Custom and made-to-order backpacks are commonly found in places like Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington — places that offer the ideal blend of urban convenience and access to the outdoors.

In my two months testing Peak Design’s new lighter-weight and more versatile $249.95 25L Outdoor Backpack, I can say this: it’s not perfect — but it is better, so long as you’re ready to ...

Still, the 45L Outdoor Backpack is definitely an improvement over Peak Design’s previous flagship, the 3.88 pound (1.76kg) 30L Everyday Backpack.

Strauss’ backpack was one of over 64,000 Citypak has distributed in 142 cities and three continents since the charity’s launch in 2012.

The ME-2 pack is a little trickier to put on than the average backpack. A support strap lets you sling the pack over your shoulder to keep it in place while you fasten the hip belt. Both the hip ...