Traveling in Style with Topo Designs: A Giveaway!

I’m very particular when it comes to luggage. And that probably explains why I have a whole closet full of luggage in all shapes and sizes, from compact carry-ons to roller bags to snowboard carriers.

Though every bag has a purpose, I usually find myself gravitating to the ones that can multitask on my travels. They’re the ones I keep at eye level, within easy reach, and usually have a pocket pre-filled with first aid, business cards, Garden Betty stickers, and other things I always like to have on hand. And one of those bags has so far been getting the most mileage this year: the Klettersack by Topo Designs.

Aside from its retro good looks, the Klettersack is a workhorse. It’s traveled thousands of miles with me since Topo Designs first sent it to me in April: first to El Salvador, where it spent a week on the black sand beach as I surfed… to Point Reyes, where I stuffed it with gadgets for a work trip… to Big Sur, where it hauled all my gear for hikes along the rugged coast… to Sequoia National Park, where it camped amid the graceful giants… and finally, to the top of a granite dome overlooking the Great Western Divide. This unassuming sack got around. It was equally comfortable as a carry-on as it was a daypack.

These days, it seems backpacks are outfitted with all kinds of gimmicks: special pockets and loops, hidden compartments and iPod holders, thises and thats. The Klettersack keeps it simple. Inside is a spacious main compartment with a laptop sleeve, and outside you get a zippered top flap and two side pockets.

You can store (and find) everything easily with this setup, and the bag is built to last.

Where is it built? In the good old US of A — right in Colorado in fact, in a LEED-certified building with, as they say on their site, an “amazing view of the Rockies.” As an outdoor-oriented company, I like the fact they do all the things their customers do, from hiking and biking to hunting and fishing. They are their own gear testers, so they know what they want, need, and like. And that so happens to be what I want, need, and like… and maybe you, too!

Topo Designs and I are teaming up to give away an awesome Klettersack ($169 value) to one lucky Garden Betty reader. You get your choice of color (mine is silver) and the giveaway is open to US and Canadian fans!

How to enter: Leave a comment below and tell me where you’d take your new Klettersack this summer (I always love finding new destinations for my own travel list!). To receive an additional entry, follow @theGardenBetty on Twitter, and leave a second comment below indicating your Twitter username. You have two chances to win!

The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on Friday, June 20, 2014. Winner will be drawn at random and announced the following week. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules

1. Giveaway begins June 16, 2014 and ends June 20, 2014.
2. No purchase is necessary. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post.
3. Only US and Canada residents ages 18 and older are eligible to enter.
4. Two entries allowed per person.
5. Odds of winning are based on number of entries received.
6. Winner will be drawn at random.
7. If winner does not respond within 48 hours after time of contact, that entry will be forfeited and a new winner will be drawn.

This post is brought to you by Topo Designs. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that support Garden Betty.

Update: A big thanks to everyone who entered!
This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Sarah from Washington.