compartment. On the other hand, it’s also a 24-liter daypack we can wield on a daily basis just by its comfortable pair of shoulder straps. However, trying to be both at once inevitably leads to compromise. While the Transit Line Daypack has plenty of space and organization, day-to-day accessibility feels clunky, whether it’s through the clamshell or side opening.

Yep! It has dual access to the main compartment, and it’s just one of the many design elements which make the Transit Line Daypack an interesting backpack to consider. Now, let’s get into it.

Materials & Aesthetic

Styling-wise, the Transit Line Daypack isn’t all that different from the Heimplanet bags we’ve seen before. It has a black-on-black design, topped with silvery accents courtesy of its branding. The bag’s silhouette doesn’t break the mold either; it still has that sleek urban look many brands like Peak Design, NOMATIC, and Aer have adopted. Needless to say, we’re huge fans of this design, as it fits the Digital Nomad lifestyle like nothing else.

As for colorways, you can have the Transit Line Daypack in any color you want, as long as it’s black. Yes, unfortunately, this is one of those cases where the bag is only available—at the time of writing—in gray or black (Castlerock or Black, in this case). We don’t personally mind the all-black aesthetic, but if you’re hoping for something more colorful, this isn’t it.

The main material is Heimplanet’s signature DYECOSHELL. This isn’t our first time with DYECOSHELL, as we’ve seen the fabric on the brand’s other Transit Line and Travel Pack bags. For this iteration, it’s an 840-denier nylon fabric that looks pretty textured relative to ballistic nylon, but it’s way softer to the touch. At the same time, though, it still holds up well in day-to-day use, and not like it will unravel at the mere sight of pavement.

The cherry on top is that DYECOSHELL is made sustainably using dope-dyed nylon. In a nutshell, dope dyeing is the process of adding the dye to the nylon as it’s spun instead of after the fabric is made. This process saves on a ton of water and energy, thus making it more sustainable in the long run.

The Transit Line Daypack’s construction feels great in general. In addition to the durable fabric, Heimplanet’s choice of hardware is also excellent. They’ve opted for YKK zippers, ITW-branded hardware, and a dash of Hypalon scattered around relevant areas like the shoulder straps. We’re particularly fond of the main compartment’s beefy #10 YKK zippers. They’re almost overkill for the daypack category but in a good “better-overbuilt-than-sorry” kind of way.

External Components

The shoulder straps on the 24-liter Transit Line Daypack may look thin at first, but that’s relative to how wide it is. Regardless, they feel comfortable to wear thanks to their cushy padding and slightly curved shape. We’ve generally liked the comfort given by the shoulder straps on Heimplanet’s backpacks, but that’s not to say we haven’t had our fair share of bad experiences, either.

On the first iteration of their Travel Pack, the included sternum strap had the tendency to fall off because of how the loops are spaced. Secondly, we’ve found their waist straps not very supportive in distributing weight, which is a big deal when it comes to larger bags. Fortunately, since the Transit Line Daypack is on the smaller side, it doesn’t have a sternum or a waist strap, nor does it really need one. You have the option to attach either or both (they’re separate purchases) since the bag has the loops for it, but the shoulder straps handle the weight and size just fine on their own.

Let’s take a closer look at those shoulder straps.

Starting from the top, there’s a set of seven Hypalon loops on each strap, the topmost being almost vertical. As mentioned earlier, this is where we’d typically mount a sternum strap. However, since we’re not using one, we mostly keep these loops vacant, occasionally attaching a carabiner or a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

The ends of the straps are also layered with Hypalon. To our eyes, it’s a great way to really accent the gray fabric with a helping of matte black. It also tapers off cleanly to the slick nylon straps and plastic ITW adjusters. To top it off, Heimplanet thoughtfully includes strap keepers to keep the bag dangle-free. With the absence of any extra straps, the Transit Line maintains its sleek looks with little effort.

The back panel is mostly flat and structured with no mesh material, which we usually prefer to have for the sake of breathability. Not that there isn’t any; some of the hot air gets exhausted through the middle, although it’s a very minimal and shallow air channel. Still, having the Transit Line Daypack on our back for a long period is not unbearable by any means.

Embedded in the middle is a nylon strap acting as the luggage pass-through. The bag sits on rolling luggage sideways, but before you mock it, Heimplanet has accounted for this in the internal organization, as we shall see later.

At the front, there are also four loops tucked into the bag’s dimples, one on each corner. You can hook optional straps here for externally carrying bulky items like yoga mats and shoes. Alternatively, you can also attach decorative keychains or luggage tags if you wish to do so.

Lastly, the Transit Line Daypack does have a pair of handles: one at the top and one at the side. The top handle is comfortably padded, and so is the side handle. However, the side handle’s lack of reinforcement causes the bag to sag when carried briefcase-style. It’ll do for short trips to and from the car, but we wouldn’t use it for longer than that.

Inside The Backpack

The bag’s front pocket has a sideways opening (keep this in mind—it’s going to be a recurring theme), complete with a Hypalon zipper garage at the end to help keep the opening sealed when shut. Heimplanet even goes a step further and puts a tiny slit on the Hypalon to account for the zipper pull. No worries, the slit doesn’t defeat the purpose of sealing the gap. In fact, the fit between the two components makes it better—nice attention to detail there.

We’ve more often than not praised Heimplanet’s backpacks for having good liter-independent compartments. Simply put, this means compartments aren’t fighting for volume when you pack them out. The same can be said for the Transit Line Daypack’s front pocket. Packing out the main compartment only has minimal impact, never feeling overly cramped inside.

Coverage is also good. We’re able to stuff a packable backpack inside without much effort. As for wide items, an A5-sized notebook also slots in nicely, so that should give you an idea of how much space there is. Visibility isn’t bad either, thanks to the silverish interior liner.

The Transit Line Daypack also has a quick-access pocket on the right near the back panel. This isn’t our ideal location for a quick-access pocket. We prefer such pockets to be at the top where it’s easy to access when we have the bag standing on the floor. That’s not to say this one doesn’t have its perks.

The right side position means it’s easily accessible with a quick swing from the right shoulder, making a good spot for a passport or tickets. If we have any other gripe with this pocket, it’s that it’s a bit shallow. It’s wide enough to fit a relatively huge iPhone 13 Pro Max, but the leftover headroom is less than an inch.

Finally, we come to the main compartment. Now, the label may say “daypack,” but there’s a hint of travel backpack here as well because the compartment opens up fully clamshell-style. Additionally, there’s also a side opening that grants quick access to the laptop sleeve inside. In theory, this gives you the best of both worlds: a clamshell opening for easy packing and a side opening for on-the-go quick access. However, it’s not very cohesive with the interior organization in practice.

Did you make a note of all the side openings and side-related aspects of the bag? Good, because it continues once you get into the interior. The front side of the laptop sleeve has sideways-facing stretchy liner pockets, with two wide ones flanking two pen pockets. Their sideways orientation means items won’t fall out when you have the bag on rolling luggage.

Bags on rolling luggage tend to stay there for a while, so it’ll be nice to know that your chargers and pens aren’t let loose while you’re waiting for your flight. At the same time, the pocket’s stretchy fabric does have enough grip that a vertical carry (i.e., normal backpack carry) doesn’t put items at risk of falling out.

Our main issue with this style of organization is access-related. When we have the interior packed out with packing cubes and/or clothing, getting to these pockets requires some maneuvering when accessed through the clamshell. They’re easier to reach through the side opening, but even then, the pen pockets are too recessed. We prefer a separate admin panel, like on the 18-liter Vanquest ADDAX-18 or 20-liter Aer Flight Pack 3. On those bags, internal organization for accessories is handled by a standalone compartment, while another is reserved for bulkier items (i.e., clothing, packing cubes, pouches, toiletry bags, etc.).

The main compartment has enough space for a couple of small packing cubes. We’re using Heimplanet’s, and the 2-liter size seems to be the better fit versus the larger 4-liter. The process of packing is easy thanks to the clamshell design, though the sidewalls are by no means as tall as you would find on a travel backpack. As mentioned already, we highly recommend using packing cubes to make access to the internal pockets easier.

Meanwhile, the laptop sleeve fits our 16-inch MacBook Pro without a hitch. The sleeve is adequately padded at the back and the front. Our only nitpick here is that the large VELCRO target of the locking tab does interfere with the two pen pockets below; we would’ve preferred it to be wider rather than longer to avoid this.

Towards the front, there’s a zippered mesh pocket for loose clothing like a jacket or some socks and gloves. The mesh doesn’t have a ton of stretch, though the pocket has enough space for such bulky clothing. Above is a zippered pocket, which can be used as another quick-access pocket, provided that you place the main compartment’s zippers at the top.

There are also two loops along the edge where you can hang additional accessories. We used one of the loops to hang our Apple AirTag using an Orbitkey Slim Case and a Nite Ize S-Biner Microlock. The loops are not quite as elegant of a solution as Aer’s built-in smart tracker pocket, but they are more versatile.

Overall, the Transit Line Daypack’s single-compartment approach is its biggest weakness. Accessibility isn’t bad per se, but once it starts to get crowded and lumpy inside, convenience takes somewhat of a hit. We do like that Heimplanet made sure that the side opening is combined with similarly sideways organization. Combined with top-notch materials and construction, it’s a level of attention to detail that we can get behind.