TRIDENT-20 Urban Everyday Carry Backpack

The Vanquest TRIDENT-20 is part of what is maybe the best line up of urban EDC and everyday carry backpacks on the market today. It’s of high build quality, has many handy features, takes organisation options to a whole new level and sets the bar for what an elite urban everyday carry backpack should be like.

I’ve been EDC-ing the TRIDENT-20 close to a year now and in this post I’ll share my thoughts on it in detail. I’ll show you how I use it to pack my everyday carry gear and how it fits in as part of my Elite Everyday Carry Backpack setup.

First The Facts On The Vanquest TRIDENT-20

Pockets, Size & Weight

Net Weight: 3.05 pound | 1383 gram

Total Capacity: 20 Liters

Main Compartment (Interior): (H) 432 mm (17″) x (W) 267 mm (10.5″) x (D) 127 mm (5″)

Top Front Pocket: (H) 102 mm (4″) x (W) 229 mm (9″) x (D) 51 mm (2″)

Bottom Front Pocket: (H) 279 mm 11″ x (W) 229 mm (9″) x (D) 51 mm 2″

Bottom Front Zipper Pocket: (H) 254 mm (10”) x (W) 229 mm (9”)

Side Admin Pocket Size: (H) 267 mm (10.5”) x (W) 102 mm (4”)

Hydration / CCW Compartment: (H) 445 mm (17.5”) x (W) 254 mm (10”)

Materials

1,000-D Mil-grade Cordura® with water-repellent Teflon®

High-visibility, lightweight & moisture resistant 210-D Ripstop nylon interior.

Durable & abrasion resistant RC-Class YKK® zippers, reversed for protection.

MOLLE/PALS compatible attachment system with high tensile strength nylon webbing.

Circular user-friendly zipper loops made of Gladding’s 550 lb. tensile strength paracord.

Neoprene rubber padded grab handle for extra comfort.

High tensile strength nylon webbings and binding tapes

Finished with high tensile strength bonded nylon thread.

Why Pick The TRIDENT-20

When picking an EDC backpack all kinds of things (should) cross your mind when choosing one backpack over another. You’ll consider looks and size for sure. But do you also look at the level of protection it provides for your equipment, at the build quality of the pack, the materials used, at the breadth of options it gives you for organizing your stuff or if it allows for CCW? Just to name the main points. If you don’t take these into consideration I urge you to start now. Doing so will get you a backpack much more suitable to your needs and in the end you, unlike me, won’t have to go through a bunch of expensive backpacks before finding the right one.

How well protected is your gear?

Lets start with safety. Tablets and laptops are prone to damage due to rough handling. The design of your backpack needs to take carrying these items into account somehow. Most backpacks I’ve seem in stores do not, so be sure to make that an item on your checklist.

There are two ways to protect your laptop or tablet that I’ve come to like. One way is how Pelican ProGear Backpacks does it. They use built-in watertight & crushproof cases and velvety, cushioned sleeves that are impact protected by a durable and hard polypropylene plate that covers the front of the sleeve and absorbs most day to day impact abuse. Really nice solutions to the problem. The Pelican U145 has been my EDC backpack for a long time. if you’re interested you can check out my write-up on it here.

The other way is to use the pack itself for protection. So instead of incorporating cases or protected sleeves into the pack you use the bulk of the pack to protect your laptop or tablet. This is done by creating a sleeve like compartment near the rear of the pack that spans the width and breadth of the pack but doesn’t have any real depth to it. Originally those were the hydration compartments.

You’ll find though that you can easily slide your laptop or tablet in there and have them well protected. The soft cushioned back of the pack at one side of your laptop or tablet and to bulk of the pack at the other provides more than adequate protection. This holds especially true when the pack is overall a well designed and sturdy pack, usually survival packs. It goes without saying that the Vanquest TRIDENT-20 fits that description.

Build Quality Of The Vanquest TRIDENT-20

I’m sure that the answer to the question ‘What is build quality?’ is good for a lengthy and heated debate. So to head it off I’ll give you my take on it, you may (ab)use the comment section for yours. For me build quality is as much about the choice of materials and the way the backpack is put together as it is about features and design choices. You can have a pack made with the best quality materials, but when the pack doesn’t make any sense, what good is it. Build quality is in the details.





With Vanquest backpacks, and that includes the TRIDENT-20, that mix of quality materials, durable stitching, features and design choices is the best I’ve seen to date. This particular backpack boasts comfortable, adjustable and padded ergonomic & shock-absorbing shoulder straps that come with load-lifters and an adjustable sternum strap with an emergency side-release whistle.

A padded back with breathable mesh reducing strain on your backand a removable & height-adjustable waist belt further ensure the IBEX fits perfectly on you and let you carry heavy loads with comfort. The front panel features a hook-and-loop field with a shock-cord web to secure more of your gear on the outside. Just to name the most obvious points. The stitching is some of the best you could hope for.

Walkaround Of TRIDENT-20 Urban Everyday Carry Backpack

● Adjustable 2” wide waist strap with Double-Lock buckle by Duraflex

● Bottom grab handle aides in swinging Trident-20 forward for side access

● MOLLE/PALS webbing on front and sides for accessory attachment

● Flag/morale Velcro patch holder on front

● Two 70 oz. hydration compartments (main and CCW compartment) with ambidextrous hose outlets

● Theft deterrent tabs to secure zipper loops

● Two key fobs

● Padded main compartment holds laptop, cameras, and CCW’s

● Three padded dividers (included) for added protection and organization

● Dedicated padded sleeve holds tablets and most laptops up to 15.5” wide

● Two compartments for hook & loop accessories and CCW (concealed carry)

● Well-designed administration front panel

● Over 30 organizing compartments, slots, and holders.

Final Thoughts On The Vanquest TRIDENT-20 Urban Everyday Carry Backpack

I’m on a quest to gather quality gear and assemble my very own elite urban everyday carry backpack. Not because you can’t do prepping on a dollar store budget, not at all. A lot of my EDC gear I wouldn’t qualify as ‘high end gear’, it’s just stuff that makes my daily city life a livable one. The point at which my wish for ‘elite gear’ comes sniffing around the corner is when that gear is something I’ll be staking my life on one day. Think about the knives I carry, my multi-tool, any self-defense gear and yes, my backpack.

So far I’ve used backpacks from a variety of manufacturers. Most of ‘m were decent backpacks that hadn’t much wrong with them, but they did give me a lot to reflect on and compare against. In the end all of them had something that wasn’t quite right or bothered me to a certain extent. Enough to either quickly or eventually drop the backpack. Using, thinking and now writing about the TRIDENT-20, and Vanquest backpacks in general, I’ve come to believe that I’ve found the brand that has it all. Almost.

Shall I mention the one thing I miss? Alright, it’s a really minor thing that won’t effect most of you. I do have to mention it, but really only as there isn’t not much else not to like about this backpack.

Okay here we go: I miss Urban friendly design. Wow! Yeah, no. I know. I’m calling the darn thing Urban Everyday Carry Backpack the whole time and now I’m saying I miss urban friendly design? Whats wrong with me!?

Nothing really. This backpack has it all except looks that will get it in and out of a white collar office building without getting noticed. It’s clearly a pretty tactical backpack. With the wolf grey color scheme it’ll get you a very long way in the city. But as far as I have noticed this pack will not get you into boardrooms without people saying something. So far it’s been innocent jokes like “Going mountain climbing Kain?” But still, serious enough for me to keep it out of sight when going to higher management meetings.

What I would like to see Vanquest do as a product in the future is something along the lines of 5.11’s COVRT BOXPACK. This is an all tactical pack looking like a regular-nothing-going-on-here backpack. Real nice. That backpack, but from Vanquest’s designers… Can’t wait. However great the COVRT is and Vanquest’s possible future urban backpack might be, that’s still not good enough for those active in boardroom or progressive, hipster rich environments. In those cases you’ll need a Black Ember (hopefully I’ll get one myself soon.)

Other than the ‘a little to tactical for the boardroom problem’ you’re good to go with the Vanquest TRIDENT-20. Really. It held up great the past year or so, not even the loops on the zippers came loose. The compartments are beautifully arranged and set up making it easy to store your equipement or office items in a neat and organized way. It’s just a allround great backpack of outstanding build quality. Coupled with the wonderful design features that we’re accustomed to from Vanquest it’s a pleasure to own one.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading this far. I hope I gave you at least one bit of handy information as a take away. I’d love to hear what your ideas and experiences are, so please leave your comments below and share your thoughts.

Till next time, Kain.