(Re)Purposing theGreatest Hiking Pack For a Digital Nomad
Laptop Sleeve? Never heard of it.
Before jetting off on a summer of digital nomadism, ranging from Edinburgh to Lagos, I spent a long time sifting through the many packs, pouches and pockets that I have that would be my home away from home for the next two months. A personal goal (challenge? Stubbornness?) I’ve had in travel for the last few years has been with the use of checked bags, or rather the lack thereof. I don’t think I’ve checked a bag in the last six years, even when the opportunity was free, typically the case when flying internationally, especially to and from Europe. There’s something freeing about knowing everything you have with you in your travel is within arms-reach of the seat on your flight, and getting to immediately skip baggage claim when you land lends itself to just getting out of the airport and into the adventure.
Of course, this means way less stuff is going in and going out of where I’m headed; just the bare necessities in clothes and work. No three pairs of shoes, no heavy fashionable coats, no awkwardly-shaped laptop risers or mouse/keyboard, and hardest of all: No souvenirs.
Thankfully, coming from a background of simply loving all-things nylon and synthetic fabrics, I already knew what brand to go to for the best in a hiking pack to fit a summer’s worth of digital nomad gear into. Enter…
Mystery Ranch Bridger 45 Backpack
While Mystery Ranch holds a background steeped in government contracts for the military, their recent expansion into the civilian market brings compact reliability to backpackers, thru-hikers, and other travelers leaning heavily on their equipment. Stripping away the MOLLE webbing in lieu of streamlined karabiner loops and other common amenities seen in other familiar backpacks from Osprey and and Gregor, the Mystery Ranch’s best feature is their comfortability and ease-of-use across all their backpacks.
The Mystery Ranch Bridger 45 backpack is designed with both style and functionality in mind. Offering a myriad of features that cater to the needs of modern travelers, its spacious main compartment provided ample storage space for Cotopaxi Del Dia packing cubes, a jacket, and to house my laptop when I was on the move from destination-to-destination. There are two pouches in the main compartment on the left and right that housed my travel towel and sleeping bag liner.
The Detachable Brain of the
Bridger 45 Can Fit a Laptop.
The real magic of this backpack for my digital nomad needs was found in the brain. The brain can be detached from the main hike with a hidden strap to buckle. Repurposing the waist band to a cross-body strap, the brain surprisingly fits my 13” laptop perfectly. With a zipper-pocket also inside, I could pack my chords, outlet converters, and other essentials for daily cafe pushes, as oppose to summit pushes. The detachable brain is only found on the 45L size and up; leaving the 35L the only Bridger to not offer this.
Tech Gear Where Tech Isn’t Meant to Be
Traveling with a hiking backpack, although versatile and comfy, comes with certain limitations when it’s used for being a digital nomad. First, the design of a hiking backpack focuses primarily on carrying outdoor gear and equipment, rather than electronics and work essentials. This can lead to inadequate protection and organization for laptops, tablets, and other delicate devices. Secondly, hiking backpacks tend to lack dedicated compartments or pouches for organizing cables, chargers, and other tech accessories, making it challenging to keep these items readily accessible and untangled. Additionally, the limited space in a hiking backpack restricts the number of clothes and personal items one can carry, limiting options for any sort of professional attire or personal comfort.
Thankfully, coupling this summer of digital nomad work with extensive sightseeing, packing for clothes didn’t have to be a strain. Also staying in places with opportunities to wash clothes meant that I could keep clothes in constant rotation for the long-haul.
Should You Be a Digital Nomad With a Hiking Pack?
Traveling with a hiking-first backpack with a digital nomad intent has many limitations. With so many brands coming forward with incredible digital nomad-specific backpacks built for cargo and tech, it’s hard to not just go with one of them. But through all the limitations in using a hiking backpack for digital nomadism, the incredible Mystery Ranch Bridger 45L brings focus to what I truly need in my day-to-day, and fits even more than it looks. Not just in what I need to work, but that three pairs of t-shirts, pants, shirts and shorts goes a long way, leaving space to enjoy whats really important - the adventure I’m on.