There are two kinds of backpacks that every traveler needs. One is the outdoor adventure backpack to trek through jungles, deserts and mountains. The other is more of an indoor adventure backpack for?airplanes, subways and rental car shuttles. The Samsonite Modern Utility Double Shot Backpack is the indoor variety and ideal for students, business travelers and anyone who needs to stay organized on the road.
I’ve been using this travel backpack for five years on dozens of trips across the US and around the world. Here’s what I discovered about the backpack and why it’s still my go-to.
The Samsonite Modern Utility Double Shot is a durable backpack designed to hold a 15-inch laptop, along with all the accessories you need to work on the road or even spend a night or two out of town. While I wouldn’t expect it to win any fashion awards, it’s lightweight, extremely durable and reasonably priced.
What I liked about it
It’s the ideal mobile office for working on the go
This backpack is designed around its padded, drop-in laptop compartment, nestled between its large, main compartment and its air mesh padding on the back. This compartment is large enough for a 15.6-inch laptop and it completely swallows my slim 14-inch computer with enough space for an additional tablet or even a second laptop in a pinch.
Use this backpack long enough and you’ll eventually find the ideal places for every charger, dongle, adapter and travel accessory you’ll ever need to keep working from your office to your hotel room, along with every train, plane and airport lounge.
It has an endless number of compartments
The main compartment is easily the most voluminous, with plenty of room for a toiletry bag, dress shoes and a large set of wireless headphones. The front and back sides of the inside of this backpack’s main compartment also feature additional sleeves for holding tablets or even smaller laptops.
The backpack’s exterior also contains numerous additional compartments, including two relatively small ones at the top, which are great for storing small items like keys and sunglasses or quickly stashing your smartphone just before sending the bag through airport security.
The largest exterior compartment is where this backpack truly becomes a mobile office, as it has numerous spaces for pens, business cards, chargers and other accessories, as well as additional zippered subcompartments. Finally, two exterior side compartments are ideal for carrying passports, cell phones, snack or anything else you might need quick access to.
It’s all business
For my business, leisure and bleisure travel needs, I appreciate the simplicity of this backpack. It lacks neon-colored accents and unnecessary leather straps intended solely for fashion. It’s only available in Charcoal Heather gray, as shown here, but previous versions were offered in a weathered blue hue.
Designed primarily for airport travel, it’s not meant to make a fashion statement. So if you’re seeking a bag to express your style, this probably isn’t the right bag for you.
Durable fabric and zippers designed for the long haul
The two-tone ripstop polyester fabric isn’t quite as strong as heavy-duty Cordura, but it’s held up nicely over the years. And while this backpack may contain several yards worth of zippers enclosing over a dozen compartments, they’ve never failed me.
The back of the pack has the Samsonite SmartSleeve that’s designed to slide over the handle of your carry-on luggage, which is where you’ll usually find my backpack during my travels.
What I didn’t like about it
Compartment overload
Unless you’re one of the more highly organized travelers, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of internal compartments in this backpack. I once searched my house for my Bose headphones, only to later discover them tucked away in one of the internal subcompartments within the main compartment of this backpack. It probably didn’t help that all the interior linings of this backpack are black, just like the case of my headphones.
The SmartSleeve could be a little smarter
As it’s typically loaded with my laptop and other heavy items, this bag usually sits on the top of my rollaway. And while it has a sleeve to slide over the extended handle of my carry-on bag, it’s just an inch or two narrower than it should be. The smaller width requires an extra second or two to shimmy it over the handle, and it feels like the entire airplane is watching me as I do it before exiting.
A backpack that rarely spends time on my back
As a backpack, it falls short of comfort when worn on my back. It lacks essential features like lumbar support and a waist strap commonly found in larger outdoor backpacks designed for extended wear.
Additionally, the laptop compartment, while accommodating, doesn’t contour well to the natural shape of my back. While it suffices for short durations like climbing stairs or lifting my carry-on, I typically opt for my roll-aboard when I have a choice between the two for a brief trip.
It’s a little on the small side
With an internal height of just 18 inches, it can store enough for a night or two, but it isn’t a pack to maximize your ability to travel without a wheeled suitcase.
On an airplane, it fits under the seat in front of you very easily, but if you’re looking for extensive hauling ability, there are plenty of larger travel backpacks that may be a better fit. This travel backpack is designed to complement your carry-on suitcase, not replace it.
It needs a few little things
It’s almost quibbling, but this backpack lacks some simple features that could go a long way. First, there’s no pocket for ID or even a dedicated loop. This forces me to use a zip tie to affix a plastic name tag to the handle, which isn’t elegant or durable. Exterior loops would also work well for those who want to attach things like a water bottle or a headphone case.
How it compares
| Number of colors | 1 |
7 |
10 |
3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 12 x 18 x 8 in. |
10.5 x 15.5 x 6 in. |
11.5 x 16.5 x 6 in. |
12.6 x 19 x 7.7 in. |
| Capacity | 27 L |
16 L |
18 L |
26 L |
| Organizational pockets | Three large compartments with a laptop sleeve, tablet sleeve and internal organizational pockets |
Large main compartment with padded laptop sleeve and a small front pocket |
Main compartment with laptop sleeve, tablet sleeve, internal organization pockets, small passport pocket and a detachable small front pocket |
Main compartment with internal organization pockets, a smaller front pocket and a laptop sleeve in the back of the bag |
| Price | $85 | $65 | $200 | $130 |
Bottom line
Samsonite’s Modern Utility Double Shot Backpack is an incredibly functional travel backpack, but it doesn’t have much more panache than you’d expect from a luggage icon founded over a hundred years ago.
Load it up and put it on your back, and you might not be too happy after a while, but slide it on your luggage handle and you’ll be ready for whatever work throws at you on your next business trip or even on vacation.
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