Over the years, I’ve accumulated and used quite a number of backpacks in all shapes, colors, and capacities. In fact, I’ve mostly been living out of one since 2006. After a while, you can just tell the different between a pack designed by an experienced traveler and a pack drawn up in the bowels of a corporate building. The founder of Guerrilla Packs has lived abroad and traveled extensively.
The Sniper lives up to its namesake: the pack is small, light, and has a very low profile. This daypack looks sleek and professional. The black, honeycomb-patterned material and orange markings both look sharp.
[2017 Update] After more than three years of use, this lightweight pack is still my go-to laptop bag for daily carry while at home. Nothing broken on it yet!
Using the Sniper in the Field
I’ve been using the Guerrilla Pack’s Sniper Daypack as my daily bag — mostly for work and protecting my laptop — for months now. The numerous small pockets come in handy for organizing daily chargers, adapters, journals, and other items. My 13” Asus Zenbook (the same size as the average MacBook Air) slides neatly inside the internal pocket. Although the thin internal pocket is supposed to be padded, I still prefer to protect my expensive hardware by keeping it in a hardshell case. The internal pocket is just big enough to support your 13” laptop while it’s still in a sleeve or hardshell.
At only 27 liters, you won’t get much more than your laptop and accessories inside, so don’t expect to stuff the Sniper full. I had a tough time squeezing in the bloated Lonely Planet India along with an external hard drive and other work stuff. But that’s the point: the Sniper gets to the point and has just enough room for you to accomplish whatever the day’s mission entails.
I did manage to defy an extended winter by taking the Sniper out on a nice 5.2-mile hike in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. The pack performed extremely well with no bouncing and no readjusting necessary. In fact, the Sniper is so lightweight and the sliding chest strap is so comfortable, that I hardly knew the thing was on my back.
Specs for the Guerrilla Sniper Pack
- Capacity: 27 liters (1,647 cubic inches)
- Empty Weight: 1.4 pounds
- Material: Water-Resistant Polyester 300D Honeycomb
- Laptop Compartment: Internal laptop sleeve fits 13” laptops such as the Asus Zenbook and MacBook Air.
Other Features
- Elastic umbrella/bottle pockets on each side.
- Easy access headphones port with small pocket for MP3 player inside.
- Stretchy sling system on the back for jacket roll.
- Multiple entry points.
What I Like About the Sniper Pack
- The Sniper is the perfect size for daily use.
- Stitching feels reinforced and extremely solid.
- The cosmetics — these daypacks look nice!
- Good padding for the back and straps makes wearing the Sniper, even fully loaded, comfortable.
- Handy internal pockets keep things organized.
- Slide-adjustable front chest strap is a neat perk.
Possible Room for Improvement
- Zippers feel a little lightweight.
- The internal laptop sleeve could certainly use more padding if you wish to use the pack without your own laptop case.
In Conclusion
All in all, I love the Sniper Daypack. I’ve got more than my fair share of choices for daily laptop bags, but I’ve kept the Sniper loaded and in use for months now. If you don’t have too much to lug around, the Sniper is perfect for daily operations. And as a bonus, it just looks like you mean business. I’ve already had people ask me where I got it.
Where to Get the Sniper by Guerrilla Packs
The best bet is really to just eliminate the middle man and order your pack directly from the source: http://www.guerrillapacks.com/sniper-daypack/
Material Disclosure: Although reviews are always honest, full disclosure and transparency is the way at Startbackpacking.com. In this instance, the author received a demo backpack to use and review before writing this article. Reviews are never edited or critiqued by gear providers before publishing.
Meet the Author:
Greg Rodgers is the editor of Startbackpacking.com and the Asia travel expert for Tripsavvy. He left Corporate America to begin traveling in 2005 and has been happily living from a rucksack since!
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