6 Pack Bags Expedition 500 VS Isolator Fitness Isopack, Part One: The Isopack

It was difficult to find a good comparison online of the two meal management backpacks I had narrowed it down to- the Expedition 500 and the Isopack. Since this was the case I ended up ordering both the Expedition 500 and the Isopack to compare and decide which worked best for me. I decided on the Isopack so the Expedition will be returned. I'm hoping that this post will help someone else that is trying to decide which to purchase so that they won't have to order blindly. Due to the large number of photos I have to divide the comparison into several pieces so first... the Isopack!

The front pocket (that has the logo) opens up like so:

As you can see from the photos the pockets are fairly deep. You could fit a wallet, passport, phone, keys and a few other odds and ends that you need regularly here very easily. I am going to be using this area to carry the contents of my purse (since I am no longer carrying one on weekdays... I am keeping an empty purse in my vehicle in case I end up needing to go to lunch for work or some such) plus my passport and medical ID when I travel. I forgot to take a photo of the chest strap but this bag has a chest strap to help with weight distribution.​

Next we'll take a look at the laptop pocket.

I was easily able to fit my laptop, kindle and a notebook in this pocket. The kindle is in a pink case and it didn't go to the bottom of the pouch. The pouch within the laptop area is meant for a tablet computer according to the website and it looks to me like it would easily fit. 

Here are better photos of the kindle and laptop so that you can see the size.

There is a small front pocket as well that I will be using to store utensils and a napkin. This is deep enough that I can put the two compartment plastic container with the green lid from a few photos down into and still easily zip closed. I will likely put  that container in this pocket when I travel filled with nuts and seeds or a protein bar.

The water bottle pouches are made of mesh which I am a little concerned will snag but they seem to be of similar quality to the ones on my Targus backpack which hasn't snagged in about 6 months of near daily use. Both my Camelbak Eddy and the H2O4K9 fit in the pockets without issue.

Next we will check out the main compartment. It is actually quite roomy and I was able to fit A LOT of stuff in the bag. Some of the small bags that you see here have been combined for my daily usage of this bag but when I was comparing them I was still trying out different organization methods with my cute new pouches I picked up while shopping with my mom last weekend. The photo on the left is for my daily use and on the right is for when it is being used as a carry on... everything fit in both cases. For the average user I will say that it can hold a binder, your gym clothes, and your toiletries easily. You may even be able to put your athletic shoes in the bag as well depending on what size shoe you wear and how bulky your clothing is. ​

Here is the inside of the main compartment. It is quite deep and has a small mesh pouch on the front where I am keeping a small folded drawstring bag.

There is a zipper just above the front pocket that opens to a narrow pouch meant for the ice packs. It will fit one of the ice packs that come with the backpack. I had already purchased some of the smaller 7 oz. packs so I have a large one and a small one in the pouch and they fit perfectly.​

EDIT: It can fit both of the large packs that come with the bag... I was just putting them in wrong. {brainfog} Oops!

Here are the pouches... the one on the left is what comes with this backpack and the right are the smaller 7 oz. versions that are used in some of the other Isolator Fitness bags. According to the website the larger ones can keep food chilled for 12-16 hours. I have only used the smaller ones so far but it was still chilly at the end of the business day in my lunchbox so I don't doubt it. Further, these pouches are not gel or liquid even when they are defrosted so they should work fine with TSA regulations. I will let you know if they say otherwise once I travel in a couple of weeks.

The final, and arguably most important, area is the meal management compartment.

I used the containers from the 6 pack bag as well as the ones that came with this pack to show an accurate comparison.

All five of the containers fit in the bag plus one extra. A comparison picture of how it compared to the 6 pack bags container is below.

Now for the containers that came with the Isopack. I was able to fit one of the large ones, two medium ones and two small ones plus the second large Isobrick

Here is a photo of everything that fit in the cooler area.

If you are wondering how many of the containers you get here is a close up of one of containers as well as a photo of all the containers that came with the backpack. There were two 12 oz., two 16 oz., two 28 oz., and two 38 oz in the bag to mix and match as you need them. Isolator Fitness has extra containers for sale if you want to purchase more.

Next up: The Expedition 500...