The 40-litre capacity Outdoor Backpack from the YDS Tactical range is a no-frills large daysack which fits most airline cabin bag gauges, writes Bob Morrison.
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There are times when a daysack with a plethora of compartments, pockets and organiser panels can come in very handy, though inevitably too many additional features will hike up the cost and also add sometimes unnecessary weight if you don’t need the gimmicks. Needless weight can also be a bit of a problem if travelling by air, where cabin baggage size is usually tightly controlled and total weight of bag and contents can be limited to just 7, 8 or 10kg dependent on airline; incidentally, budget airlines usually offer the higher weight, though penalties for exceeding this can be draconian.
On most of my short duration working trips I need to carry cameras and laptop computers in my hand luggage, not least because they are both fragile and powered by lithium batteries but also because I often need to start work shortly after landing or some distance from the arrival airport so cannot take the risk of my hold luggage being delayed for a day or mislaid. I therefore pack my essentials in my carry-on bag and when at my destination I expand its capacity with additional pouches full of non-essential peripherals which I have transported in my hold luggage.
This single compartment 40-litre daysack from Turkish defence manufacturer YDS has just a simple open-topped17” laptop pouch on the rear face plus two small internal nylon zipped valuables / document pockets behind the cover flap. Externally there are seven MOLLE-type PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder Systems) tapes across the front and six tapes across each side, allowing capacity to be increased to suit the task in hand. To personalise the daysack there is a hook & loop pad for a tactical patch above the top PALS tape and another pad for a name tape stitched to the sixth PALS tape.
Internally there are both removable foam padding and a plastic stiffener board inside a closed pocket between the back of the main compartment and the rear face, plus there is substantial rear face padding with an inverted Y-channel to assist ventilation. The shoulder straps, which have tensioners at the top, are also well padded and they have quick-release buckles at the bottom. There is a sternum strap for further adjustment and there are two compression straps with elasticated keepers at each side.
On the top of the daysack there is pretty substantial nylon grab handle and underneath this at one side there is a drinking tube port for those who wish to carry a bladder in the laptop pouch. There is a substantial hanging loop for a bladder at the inside top and five more internal tape hoops for securing contents. Finally, on the base there are two pairs of tapes for straps for a kip mat or rolled waterproofs, not shown in the accompanying photos as I ditched these, and there is a drainage eyelet.
Manufactured from abrasion and water resistant polyester the overall dimensions are 50x35x15cm, excluding the straps, and empty weight is around1350g. At present the YDS Tactical Outdoor Backpack 40L (link is in Turkish) is only produced in Black. Although circumstances over the last few months prevented me travelling as much as usual, this basic daysack has still seen plenty of use.
[images © Bob Morrison]
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