You’re looking to head over to Jake’s house tonight to have a little smoke sesh with him and a few of your buddies. The thing is, you have to take your shit with you because you can’t make it back home before you head over. That’s a bit of a problem because you have some seriously dank shit that is gonna stink up any and every room you’re in.
You could do what everyone online says – just stuff it inside like 6 plastic baggies, sacrifice a small critter to the Smell Gods and pray that everyone has a cold that day. Or you could leave it in your car and hope nobody needs a ride. Not a horrible idea, but that comes with its risks as well.
Que the smell proof backpack. They’re a commonly known solution to a problem many enthusiasts deal with every day – the issues of transport.“Simply put, lugging your herb around can be a bit inconvenient, dangerous and difficult”Simply put, lugging your herb around can be a bit inconvenient, dangerous and difficult. If you don’t have the right equipment you can find yourself in a fair bit of trouble depending on which state you live in. It doesn’t have to be that way though – a smell-proof bag can be a solution to a sticky situation.
This article covers all you need to know about smell proof backpacks. I’ll go over what they are, what features are best to look for, why I don’t think they’re the best solution (wait, what?) and then I’ll give my recommendations on which backpacks I think work best.
Ready? Let’s go.
An Imperfect Solution
Before I go on more about smell proof backpacks, I’ll get something out of the way first – I don’t think they’re the solution you’re looking for. There, I said it. Let’s take a step back and go through this bit by bit.
Also Read: Smoke Buddy Review
What exactly are you looking for? My guess is a lot of you are here to find some way to transport your precious herb to a different spot than it’s currently in. Those of you who aren’t transporting pot probably have something else you want to move around – something equally as stinky and noticeable.“A smell proof backpack for weed has a few pretty major flaws.”If that’s the case, getting a smell proof backpack might not be the best idea. You don’t need the whole damn bag to be smell proof. In fact most of you probably only need a few grams inside the bag to be smell proof.
If that’s what you’re looking for then a smell proof backpack for weed has a few pretty major flaws. I’ll outline the biggest ones below.
Price
Backpacks in general (and laptop bags, travel bags, etc.) are expensive. Regular ones will likely cost you at least $30-50 and that’s on the low end. Adding on the smell-proof component makes them even more expensive.
A higher quality smell proof model can cost upwards of $150. Yes, there are some cheaper options but it’s probably important to you that this device works, and works really well.
Going with a cheap option might not be the safest decision and going with the quality one can cost you a pretty penny.
Quality
There are a fair number of options out there that just honestly suck. If you’ve done any of your own research on Amazon you’ll see that there are some pretty negative reviews on a lot of smell proof bags – that doesn’t inspire confidence that these are a great solution to our problem.
As much as I’d expect the backpack/cannabis industry to have put more work into this problem, the products just simply aren’t there. That along with the fact that new states are legalizing each year makes this a bit of a dying industry. I’d love to see some new odor proof bags come along that blow the current sort out of the water, but I’m not sure if that’ll happen.
Style and Functionality
If you’re getting yourself a weed backpack that keeps your shit from stinking up the place then you don’t have a lot of options. Unfortunately, a non-competitive market doesn’t drive inspiration or advancement, so you’re left with a pretty boring, really ugly set of stoner backpacks.
Some of them work, don’t get me wrong, but almost none of them are really good for anything else.
Even if you don’t care what it looks like, there are tons of conveniences you can get with standard backpacks now-a-days.
Things like water bottle holders, small pouches, spots for pencils, pens, laptops, and those nifty little earbud holes that let you keep your phone in the bag itself while listening to your tunes.
You’re not likely to find any of those on a product focused solely on keeping the smell inside.
Okay, So What Works Better?
“Once you move away from backpacks and move towards smell proof bags and containers you’ll find a lot more options that are a lot more attractive.”Now that I’ve torn the idea of odor resistant backpacks a new one, what’s the solution? It’s simple: just get a smaller freakin’ bag.
Once you move away from backpacks and move towards smell proof bags and containers you’ll find a lot more options that are a lot more attractive. Below I’ve listed a few of my favorites that I honestly think will do exactly what you want.
Don’t worry though, beyond these recommendations is the rest of my article that focuses on smell proof backpacks. If what I’ve got listed below doesn’t cut it, take a look at the info and recommendations for larger bags.
My #1 Pick: Skunk Mr. Slick Smell Proof Bag
My favorite smell proof solution is a medium sized bag called the Mr. Slick Smell Proof Bag. Skunk, the manufacturer, has a ton of different sizes, but the one I think works best is the 11×6 size. It’s just a bit smaller than a standard size of paper (8.5 x 11) which is actually pretty damn big.“It’s almost certainly large enough for not only your stash, but any accessories (pipe, grinder, lighter, etc.) you might need as well.”It’s almost certainly large enough for not only your stash, but any accessories (pipe, grinder, lighter, etc.) you might need as well. Hell, you might even be able to fit a small bong in there if you tried.
This bag (and many others made by skunk) utilize activated carbon technology to smell proof their stuff. What is activated carbon you ask? It’s pretty cool actually.
Originally discovered over 2000 years ago, it was a prominent material used in the creation of gas masks during World War I. It’s since been adopted for a wide variety of medical and industrial uses.
Activated carbon is considered a microporous material. That means that it has very few pores (small openings) compared to other materials like plastic or cloth (which many bags and backpacks are made from). The fewer pores, the smaller the opportunity the odor has to escape. Think of it like a colander with super tiny holes in it instead of regular sized ones.
It’s often times used as a filter of some sorts because so little can transfer through it at one time (due to its extreme microporosity). This makes it a fantastic material to keep your smells inside and not outside.
You’ll insert and remove everything through a double seal Velcro opening. Once everything is inside simply stitch up both layers of Velcro and be on your smell-free way.
This bag is great because it’s got everything you need. There’s enough space to stuff your stash in but the bag isn’t too large. It’ll still fit inside nearly every backpack or travel bag you’ve got because it’s smaller than the size of a piece of paper (which any freakin’ bag should be able to fit inside). It’s also half the price of the cheapest smell proof backpack on the market.
Beyond that, you’ve got a lot of options. If you’re not a fan of the size there are literally dozens of other bags that Skunk makes. You can see their entire listing right here. They’ve got a lot of color options too. And if you’re a cranky son-of-a-bitch and think they’re all ugly, well, they’ll probably be shoved inside a larger bag anyway, so don’t worry your precious little head too much.
All in all, if you’re looking for something to keep your stash from smelling, I’d recommend you go with a Skunk bag instead of something larger and more expensive.
My #2 Pick: Infinity Jars
“The big upside is that you’ll not only have a way to travel with your stash, but you’ll have a place to store it regularly too.”If you’ve read my article on smell proof containers you’ll know that I’m a big fan of the Infinity Jar lineup. While I still prefer something more flexible like the Skunk bag for travelling, grabbing yourself an infinity jar can be a great all-in-one solution that’s even cheaper.
The big upside is that you’ll not only have a way to travel with your stash, but you’ll have a place to store it regularly too. That reduces the need to transfer from one container to the other (risking smell and other issues) and you’ll get the benefit of a container that’s designed to keep herbs fresh for a longer period of time.
The infinity jar is made from UV proof glass. This not only keeps the smells inside but keeps the UV rays out. If left too long in the sun, UV rays can end up degrading the quality of your herb pretty significantly. This jar keeps that from happening.
The seal on the top between the lid and jar is airtight and easy to use. While I personally prefer the nicer models with the glass top instead of the plastic lid, the standard lineup works really well. It just feels a tad bit cheaper.
The other big bonus here is these jars look really nice. They’re simple, they’re logo free and they’re black so they’ll match just about any color scheme (or lack of one) you’ve got. They’re also super cheap depending on which size you get. Most of the cannabis enthusiasts out there will have plenty of room with the 100mL or 250mL models.
As big as some of these jars are, you won’t be able to fit much more than your herb in there unless you get the really big ones. These are a bit more expensive and honestly, I’d just go with a smaller jar + the Mr. Slick bag. That’ll get you everything you need at the most reasonable price.
Overall, this is a great little product that’ll not only eliminate the smell form your stuff, it’ll protect it and look good during the process. Style points have been awarded.
What Features Should I Look For in a Smell Proof Backpack?
If the options above aren’t what you’re looking for, that’s totally cool. Having the extra room a smell proof backpack provides might be a necessity. There’s no reason getting a smaller bag/container if it’s simply not going to work.
Below I’ve sorted out what I feel are the major things to look for when choosing the best smell proof backpack for your purposes. Take a look through and then browse my favorites below that.
Size
If you’ve made it this far there’s a good chance that the smaller options I listed above are simply too small. If that’s the case, size will be a major concern for you. While a lot of these are similar sizes, make sure that you pick something that’ll be big enough for your needs.
Material
As we mentioned above, activated carbon is an excellent technology to use for smell proof containers and bags. While my opinion is this will work the best, there are other options out there too – primarily aluminum. Aluminum works better at keeping out smells for two main resons.
First, it’s a lot less porous than a material like platic or cloth. In fact, if you’re ever in a pinch for a smell proof solution, simply wrap your stuff up in a few layers of aluminum foil. It’s not perfect, but it’ll work way better than most other options.
The other is that aluminum isn’t an oil based material, which means it’ll work better to keep the smell of weed inside. THC is mostly a fat-soluble substance. This means it’ll penetrate anything that has a chemical structure similar to a ‘fat’ or ‘alcohol’ (such as a plastic bag) pretty easily. You won’t have that issue with aluminum or other metals.
Quality
Finally you want to get something that works really well. That sounds a bit stupid – of course you want something that works well. But this is an instance where ‘good enough’ might not cut it. Given the subject at hand, the risks of your device failing could be huge.
Personally, I’d encourage you to keep yourself away from dangerous and risky situations in the first place, but that’s your prerogative, not mine. If you’ve decided to do that, keep yourself protected with a quality product.
My Top Picks for Smell Proof Backpacks
Now that we’ve got that out of the way we’ll take a look at my favorites for smell proof backpacks.
My #1 Pick: Skunk RollUp Backpack
I swear I’m not promoting products for Skunk. They just make good stuff. As such, my #1 pick for a smell proof backpack is the Skunk RollUp Backpack. It uses the same technology as the Mr. Slick bag, only it’s a lot bigger and has a lot more storage.
First off, let’s tackle the price of this bad boy. Yea, it’s expensive. It also works. You pay for quality. It’s significantly more expensive than some options out there but I won’t budge on the subject of quality with this niche. If you’re going to get yourself a smell proof backpack (or container, or bag, or whatever) either get something that works or don’t waste your money. There’s no use in getting something that gets you three quarters of the way there. All of that said, Skunk also offers a smaller backpack in their lineup. It’s still pretty pricey, but not as much as the model I recommend.“As long as you treat your bag alright you should have it for years to come.”I’ll step down off my soapbox now and we’ll look at some of the other features that make this an attractive option. First, it comes in three color options and surprisingly enough, none of them are incredibly ugly. This isn’t a huge factor to some, but I refuse to be walking around in a cheapo looking bag if I can avoid it.
Next is the space. You actually get a lot of freaking space with this bag. The majority of it is focused in the main pouch, but there are two peripheral pouches that are good for hiding smaller items.
The construction/quality is great. As long as you treat your bag alright you should have it for years to come. Along with that, this bag is waterproof, has anti-tear protective netting and has thermal lining as well. It’s about as indestructible as you can get at this price range.
While this is quite a bit more expensive than a lot of other models out there, you’ll be getting something that can least you for a very long time. As such, this is my favorite smell proof backpack of the group and I think you’ll be pretty damn satisfied if you decide to pick one up.
My #2 Pick: The Loudpack
Those of you deciding to spend a bit less money, that’s fair. I won’t go through my whole speil again. The Loudpack is a pretty solid alternative which is why it’s my second pick. While it’s definitely not my favorite, there’s a good chance it’ll work well enough for what you’re going for.
The big difference between this pack and the Skunk model is that the Loudpack uses aluminum coating technology instead of activated carbon. I personally believe that activated carbon works better, but aluminum does work pretty well.
Aside from that, this backpack is pretty functional. It’s got three major compartments, two water bottle holders and overall a lot of space. Unless you’re doing anything crazy, this should work well not only as a stash bag but it should have plenty of space for other stuff too.
The looks aren’t anything insulting, but it’s all just a flat black. You won’t win any style points with this one, but that’s alright. It performs well as a smell proof bag.
Another nice perk is that zippers lock together, creating a smell proof seal. They operate pretty well too. Plenty of other alternatives have issues with the zippers locking up or simply don’t have any smell-proof seals at all. The seal on the Loudpack is pretty good and should keep the smell of whatever you’ve got inside.
Overall, I think this is a solid backpack. Not the best out there, but you also see a pretty major reduction in price. If you’re looking for something that works pretty well, you’ll enjoy the Loudpack.
My #3 Pick: Funk Fighter Backpack
Rounding out the list at #3 is the Funk Fighter Backpack. It’s a solid option, albeit the least usable of the three. One of the big things I liked about the previous two models was that they were pretty usable outside of their ability to contain smells. The Funk Fighter doesn’t achieve quite as high of a bar. It’s also the cheapest of the three though, so it’s got that going for it.“If you’re looking for something that’s a bit more barebones, this should do you well.”You have two main areas with this bag – the main pouch that’s accessed by the zipper that arcs over the top of the bag and a smaller compartment on the front. Aside from that, you’ve got two water bottle holders on either side and that’s about it.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you’re looking for something that’s a bit more barebones, this should do you well. It’s protected with a pretty solid carbon lining, making it about as effective as option #1. The zippers can be a bit of an issue sometimes though, so make sure you’re extra careful while operating them.
I also think it feels a bit… cheap. The material is decent quality but you don’t feel like you’ve got a nice bag. It’s definitely something that’s more utilitarian focused. If that’s what you’re after though, power to you.
All in all, it’s an effective option. You’ll be able to get a bag that keeps the stink in and you’ll be spending a third of what you would with other options.