Last Updated on June 28, 2022 by Stone
Nomatic started when two cousins, Jon Richards and Jacob Durham, launched a wallet on Kickstarter, and it took off. Now the company offers a complete line of luggage, backpacks, and travel accessories. Innovation is the guiding principle of this brand, and its products are well thought out. This review is of the Nomatic 40 L Travel Bag. Is it worth the money?
Nomatic 40 L Travel Bag
do you need it?
If you take a lot of small trips lasting 3-7 days, this might be the perfect bag. Here are some features:
- Well-made and durable.
- Water-resistant.
- An innovative strap system converts easily from a duffel to a backpack.
- Detachable waist straps add stability when needed. They also have little pockets – perfect for change or other small items like Apple Airpods.
- Still small enough to be considered a carry-on.
- roller bag sleeve – if you are also traveling with rolling luggage, slide the Nomatic over the handle to easily transport both.
- It comes with a laundry bag to keep your dirty clothes separate.
- A compartment for your shoes!
- Mesh laundry bag that you can hang on a hook in a hotel. It keeps your dirty clothes separate in the bag.
- Excellent tech organization.
- RFID pouch to keep your wallet and passport safe.
- Water bottle pocket.
- Easy access pocket⸺a great place to put your phone.
- Tablet and laptop sleeve.
nomatic 40L Travel Bag Specs
Weight: 3.42 lbs
Capacity: 40L
Outer Dimensions: 9″ H x 21″ W x 14″ D
Large Opening Dimensions: 19″ x 12″.
Laptop Compartment: 16″ x 10.5″ x 1.5″
Does Nomatic Ever Go on Sale?
Look for deals around holidays. I’ve seen discounts of up to 40% for Black Friday through Cyber Monday. At any time of the year, there is a 10% discount for subscribing to their email list.
Does Nomatic Have Free Shipping?
Yes, standard shipping is free. You’ll pay more for express.
Can I Buy Nomatic on Amazon?
Nomatic is available on Amazon or directly from their website.
How Do you Pack a Nomatic 40L Travel Backpack?
While you can use the bag however you want, each section of the bag was designed with a specific purpose in mind. Check out this video to see how to pack the Nomatic 40L Travel Bag.
Can I use the Nomatic 40L Travel Backpack as a Carry-on?
Yes, as it fits within the standard international carry-on size of 22″ x 14″ x 9″. You may have to check it on smaller planes used for shorter flights. For example, I recently traveled on WestJet from Portland, Oregon, to Calgary, Alberta. The aircraft was a Dash 8 Q400 with only four-row seats (2 on each side of the aisle). The overhead compartments were a bit smaller, so I had to check my bag.
My use Case
I took a five-day trip to Cabo San Lucas in December, and the bag was perfect for that. As I mentioned above, I recently traveled with this bag. I’m still on my trip as I write this. I decided to push the envelope this time. I went from Portland, Oregon, to St. John’s, Newfoundland. While in Newfoundland, I’ll be traveling from St. John’s to Burgeo, to Marystown, and back. The duration of my trip is 23 days. I packed nearly everything in my Nomatic 40 L Travel Bag except for my toiletries bag. I didn’t take the toiletries in the carry-on mainly because I had some things like scissors, liquids over 3 oz, etc., that are prohibited.
I did cheat a little and used the Nomatic extra-large Vacuum Bag⸺here is a list of what I was able to pack:
- Eight t-shirts
- One short-sleeved polo shirt
- One light hoodie
- One lightweight short-sleeved button shirt
- One pair of jeans
- One pair of Columbia medium-weight hiking pants.
- One pair of Prana Yoga Pants
- Two pairs of cargo shorts.
- One pair of running shorts
- One pair of swim trunks
- Seven pairs of underwear
- Five pairs of socks
- a pair of running shoes and flip flops
- One lightweight rain jacket.
- 1 MacBook Air 13.”
- 1 iPad Air
- 8 Passports in the RFID pouch
- Chargers and cords. I always anticipate the tap on the shoulder as I’m trying to sleep on the plane by one of my kids needing a charging cable; I always take extra.
- 1 Airpods Max Headphones
- 1 Airpods Pro Headphones (my youngest daughter likes to steal the Airpod Max from me on the plane, so I bring a backup).
- the Nomatic Laundry Bag
When it was all packed, the bag was pretty heavy, so I attached the waist straps and used it in backpack mode (instead of duffel), and it was super comfortable and stable as I walked throughout the airport.
Final Thoughts
The Nomatic 40 L Travel Bag is the most versatile carry-on. I used this bag for a few short trips, including a 5-day trip to Cabo, but I’m currently using it for a 23-day trip to Newfoundland, Canada, from Portland, Oregon. I was able to put so much in this bag, and I didn’t feel like I had to go without on this trip. As I mentioned, I packed toiletries into my wife’s checked bag because I had items not permissible in carry-on luggage and used the Nomatic extra-large Vacuum Bag.
If you have a trip coming up and need the perfect carry-on bag.