Cotopaxi Luzon 24L Review

The Cotopaxi Luzon 24L is made of remnant pieces of reclaimed lightweight nylon, making every bag a unique combination of colors and patterns. It also boasts several compartments and features that the smaller, Luzon 15 and 18 don't have, like a laptop compartment.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Luzon is fairly minimalist when it comes to specific comfort features. It has unpadded shoulder straps that instead contain a basic, supportive internal structure down each edge. The back has a decent layer of padding to prevent you from feeling every corner of every object you put inside. While this layer is thicker than the some similarly designed bags, it's paltry compared to fully-loaded bags with their super thick back panel padding. The Luzon also has a removable webbing hip belt, which helps with the stabilization of this pack, but won't take any weight off your shoulders. It also has a sternum strap to further attach this bad boy to your body, but this one isn't removable should you decide you aren't a fan of it.

Versatility

Cotopaxi put some thoughtful pockets in this pack that we think make it a pretty useful bag for a lot of activities. It has one outer zip pocket, a back compartment that can fit a 15" laptop and more, and an internal zip pocket with a key clip. The Luzon is also hydration compatible, helping to make this bag a slightly better contender for that crossover between front and backcountry living.

Weight

Tipping the scales at just under 17 ounces, this bag is on the lighter end of the spectrum of our review. That lighter weight, despite the larger capacity, is in part due to the lack of framing and padding found in most of the heavier packs. However, we tested several other packs with a similar design that are significantly lighter, as well as bags with a ton more features that are the same weight or just a few ounces more and are far better backcountry choices.

Ease of Use

We appreciate the helpful organization of the numerous pockets in this pack. However, the top-loading design of this fairly large-capacity, 24 liter bag can make it a chore to load and unload or to find something from the bottom of the bag without turning the whole thing upside down. While the Luzon is only offered in one size (unisex) we found that this bag is actually large enough to still be comfortable on taller folks.

Durability

The remnant nylon pieces used to make the Cotopaxi Luzon bags are all different, so it's impossible to say exactly what thickness each pack is. Our pieces felt somewhere in the 100D range, though many of them were different from each other as well. The vast majority of our bag is ripstop material, but this is not the case of the entire bag. Ours also has a thicker piece for the bottom panel, but again, it's impossible to say that this will always be the case, as every bag is totally unique. We experienced no durability issues during our testing. Actually, one morning we managed to spill coffee on the bag and forgot about it. Almost an hour later, the coffee was still beaded up on the outside and wiped away without so much as a wet spot left.

Value

The value of this bag depends on what you're searching for in a daypack. If you want a colorful, unique-looking bag that both makes a statement, is incredibly versatile and can be used for your city or your forest adventures, we think the Luzon is a great value. Compared to similar-designed packs, it's a bit on the expensive side, but its uniqueness is practically impossible to replicate.

Conclusion

This wild, fairly untechnical bag grew on us over the course of our testing. Though it's not a great fit if you want to head with all your gear into the backcountry for a 16-mile hike with your dog, it can definitely handle a towel and snacks for a shorter jaunt to some hot springs. We think this bag is a pretty good crossover between urban and nature expeditions, and if you're into wacky designs, it doesn't get much wackier than the Cotopaxi Luzon.