REVIEW – Is “retro cool” a thing? Meet the 7711 Nomad Backpack from Backpackbeats! While this bag has throwback vibes, it also has all the things you need for modern commutes and travel. Let’s learn more. To the review!
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $163
Where to buy: Go to the Backpackbeat web site!
What is it?
It’s an all-around backpack for work and travel with a built-in 16″ padded laptop sleeve.
Tech specs
14.57″ W × 15.75″ H × 8.27″ D
31 liter capacity
16″ laptop sleeve
Canvas/leather materials
Waterproof materials, seams & zips
Design and features
The Backpackbeat 7711 Nomad Backpack is a fusion of classic forms and contemporary style. The base design harkens back to old-school rucksacks, but the material and finishing give the bag an urban feel that works just as well as an office sidekick.
The manufacturer describes the primary materials as a canvas/leather blend that includes recycled materials. This translates to a combination of leather-like and vinyl-like surfaces that feel soft, supple, and durable. A black water-resistant lining and sealed seams protect your gear from the rain.
Metal hardware and light-colored contrast stitching add additional highlights. The pic below gives you a sense for the nice balance of textures and finishes in the bag.
All of your strap anchors use button snaps. Each snap does add that little finger loop to make it easier to connect, but they’re still not as easy to manipulate for one-handed closing as other closure styles.
Speaking of straps… you’re going to find a bunch of them here. Straps on the front face, side panels, and side pockets all have generous length to enable you to cinch things down for smaller or larger cargo days.
You’ll find four external pockets for managing your smaller gear and quick-grab essentials. There’s a tall pocket on each side for water bottles, umbrellas, or similar tall things. While these pockets don’t expand for big bottles they do have extra height, adjustable straps, and lids that fully cover the space to allow for a variety of smaller gear (like power bricks and cables).
A full-size front pocket sports some molle-style attachment points for extra gear. I particularly like the design of the hooded zipper entry here. It’s like an awning on your front porch.
This space will fit a variety of items up to and including larger phones or small notebooks.
The lid to the main compartment is designed with side panels and a stiff pad on the front face form a hood that keeps the water out of the main compartment. This locks down with snap buttons on the front face of the bag.
This lid sports an additional stash pocket with a zipper awning like the front pocket. This is intended for small quick-grab items like sunglasses, keys, and such.
Opening the lid reveals a classic drawstring closure that helps to keep your stuff secure and dry.
The drawstring is made from a thick cord, a heavy plastic cinch clasp, and a leather pull tab. Metal grommets keep it all together as you make adjustments.
A padded laptop sleeve on the rear interior panel that will fit up to a 16″ MacBook Pro.
The front panel of the interior compartment has a large interior stash pocket for stuff that needs to be secure.
The rest of the interior is wide open. Backpackbeat has this bag listed at 31 liters in total capacity including the main compartment and all the supporting pockets. You’ve got a ton of room in here for a sweater, a packed lunch, or even a change of clothes for a quick overnight jaunt.
The harness setup uses padded shoulder straps that are backed by mesh fabric to prevent slipping. The back panel is the same material as the rest of the bag, however, with no raised channels or mesh to promote air flow and prevent back sweat.
The shoulder straps boast nice finishing with fabric anchors at the base, metal buckles for adjustments, and elastic rings to corral any loose strapping after you dial in your fit.
There’s a grab handle affixed above the shoulder strap anchor points that also has a bit of padding to it.
Construction and build quality is good overall. You may find some minor flaws in the finishing/edging here and there if you REALLY look hard, but nothing glaring that impedes the performance of the bag.
The zips are fine. They’re not sealed as far as I can see, and not as smooth-flowing as YKK zips. But they do the job and benefit from the zip hoods to prevent any issues with liquid incursions.
Performance
The Backpackbeat 7711 Nomad Backpack offers a lot of practicality with big spaces to organize your stuff. I think the look works well as an office commuter. They do offer a black version that may be a bit more buttoned-up stylewise, but I like the unique olive green colorway. It gives the bag a more contemporary look.
This bag is very lightweight & easy to toss around. It will stand on it’s own to some extent. There’s no internal structure other than the laptop padding and the pockets, so it kind of wants to lean forward. If you have it fully packed out it will stand better. If you’re just carrying a bigger laptop (like my 16″ MacBook Pro) it will be much less stable.
Speaking of big laptops, the MacBook Pro 16″ is just about as big as you can get and still maintain the ability to seal the lid properly.
I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the bag is as a commuter. The shoulder straps are unobtrusive but provide plenty of comfort & adjustment. It feels light and agile, good enough for day trips or long trips through airports.
It’s also feels very streamlined for a pack that claims a 31 liter capacity. Here I have my laptop, hydration bottle, notebook, headphones, lunch, and bunch of office accessories loaded up. The side profile is still nice and slim for maneuvering through crowds. You can also see how I cinched down the top portion since I wasn’t carrying full load of stuff.
The rear view shows that a lot of the bulk in this bag is in the width & the extra side pockets.
While those side pockets can be tightened down to protect the space from the elements, it’s not perfect. You can see some gaps at the sides in these pictures. I’m not too concerned about dashing from the car to the door or going short distances in a lighter rain. You can get those lids down tight if you’re carrying less stuff, but the dog-ear design still has a chance for some moisture getting in. This is not an issue for the two front pockets.
The grab handle is small but comfortable to grip and toss around. Honestly, the whole bag has a soft, supple feel that is great to handle.
The storage layout gives you plenty of flexibility for organizing your gear. I particularly like how the four external pockets are roomy while not compromising the main compartment space. This gives you plenty of room to stash stuff you need on the run without having to rummage around in the main compartment. You do have to get into the main compartment to get to your laptop, however, which is not as easy to manage as a dedicated laptop entry option.
Final thoughts
There’s a lot to like in the Backpackbeat 7711 Nomad Backpack as a stylish multitasker. Backpackbeat advertises this bag as being rugged enough for camping and outdoor activities, but I think that’s a bit of a stretch given the construction & materials. It feels like a great choice for urban environments and travel, but it would not be my first choice for going offroad.
What I like about the Backpackbeat 7711 Nomad Backpack
- Very comfortable, even with heavier loads
- Several big pockets for organization
- 2 external bottle pockets
- Handles laptops up to 16″
- Style works great for both work and travel
- Straps everywhere to tighten/loosen things up for smaller/larger loads
What needs to be improved?
- Snap hardware can be tricky to operate in a pinch
- Floppy, unstructured form may not work for everyone
Price: $163.00
Where to buy: Go to the Backpackbeat web site!
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Backpackbeat. Backpackbeat did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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