I recently had the opportunity to review the Cotopaxi Kilimanjaro 20-liter backpack after interviewing the company’s founder, Davis Smith for a feature story for ActionHub. While it was easy to be attracted to the stylish bags without knowing much about them, it was after learning more about the brand’s mission that they became even more appealing.

When someone buys a piece of gear from the company, a specific humanitarian cause is tied to it. The causes differ based on the product but, for example, if you purchase a Cotopaxi+India water bottle, you can give clean water to a person in India for six months through charity:water, one of Cotopaxi’s partners. When you buy a Cusco pack, you help to educate a child in Peru for one week. If you purchase the Kilimanjaro pack, you provide tutoring to a child at the Kilimanjaro Kids Community in Tanzania for one week.

“In the middle of last year is when it all started to come together,” Smith said of Cotopaxi’s business plan. ”I was living in Brazil at the time running a business I had started. I began thinking seriously about leaving my company and doing something that would really help people. After a few days of starting to think about this, I woke up in the middle of the night and just started writing. All of the sudden, I realized I had been awake for 48 hours and had come up with an entire business plan and the slogan, ‘Gear for Good.’”

The slogan stuck, and while the gear selection offered by the company is still rather small, Davis said they plan to grow slow and steadily with attention to detail. Cotopaxi is still extremely new in the outdoor industry, having officially launched just this past April.

The Kilimanjaro pack’s official description reads, “An excellent lifestyle pack for the minimalist who likes clean lines and sleek looks. Excellent for college campuses and non-technical day hikes. Made from canvas and leather materials, Kilimanjaro has a classic look with a technical edge.” The pack is available in Driftwood, Laguna Colorado, Alpaca, and Beech Canopy colors—I reviewed the Driftwood.

I received the pack about a month ago, and I’ve used it every day since. First of all, it looks awesome. While style is imperative in the process of buyers checking out products, the gear also has to stand up to the elements. The Kilimanjaro also succeeds in this regard. Most importantly, a more rugged leather material is used on the bottom of the pack, which is the area that tends to take the biggest beating. This leather is used in smaller details on the pack as well, effectively tying the design together. The nylon cotton canvas of the bag is water resistant and durable, as are the zippered main body and two zippered outside pockets. Because the zippers are so bulky, they can take some effort to open and close, but I’d rather have this problem than a flimsy zipper. The back of the pack is breathable and features adjustable straps, and inside the pack, there’s a 15-inch laptop sleeve.

I work in a casual office environment, so the pack easily became my day-to-day bag. If I’m heading to yoga class right after work, there’s plenty of room to pack my clothes and giant water bottle too (which even fits in the outer side pockets of the bag, surprisingly). On shorter hikes, I don’t typically pack a whole lot, but there was plenty of room for a light jacket, snacks, camera, water, etc. The Kilimanjaro was also great for a few beach days and taking on my family’s boat at our cottage. Although it got a bit wet, it dried quickly and didn’t seem to damage the bag in any way. While the bag definitely isn’t big enough to take on any trip longer than a day, it’s rugged enough to trust outdoors but stylish enough to carry around town.

Where I think the bag really succeeds is in its structure and durability. If bags are overstuffed, it’s typical for certain areas to become easily stretched out. Even when my a-bit-too-big-for-the-bag laptop was shoved in the Kilimanjaro, it maintained its original shape when the laptop was removed. Comfort is also a big point to note. I’ve purchased a few packs similar in style in the past, but cheaper versions not made for the outdoors in any way. I quickly noticed these packs looked great, but wouldn’t hold up because of the lack of detail put on the back panel and straps. The Kilimanjaro features an ergonomic design for ultimate comfort, which put these other packs to shame. You can have style without sacrificing comfort—and without the risk of a back injury.

So, if you’re looking for the perfect 20-liter pack for hikes or just something to use on a daily basis, the Kilimanjaro absolutely has my recommendation. For more information, visit the Cotopaxi website and check out the informational video about the Kilimanjaro below:

Main image courtesy of Cotopaxi/additional images by Ariel Black