Cotopaxi's Inca is a great backpack, both for travel and for actually getting into the backcountry.

I used Cotopaxi's Inca 26-liter backpack for a trip to the Philippines and it also was my carry-on for the flight. At first glance, I love the clean design. The front zippered pocket is great for storing just about anything from food to clothing or anything in between. I put my books, iPad, and school work into the pocket for the flight, but then used it to store clothing when we were traveling to different islands in the Philippines.

The Inca (MSRP $89) is made from 210-denier nylon 66 ripstop, a strong and durable material. The ripstop fabric also is highly breathable while maintaining water and wind resistance, and keeps condensation build-up within the fabric. The back panel is perforated to breathe, too.

The pack, which comes in just one size, has two main compartments '“ one the front-loading zipper sack, and the other being a large padded compartment with an elastic sleeve for a water bladder.  The padded compartment is also insulated to keep water and food cold, and has a slit for a hydration tube. 

There are two water bottle pockets on the sides of the pack near the waist for easy access, plus lots of loops for gear to hang from. In between the two large compartments is a large sunglasses pocket that is divided in two; one side has a Velcro closure. There is a quick access stuff pocket on the front of the pack. Two more pockets are located on the adjustable waist belt. A final pocket is located on the left shoulder strap.

I didn't notice all the pockets and storage until further inspection, and every time I looked at it, I noticed a pocket or feature I hadn'™t before.  I didn'™t use the insulated pocket for any drinks or food; I used it for my camera and accessories. I didn'™t want to haul another bag around, and everything fit snugly and there was no worry about damage to my camera. The padded back panel also made it comfortable against my back. I loved having my camera close and I never felt like I had a hard camera lens against my back. 

There is a loop in the insulated pocket for a water bladder so it doesn'™t slide down to the bottom. I did notice that the pocket decreases in size slightly towards the bottom, which I found somewhat annoying, but it was nothing major. The sunglass pocket located on the top has a small harness clip and can easily fit a cell phone, sunglasses, passport, chapstick, wallet and any other small item you may need. It is also discrete and I never felt like someone could quickly or quietly open it, (especially because my husband could never open the correct pocket on the first try.).  

The pockets on the waist belt were perfect for my extra memory cards for my camera and hand sanitizer. Cotopaxi'™s website says that they are perfect for a cell phone, but I couldn'™t get my iPhone 4s with a Lifeproof case to fit. The phone could fit alone, though.  The pocket on the shoulder strap seemed strange to me because it'™s skinny and I didn'™t have anything that I thought could fit, but I did end up using it for pens and a nail file. 

I honestly didn'™t use the ice tool pockets for half the trip because there a roughly a 1'x 1' hole in the bottom of both and anything I wanted to put in there would have fallen out. I finally used it for our prescription pill bottles and that was it. 

The pockets share the same area as the water bottle pockets, so I didn'™t feel like it was a complete waste of space, except that if you have a larger bottle, then it probably won'™t fit. Most of our water bottles were large and hung out in the easy access pocket on the front. The easy access stuff pocket was the most used because it was easy to shove a jacket or a water bottle. 

Random Fact - on a smaller hike before the trip, I was able to put my 5-pound poodle in it so his feet didn'™t get wet while crossing a river.  The padded and breathable straps and back panel make a surprising difference in the amount of sweat normally produced in those areas. I'™m not a fan of heavy sweating from packs and would recommend this product for that reason alone. The padding also made the pack easier to wear. Towards the end of the Philippines trip I noticed that my husband would 'œvolunteer' to carry it, leaving me with his uncomfortable pack. 

The straps are also quick and easy to adjust, making a simple task to switch between my husband and me. There is also elastic that is meant to hold the excess strap in place so it'™s not dangling and getting caught on anything you pass. 

The Inca 26L is a great pack and I do recommend it to anyone for just about anything. I love the fabric because I hauled it through dirt, sand, ferries and vehicles, and rain and it still looks brand new. It didn'™t pick up any stains or even dirt that I had to brush off. 

This pack comes in one size, weighs a little over 1.5 pounds, and comes in classic blue and charcoal.  So, it has a lot of pockets, it's versatile and very nice looking. And Cotopaxi is a socially aware outdoor manufacturer -- at least 10 percent of Cotopaxi'™s profits are given back to the people for education, health and clean water. It's a keeper.