i'm a chronic onebagger that switches bags all the time: looking for the Goldilocks "just right" bag but still haven't found it yet.
Patagonia MLC - wanted to like, found that it had no foam or stiff fabric to give it form, therefore it just smushes down and stuff shifts around inside. Very uncomfortable because of this and the minimal straps/zero support.
So I got an Osprey Porter 46. At first thought the "wings" were dorky, but came to appreciate the form it gave the bag, making packing and leaving it half-packed to access things in hotel easy. Great bag in a lot of ways, but the extraneous padding for the laptop bugged me. I don't travel with a laptop often, so I always felt like that was wasted space and weight. The suspension isn't as good as my Osprey Ozone 46, which I like, superlight, but it's a half-zip opener, and that's no bueno. A clamshell or book type opener is best for access to stuff without having to unload everything at every stop. I want detachable hip belts too, not just able to stuff it away. Again, extra wadded up stuff I don't use, I should be able to take off completely.
I recently grabbed a Thule Landmark 70. OMG, loved the support and the straps and the hip belt. Felt like what my long back never got from short bags. But... too floppy and not enough compartments/organization. I have come to not like too much org, tons of little slots and pockets look cool, but often you wind up just tossing in a Dopp kit or phone and junk when going through TSA, etc. I like a few secure pockets for cables and valuables, but not a ton of them.
On the total minimalist side, the Arc'teryx Covert series is nice - one big stiffened box with minimal straps, a pocket or two. I had an Arc' Khard 45, liked it, but like the Covert, it's a little TOO minimal.
I still use my old Arc' Blade 21 before they went all metro looking, that's an amazing little bag. All my friends that work(ed) at Arc'teryx still run that same old bag, and that's a clue that a high point was reached.
The Peak Design Travel Backpack is looking pretty optimal, but wish it had load lifters on the straps, less puff to the padding and straps, as well as a zip-out laptop pad.
I just discovered the new REI Signal 40, and it's (other than complete lack of a hip belt) checking a bunch of my boxes. Wish it was a a few liters bigger with a laundry/shoe pocket, but other than that, has a nice mix of compact and just-enough-space / open but just-enough-organization. I'll probably do a review on it eventually.
This upcoming bag looked like a good value for a lot of the features one might want in a medium sized onebag. Sort of like an Aer at a better price.
https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comm..._and_launched/
TDM