Cotopaxi's 2-in-1 travel backpack has put me off suitcases entirely — here's how it fared on a 10-day trip to Europe

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

This will be my first time outside the country since 1998, I thought. Let's do it right. My best friend from college had just asked if I wanted to join her on a fall adventure across three cities in Europe. I need to see the world while I'm young, and backpacking is a young man's game. So, I got to work researching what I'd need to sightsee like a pro.

Even as an inexperienced traveler, it's hard to miss Cotopaxi's colorblocked Allpa travel bags. I'll often see them at Penn Station, worn by cheery gorpcore types on their way upstate for the weekend. For my 10-day trip, I set out to test the Cotopaxi Allpa 50L Adventure Travel Pack, which is the newest and largest addition to the Allpa collection.

Its genius design is one part duffel, one part personal item

The best part about the Allpa 50L is that it's actually two bags in one. Our team previously tested the 35 liter version, which has a clamshell design and can easily fit 5 days' worth of outfits. The main difference with the 50L Allpa is that it's duffel instead, and at the top is a personal item-sized bag that zips off to be worn like a crossbody or belt bag.

As I boarded the plane at JFK, all my outfits and toiletries were packed in the main 42 liter bag. Anything I wanted handy for the 8-hour flight — like my earbuds, snacks, and a book — went in the 8 liter sling bag. When I reached my seat, I zipped them apart so I could stow the duffel in the overhead compartment. I kept the sling bag in my lap until we landed in Berlin.

On our first day in Europe, we covered 7 miles on foot. We walked like that almost everyday, and on some days I wore the Allpa 50L Adventure Pack for hours at a time. While it eventually grew heavy on my shoulders, it was still so much easier than dragging a suitcase behind me on uneven cobblestones.

It fits a ton and comes with pockets galore —including a hidden passport sleeve

I felt smoother going through customs with this bag compared to my usual carry-on. It comes with a hidden hip-height pocket for travel documents, meaning I could reach for my passport, wallet, or boarding pass with just one hand.

It's quite a production to put on, but all the extra straps make it more comfortable to carry. The torso length is adjustable up to 4 inches, so it fit my 5-foot-9 frame. Its contoured back panel, tuckable hip belt, wide shoulder straps, load lifters, and sternum straps propped me upright as I hustled through busy airports and narrow train aisles.

We stayed in hostels, where the only storage space were some narrow lockers. Again, the softshell travel backpack came in handy where a suitcase would have never fit. And even though the sling bag isn't the most stylish accessory, I liked how it more than the average travel purse. The pieces also look nice and cohesive when worn together.

The bottom line

One of my favorite moments with this bag was at airport in Vienna, where a gruff employee told me the bag was too big to fit in the screening bin and it would need to be checked instead. "No problem," I said, and I broke it down into its two smaller parts within 10 seconds. Then the Allpa sailed through inspection and I wore it on the plane as I planned.

$300 is a premium price for one bag, but it's actually two bags in one. And when you look closely, you can tell the folks at Cotopaxi HQ had fun incorporating all its little special features. If you often travel for five day spans and don't already have a favorite sling bag, the Allpa is totally worth it.

Since getting back from my big European adventure, I've gotten a ton more use out of this travel backpack. I wore it on the train between New York and Rhode Island for the holidays, and I'm not keen on returning to a suitcase anytime soon.