Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L Review: Grant’s Solid New Pack

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Last Updated on November 30, 2024 by Bonnie

When it comes to luggage, I am a firm believer in packing in a backpack I can carry on a flight. With that in mind, I have gone through several bags over the years and recently settled on the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L. 

This is THE bag I take when I travel by plane. It allows me to carry a week’s worth of clothes and gear without checking a bag for most domestic US airlines. I have tested it on several road trips and, most recently, on our trip to the Caribbean for 17 days.

Grant walking on a boardwalk beside the water carrying his Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L.
Grant loaded up with his backpack walking the boardwalk to the seaplane terminal in Christiansted, Saint Croix.

When it comes to gear, I took almost everything I could possibly need for those 17 days, including a camera, daypack, laptop, tablet, extra shoes, nice clothes for going out, swim gear and all of the related accessories. This bag handled it all with *almost* no issue. 

Honestly, I was a little overpacked when I started the trip. I ended up trimming what I had with me a bit and was quite happy after that. 

So, let’s break down this pack’s features and why I like it so much.

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Dimensions and Ease of Travel with the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L

The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L is designed to be your one bag when you travel. For those not familiar with the concept of One Bag Travel, it is the idea of traveling with just a carry-on, whether that’s a backpack, a duffle bag, or a roller bag. 

The Tortuga Travel Backpack is perfect for One Bag Travel. It is easy and comfortable to carry, has a lot of smart organizational features and easily fits in most overhead bins easily. The dimensions are 21.7×13.8×7.9 inches. According to Pack Hacker, that meets 112 out of 145 airlines. That said, it is too large for a lot of the European value airlines, like Ryanair or Vueling. It is also on the heavy side at 4.5 pounds, which can chew a lot of weight allotments of some of the budget airlines, particularly in Southeast Asia. 

Grant grabbing the handle of his backpack from the overhead bin of an American Airlines flight.
Grant grabbing his Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro from the overhead bin.

For our trip to the Caribbean, the bag was great for our American Airlines flights from Atlanta to Miami and on to Saint Croix. It was also great for our return flight on Delta Airlines. When we flew from Saint Croix to Saint Thomas, the bag had to be checked since there was no overhead storage on the seaplane. 

On our flight from Saint Thomas to San Juan, however, the bag did not fit in the overhead bin. We were flying on Silver Airways aboard an ATR-600, which is a twin-engine turboprop. Both my bag and Bonnie’s eBags MotherLode Weekender were just a smidge too big to fit and had to be gate-checked. 

A bright pink airplane on the tarmac.
Our ride to Puerto Rico

Even so, what makes this pack so convenient is you can easily toss everything you need on your back and make your way anywhere you need to go. You don’t need to worry about rough sidewalks or cobblestones taking out your wheeled luggage. The other great feature of this bag is it will stand upright on its own when packed. 

External Features of the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L

Harness

One of the biggest features of the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L is the harness. This backpack has an adjustable frame sheet secured by a massive amount of velcro. This allows the user to adjust the pack to fit their body. Once you adjust the frame sheet, the velcro keeps it quite secure. 

The shoulder straps are thickly padded, made of a soft, breathable material and have load lifters to add comfort and security to your load. 

The back panel is just as thickly padded with a channel down the spine to allow air to flow. There is an adjustable sternum strap and a removable (woo hoo!) padded waist belt. 

A side-by-side comparison of a Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L and the Lowepro Highline BP 400 AW.
The Tortuga pack has much thicker padding compared to my previous backpack, the Lowepro Highline BP 400 AW as well as a solid waist belt.

You can read my review of my previous pack, the Lowepro Highline BP 400 AW here.

The waist belt is well-designed, with zippered pockets on either side as a quick place to stash stuff as you travel. Unlike a lot of other waist belts on other travel backpacks, this one will take the weight off your shoulders by leveraging the frame sheet to transfer the weight from your shoulders to your hips. 

I, however, am not a fan of waist belts (or sternum straps for that matter) and I promptly removed both. I see the value in the straps if you are walking long distances with the pack but, for me, they just get in the way. I was able to easily remove the waist belt but had to cut the sternum strap off. I would love it if they made the sternum strap removable but it is a minor quibble. 

Grant walking on the tarmac at the airport in Saint Croix.
Grant walking to the terminal in Saint Croix carrying his Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro.

In all, the harness for this pack is both comfortable and quite functional.  The padding is super comfortable and it breathes well. That said, this level of comfort comes with a cost: weight. At 4.5 pounds, it’s pretty heavy but I find the comfort of the harness system is worth the additional weight. 

External Pockets and Lash Points

The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L has two external pockets and two water bottle pockets, as well as two carry handles. Other than that, there are no external lash points. 

At the top of the pack, there is an 8-inch zipper with a decently large hand-deep pocket. This pocket is perfect for sunglasses, AirPods and anything else that needs to be accessed quickly. It also has a key clip on an attached tether. In that pocket, I put a hard-sided glasses case for my sunglasses, my AirPods Pro, keys, AirTag and wired earbuds for flights. 

An assortment of gear that will be packed in the top of a Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L.
The small top exterior pocket with all the gear I pack in it.
A hand holding open a pocket in a pack with various gear.
The small top exterior pocket packed.

On the front panel of the pack, there is a large vertical zipper (about 13 inches) with a wide pocket that spans the width of the front panel. The panel is not terribly deep but is perfect if you have documents you need to store or need a larger quick pocket while going through security. I use that pocket for my packable raincoat so I have quick access to it. I also use that pocket for my Cotton Carrier Slingbelt. 

The front exterior pocket with the gear packed in front of it.
The front exterior pocket with what I pack in it: a packable raincoat and a Cotton Carrier Slingbelt for my camera.
The front exterior pocket packed.

The water bottle pockets are relatively deep and have a tight elastic strap at the top. They fit my Owala FreeSip 24-ounce water bottle just fine. That said, the pocket will not fit the bottle with the rubber boot on it. 

There are two padded grab handles: one on the top of the pack and one on the right side of the bag. The one negative on the side grab handle: it cannot be used if you have a water bottle in the pocket on that side. 

The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L with a Owala 24-ounce Freesip in the side water bottle pocket.
The water bottle pocket on the side of the Tortuga pack is great for an Owala 24-ounce Freesip water bottle… but it does block the handle on that side of the pack.

That’s it. There are no lash points on the exterior of the bag. That’s actually one of my principal complaints about the bag, especially for travel in the winter. With my last pack, the Lowepro BP Highline 400 AW, there were two entire daisy chains on the outside of the pack, allowing me to strap a jacket to the exterior of the pack or clip a ball cap onto the exterior.

So, I clipped a carabiner onto the side grab handle if I needed to clip a hat on. 

Exterior Construction of the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L

The trade-off for the lack of lash points is the pack is all but waterproof. The exterior of the pack is made of SHELL200, a proprietary three-layer sailcloth material. This means the exterior is waterproof and you do not need a rainfly at all. 

Two backpacks side by side on a bed.
The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L next to my old Lowepro Highline BP 400AW. Note all of the lash points on the Lowepro versus the clean front of the Tortuga pack.

The zippers are rubberized heavy-duty YKK zippers that prevent water intrusion. That means you can splash this pack, walk in the rain in this pack… basically, do anything but submerge this pack and your gear will stay dry. The zippers are also lockable, which does add some measure of security to the pack if you need it. 

That’s a worthwhile trade-off between this pack and the Lowepro I used to carry. 

A cable combination lock looping through all of the main compartment zippers on the pack.
You can use a cable zipper lock to lock the zippers of the various main compartments of the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L.

Interior Compartments

Laptop Compartment

The padded laptop compartment is on the back of the pack and opens from the top. You can fit up to a 16-inch laptop in the laptop sleeve and there is a sleeve for a 12.9-inch tablet or whatever you want to carry there. 

There is also a zippered mesh compartment at the top of the laptop compartment, which is perfect for storing laptop accessories like a charging brick, an extended cable and a mouse. Alternately, since the compartment is easily accessible, you can also use it for stuff you need to quickly grab while traveling. 

A packed backpack with an Apple MacBook Air, Apple Magic Mouse and EarPods next to it on a bed.
For the laptop compartment, I was able to to pack my MacBook Air, an Apple Magic Mouse and a pair of wired headphones.
A hand holding open a zippered mesh compartment with a hard drive and cables in it.
This zippered pocket at the top of the laptop compartment is perfect for storing computer accessories.

The laptop sleeve is cradled above the bottom of the pack, so you do not need to worry if you set the back down a bit too hard on the bottom. There is also a large open area in between the sleeves which you use for documents. 

My only grumble about the laptop compartment is the velcro strap which goes over the laptop and tablet sleeves. While it is a good idea to keep both secure, in practice, it just gets in the way.

Organizer Compartment

Grant sitting in an airport grabbing his iPad out of his backpack.
The Tortuga has an excellent pocket up front which will fit an iPad Air. It makes for an easy grab before getting on the plane.

On the front of the pack, there is an excellent organizer compartment. At the top of the organizer pocket, there is a fleece-lined pocket intended for an e-reader. I was able to just barely fit my Apple iPad Air with an attached Apple Pencil in a case. 

Below that are card pockets which are wide enough for a credit card or driver’s license but NOT a business card. There are two pen pockets and an open mesh pocket. Honestly, I kinda find the open mesh pocket to be kinda useless. It needs a zipper… and the card slots need to be wide enough for a standard business card. 

An iPad Air, three Sandisk SSD hard drives, a couple of cables, pens, business cards, a bottle opener and a clip on light beside the pack, which is opened up.
The Organizer Panel with all of the gear I store in it, including an iPad Air.
An iPad Air in a top pocket, two pens in pen slots and a hand holding open a zippered compartment with computer accessories.
The Organizer Panel packed

Below that is a 4.5 by 11-inch zippered pocket, which is great for miscellaneous gear. I ended up using this pocket to carry my travel light, a zipper lock, hard drives for my files and a couple of miscellaneous cables. 

Below the organizer panel, this pocket opens up and spans deeply to the bottom of the pack. I can easily put my travel charger, packable daypack and toiletry kit in this space. In the winter, I could use this space to shove a jacket. 

The one negative about this space is it competes for space with the other compartments of the pack.

A packable daypack, a charging station and a tolietry kit besides the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L.
The organizer compartment with what I pack in it: a packable daypack, a charging station and my toiletry kit.
A hand holding open the panel of the backpack so the viewer can see the toiletry kit, packable daypack and charging station packed into the pack.
The organizer compartment packed so I can easily grab the toiletry kit in security.

Main Interior Compartment

The interior compartment is a clamshell opening with a deep main area and a zippered mesh compartment built into the front panel. The main area is 4.5 inches deep and the mesh area is about 1.5 inches deep. 

I use the mesh area to store things I could need any day of the trip, like a bathing suit, swim shirt, hats, belts and other flat, soft things. It works well for that. If I am not using packing cubes, I have used that pocket for underwear and socks. 

A compartment with a zippered mesh panel open besides all of the gear which goes in it.
For this trip, I used the zippered mesh pocket in the main compartment to store my swimming gear and my hats.
A zippered mesh compartment packed and closed.
The zippered mesh pocket in the main compartment packed.

The main area will fit multiple combinations of clothes and gear. I was able to fit three eBags packing cubes in it side by side as well as a pair of shoes and my travel camera. 

Read more about my travel camera, the Sony RX10, here.

This is one of the main reasons I purchased this pack over my old Lowepro pack… I was able to simply fit more clothes comfortably in the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L than in the Lowepro pack. 

An assortment of clothes, a pair of shoes, and a compact camera back beside an open backpack.
The main compartment in the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L holds a surprising amount of gear.
Three packing cubes, a pair of shoes and a camera bag next to a backpack.
I kept things organized in my pack by using packing cubes.
A backpack standing up on a floor with a water bottle in the side pocket.
The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L is packed and ready to go.

So, What Could I Pack in it for 17 Days in the Caribbean?

So, in this pack, I was able to take everything I listed below somewhat comfortably. I ended up getting rid of one pair of shoes out of my pack and that made a significant difference in comfort.

A large assortment of travel gear covering a bed.
Our loadout for our 17-day Caribbean trip. Bonnie packed in her eBags Motherlode and I packed in my Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L. The right side of the bed was my gear, and the left side was Bonnie’s gear.

Small Top Exterior Pocket

Front Exterior Pocket

Water Bottle Pocket

Organizer Panel

Organizer Compartment

Zippered Mesh Pocket in Main Interior Compartment

Main Interior Compartment

Read more about our trip to visit all of the Caribbean national parks here.

What I Wore on the Flight

In terms of what I wore on the flight, I wore a WoolX Merino wool polo, a pair of Eddie Bauer Guide Pro shorts and a pair of Icebreaker Merino wool boxer briefs. When it comes to layers next to my skin, like shirts and underwear, merino wool is a great fabric because it does not get stinky on a long travel day.

I also wore a pair of closed-toe Teva water shoes, thinking I would need them on this trip… We were told one of our tours in Puerto Rico required them. Well, they were not necessary and the shoes were just not comfortable for me, so I got rid of them before returning home. That freed up space in the pack.

Grant sips on a small glass of rum.
Grant sipping on an aged rum at the Bacardi Factory during the TBEX closing.

Honestly, I would not have taken either the boat shoes or the chinos for this trip but we were attending a conference in San Juan that required nicer clothes than the rest of the trip. Specifically, I know Puerto Rico can be a bit more formal in some of its restaurants. Based upon where we went for our anniversary dinner, I was glad to have the nicer clothes. 

A bowl of soup and a glass of white wine on a white table scattered with rose petals.
Tiny White Bean Soup at Marmalde in San Juan

Final Thoughts on the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L

First, let me say this is a solid backpack for One Bag Travel. I always recommend traveling light and, better yet, traveling with a backpack. It just makes things so much easier when moving around. 

Grant standing with his Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L on his back.
Grant in the airport with his Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro.

Next, while this bag has some cons (weight, non-removable sternum strap and no external lash points) the pros of this bag easily outweigh them. I found the bag easy to pack, it carries plenty of clothes and gear, is easy to carry and mostly effortless when it comes to getting on a plane with it. 

Lastly, while this pack is pricey, you definitely get what you pay for out of this pack. The construction and durability are excellent. I expect this will be my go-to piece of luggage for years to come.

Travel Resources
What do you use to find a flight?

We use Skyscanner to find deals on flights. Skyscanner has a great interface and compares tons of airlines for the best pricing and routing. That said, it does not always have every airline and some airlines will have better deals on their website. Still, Skyscanner is a great place to start.
Click here to search for a flight.

What do you use to find a hotel?

We typically stay at Hilton properties, so we use the Hilton website. You can find good Hilton Honors discounts or AAA discounts for a hotel there. We make great use of our free night certificates from our Hilton Honors American Express.
Click here to book a Hilton property.

If there are no Hilton properties available, we use TripAdvisor to read reviews and book the hotel. We find we can get the best price that way.
Click here to search for a hotel.

We recently partnered with Stay22 to add interactive maps to each of our destination posts. This will allow you to see a plethora of hotels and vacation rentals all in one responsive map of the area.
Click here to search an interactive map.

What if I need more space than I can get at a hotel?

We use Vrbo for the times when we have rented a cabin for a weekend getaway, like this cabin in Townsend, TN, or needed to rent a house for a large family vacation. We had a great experience with them in terms of refunding deposits when COVID hit and will continue to use them.
Click here to search for a vacation rental.

Who do you use for rental cars?

As a general rule, we book with Hertz for rental cars. We have had nothing but good experiences with them. Plus, we really like unlimited mileage and not worrying about crossing state lines. We have even rented from Hertz overseas in both Slovenia and Croatia.
Click here to book a rental car.

How about booking a cruise?

We have found some amazing prices for booking a cruise through Cruise Direct. We have saved a lot of money on our cruises compared to what we found elsewhere, making a last-minute Bahamas cruise even cheaper.
Click here to book a cruise.

What if I want to rent an RV?

We highly recommend Outdoorsy for RV rentals. We rented a camper van for a week to visit Rocky Mountain National Park for the elk rut and Custer State Park for the Buffalo Round-Up and had a blast. The program was easy to use and we really enjoyed the freedom of having a camper van for that trip.
Click here to rent an RV.

What do you use for booking tours?

We don’t often book tours. Typically, we like to do stuff on our own. That said, there are some experiences you can’t have any other way. So, when we do want to book a tour, we always check Viator first.
Click here to book a tour.

Do you use anything to get discounts on the road?

We make extensive use of both Good Sam and AAA on the road. Good Sam is normally regarded as a discount card for RVers at campgrounds and Camping World but anyone can use the 5 cents off a gallon at the pump at both Pilot and Flying J.
Click here to get a Good Sam membership.
We have had AAA as long as we have been married and it has more than paid for itself in discounts at hotels, aside from the peace of mind of having roadside assistance. Add in paper maps and the ability to get an international driver’s license and it is more than worth it for any traveler out there.
Click here to get a AAA membership.

Where can I get Travel Insurance?

We have partnered with Global Rescue for travel and evacuation insurance. This provider will put you out of the worst situations and get you to medical care promptly. You can even purchase “cancel for any reason” insurance from Global Rescue. This is our go-to provider of travel insurance. Traveling somewhere dangerous? They will even extract you if war were to break out on your trip.
Click here to get Global Rescue for your upcoming trip.

   

Four photo collage with text overlay. Text reads Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L My Honest Review.
Photo with text overlay. Text reads "My Honest Review of the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L."
Photo with text overlay. Text reads "Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L Review."
Photo with text overlay. Text reads "My Honest Review of the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L."

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