Last updated on April 11, 2024
Bag of Holding | Illustration by Dmitry Burmak
Let's say you're ready to go to your LGS to play some EDH. What are your logistics to get your cards from their box to the table at MagicCon or the chaos draft? That may cause you to ask, “Why have I clicked on this thing about backpacks?”
However it happened, I’m glad you’re here now. You see, the TCG backpack, also known as the rucksack, the knapsack, or the back-appending device of storage, is a statement of style. It’s what separates your look from that of a simple mediator of card games to one of a resourceful mage, with all of the tools of the trade. And it takes preparation, skill, and determination to reach that point. However, preparation means time. Lots of time. So, in classic Draftsim fashion, I did all of the hard work for you!
Time to figure out what the backpack means. Welcome to “The MTG Backpack: A Magic Case Study.”
Best Overall Backpack
In a quick recommendation, we're balancing value and quality. This DSLR Backpack wasn't made for Magic, but has it where it counts. We're fortunate that sensitive equipment like a professional cameras and lenses fit similar dimensions as our EDH deck boxes, smaller deck boxes and dice bags. The key features like durable adjustable inserts, security strap, and tripod playmat strap, fit beautifully with affordability.
When you have more time, read on for why you could pay more for finer features or materials, but what you gain for what price you paid drops off pretty quickly.
- 📸【CUSTOMIZABLE INNER SPACE】Dedicated camera compartment with 5 removable padded dividers + 1 fixed strap will fit one photography-equipment set up nicely. It can hold 1 SLR / DSLR camera bodies + 4 lenses + 1 flash and other photography accessories. You can DIY the inner space freely by moving thick padded dividers to meet your equipment needs, making full use of camera bag backpack space. Also, this camera bag can be easily converted into a casual backpack when taking out of inner dividers.
- 📸【MULTIPLE POCKETS CAMERA BAG】Camera backpack has lots of pockets to keep your camera and daily items organized. ➤1 main camera compartment for photography devices; ➤1 dedicated pocket for 14inch laptop/12.9inch Ipad; ➤2 mesh pockets for wallet/charger/keys/power bank; ➤1 front zipper pocket for pens/paper; ➤1 anti-theft back pocket for phone; ➤1 expanding side pocket for water bottle or compact tripod; ➤another side pocket including 3 batteries pouches and a zipper pocket for SD cards.
- 📸【WATERPROOF FABRIC & DEVICE SECURITY】Camera bag features waterproof & scratch-resistant polyester fabric, which not only protects your camera gears from being wet, but also prevents the scratches caused by vegetation scratching when shooting in the field. Filled thicken foam around the whole camera case is conducive to camera equipment protection and prolongs service life. Plus, comes with a waterproof rain cover to provide security for photography equipment in extreme weather conditions.
- 📸【TRIPOD HOLDER & QUICK SIDE ACCESS】➤Easy to carry a tripod by 2 ways. ①Side stretch pocket with compression strap enables you to always have a compact tripod or a selfie pole with you and secure it. ②Bottom tripod straps with adjustable buckle of the camera bags can allow you to adjust the tightness based on the size of your tripod or trekking pole. ➤Quick side access design can make you take out camera fleetly and capture special moments without having to open the whole bag.
- 📸【DIMENSION & PRACTICAL DESIGN】Size:11 x 5.5 x 15.7in(L x W x H); Weight: 2.09lbs. Camera bag is easy to carry and fits nicely under the airplane seat. Sturdy top-handle and ventilated shoulder straps will add carry comfort and breathability. Smooth double zippers & anti-theft design for accessing items quickly and providing equipment security. Back luggage strap can securely attach the backpack to rolling suitcase freeing your hand. Act it as camera backpack/laptop backpack/casual backpack.
Backpack Buyer's Guide
So, what are we looking for? Let’s take a look.
I've come up with four basic requirements to evaluate these backpacks. That way, we can find the best backpack for you!
First of all, the criteria should already disqualify bags that are uncomfortable since there’s no way I’ll be recommending uncomfy backpacks with weak padding to you! To find the best option, we need to find out what’s best for our needs. We need to go deeper. Far deeper.
Inception | Warner Bros.
I think that, more importantly, the backpacks need to have an array of the following factors. There needs to be a constant way of making sure that the backpacks are rated correctly. And so, that’s what will happen. Each backpack will be scrutinized, pushed to the edge, and put to the test!
Function
The bag needs to be able to keep our cards safe, hold a high capacity of different shaped items, and be hard to open without its owner (you) realizing.
Style
It needs to look cool and not scruffy, messy, or make you feel like you’re going to stick out like a sore thumb. Or, if you want that, then we need to make sure you can consider that in your decision.
Comfort
Your Magic backpack needs to be comfy for you and your back so you don’t end up damaging your cards or your back.
Versatility
Got EDH deck boxes that you need to carry? Looking for a few more compartments than your deck bag? What about a Modern tournament in which you need to keep your snacks, your water, and your decks, as well as the multiple journals in which you write your novellas about becoming the Magic: The Gathering equivalent of the main character of “The Queen’s Gambit”? Your backpack needs to be able to fulfill all of your needs!
Given that, here's a summary of my picks:
Alternatives To A Backpack
So, there are a few things that I want to go over before we start the real backpack reviews. Is a backpack the best solution for your Magic needs? Well, yes and no. Backpacks are always great, and they get the job done. They’re highly functional, and they work well outside of MTG. But is that the only option you have? Definitely not.
Here are a few “backpack” alternatives that may better suit your needs.
Quiver Time
First, I want to show you the “Quiver” range of products. Quiver is really good if you want a piece of storage dedicated to securing your deck boxes or cards. In fact, they’re the top dogs in that regard, and their products are very highly rated among the community. Including reviewer veteran Tolarian Community College, which included it in a list of personal favorite products :
This may seem like your standard deck box, but like its namesake classical military equipment, the Quiver comes with a strap so you can carry up to 500 double-sleeved cards in one box. It has zippered storage to protect your cards, can be locked, and can store whole cubes or even a range of EDH decks.
I’d recommend this for those who make trips to and from game nights or their LGS but can’t carry around a huge amount of luggage. The sleek, lightweight Quiver is a force to be reckoned with in the CCG Community!
- Premium Card Deck Box Case: Our Quiver Card Holder Case is a top-notch choice for Card Storage Case needs. It's perfect for storing your MTG Deck, Trading Cards, and Playing Cards, ensuring they remain in pristine condition.
- Versatile Card Carrying Case: With our mtg Deck Carrying Case, you can easily transport your cards wherever you go. It's compatible with a variety of cards, making it an ideal mtg Magic The Gathering Case.
- Perfect Gift for MTG Fans: This MTG Card Case is the ultimate gift for the MTG enthusiast in your life. It's a great way to keep their collection safe and well-organized.
- MTG Deck Carrying Case: Our MTG Deck Carrying Case is perfect for storing your MTG decks. It's designed for large capacity, fitting up to 9 deck boxes.
- Game Card Storage Case: Our Game Card Storage Case is a convenient way to store and transport your game cards. Pair this case with the Orion playmat tube for a secure and convenient method of transporting your playmat alongside your cards.
Stanley 10 Removable Bin Organizer
For those who are able to carry and lug around a large contraption for their deck needs, the Stanley Removable Compartment Pro Organizer is near perfect! The dimensions of each compartment work perfectly with the size of our beloved cards, so this industrial case with a simple customizable interior can really do wonders in making sure you carry your cards and dice sets around.
This case is also one of the best “value-for-money” products you can invest in for Magic. If you can do a little hardware store shopping, you may find one under $20, it’s a real bargain!
- Removable cup compartments
- Unique lid design
- Compartments lock in place
- Unbreakable polycarbonate lid for lasting g use
- 10 removable compartments accommodate a wide variety of tools
Photography Backpacks for Magic
There are a few different styles of backpacks that are great for our needs and, while not the most fancy, are the best for making sure your decks stay protected, and nice and snug: photography backpacks.
These backpacks are really useful as they have compartments for camera gear like lenses and such. They’re sized perfectly for deck boxes, so they work really well for carrying a bunch of decks, custom playmats, dice, and extra stuff inside. They usually have heavy-duty padding, so you don’t have to worry about the bag breaking or damaging the contents.
The Best Photography Backpack
The Chrome Niko 25 Liter Pack is a full-featured backpack if I’ve ever seen one. Maybe it’s the ex-photography student in me talking, but this backpack is a well-kept secret for GP Grinders, people who travel a lot and want to take everything with them. It’s got a load of compartments and pockets for lenses, which are often about the size of a deck box. The pack has four exterior pockets and has straps for tripods, which might swap nicely with your slick art playmat.
It does command a hefty price tag so it’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely among the cream of the crop. It even has storage for laptops, so you can bring your laptop to events and secure it safely, for those who grind, or work remotely.
Positives
- Heavy Duty
- Comfy
- Large
- Lots of compartments
- Looks sweet
Negatives
- Expensive
- A bit large for some
- Height 20.5 x Width 11.8 x Depth 7.9 inches (52 x 3
- Number of Pockets: 14 (4 exterior, 10 interior)
- Weight: 6.9 oz (1,890 g)
- Suitable for storing laptop computers
Best Budget Photography Backpacks
Amazon's Choice Photography Bag
The Amazon's Choice photography bag is pretty good for its budget price and has similar compartments as our best backpack. It can hold a playmat tucked inside a tube. The medium size loses nothing in terms of depth and skips most of the frilly features for practical ones. This does seem like the best option for most people, because of the absolute value!
Positives
- Affordable
- Sturdy
- Protective
Negatives
- Basic
- Quite Compact
Bagsmart Camera Backpack
Slick look that gives off that put-together appearance, but not so much that the Bagsmart Camera backpack broadcasts that you have expensive decks. The side access and theft deterrent are as handy as the rain cover. The biggest downside being soft suede sides so there's not quite as much protection as some options.
Positives
- Affordable
- Lots of compartments
- Stylish
- Anti-Theft
Negatives
- Not as protective
- Suede, so can be damaged more easily
- Large Camera Backpack- Dimensions: 11.8"L x 7.5"W x 15.7"H. The lower padded camera zone is designed for 1 DSLR camera with 70-200mm lens attached, 3-5 standard lenses and accessories. The top storage space is fully reserved for your personal belongings. The thick-padded laptop compartment fits up to 15" laptop
- Customizable Space- The customizable compartments with 5 padded dividers maximize everything you’ll need for a photography travel and keeps your gear securely in place while you’re out and about. After removing dividers, the upper and lower compartments can be connected through a zipper divider and become a laptop backpack
- Quick Access- Grabbing camera is quick and easy with the side access design, so you’ll be ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. Front wraparound zipper design makes it easier to pack gear in no time
- Keep Camera Safe- The photography backpack is made of durable and waterproof canvas and comes with a rain cover for weather condition. Lockable zippers and a high-quality metal hook can achieve the purpose of anti-theft
- User Friendly- Thick back padding, generous shoulder straps provide comfort. Adjustable chest strap helps to keep the bag close to body. Inside pockets for small accessories and personal things. Double-sided external stretch pockets on both sides hold a water bottle or umbrella. An ideal christmas gifts for men women
Tarion Backpack
Going into local game stores exposes your cards to the elements, even if that's from a bus stop to the card shop. Puddles in the street, awnings or whatever source of splashes you can think of, are a threat to your cards. The protection from the Tarion Backpack is superb with an IPX 5 weatherproof rating. This large bag with customizable compartments starts to creep up there in price, but justifies that with top quality.
Positives
- Stylish
- Lots of compartments
- Large
- More protective
Negatives
- Straps seem weaker
- Still seems damageable in comparison to other bags.
- Extremely Waterproof: Constructed with durable, water-resistant fabric, and the camera bag (along with the included rain cover) has been officially tested and awarded IPX5 waterproof rating to keep your gear fully protected. Dual purpose as it can be used on a daily basis as a normal backpack because of removable inner compartments.
- Large Capacity: The camera backpack can store approx. 17L of gear in total. Expandable inner top drawstring gives an extra 10% of space for your gear. The Camera bag has side tripod pocket, extra inner pouches to store small accessories such as battery, SD card, etc.
- Quick Side Access: The camera backpack with side access compartment & multiple pouches for easy access. You will never miss the fleeting moment.
- Ergonomic Back-Support: The S-shape padded shoulder straps, adjustable chest buckle, and ring-style hasp work together to let you customize the perfect fit, distributing the weight evenly and reducing the burden on your back.
- Shock-Proof: Inner lining with thick shock-proof EPE Protective Padding.
General Backpacks
So, photography backpacks may be the best for Magic, but sometimes you’ll need one that’s more versatile. Here are a couple backpacks to show you how to find a backpack that you like, and that has what you want. It would be hard for me to review every backpack in the world, so we’ll have to make do.
Ultra-PRO Citadel
The Ultra-PRO Citadel is a backpack made for card game players, but it is bulky and uncomfortable, overpriced, and has a surprising lack of style for an Ultra-PRO product – there are better backpacks out there.
Matein
This Business Travel bag is your typical backpack. They’re all right, but they’re not very sturdy, and they break easily if too much pressure is put on them. They’re good as a temporary fixup, especially for students, but they’re nothing special.
Honestly, you can do way better for that price if you’re just looking for a specific bag for Magic.
- USB CHARGING PORT DESIGN: Backpacks for men with built-in USB charger port outside and charging cable inside, this 15.6 inch laptop backpack offers you a more convenient way to charge your phone while walking
- DIMENSIONS: The external dimensions of this laptop backpack are 18x12x7.8 inches / 45x30x19.8 cm applies to most slim laptops up to 15.6 inch. Recommended age range: 5 years old and up
- FUNCTIONAL & SAFE: Computer backpack with hidden anti-theft pocket on the back to protect your items and easy to take them out. The back of the backpack is designed with a luggage strap so you can secure the backpack on the suitcase. Suitable for work trip camping outdoor. Best Father's Day Gift Mother's Day Gift
- MANY POCKETS & MULTI COMPARTMENT: Pocket more than 15, the main compartment of our travel backpack can hold 15.6 inch laptop, binders folders, clothes and college items. Front compartment with pockets for mobile phone and keychain etc. Make accessories organized and easy to find. Special laptop rucksack for commuter men women
- COMFORTABLE & STURDY: Breathable and adjustable lightweight fabric shoulder straps reduce the weight of this travel backpack. Our business work backpack is stylish even when full of packed. Relieve shoulder stress for a long walk. Foam padded top handle for a long time to carry
What I (the writer) Use
So, I’m a bit of a weird one. I’ve been a student so my bag was regularly tuned towards that. However, I do like pop/alt culture, so all of my bags have been, in Magic terms, flavor over function.
The backpack I currently use is similar to No products found. one.
No products found.Now, it’s not great for Magic at all. I tend not to carry more than one deck in there as the shape is odd, and things can get stuck at the bottom of the bag. You want a bag with a flat bottom.
The lack of compartments is also huge for this. I took a duffel bag with me to GP Birmingham because it was just better than having such a poor bag. I also think that the fact that I skimped on my backpack means that half of my college notes were probably destroyed.
My favorite backpack was this Deadpool convertible bag! I bought it at Midtown Comics on Times Square in 2017, and even though I’m not the biggest Deadpool fan, the bag was amazing. Sure, it’s no Chrome 25 Liter Backpack, but the bag looked amazing, lasted me a long time, and was highly protective. One time, I stashed a draft deck from a FNM in the small pockets in the front, and a year or two later I remembered it was in there, and they were still perfect. Would not recommend doing this, however.
Card Carrying Tips
So, you have a backpack. How do you make sure you get longevity out of it? I’m sure most people know this, but I would’ve loved the advice when I was a bit younger and a bit more naive.
It’s simple: Don’t do what I did throughout school. Stuffing things into your backpack to no end will weaken the seams on the straps, and carrying heavy loads without sufficient support will hurt your back.
Make sure your compartments are the right size for your boxes. Loose deck boxes can scuff the cards inside, and cause impact pressure on the boxes. Most backpacks with photography compartments have adjustable and customizable interior compartments with Velcro, so make sure to use them correctly.
Careful Study | Illustration by Scott M. Fischer
Make sure to put it away properly and keep it upright, as the bottom of your backpack is meant to take the most impact. Don't Fling it upside down or onto the back which will damage it. The bottom usually has impact pads or something similar to make sure that the impact is only on the bottom.
Try to clean out the bottom of the bag’s inside whenever you can! And try not to throw wrappers back in there. It can make the bag really dirty and ruin the material, as well as damage the contents inside.
Furthermore, even the most water-resistant pack will fail unless you make sure your liquids are tightly kept and usually in another bag inside the backpack. It can be horrible when your bag is ruined due to water, and everything else that can leak. It could damage your bag to the point of needing a whole new one! So, be careful.
Au Revoir
That’s all from me today! I hope you had a fun time learning about backpacks, and Magic. If you did, why not leave a comment? Do you agree? Do you have a backpack that you like? Is the existential horror of power creep getting to you too? Let me know down there!
If you enjoyed this, check out the rest of the Draftsim blog! We write a bunch of stuff, all for keen readers like yourself. There’s an array of topics from deck guides to Magic product reviews like this to me complaining about stuff that has 0% relevance to Magic (see, basically every one of my pieces).
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Once again though, thank you for joining me. Below is one more look at my best overall pick compared to a couple top options. It’s been a great time, and I hope to see you again soon. Carry on!
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