MODERN DAYFARER Backpack 18L Review

We ask a lot of our daily drivers. We need daypacks to carry a laptop, assorted tech and accessories, and whatever else we might need to get us through the workday, whether that’s a lunch, extra layer, or clothing for the gym. Oh, and can it be easy to pack for a quick weekend getaway so it can double as a personal item bag? That’s all we really need.

Joking aside, many travelers look for that in a commuter bag. If you can use the daypack you carry to work under the seat on the plane, it saves room in your closet and budget. So how does the MODERN DAYFARER Backpack 18L measure up? Let’s find out.

External Components

The MODERN DAYFARER Backpack 18L is made with recycled 420D Velocity nylon. It feels quite durable and shows no signs of wear after two weeks of daily use. Thanks to the water-resistant coating and multilayer PU backing, dirt and pet hair brush off the matte finish easily, as does moisture.

That makes the bag a bit stiff, but it does mean that it never looks saggy, even when empty. Instead, the Dayfarer has a structure that keeps it looking nice no matter what’s inside. That structure extends to the well-padded carry handle, which primarily stays upright to be easy to hang on a hook or grab from under the seat in front of you.

There’s a nod to branding on a leather-like patch on the side of the bottle pocket. It’s black on black, and the bag is black, creating a streamlined, sleek-looking aesthetic.

MODERN DAYFARER is also printed on the Hypalon zipper pulls, which are easy to grab and mostly easy to spot around the bag. Most of the YKK zippers are coated for water resistance, but some are hidden beneath fabric welts and are so well-concealed that our tester didn’t find some pockets for the first week and a half of testing. That’s good for security and weather protection because you can’t grab the documents or cash inside if you can’t find the pocket.

When it comes to hardware, there’s a large FIDLOCK buckle on the front flap. It works well and is mostly easy to use once you get the hang of it. There’s a cord on a tab that you pull up to release it. Then, simply align the two pieces and click them together to refasten it. You can loosen the strap when carrying more gear in the bag, but it can be a little hard to undo the buckle if you don’t tighten it when you have less. However, you won’t have an issue if you’re not as lazy as our tester and tighten it up when there’s less in the bag. It’s easy to do and there’s a built-in strap keeper to contain all of the extra when it’s cinched up.

The bag’s other hardware is from Woojin hardware and works well. The strap adjusters are easy to use and mostly stay in place as you put the bag on and take it off, and there are built-in keepers on those straps, too. Woojin also makes the magnetic buckle on the sternum strap on a sliding rail. There is also a keeper on this strap, but it runs into stretchy elastic on the right-hand side and doesn’t hold much.

The remainder of the harness system is well-padded and lined with breathable mesh. The shoulder straps are curved to comfortably fit around many body types, and the back panel has two vertical pieces of padding. They are on either side of a vertical air channel with a luggage pass-through strap running through it. Using it means that the bag sits horizontally on the handle of rolling luggage, which isn’t our favorite, but it’s nice to have if you don’t want to carry it through the airport and you’re also traveling with a suitcase.

Fit Notes

Despite its structured feel, the backpack is comfortable to wear, even fully loaded. The shoulder and sternum straps carry the weight well, and we don’t feel anything digging in as we walk. The bag is black and will inherently get sweaty in hot environments, even with the air channel and breathable mesh, but that happens with most daypacks if you carry them long enough and the temperatures are warm enough.

We really like the sleek look of the bag and think its aesthetics work in just about any situation short of formal. This is a bag you can carry to the office without feeling like a college student and wear around a new city while you explore without feeling out of place. Since the materials repel dirt and stains, it’ll remain looking great throughout your trip.

Inside The Backpack

For an 18L bag, there are quite a few places to tuck your gear.

On the front of the bag is a vertical zipper tucked under a fabric welt on the right side. It opens to reveal a large dump pocket, which our tester has been using for earbuds, a small toiletry bag, and a travel wallet. It’s large enough for over-ear headphones or slightly larger gear, though, should you want to slip an e-reader or game system inside.

On the same side is another zipper running against the back panel. It opens to a side pocket with two stretchy mesh pockets where you can tuck your phone and a battery bank. There’s a short key leash in here, too, though you’ll likely have to take your keys off the leash to open a door. This section mostly takes the place of what you’d put in a small sling and is convenient if you’re not carrying a separate one. Luckily, it lies flat against the bag and isn’t noticeable if you don’t need it.

Just a few inches away from that zipper, this time on the back panel, is another zipper pocket hiding underneath the padding on the left side. It’s the perfect size for a passport and extra cash, and because of the large amount of padding, you can stow things in here without feeling them press up against your back. The zipper is well-hidden and up against your back for security, so it’s a great place to store important documents you don’t want to lose.

On the opposite side of the bag is a water bottle pocket with an elastic gusset to hold it in place. A standard-width bottle slides in easily, as do wide-mouth options; just realize that wider bottles will press into the main compartment and might be harder to squeeze in depending on what you carry inside the backpack.

Finally, at the top is a water-resistant zipper that leads to the laptop compartment. It’s large enough to hold a 16-inch laptop and ends a few inches from the bottom of the bag, so your device won’t slam to the ground if you drop the pack. It’s well-padded, too, so we don’t worry about the safety of our computer when it’s inside.

The main compartment has a unique opening. To get inside, first undo the FIDLOCK and flip up the flap. You can stop there if you just need to grab something off the top, like a 3-1-1 bag for TSA inspection. However, for packing or unloading items from deeper inside the bag, there are two vertical zippers running down the front of the bag. You can open one or both, depending on what you need to access, and we find it most useful to just open one in daily use to grab a lunch and an extra layer from inside.

It’s easier to undo both if you’re packing for a trip, though. Doing so pulls the entire front of the bag out of the way, allowing you to easily stack packing cubes, pouches, and anything else you need inside.

There’s a little more built-in organization inside here, as well. The front panel includes two large zippered pockets. The top one is made of mesh so you can see inside, and the bottom is made with liner material. In daily use, they’re great spots for glasses cases, wall chargers, and cords, but they can function as small packing cubes for socks, underwear, and even toiletries if you take the bag on a short trip.

There’s a large slip pocket against the bag’s back panel, too, where you can stow a tablet, Bluetooth keyboard, or documents. It has no padding, so you’ll want to put any sensitive device in a case, but it’s nice to have since you can pull out whatever’s inside from the top of the bag without dislodging the rest of your gear if necessary.

Thanks to the structured sides, there’s plenty of space to fill in the rest of the main compartment, making this a great daily driver and personal item bag. Careful packers could easily get away for the weekend with this bag without feeling dragged down by a larger travel backpack, yet it’s not so large that it feels awkward in daily use.