The Coolest Travel-Adventure Backpack

It’s always a win-win when I find a product I’m crazy about and then discover that the company’s global message resonates. Cotopaxi, an adventure gear and apparel company based in Salt Lake City, produces the coolest travel-adventure backpacks I’ve seen—they’re durable, functional, comfortable and cute, with a clever design that encourages organization and minimalist packing (which I desperately need). And with a company creed of “Do Good,” the hefty price tag is somehow easier to swallow.

Founder and CEO Davis Smith grew up in impoverished countries in Central America and South America, so his philanthropic roots were planted at an early age. Now, his outdoor company donates 1 percent of its annual revenue to address poverty and community development, and also manufactures sustainably sourced materials in humane factories in the developing world. I bought the colorful Allpa 35L Travel Pack ($200), made in Philippines by Cotopaxi’s principal pack-maker—a factory committed to fair social labor and environmentally sound practices.