- Hey, it's Nathan from Pack Hacker,
and in this review we're going to be taking a look
at the Invisible Carry-On by OPPOSETHIS.
This pack was the result of a collaborative design project
with over 500 fellow travelers,
and can be compressed down from a 33-liter travel bag
to a 24-liter day pack.
So if you're new here and interested
in optimizing all of your travel gear,
then please consider subscribing.
So without further ado let's get in
to this OPPOSETHIS Invisible Carry-On review.
[upbeat music playing]
The Invisible Carry-On is part of the OPPOSETHIS
invisible design concept.
Heavily influenced by Dieter Rams,
they design bags that blend in
and will work in a multitude of different environments.
And true to its invisible name,
OPPOSETHIS hasn't plastered its logo
all over this pack.
In fact, when you've got this thing on
you can't even see the logo at all.
The only logo on this pack is on the back,
between the top of the shoulder straps.
And this pack is available in two colors:
black and navy.
We're really digging the all black look,
and if you buy into the OPPOSETHIS invisible design concept,
then black is also the way to go.
Unfortunately, though,
if we have to be brutally honest,
we're not huge fans of the overall look.
This stems mainly from the overhanging material
on each side of the front.
It looks quite good when the bag is full to the brim
and that overhanging material is pulled entirely around,
but in day pack mode it just looks a bit odd.
However, opinions on aesthetic differ greatly
from person to person.
So we decided to put it to our Instagram audience.
And from 166 participants,
55% of you said that you liked the look.
And make sure to follow @packhacker on Instagram
so you can take part in all of our future polls.
Moving on to the materials of the OPPOSETHIS
Invisible Carry-On - the main one at the top here
is going to be a 600 by 800D nylon and polyester blend.
And the secondary one, which can be found on the bottom,
is a polyurethane and PVC.
OPPOSETHIS claim all of this to be waterproof
and from our testing we found this to be true.
One thing about these materials we must bring up,
is that to us they just don't feel very nice.
They're still quality materials
but they're just not great to the touch,
which is a bit of a shame.
Now moving on to the zips which are all YKK.
And the exterior zips are all reverse coil, too.
Which means the coil sits on the inside
and the fabric sits on the outside.
And we're big fans of the clean
and polished look achieved by this.
From our testing we found this style of zip
can improve the water resistance a bit,
but it's important to remember that they're not waterproof.
So if you're caught in a downpour,
they're still susceptible to a bit
of rain or water trickling through.
OPPOSETHIS has stuck with YKK
for their buckles and sternum strap, too.
And rounding off the materials,
you'll find a custom metal hook on the compression strap.
[upbeat music playing]
The OPPOSETHIS Invisible Carry-On
features two quick-grab handles -
one on the top here and one on the side.
These are handy if you want to pick this pack up in a hurry.
But much like the rest of the pack,
the material creates a relatively unpleasant carry,
made worse by the lack of any padding.
And unfortunately, things don't get much better
when it comes to the shoulder straps.
While they are padded ever so slightly,
it's just not enough to provide a comfortable enough carry
for any length of time.
It's also worth noting that on a wider frame,
these shoulder straps do feel a bit tight
and they can kind of inhibit your arms a little bit
when you're moving around.
However, if you're under six foot
this probably isn't going to be an issue.
Moving onto the back panel,
you'll find two thick straps of foam padding
with a space in the middle for some much needed ventilation.
It's simple, but we're happy to report
it works well in testing.
And at the bottom of the shoulder straps
there is an interesting system
that keeps all of the straps together.
They've achieved this by attaching
a plastic buckle keeper that glides up and down
as you adjust the length.
This pack also features an adjustable
and removable sternum strap,
which is nice and does the job well.
However, some things you won't find on this pack
is a hip belt or any load lifters.
Now, for a pack this size, they're hardly essential,
and in testing we found that OPPOSETHIS got the decision
to not have these about right.
And you won't find a hideaway harness system on this thing.
Now considering it's being made for carry-on air travel,
this actually does make a lot of sense.
However, some of you really love this feature,
so we'll leave that one up to you and your use case.
And finally there's one thing that this pack doesn't have
that we do really miss -
and that is a side water bottle pocket.
Now especially for air travel,
people love to have water easily accessible.
So this could be an issue.
Now moving on to the compression system.
At the bottom of the pack you'll find two metal hooks
attached to a piece of overhanging material
that can be cinched down.
When this pack is full to the brim,
this works quite well.
But we have found it to be problematic
when this pack is in day pack mode.
In testing we found the straps can loosen
and the hooks can even come off,
which is a pretty big problem.
And rounding off the external components,
other than the top-drop pocket which is a YKK #5,
all of the external zips on this thing are YKK #8.
We are big fans of the zipper pulls,
but with seven of them that all sit so close
to one another around the side of the pack,
it can be a nightmare to figure out
just what zip you're pulling.
And even after a month of use we still find ourselves
frequently opening up the wrong compartment.
The OPPOSETHIS Invisible Carry-On features
two external pockets -
one at the top of the pack and one at the bottom.
The top-drop pocket provides ideal
quick-grab access for your essentials -
like your passport, phone, and wallet.
And furthermore, this top pocket
has a secret zip at the bottom,
which leads to a hidden compartment.
And we're big fans of this and we really appreciate
the innovative thinking here.
The next external pocket is this one here at the bottom.
And it's a pretty straightforward pocket
for you to stash your items into.
There's not a lot of dimension to this pocket,
so make sure to keep the items slim.
For example, we utilized it for items
like our earphones and keys,
but you may find other uses.
Moving on to the large compartment at the front -
which is where you'll find a simple organization system
that features a deep pocket at the top,
a zippered pocket just below that,
and then two smaller pockets just beneath,
with plenty of room for something like a thin jumper
you can stuff at the bottom.
It's a nice and easy, versatile system
that allows you to utilize it however you see fit.
Or not at all, because when it's not in use
it lays completely flat.
Now moving inside the main compartment
that opens up all the way thanks to its clamshell design.
This is essentially just a massive compartment
for you to fill up how you'd like,
perfect for packing cubes.
This compartment also has the ability to expand or compress
due to the zipper around the side of the pack,
which helps transform this bag
from a 24-liter day pack to a 33-liter carry on.
And on the right-hand side of this main compartment
you'll find the sole interior pocket -
a zippered compartment that enables you
to stash items inside that would otherwise get lost
or just for that added organization.
And finally the laptop compartment,
which is positioned at the back of the pack.
This compartment has a horseshoe-style opening
and stretches all the way down to the bottom.
There is a felt-lined sleeve that's going to fit
most 15-inch laptops really easily.
And also, there's a slight false bottom.
And what that means is the laptop is going to come down
to about here, so not all the way at the bottom of the pack.
And this means if you drop the bag on the floor,
your laptop's not going to hit.
And finally in this compartment,
there's also plenty of room to fit additional items in,
like your documents and notepads.
We've been testing the OPPOSETHIS Invisible Carry-On
for just over a month now and it's seen use
in the southeast and southwest of the UK,
both as a travel bag and also as a day pack.
In regards to durability,
there are no signs of any wear or tear so far,
and the pack certainly feels like it's going to hold up
for quite some time.
While the materials and components used don't feel amazing,
they are high quality.
And the craftsmanship and attention
to detail on show is great.
But in real world testing we found this pack
to be a bit hit and miss.
We dig the top-drop pocket, the front pocket organization,
and the reverse coil YKK zips.
But our gripes do stack up pretty heavily.
The zipper system with several all-black zips
set next to each other is straight up confusing.
And the fact that the compression straps
come undone frequently is also a pretty big problem.
And you combine those with the fact
that there's no water bottle pocket
or the fact that the materials just don't feel that great,
and you can see where they start to stack up.
Moving onto the pros and cons.
We love that top-drop pocket with that secret compartment.
And also the front compartment's organization is great.
And the quality YKK zips and hardware assure us
that this pack is reliable and built to last.
Now onto the cons.
The compression straps can loosen easily.
The materials used don't feel that great to the touch.
And it's hard to find the right zipper when they're
all so close together and look exactly the same.
The OPPOSETHIS Invisible Carry-On
was made to simplify the way you travel.
However, for us at least, it misses this mark
a lot more than it hits.
This doesn't mean to say it's a bad bag.
It's still made of quality materials
and does have some nifty features like that top-drop pocket.
If you're a big fan of the invisible design aesthetic
and can look past things like the lack
of a side water bottle pocket,
then it's worth taking a look at this bag.
Thanks for taking a look at our review
of the OPPOSETHIS Invisible Carry-On.
We'd love it if you'd let us know in the comments
what you think of this pack.
And if you haven't already, as ever,
make sure to go over to packhacker.com/newsletter,
sign up for our newsletter and never miss an update.
We hope you've enjoyed this one.
We will see you in the next one.
(beep) Won't find a harda...
Hardaway?
(beep) Lovely jubbly, lovely jubbly.
(beep) Budabudabup.