Best Travel Accessory Champion | Carry Awards X

Our Best Travel Accessory champion provides effortless quick-access storage for small essentials when you’re roaming with a pack…

1st Place

Matador Speed Stash

This year’s Best Travel Accessory winner goes to the Matador Speed Stash. Created by the Colorado-based team that has brought us some of the most innovative, feature-rich, and packable travel packs and accessories, the Speed Stash is another prized arrow in their quiver. It’s a versatile backpack strap attachment that offers quick access to small accessories and essentials such as your phone, passport, and snacks. It can securely attach to any backpack with a sternum strap through the clever use of locking bars, even if the strap isn’t buckled. It measures 7 x 4 x 2 inches and weighs just 2.68 oz, making it an easy choice to attach to the front of a pack before a trip or to leave on one all the time. 

The Speed Stash is made of Bluesign-approved 420D nylon with a PU coating for water resistance on the outer. A nylon powermesh provides for an exterior stow pocket while a breathable spacer mesh back panel keeps air circulating. 

We found it perfect for travel, hiking, or daily use.  It fits cell phones (iPhone 13 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S22+, and Pixel 6 Pro, for example), GPS devices (i.e. Garmin inReach), wallets, passports, and snacks. It is the perfect stash pocket for all the essentials in your pockets before the TSA line, and due to the size and easy-to-operate YKK zipper, there’s no struggle with stuffing everything into a small quick-access pocket on your backpack. Inspiring work, Matador!

Highly Commended

These are the pieces that just missed out, and in most cases, by the smallest of margins. To them, we award a High Commendation. The below were of outstanding quality, displaying fine craftsmanship and design flair. With honor, we bow our heads in the utmost respect and kudos. If this were a dais, they’d be biting their teeth into silver medals, while their flags were hoisted into the horizon – a feat not to be overlooked. And we’re sure they’ll be back, to take it one notch higher, next year.

Prometheus Design Werx ATP Pouches

Need trusty waterproof organization for small adventure essentials? PDW has your back with their ATP pouches. Available in three sizes, the waterproof pouches are made with tough 600D recycled RPET. Each pouch features PDW’s MCA (MOLLE Compatible Array) which can be used with PDW’s HAL1 straps or your own attachment setup.

The two smaller pouches have a translucent window on one side for visibility of the contents, while the largest pouch offers a zippered pocket. The TruZip® watertight zipper provides dependable protection from the elements, while the choice of sizes accommodate a range of contents such as first aid supplies, electronic gear, snacks, and more. Bravo, Prometheus Design Werx!

Weatherman Collapsible Umbrella

Bulky umbrellas are a hassle to carry but smaller ones are often more prone to blowing inside out or breaking in harsh weather. But the Weatherman Collapsible Umbrella comes to the rescue, offering compact carry with strong and savvy construction. The large canopy provides excellent coverage, while the industrial-strength fiberglass construction combats breaking and inverting. The umbrella also features vented canopies that withstand winds up to 55 mph by letting the umbrella act as a pass-through instead of providing resistance.

The ergonomic handle has a button for easy automatic opening and the wrist strap aids with carrying too. You also benefit from 360-degree reflective trim for added visibility and a choice of colorways to suit your personal tastes and make it easy to retrieve your own umbrella if it’s stored with others. Superb work, Weatherman!

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