The Constant Ramblers recently had the pleasure of doing a test run on some products that I have personally been drooling over since I found out about their existence almost a year ago. IGNOBLE backpacks was kind enough to send us some of their bags for a trial run. I was ecstatic! These bags are gorgeous and fit my personal style fabulously. I really think these bags were made with me in mind. :) This is not just an IGNOBLE backpack review, it is a story of some sexy backpacks that turned my lust into a deep, strong love.

I came across these backpacks about a year ago while aimlessly scrolling through Facebook. It was pretty much lust at first sight, but I had no real reason to purchase one. Kenin and I had yet to begin our adventure travels. :( We started our blog and some time went by. We then started planning our first overseas blog trip to India. We would be there a month.  We need luggage… easy to carry, easy to pack, and most importantly: durable. I wanted something that I could carry onto a plane, train, or automobile with ease and still look like my stylish, trend-setting self.

IGNOBLE backpacks are  noir inspired, USA made travel bags from a company that was started in 2009 in Los Angeles. They make backpacks that are extremely versatile and  customizable to your specific needs. We received our two bags and from the second I removed them from the box I was overjoyed. They were a backpackers dream. Kenin received the Cora and I had my hands on the Lenore. They are both black and have countless pockets to stash your stuff in an orderly fashion. They both also come with an amazing number of buckles to keep you things nice and secure and allow you to adjust them to almost any frame. Kenin and I were both able to use both bags despite his 6’4″ frame and my 5’2″. The bags were beautiful, but now we needed to put them to the test of jamming them full of stuff and toting them around the world.

We packed up our clothes, computers, cameras, and other various travel necessities and stuffed these bags to maximum capacity. Then we took a week long road trip with Cora and Lenore in tow. We made several stops along the way (North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania), before we made it to our first stop in Toronto.  These bags were unpacked and repacked too many times to count. They held up wonderfully and we were starting to fall in love.  We stayed in Toronto for about a week, then it was time to pack our belongings for our month long trek through India.

Stuffed to the brim, Cora and Lenore were stowed in our overhead compartment for their first flight. The handles on both bags made it easy to pull them down out of the overhead lockers whenever we needed something. They mold so well to your body that is was a breeze getting in and out of the tiny airplane aisles with the backpacks strapped to our backs. So far, these bags were fantastic.

When testing any type of product, Kenin and I like to put the item through the ringer :). If we put our seal of approval on something, we want to make sure it’s worthy of every single one of our readers. After over a month of true abuse, these bags still look and feel brand spanking new! They have been on hikes through Toronto and New Delhi. They have traveled by car, bus, plane, tuk tuk, and on foot. They were repacked every day for over a month with not even enough space left for another pair of socks. The seams and zippers are in the exact condition as when we lovingly took them out of the box on that very first day.

IGNOBLE technically means of humble origin. While Cora and Lenore may have come from a humble beginning, their performance and style are nothing short of spectacular! My bag of choice was the Lenore Capsule Backpack. While it wasn’t the largest bag, at 27 liters (only weighing in at 1 lbs 12 oz), the large center pocket with laptop sleeve and pouch held all the clothes I needed for a month. The ballistic nylon outer shell held up to the weather very well and looks spotless despite the daily bumps and scrapes it took. The real innovation and star of this bag though is the simple extra handle in the center of the bag and two straps that allow it to be carried like a duffel bag. It made running the bag through metal detectors and overhead storage compartments a breeze, plus it was nice to carry in your hand when your back needed a break or when I was squeezing through small spaces. The only annoyance I found with this bag was that it was a bit difficult to slide my laptop in and out when the bag was full.

While the Lenore’s trick is convenience and versatility Kenin’s choice, the Cora Classic Rucksack is all about one thing capacity. At 37 liters the bag is deceptively large and super light at only 1 lbs 14 oz. The center cavity has a just  laptop sleeve and a single pocket, other than that there is nothing to get in the way of all the stuff you want to shove in there. Kenin stuffed and packed and jammed everything he could into his bag and the seams never even whined. On top of all the internal capacity there are pockets on the outside of the bag for extra stuff and a convenient pocket located at the top of the expandable hood for easy access. The Cora has plenty of straps and buckles to keep the bag nice and tight, and also double as convenient straps to hang extra goodies from. Because the top of the bag has an expandable hood and buckles (like many large rucksacks) the only drawback is that the bag can’t be easily locked.  So, just how much stuff can the Cora hold? I’ll let this picture do the talking. Oh and don’t forget, Ken is 6’4″ so them jeans aren’t tiny :-)

As an added bonus, Ken and I both received a pair of the Rutledge and Sternwood travel wallets to go with our bags. The Rutledge wallet was large enough to fit a passpost, cell phone, cash, and the Sternwood card wallet. The card wallet was perfect for our IDs, Credit Cards, and small amounts of cash we needed each day. The real convenience of having a pair of wallets was that it allowed us to put just small amounts of monies and a single credit card in the Stermwood and carry that around town in our pockets to prevent exposure to pickpockets while leaving the large wallet in our packs or in the safe in our rooms.

These IGNOBLE backpacks have been fantastic for the first 2 months of testing and have held up incredibly well. If you are looking for lightweight, hi-grade bags that are actually hand assembled in small runs by a military-grade soft goods production facility then look no further than Ignoble.

If after reading our Ignoble backpack review you are just dying to get you  hands on one of these lust worthy bags take just a minute to enter the contest below and one lucky winner will win a free Cora Classic Rucksack and a second prize winner will win a fantastic wallet set.

a Rafflecopter giveaway