Tortuga Expandable Backpack Review

Ever wondered what happens when the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro and Travel Backpack Lite have a baby? We don’t usually think about such stuff, but the Tortuga Expandable Backpack is definitely the closest combination we probably could’ve imagined. Featuring nearly the same full-fledged comfortable harness system of the brand’s Pro-level backpacks while keeping the lightweight spirit of the Lite, the Tortuga Expandable Backpack makes things more interesting by offering expansion functionality for those who want extra space, just in case.

Like all of Tortuga’s gear, there are plenty of features to discuss, so let’s dive in.

External Components

The main material is 630-denier CORDURA® ballistic nylon, one of Tortuga’s primary fabric choices, the other being SHELL200. This is the “softer” of the two, meaning it’s comparatively lighter and more flexible. Their decision to go with this fabric may or may not be directly linked to the bag’s expandable nature (softer bags are inherently easier to expand). However, we can definitely say we prefer the 630D fabric for its lightness compared to SHELL200, which makes just enough of a difference to be felt once you’re carrying the bag. Mind you, there’s no SHELL200 version of this bag to compare with, so it might just be the bag’s soft structure making an impression on us.

Nevertheless, the fabric is quite durable, having that very abrasive-resistant look, thanks to how the nylon is woven. It’s not as hardcore as the 1680-denier beast we see on other travel backpacks, but this is more than enough for a bag that will mostly see house-airport-hotel journeys. In our case, two weeks of testing has not led to any tears or permanent damage to the fabric. The only loose thread around the bag is on the bottom right corner at the front. We’re not too worried about it since this is a pre-production sample we’re testing, and these kinds of kinks usually get ironed out on the retail version. The YKK lockable zippers and Woojin buckles also work perfectly at the time of writing.

There are four compression straps to keep the bag as tightly packed as possible. They’re half the story of how the bag’s expandable design works. Without them (or if you simply don’t cinch them down), the bag starts to feel saggy. Main function aside, the compression straps, unfortunately, cover a few zipper tracks, meaning they get in the way when you’re trying to open the bag. Yes, the buckles act as a quick-release mechanism and help compress the bag when it’s expanded, but it’s worth noting that bags like the Aer Travel Pack 3 incorporate compression straps that don’t hinder zippers at all (though the bag isn’t expandable).

Like most well-designed travel backpacks, the Tortuga Expandable Backpack comes with built-in carry handles on the left side and at the top, and both are padded for extra comfort. They’re far from some of the thinner (read: unpadded) handles we’ve seen on other bags, exhibiting some stretch that feels very forgiving if you have small hands—something a few among the Pack Hacker crew definitely have.

The harness system looks lifted straight out of Tortuga’s Travel Backpack Pros, and in a way, they kind of are. The comfortably padded hip belt is very similar and still removable, connecting via hook-and-loop fasteners. We particularly like the design choice since other brands would have their respective hip belts detach via gatekeeper clips that usually feel very stiff or require the strap to be unlaced from the buckle in order to be removed—neither is convenient, to say the least.

The shoulder straps are nicely contoured so that they flow naturally according to a body’s shape, while the level of padding is borderline overkill, but not strange to find on a travel backpack of this size. Tortuga also went with a sliding sternum strap design, which, in our opinion, is far superior to alternatives like notch and hook-on designs since this lets us make minute adjustments. Additionally, we’re digging the traditional side release buckle. Based on our experience, it’s proven, simple, functional, and less fiddly compared to fancy magnetic buckles.

Atop the shoulder straps are load lifters that should help shift the weight up and further minimize any perceived sagginess. The only feature Tortuga didn’t shift over from their Pro line is the adjustable panel for the shoulder straps. You can still detach and stow them behind the back panel, but you won’t find a shifting panel inside.

Lastly, the back panel also doubles as a large luggage pass-through, granting you the ability to shift the burden of carrying the bag onto your rolling luggage (if you’re traveling with one). As comfortable as any harness system can be, everyone gets tired eventually, so it’s nice to have the option anyway.

Fit Notes

Given how this bag is strapped to the gills with a full-fledged harness system, it’s not surprising how comfortable it is to carry. The bag feels nicely locked in when simultaneously utilizing the shoulder straps, hip belt, load lifters, and sternum strap. Tortuga says this bag is best for users with 17 to 19-inch torsos. However, even those among the Pack Hacker crew with 16-inch torsos and smaller found this bag comfortable to wear.

As we mentioned, the relatively lightweight fabric definitely helps make the bag’s largeness feel less cumbersome. However, when there’s empty space inside, the fabric is prone to caving in, which can make it feel somewhat saggy. Thankfully, the compression straps can still minimize that.

Inside The Backpack

As far as features go on a travel backpack, a water bottle pocket is seemingly trivial, but we won’t take it for granted. There’s one on the side of the bag without a handle, flanked by two of the four compression straps. The strap above is particularly handy for anchoring your bottle’s handle with a carabiner to avoid those awkward situations where your bottle falls out and rolls down four rows down the aisle—yeah, we’ve been there.

But what bottles can you fit in this pocket? We usually stick with insulated bottles in the 18 to 22-ounce size since those tend to have a good balance of capacity and ease of holding with one hand. Coincidentally, they’re also the most suitably sized for the bag’s relatively simple elasticated water bottle pocket. Those hoping it could fit bottles in the 40-ounce range will be disappointed, though, as the elastic simply cannot stretch that wide (unless your bottle is shockingly skinny).

A pocket in the front of the bag is accessible via a zippered opening on the right and occupies about a third of the front, horizontally. Nevertheless, its interior is quite flat, so we packed it accordingly with flat gear like a pair of gloves and a folded Buff. You can also use it to stash your smartphone and wallet, but those are best saved for the top pocket.

On that note, the top pocket is in an easier-to-reach location that’s ideal for stowing gear you’d want in a pinch. This may include your smartphone and wallet, but there’s also a built-in key leash, so you don’t have to worry about hunting for them by the end of a trip. Unfortunately, there are no pockets within for organizing gear, so everything you put inside tends to get mixed up. Silver lining: the liner is white, so dark-colored tech accessories are easy to find against such a background.

At the back is a dedicated compartment for your laptop. It opens up in a horseshoe shape, with the zippers going down on both sides to give you quite a deep look into the compartment. And there is a lot of space to peer into since it’s designed to hold up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro. In fact, there’s so much room that you can realistically put a large device like that in a separate padded sleeve, and it would still likely fit inside. In our case, we tested in the opposite direction by slotting a comparatively tiny 13-inch MacBook. Fortunately, the compartment’s floor is about two inches raised from the bag’s bottom edge (we call this a false bottom), so even a small device with room to move and shake around won’t take impact whenever you set the bag down.

Two things to keep in mind, though. Firstly, there are no additional sleeves or pockets for extra accessories like a tablet or your laptop’s charger and cables. In other words, those will have to be accommodated elsewhere, such as the main compartment, though you can slip a tablet alongside your laptop if you’re brave enough to do so. Secondly, though the back panel is sufficiently stiff that it isn’t your laptop providing structural support to the bag, it also isn’t the most rigid back panel we’ve seen. The good news is that those who want a stiffer back panel can swap out the insert (accessible via a zippered opening) for a much tougher material—and if that sounds like you, we’re willing to bet you already have some ideas.

Again, we’re not super stoked about how two of the compression straps get in the way of opening the main compartment. However, it’s something you can get used to, especially since the straps’ buckles make getting them out of the way easy. And with them pushed aside, you’re rewarded with a wide clamshell opening that’s easy to pack.

On the right side is the main bucket space, while the other side is a shallower bucket space covered by a zippered mesh cover—and that’s it. Tortuga kept the built-in organization conservative, keeping with the design philosophy of giving users the freedom to organize as they see fit. So if you already own a set of packing cubes, there’s very little compartmentalization to get in the way. Coincidentally (or maybe not), Tortuga also sells its own set of packing cubes, so you also have that option if you’re not already invested in one.

For our part, we always advocate for using packing cubes. With them, plus clever strategizing (all those packing lists, we can fit about a week’s worth of clothing. This includes three pairs of pants, rolls of underwear and socks, five tops, a sweater, and even a pair of sneakers. Packing sometimes gets tricky because the sidewalls tend to sink since the fabric isn’t that well-structured, but it’s not too much of a hassle propping them up. All in all, the base 27-liter configuration is a bit tight, but stretching it for a week’s worth of clothing is doable.

Tortuga estimates that this bag is suitable for a weekend trip. That’s quite a conservative estimate based on what we can pull off. However, your mileage may vary depending on how fast you go through clothing and what kind you’re packing. If you run out of space, you can still undo the zipper parallel to the main compartment’s zipper to expand the left-side bucket space. Once unzipped, it expands the bag from 27 liters to 32.5 liters.

If you’re traveling somewhere cold, you have room to pack extra layers. Realistically, we find expansion on travel backpacks primarily useful for those cases where we want to load up on souvenir t-shirts and snacks. No matter what you decide to use that extra space for, just make sure to use those compression straps to cinch the bag to keep the weight concentrated and locked in.