Looking for a travel bag that can handle a long weekend or maybe even a week on the road? Look no further than the Tortgua Setout, the newest addition to the Tortuga backpack family.
The Tortuga Setout is a maximum sized carry on backpack at 45L. The Setout takes on a lot of the improvements of the Outbreaker from the old V2 pack, and simplifies the pack for those that may not need the organizational pockets and structure of a backpacking pack. If you’re looking for my review on the Tortuga Outbreaker, you can find that here.
What’s Different with the Tortuga Setout vs the Tortuga Outbreaker?
- The Setout has a full depth half-zip front panel versus two pockets with little room. This is a big improvement over the Outbreaker, those front two pockets had very little utility due to the small amount of space, especially with a full pack.
- The Setout brings back the hideaway straps, a feature in the V2 I really liked.
- The Setout can hold a 15″ inch laptop versus 17″ in the Outbreaker. Although in this day and age I don’t know many people traveling with a 17′ laptop.
- The Setout only comes in one size (45L), versus 35 or 45L for the Outbreaker.
- The Setout is 3.3 lbs compared to 5.1 lbs for the Outbreaker.
What’s to like about the Tortuga Setout?
- The Tortuga Setout has kept that large mesh bottle holder on the side to hold a wide variety of water bottles, or possibly even a tripod.
- The hideaway straps are great in case you’ve packed your bag to the gills and you get the dreaded gate check (we’ve all been there). Although I highly doubt this bag would get gate checked by any agent.
- Added loops at the top and bottom of the bag to connect additional items you’ve collected in your travels (either via a carabiner, or some other kind of tie down).
Images Courtesy of Tortuga Backpacks
What’s not to like about the Tortuga Setout?
*I haven’t taken the bag on a trip yet, so this is speculation.
- This bag isn’t for long term travel. I’m not sure it has the internal support/padding that the Outbreaker has when carrying a heavy load.
- Less organizational pockets than the Outbreaker (I can’t decide if this is a negative or positive)
Should I buy the Tortuga Setout?
In short yes, I think this is a great gift for the budding traveler at an affordable $199.
Since the bag doesn’t have quite the organization that the Outbreaker has, you might want to add in the Setout packing cubes. I have used these cubes for a number of trips now and couldn’t be happier with them.
It may not be the best bag for the seasoned world traveler, but for that minimalist someone in your life that takes long weekend trips and wants to avoid checking bags, the Tortuga Setout is a great addition! I still prefer the Outbreaker if I had to choose between the two mainly because of the structure of the pack and adjustable straps/support.
Here are a few shots of the Setout packed and ready to go for a 2 day work trip.
I packed the following, giving the new Setout Packing Cubes a try.
- Laptop w/ Charger
- Pair of Dress Shoes
- 2 Pairs of pants
- Socks/Underwear
- Dopp Kitt
- Button Down Shirt
- 2 Pairs of t shirts
- Sweater
- Belt
- Setout Day Pack
- Setout Packing Cubes
Overall I thought the pack worked well, and didn’t hurt my back, or feel too cumbersome.
The Tortuga Setout Day pack is a nice addition to your arsenal. It’s similar to the original outbreaker daypack and is perfect for taking some smaller things on a hike, or your day parading around the city. It has a small zippered pocket in the front to hold your keys/cell phone/wallet for quick access. It also has a side pocket for a water bottle.For $39 you really can’t go wrong. I also like having it rolled up in my pack as an insurance policy for more room. It’s also convenient on the plane to throw under your seat for any of the items you want quick access to.
Happy Travels!
(Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. This is a 100% genuine review. If you want to help support me, please book through my links).
12 thoughts on “Tortuga Setout Backpack Review”
How water resistant is this bag? The one thing that reviews haven’t really touched on. Also, does it feel pretty durable? Thanks!
So I ran my Setout under the faucet last night and I was pretty impressed with it’s ability to repel water. I put a few napkins in my bag to see if they absorbed anything and they were fine. The bag retains some water in the water bottle area because it’s more of a mesh and isn’t water repellent, but that’s the only note I could make.
I’ll try and post something more in-depth on the water resistance, but wanted to get this response out to you since it had taken me so long to get back to you in the first place.
In terms of durability, I’d say it’s probably a 6/7 out of 10? Tough to say until you really put it in action. It’s not a bag I’d want as my primary bag, there are other tortuga bags better suited for that, but for a long weekend I think this would work just fine.
Hey Ryan,
I don’t have the bag on me now, but I’ll be happy to test out the water resistance of the bag when I can, and update the post.
I’d say it feels durable, but not quite what the older versions of the bag had in terms of durability. Those versions seemed to use a heavier duty cloth, although that might be a good thing for weight purposes.
Did you feel the need to use the hip belt, when stashing straps, where did the belt fit best? Debating on swapping my Osprey Porter 46 for this
Hey Austin,
I don’t think the hip belt is needed really, as this isn’t a bag I’d take on an extended trip. It does offer some additional quick storage that could be useful, but I’m not sure it provides the support you’d be looking for. When you remove the hip belt you can put the straps in the compartment where the straps go, or you could stash them in your bag or the water bottle container. Good news about the pack is that you can return it within 30 days if you’re dissatisfied.
You keep mentioning that this is not a long term bag, could you please elaborate? I usually travel for a week to 10 days at a time, so I’m curious what makes you hesitant on choosing this bag. Is it uncomfortable? Do you feel like a strap or something would tear off or feels cheap?
I think a week to 10 days would work for this bag, I am privy to some of their other bags. I don’t think it feels cheap, but the bag doesn’t have the same structure/support that some of the other Tortuga’s have had. I don’t think anything would tear off, but I could see how it might be uncomfortable with a heavier load. I’ll update the post with some more information once I’ve been able to test it in the wild.
I’m torn between this back and the outbreaker. for me the non-stowable straps seem like a problem. I’ve got the osprey and don’t like it but the straps are securable. I’ve also got the MEI executive overnighter. I think those bags are a bit ‘old fashioned’. what I was hoping to get was
TSA fold out (even w/ pre-chek, we don’t have a separate line where I live)
hidden straps
Should I be worried or care that the straps aren’t securable?
Hey Ben,
I’d probably go with the Outbreaker to be honest, I think it has more versatility and structure to it, albeit it is a bit heavier than the Setout. It offers much more customization and support for different torso sizes as well. The hip belt is removable on the Outbreaker, but the straps are not. I wouldn’t worry about it though, I haven’t had an issue using the bag as a carry on.
I’ll hopefully post a comparison of the two in the coming days.
thank you for the reply!
Have you had a chance to try out the Setout on a trip yet Jason? I am a similar height and size so I was wondering about the fit, seeing how the straps are non adjustable.
Cheers,
Lukas
Hey Lukas,
I haven’t taken it too far. I will be taking it for the next couple of days on a work trip and I’ll report back to let ya know! My goto bag lately has been the Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW Camera Backpack, since it carries so much of my camera/drone gear.
Stay tuned! What kind of length of a trip are you looking to take it on??