As a video game journalist, E3 is the next major convention coming up on my radar, but there's other video game, anime, comic book, sci fi and probably many more conventions in the coming months our readers are looking forward to. Many attendees want something to carry their swag for these events that keeps their hands free to examine other future impulse purchases, while those who travel from out of town need something for the trip to stave off boredom. Solo creates a few backpacks that are specifically designed to provide safe transport for laptops, tablets, along with the more mundane travel necessities. The newest backpack we'll be taking a look at is the Everyday Max Backpack.

The Everyday Max Backpack shares many features of the other Solo backpacks we've examined already, the Solo Altitude and Solo Elite. There's a fully padded 17.3 inch compartment that is designed to stash a laptop along with a separate internal pocket to stash an iPad or tablet. Like the Solo Elite, there's a separate zippered compartment at the bottom where a pair of shoes can be kept separately from the other items, provided the person doesn't have Shaq feet or insists on wearing combat boots. There are some large zippered pockets on the side for cramming more miscellaneous items, while padded straps on the back make this backpack comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, provided of course the large amounts of storage space aren't pushed to the maximum weight limit.

The main thing that separates the Everyday Max Backpack from the other Solo backpacks are the side handles. Both sides have a handle that actually feels quite sturdy so that it's easy to carry the backpack like a duffel bag. This is one of those features that isn't a major selling point since the general idea of getting a backpack is to be able to transport a bunch of items while keeping one's hands free, but this could be a nice versatile feature for situations where a backpack might not be appropriate. Unlike the other Solo backpacks, this particular backpack only has one color option, which is the universally acceptable black and grey with bright yellow handles and straps. Design preference boils down to personal taste, and while a practical argument could be made for the yellow enhancing nighttime visibility of the wearer, this writer finds it a bit jarring for personal tastes.

Based on the dimensions of the Everyday Max Backpack, there is no surprise that the standard test packing items were able to fit in here rather easily. These items in question consist of a couple T-shirts and other light clothing needed for a two day trip, hygiene items, laptop, iPad, Switch, V-Moda headphones, two paperback books and various chargers and power banks. It gets pretty plump when packed full of all that stuff, but being able to take it all in is all that matters and it still looks like it could be squeezed under an airplane seat, though there have been a couple flights where that has been a bit of a battle.

Hardcore Gamer has covered a few Solo backpacks now and generally speaking they're high quality for the eighty dollar price range. More in depth coverage of the other two are available in the links posted earlier in this article, but we're going to give a quick comparison of each of them. The dimensions of the Solo Altitude are 18.50” x 12.6” x 4.92” and it weighs in a 2.2 pounds. The Solo Elite measures at 21" x 13.5" x 7" and is a featherweight at 1.8 pounds. The Everyday Max is 21" x 13" x 8" and weighs in at a mammoth 2.4 pounds. To break it down in less technical jargon, the Altitude is the smallest but also the most compact and easy to organize everything. If your goal is not to pack a week's worth of stuff for a weekend trip but want everything neat and organized this is the way to go. The Elite is slightly smaller than the Everyday Max in terms of cubic inches but the openness of its design kind of seems like it may be possible to cram more things into it, provided keeping everything compartmentalized isn't a huge concern. The design of the Everyday Max backpack makes it easier to organize everything a bit easier than the Elite and offers comparable storage size. Overall, the Everyday Max seems like it'd be the best option of the three but personal needs and tastes may determine one of the others is better for them.

Closing Comments

Solo backpacks are designed to accommodate the needs gamers have to travel with their electronics by providing padded and separate compartments for laptops, tablets or other handheld gaming devices or accessories. The Everyday Max Backpack provides a lot of storage space and the multiple internal and external zippered pockets make it easy to keep everything separate and organized. While not everyone may need something this elaborate for handling their gaming needs on the road or at events like E3 or PAX, it's a nice accessory that allows for easy and safe transport of the required electronic items needed to keep boredom at bay.