Hey everyone, this is Kyle from Money@30, and today I want to talk about a recent
travel purchase I made: The Away Zip Backpack — and specifically
I wanted to mention how I used my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to purchase it.
But before we get into the backpack, I do want to mention that because this is a travel video,
I figured I'd try out a new travel mic set up. So we'll see how that goes.
So if you're not familiar with Away,
they are a luggage company that's grown to prominence over the past few years.
In addition to offering a variety of suitcases, they also have some backpacks and other bags.
So up until now, I've actually been a big fan of messenger style bags,
including this one that I like because I could put it on my back and then quickly
sling it to my front if I was on public transit or something like that
The only problem is that I noticed that, with the more gear I was carrying, this was getting bulkier
and then putting all of that weight on one shoulder was really being an issue.
So after going to the Away website and checking out a couple of different options,
I landed on the Zip Zackpack model.
Now I’ll admit off the bat that the color that I ended up getting,
which is Moss, was not my favorite, but it was the only one in stock at the time,
so I went with it. I do like it more in person than I did in the photos,
so hopefully that's the case for you too, if you're not a fan of it the way it looks on camera.
There are a few different reasons that I ultimately landed on this model,
and one of them was the laptop compartment in the back.
In this laptop section, there's also an extra sleeve for a tablet.
And to my surprise, my eleven inch iPad with the Magic Keyboard still
fits inside of it, albeit it's a bit snug. So I actually have
to take the Apple Pencil off and then put it back on separately.
That said, one concern I did have was that I would feel the laptop on my back, and that's actually
not the case at all, at least not in the few times that I've used the back so far. Since my tablet
and my laptop or two of the main items that I'm going to be taking with me anytime I travel, it's
nice that they have their own space that leaves the whole middle section for whatever else I need.
And speaking of that middle section,
another thing I really liked about the zip backpack model was the clamshell design.
As you can see, the two zippers go almost all the way to the floor,
allowing the bag to open further. However, there is a little flap on each side,
so it's not a complete clamshell, but it still gives you some extra access.
So while there's plenty of room in this main compartment, there's also several pockets.
These vary in size and materials, so you have a whole bunch of different options.
Since I've only taken the backpack on a couple of trips, I'm honestly still trying to figure
out exactly which of my items go best in each pocket, but I definitely appreciate the variety.
Incidentally, right now I'm packing for a trip where I'm trying to get away with just using
the backpack instead of getting another carry on. And so I have a medium packing cube inside of it,
which seems to fit just fine with plenty of room for other items.
I also appreciate the leather key strap that makes it a bit
easier to find your keys if they get buried in your bag than on the front.
There are actually two little pockets, one with the zipper and one with a magnet. So far,
I've really only used the magnetic one, and even that I'm just putting some hand sanitizer in.
Meanwhile, the zipper one can actually be a little tough to open if your bag is full
and is especially true if you're holding a camera in one hand.
Finally, on the back is a quote unquote secret pouch, which can really only be so
secret if every review and the pictures on the website show where it is. Still,
given how hidden this pocket is and because it's right against your back,
it's probably still a good place to keep a passport or some extra money if you're traveling
So in addition to the design itself, another thing that I really like about
the zip backpack is the quality of the materials. The bag itself is made of nylon,
which has a really nice feel and apparently also has some moisture wicking capability.
I also really like the touches of leather, particularly the handle at the top,
which feels nice and sturdy. Speaking of sturdy, the leather and the metal on
the straps definitely feel quality and like they're going to last for a while.
Although on the topic of the straps, I could use a bit more padding on each of them,
but they've definitely still been comfortable nevertheless.
The zippers on this bag also feel amazing. And in fact, one of my favorite touches
is that on the laptop compartment, there's a little magnet so that the zipper stays in place.
Now, with all that, I should probably get into the price of the Away Zip Backpack, which is $195.
Actually at the time that I'm recording this the only available version of the
full size zip backpack is a leather one for $245.
Alternatively, there's also the small version of the Zip Backpack, which is nylon and is $175.
As for the one that I bought, $195 is definitely on the expensive side for me,
but I wouldn't call it outrageous per se.
And while I'm sure I could have purchased a Jansport or something else that was a lot cheaper,
I don't think that would hold up as well over time. I know I've only been
on a few trips with the Away's backpack so far,
but it does seem like a really well-built bag that will last me a long time
Of course, another reason the $200 price tag didn't scare me off as much as it normally would
was because I knew that I was going to be cashing in some Chase Ultimate Rewards points
thanks to the Chase Pay Yourself Back program.
If you're not familiar, Chase launched the Pay Yourself Back program last year
and initially made it available for things like grocery store purchases and dining. And while
dining is still an option for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card for the time being,
the program has mostly been overhauled to focus more on specific brands.
As you may have guessed. one of those brands just happens to be away. Because of this,
Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve customers can now use their Ultimate Rewards points to pay
for purchases from Away at the same rate that they get for redeeming for travel.
So in our case with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, we were able to use our points at a rate of 1.25
cents each. So in total, we spent 14,888 points to cover our purchase of $186.11.
And in case you were wondering that this kind of purchase price
was due to a referral code that I was able to use.
Considering that the points we use were still only a fraction of the 100,000
that we got for our sign up bonus for the Chase Sapphire Preferred,
I think we did pretty well and I think that the purchase was worth it overall.
Ultimately, while it's definitely on the expensive side, I'm so really glad
that I got the Away Zip backpack and I look forward to taking it on many future trips.
Plus, if you've had your eye on some new luggage, then I think using the
Chase Pay Yourself Back program while Away is still an option could be a good choice.
Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of what the Away Zip Backpack is all about. But for much
more, I'll have a link to my full written review in the description box down below.
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So thanks again for watching, and I will see you next time here on Monet@30.