GEAR | We’re Loving The New Lifeventure Kibo 25 RFiD Travel Backpack
What is it?
Lifeventure Kibo 25 RFiD Travel Backpack £69.99
Stockists
Features
- Water resistant waxed canvas fabric
- Ruco-Dry Eco Plus hydrophobic fabric treatment
- 25 litre compartment with flared roll-top closure
- Internal pockets and hidden RFiD protected pocket
- Padded 13″ laptop pocket with integral stash pocket
- Front stash pocket, 2 bottle pockets and leather lashing point
- Padded back panel and shoulder straps
- Tough nylon grab handle with leather trim
The Verdict
I’ve been looking for a bacpack like the new Lifeventure Kibo for some time. I really like the look of traditional canvas backpacks and wanted something that would look good in an urban environment but that would still work on day hikes in the hills.
I’d been looking at Fjallraven backpacks but simply couldn’t justify the cost, so when Lifeventure got in touch to let me know about their new range of waxed canvas backpacks I jumped at the chance to try one out.
Looks
I love how the backpack looks and whilst It’s available in three colours (navy, olive and aubergine) it was the aubergine colour that really caught me eye.
Anyone that knows me will be aware that I always tend to go for pinks and purples a lot, and the deep aubergine colour works perfectly with my existing outdoor gear.
The roll top is a feature I really like and makes the backpack look a little different, though the first few times I used it, the roll top looked really messy, until I figured out the sides neatly tuck in to allow a much neater roll.
The eagle eyed among you may have noticed that the top I’m wearing in some of my shots looks familiar; that’s because weirdly, it’s the exact same top the model on the Lifeventure website is wearing whilst modeling the bag too (Roxy, in case you’re curious).
Practicality
I wasn’t sure how practical the roll top of the backpack would be in practice, but actually it made packing the bag and getting into it really fast and easy. There’s velcro inside the top to keep it closed, you then simply fold the sides in and roll the top and secure it using the high quality hook closure on the outside of the bag.
Using a bag like this for walking, I was really pleased to find that the side pockets can be extended to hold extra large water bottles. You can pop a standard water bottle into the side pocket, or if like me you’ve got a huge water bottle, you can unzip the pocket which increases the size, whilst still providing a secure place to stow your water bottle or flask.
Inside the bag, thanks to the generous 25 litre capacity there’s heaps of space for essentials including a secure zipped compartment.
It’s big enough for my big DSLR camera, purse, a fleece, tissues, lip balm, snacks, hair brush, bobbles and whole multitude of other random ‘stuff’ too.
There’s a large internal pocket ideal for stowing a small laptop or tablet inside, as well as a large external pocket offering fast and easy access, which was ideal for keeping my OS map and walking book in.
The down sides
The bag does effectively double up so it can be used in urban environments too, but it’s worth noting that it doesn’t have a vented back, so for hiking in hot weather, you may find you end up with a sweaty back.
There are also no clips higher up the bag to allow you to secure walking poles in the side pockets, however, they probably would fit in the large back pocket.
Final Say
Quality 4.5/5
Practicality 3.5/5
Looks 5/5
Value 3.5/5
Overall Rating (4 / 5)
The bag looks great and is just what I wanted in terms of styling. Practically speaking it’s comfortable and it’s also a great size, certainly big enough for day hikes and it’s got lots of handy pockets on the inside and outside of the bag.
It feels very well made, and whilst I probably wouldn’t use this as a dedicated day-hike backpack for big walks, it’s ideal for when you need something versatile for traveling.
Thank you to Lifeventure for supplying us with the featured product. We were not paid to write this review.