If you're looking for super robust military/"tacticool" ones, check out Tasmanian Tiger (Germany) and their more civil parent company Tatonka. Helikon-Tex (Poland) also has some tactical backpacks, but not such a huge variety. Should mention though that while all three companies and their designs are made in Europe, the actual manufacturing is done in Vietnam AFAIK.
this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2025
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Savotta they make military stuff for the finnish defence forces and also military style stuff for civilians
also available at varusteleka both finnish companies
Yep, got myself a Jääkäri S after getting fed up with backpacks breaking all the time. This time it actually seems like it can stand up to the test of time and lugging two laptops around everywhere.
Whatever the brand, one thing to keep in mind is the material. Nylon (polyamide) can take much more abuse than e.g. polyester. Good if the bag bottom is as continuous as possible instead of being held up by seams. Savotta also adds reinforcement on the bottom so it doesn't wear as much from weight.
If you happen to be in Finland it's Jääkäri S currently on sale in Motonet for 90 € – not sure if they ship elsewhere in Europe though.
Made in Prague. Got one when I visited a few years back. I really like the aesthetic and the webbing on the outside is super useful to pack extra stuff. Quality is also top notch, no signs of wear after quite heavy use yet.
Look for Tatonka or, if you fancy more military style equipment, their subsidiary Tasmanian Tiger. Both make really great gear.
My daily driver for commuting is the Rab Depot 28 a really nice backpack if you are commuting with electronics and need space for your groceries.
I have an Altura Thunderstorm backpack. Bought 2 years ago. So far so good, it's very waterproof, so good for unexpected rain as it keeps laptop dry.
Altura.eu
UK company. But idk abt manufacturing.
Aevor. Outstanding quality and design. 100% rexycled material. https://www.aevor.com/products/travel-pack-black-eclipse
Pinqponq is another brand of the same company: https://www.pinqponq.com/
Different company but also from Cologne, Germany: https://www.airpaq.de/ They turn old airbags into backpacks.
In Canada, Thule is a pretty respected brand. I assumed they were northern European and according to Wikipedia they are Swedish.
I just bought a Thule backpack that I'm quite happy with. They have quite a wide selection of options, so they are worth checking out.
I bought an Aion, main reason being that it could fit a normal 14 inch laptop (a Dell latitude if you are curious) and a 13 inch MacBook air at the same time which was the main reason I wanted a new backpack.
I love my Kohla Rucksack
Nobody mentioned Decathlon?
I think that for a lot of stuff the quality/price ratio is unbeatable (backpacks qnd much more)
If you look for quality, no matter the price all other companies mentioned in this tread are fantastic, btw
Edit: I checked, not really made in Europe, but still a lot to do with Europe:
https://sustainability.decathlon.com/the-production-and-manufacturing-of-decathlon-products
These come to mind in addition to the ones mentioned:
Ortlieb (e.g. roll top, weatherproof, biking)
Freitag (recycled, fashion, expensive)
Lundhags (hiking brand, like fjällräven)
Also these (no personal experience):
WAYKS
Db
Ortlieb truly is the number one brand when it come to bicycle equipment. I do know people who have had their Ortlieb bags for close to 20 years now and they're still in top condition.
Deuter make really good hiking backpacks but also daypacks. They are a bit expensive and cliché (german tourist stereotype) but well made.
(https://www.fjallraven.com/) see @[email protected] comment below for better insight regarding quality
Off the top of my head, there might be more. Quality is good, for Deuter and Vaude. I don't have experience with fjallräven, so caution is advised.
I think Fjällräven was great some twenty years ago but has since been sold and bought and traded and is yet another one of the overpriced former outdoors gear now lifestyle brands nowadays. AFAIK it is still good quality in the upper tiers but very far from the affordable lifetime investments they once were and that made them great.
The more you know! Thanks for the info, I had no idea.
+1 for Vaude, their products seem decent quality
I bought one from Feuerwear last year and I'm in love with it. they make all kinds of products from recycled fire hoses, so the markings on each item are unique.
I got a laptop bag from them and it's amazing!
Mammut for mountaineering and hiking
Salewa for mountaineering, hiking or climbing. Made in Europa.
I just ordered a Weitläufer ultralight pack from Germany. Though it will probably take a while until it arrives as they have some lead up time on their production.
If we're going European, not strictly EU, then CabinZero is a great option IMO.
Sounds good, this community is for European products
I have a Sandqvist now for nearly 8y daily use on workdays and multiple airtrips as a carry-on, looks a bit rocked, but function-wise and material-wise I never had a problem. No seam losen, no no deformation, no show of wear on any straps and no breaking on any plastic part. Top Quality. For a Price. I thought about buying a new one... but why? It is still a fully functional working backpack with only slight look of usage after daily use for nearly a decade. But a new one would have a fresh new look. But then again, what would I do with the old fully-functioning one? I have to stay with that bug for another 10y I think.
Really buy it for life product for me. Sadly.
You sold it to me
Deuter, from Germany.
Ferrino (Italian)
https://www.ferrino.it/en/shop-en/equipment/backpacks
Did I mention they’re on the expensive side?
Deuter aka German hikers' Gucci
I don't have a suggestion, just wanted to point out that my favourite Samsonite is american and I shall avoid it from now on, no matter how great their stuff is :(
Aerolite I think it’s British
High Peak Outdoor seems to be a German brand under Simex Outdoor International GmbH. I have experience with their "Zenith 75+10" unisex adjustable backpacks for trekking etc. (we own a couple of those), and we are satisfied so far, after multiple railway-based camping trips.
I have used my Retki backpack for about 10 years now. It's starting to fall apart at an increasing rate, so I should probably replace it someday. I don't know if they are sold outside Finland, though. https://retki.fi/en/category/backpacks/
Tatonka
I'm buying polo (a greek company) for years, though their quality might have deterioriated over the decades