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Pioneer Carry Panda Pack
Cost: $395
Capacity: 25 liters
Dimensions: 17.5″ x 11.5″ x 8″ (44.5 x 29.2 x 20.3 cm)
Style: Panel Opening
Weight: 2.7 lbs (1.22 kg)
Laptop: 17” Laptop Dedicated Pocket
Materials: Mandarin 840 Ballistic Nylon; DWR treated; YKK Zips
Origin: Made in Vietnam
Pioneer Carry Savant Pack
Cost: $329
Capacity: 20 liters
Dimensions: 18″ x 11.5″ x 7.5″ (46 x 29.2 x 19 cm)
Style: Top loading
Weight: 2.3 lbs (1.05 kg)
Laptop: 17” Laptop
Materials: Mandarin 840 Ballistic Nylon; DWR treated; YKK Zips
Origin: Made in Vietnam
Pioneer Carry Duration Pack
Cost: $315
Capacity: 18 liters
Dimensions: 17″ x 11″ x 8″ (43.2 x 27.9 x 20.3 cm)
Style: Top loading
Weight: 2.1 lbs (0.97 kg)
Laptop: 17” Laptop
Materials: Mandarin 840 Ballistic Nylon; DWR treated; YKK Zips
Origin: Made in Vietnam
Packing the Panda, Duration, & Savant Packs
In a previous article, we took a look at the differences between the Pioneer Carry, Panda, Duration, and Savant Packs. If you haven’t read that post already, check it out.
Now, however, I wanted to follow up and show you what kind of gear will fit in each bag, how to pack it, and how much it will hold. These bags have a similar interior organization; however, the size, shape, and orientation of the smaller exterior pockets vary between the packs.
We’ll explore the different packing styles, differences between the number and size of pockets, and main compartment volume because the type and amount of gear you carry will be the biggest determination of which pack makes more sense for you.
To demonstrate the differences in packing styles, I’ll use a variety of packing cubes, pouches, and gear that I’ll pack up in each pack.
Packing the Pioneer Carry Panda Pack
Let’s begin with the Panda Pack. The Pioneer Carry Panda Pack is the largest bag with a 25-liter capacity, also boasting the largest main compartment volume. This bag is designed for travel, offering a large space where you can fit good-sized packing cubes.
To demonstrate, let’s use the Peak Design medium cube that will fit perfectly in the bottom, and the 6 Moons cube, which works great as well.
If you have one of the longer compression cubes like those made by Eagle Creek, lay it lengthwise in the bag, leaving a little room on the side.
Gonex cubes will also work here, though they’re not as deep, giving you extra space on top for laying a jacket flat.
Panda Pack Front & Side Pocket
Unless you have something bulky like a DSLR camera, you should have plenty of space in all the exterior pockets for smaller gear.
The Pioneer Carry pouch is designed to fit these bags, working great in the top pocket as a tech pouch. The bottom pocket is huge, accommodating headphones, a gaming console, or a toiletry bag. I like to put a sling in here, or it’s perfect for smaller camera setups.
Side pockets can be used for any small gear you want access to that doesn’t fit in the front two, such as chargers, cords, or a smaller water bottle or umbrella.
If you carry a laptop, there’s a sleeve in the back or it can fit a smaller tablet. Fully packed, the Panda Pack weighs around 12.7 pounds. When taking this bag on a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, I found that the comfort carry was great for walking around all day.
Packing the Duration Pack
Similar to the Panda Pack, the Duration pack is also loaded in the same manner. While it’s a little smaller, offering a slightly different front pocket zipper orientation and lacking side pockets, this bag otherwise has an almost identical setup.
The main compartment is a bit smaller, so larger packing cubes won’t fit here. With a 20-liter volume, it’s getting closer to a day pack or short trip personal item. You can pack a smaller compression cube in here, and a Gonex cube works well, leaving you room to pack around it with a tech cube, toiletry bag, or jacket.
The front pockets are still ideal for smaller, easy-access gear.
The Pioneer Carry pouch fits nicely into the bottom pocket, while the top is perfect for sunglasses, keys, chargers, cords, or a small camera. Fully packed, the Duration Pack weighs 10.4 pounds. The carry on this pack is virtually identical to the Panda, just a bit smaller and lighter.
This makes the Duration an ideal pick for those who are confident they need a bit less space than the Panda Pack.
Packing the Pioneer Carry Savant Pack
Finally, let’s move on to the Savant Pack. Here, you’ll have the smallest main compartment volume, making it the most lightweight of all three bags. While you can certainly pack clothes in here, it’s getting too thin for any decent-sized packing cube.
This pocket is better for individually rolled clothes like shorts or pants, or you could fold a few button-up shirts and use the rest of the space for thinner pouches.
The majority of the volume in the Savant is in the front compartment, so save your bulky gear for this pocket. It holds a lot of stuff, such as over-ear headphones, running or gym shoes, or a light jacket.
For small gear organization, your options are smaller. A tech pouch in the main compartment is perfect, and there are inside zippered pockets, but these are thin. For quicker access items, sleeves in the top of the front pocket work well for a phone, battery pack, or chargers.
The Savant Pack, fully packed, weighs an impressively light 8.3 pounds. It’s just 2 liters larger than the Duration, so the carry comfort will be similar.
Pick Your Pioneer Carry Pack
While the Panda, Duration, and Savant packs are all similar in nature, it’s important to decide which pack is right for you before heading out on a trip.
When deciding your pack, just make sure that you take into account how many packing cubes you’re going to need—if any—and prepare accordingly.
These packs are designed to cater to different packing needs and trip durations, and while I’ve put all of these packs to good use, it really just depends on how much space you’ll need for your trip.
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