Thule Subterra Backpack 34L

I bought it for international trips and so far one of the best backpacks ! Long compartment to fit all your needs !

Both the 18-year-old boy and the 21-year-old daughter love this thing. They both want it—bad. This is not a very large pack, coming in at only 34 liters. As such, this is not a pack for trekking or even camping. And it’s a bit big for an everyday campus sort of bag. The product copy calls this a “travel backpack.” This would be a good pack for a long weekend, or for business travel. This is a soft-sided pack, but is not floppy; there is some modest hard plastic framing inside. It’s got a side handle, so you can carry it like a briefcase. The top opening to the main compartment has the kind of internal semi-rigid plastic-enabled snap closure reminiscent of dry bags, but I can find nothing in the product copy that this is in fact a waterproof pack. The top closure works well, the smooth flat edges flexing tightly together, and three or four easy folds brings the snaplocks to their mates on the pack body so you can secure the edges on both sides. There is no zipper or other form of closure for the top access to the pack. The main compartment is big and easy to get into. The pack comes with a separate padded and zippered packing cube, complete with an integrated nylon pull handle. There is no way to secure this packing cube within the main compartment. There are no other compartments of storage features inside the main compartment. You can also get into the main compartment from outside on one side of the pack. Inside the main compartment you can access the laptop compartment as well. There is a huge internal pouch, padded amply on both sides and accessible from the side, for a laptop. I’ve got a traditional big laptop, and this fits in easily. There is an outside compartment that has all of the traditional computer-type features, with multiple pouches, slots for pens, mesh pouches, one of them zippered, etc. This outside compartment is also very well padded. The shoulder straps are the kind you’d find on a heavier pack, nicely padded and contoured, with multiple nylon loops on each strap, and with a chest connecting strap that you can move for better fit (four positions). The shoulder straps are not removable. There is also a wide nylon band in the back of the pack that you can slide over your luggage handle to integrate with rolling luggage. And on one side of the outside is a zippered deep pocket, which might be used to carry a smaller water bottle, although the pocket is not big enough to zip a bottle inside. Documentation: I received a very nice Thule welcome package with this, with a letter from the Thule Amazon sales coordinator, a nice color Product News sheet on this pack, and a Thule flash drive with more product info promised. Sorry, Thule, but I didn’t plug this thing into my computer. I do cyber for a living, and there’s just no way I’m connecting your flash drive to my computer, regardless of all the cool stuff you may have to tell me about this pack. The pack comes with a couple of product copy cards, which graphically depict the various features of the pack. These are in full color and do a good job of communicating what the pack offers. In terms of contact, you get the big Thule.com URL, and physical addresses in Connecticut, Belgium, and Hong Kong. There is no customer service email address, no is there a phone number to call—not good. Also disappointing is the lack of warranty information on the product. Price: It seems to me that the price of approximately $160 is about right for this pack. It is very well constructed, all seams are tight and very well sewn, and the materials appear to be top-notch. I would expect that this pack would hold up well for some time. Bottom line: This a very well made and good-looking backpack with multiple integrated features for personal items and electronics.

It’s a little big to be used as a day pack, but it’s great for carry-on luggage

Love it

1st impression is wow: simple design without too much stitching, too many zippers or unnecessary pockets. the blue color is perfect although am always grey or black. Took it to my first trip this weekend and it’s so spacious and settles well on the shoulders even when loaded. The material is tough yet wit elegant feel. Recommended to those who like simple design with good space and necessary pockets only.

The waterproofing is nice, the bag itself is pretty spacious and if you pack minimally then you probably can get a week or two’s worth of travelling out of it (or more). The packing cube it comes with is kind of pointless as its the size of the inside of the bag. The inside is really bright so you can see items in there even in the dark. Really really solid backpack.

I travel. A bunch. Like over 200,000 miles. As a heavy traveler, I need things that WORK. Nothing flimsy or cutesie... gimmicky or lame. I need function. This Thule (pronounced toolee) backpack is quite literally the BEST pack I have ever used - and I have tried a TON of them (from Oakley to JanSport to Victorinox to....) in my career. To be fair, I have not exactly used this backpack in its intended usage; I dont use the luggage/clothing insert it came with. I DO use that for my regular suitcase (super handy) but my backpack is all work-related stuff. And I tend to carry a BUNCH of stuff (laptop, iPad Pro, battery back-ups, 1 or 2 LaCie backup hard drives, power supplies, backup batteries, Logitech remotes, countless cables/adapters, international adapters, cameras [Canon 70D and/or Lumix GH5 as well as my Light camera], Bose headphones, as well as one day of clothes for international trips). Like I said - a BUNCH. Even when fully loaded and the top expanded/extended, this fits under airline seats in both Coach and First Class easily (caveat - I usually remove either my iPad Pro or MacBook and Bose headphones for in-flight use before stowing my bag). Heres a quick run-down of the bag. There are 3 loading areas in the bag: Front (flap) and middle; and back/rear. The front (flap) is great for small items such as pens, paper, boarding passes, immigration forms, gum, etc. The middle is quite large and excellent for back-up batteries, hard drives, small cameras, and other such items. The rear/main compartment is for the bigger things such as cameras, cases/bags with cables and chargers, jackets, headphones, etc. Then behind this main compartment is the velcro-flap compartment for your laptop/iPad area. This is a padded area and quite secure. From the side of the bag you have 2 long zippers - one to the main body of the bag (you can quickly grab your jacket, camera, or other item stowed there. The second is for the padded rear laptop/iPad area which is nice should you have to remove your device(s) for airport security. On the opposite side of the bag is a zippered compartment useful for small items, a water bottle, or other items you might need to grab while on the go. Along the back of the pack is a strap which you can use to mount the backpack on a suitcase pull-up handle which is super convenient! Here are some PROS: Outstanding design Intuitive layout Water resistant Sleek look Easily accessible via roll-top/side zippers/front zippers Extremely roomy Can carry my 15 MacBook Pro AND iPad Pro in the same pouch Held up extremely well in a myriad of conditions (snow, rain, wind, subways, trains, planes, boats, cabs, etc.) Fully adjustable straps (shoulder and chest) Classic clean look CONS: OK Ill be super picky here.... The backing is padded and, when wearing with both straps on your shoulders and the pack against your back - it can get a bit warm. Theres just not an adequate ventilation channel there - in my opinion. Certainly not a deal breaker! Secondly, the straps could be a bit more robust. I tend to be a slinger and place my backpack only over one shoulder and this has caused some stress on the strap. Sure, if I wore it the proper way 100% of the time I seriously doubt this would happen..... but I just keep on being a slinger.... dont judge.. Final thoughts: This is, as I mentioned, quite simply the BEST bag I have owned. I am 100% confident in this bag and its capabilities to keep me organized and my items secure during my most demanding travel. The design is intuitive, smart, and well thought out. I simply LOVE this bag. 10+ stars.

I picked this up in the Mineral color, which looks dark blue. Here are some of the PROS and CONS of this backpack as I see them. You can decide if any are important to you. PROS Good size for 2-3 day trip (more if you pack light) Bright orange interior makes it easy to see/find items in your pack Lots of well-placed pockets for organizing your stuff The rolltop opening gives you total access to the bags interior Comes with padded packing cube (removable) Looks snazzy CONS The laptop sleeve is not removable -- adds extra weight and thickness to the bag when not in use The rolltop opening takes longer to open than a zipper opening Overall, this is a good-looking, well-designed bag that fits me well and will get a lot of use. Tag says Made in Vietnam.

Great bag

I purchased this bag for a weekend trip, as I wanted something that could hold my laptop and some clothes. I LOVE this bag. It fit perfectly under my seat and had a great pocket for my laptop, as well as a nice large compartment for some clothes. It also comes with a packing cube that takes up the entirety of the large compartment, but you dont need to use if you dont want. I used it for clothes and then still had room at the top for a few items. The front pocket is so well organized. I had my chargers in that pocket and it had a great clip for your keys. The thing I liked most was the side access. There are two zippers on the side of the bag so you can access the laptop or the main compartment without unrolling the top of the bag. Very handy while going through security and needing to take out my laptop. Finally, the bag was super comfortable to carry. The straps were perfectly padded and the back was nice and stiff, but also very padded, so there was alot of support. Highly recommend for someone looking for an easy carry-on bag that you can use for your laptop and some clothes for the weekend.