Disclaimer: Our Daylight Briefcase was provided to us by Tom Bihn. We are hugely grateful for the chance to try it, but we also caveat that we provide our honest opinions in the reviews, both the positives and the negatives. This review may also contain affiliate links.

Overview

The Daylight Briefcase is a small, light, and minimal EDC briefcase. With a basic U-shaped zipper for the main compartment plus a few external flat pockets, it’s designed for those who just carry the basics. As Lone Starr emphasized:

At 8 L in volume, I can bring my laptop and charger, a notebook, headphones, wireless mouse, glasses, and some small items like pens. I could toss a small water bottle in there too, but there is no interior sleeve for the water bottle, so best make sure your bottle doesn’t leak. Since the bag’s panels aren’t firm it’s pretty easy to overpack the bag so on top of all that, I can also throw in a small umbrella. That will just about fully pack the bag. Anything more, and you can’t really close the zippers. But for an 8L bag, that’s pretty good bang for your buck.

The bag has two carry options — a pair of minimal grab handles (briefcase mode), and a shoulder strap (messenger mode). The straps for both options are just a layer of webbing with zero padding. So even how you carry the bag is designed to be minimalist.

With a ballistic nylon exterior and ripstop nylon interior lining, it still boasts the durability that Tom Bihn is known for, though it’s a relatively lightweight ballistic nylon. So, if minimal EDC is what you’re looking for, this one would be a solid choice.

Pros

• Light weight but still robust materials
• Manages to fit 3 external compartments to help provide a little bit of organization

Cons

• No padding anywhere in the bag
• All compartments aside from the main compartment are flat and don’t have their own volume
• No water bottle pocket or sleeve

Organization

• Main compartment — The main compartment has all the volume of the bag, though it is a very basic pocket. There is an elastic half-sleeve on the front wall. Aside from that, there are some O-rings for attachments and webbing loops for attachments that use gated clips like Tom Bihn’s laptop sleeve. I do not have TB’s Cache (their laptop sleeve), so I just put my laptop directly into the main compartment. There is no padding on any side of the bag, so it’s a big risk. I could also use a separate laptop sleeve and just slide it into the main compartment too, bypassing the attachment loops. But that will take away a good amount of volume from the main compartment. If you’re just putting the laptop directly into the bag, you can fit a 15" laptop.

• Back compartment — On the back panel is a large flat compartment that is roughly 13 x 10 inches (W x H). It’s a good place for documents or a notebook, but since it has no separate volume, it’s use it still relatively limited. I could see it being used as an additional organizational pocket for cables just for the sake of keeping things orderly. There are two O-rings at the top of this compartment as well for additional attachments you want to add. Just keep in mind that this compartment is flat and against your back when wearing the bag.
• Front horizontal-zip compartment — This is the main place for organizing small items in the Daylight Briefcase. But it’s also a bit of an odd design. There is a partition that splits the compartment into halves. And you would typically expect sleeves or dump pockets that are separate from the rest of the compartment. But instead, the entire compartment is just split into two partitions. They took the whole compartment and just stitched the front and back panel together down the middle. This gives you two pockets that are about 6.5 x 5.5 (W x H), through the whole compartment is 10 inches in height. There are a couple O-rings at the top of the compartment. One of them comes with a non-extendable key leash attached, but you can move that to other O-rings throughout the bag. I’ve been using this compartment for all the small items in my EDC — pens, hand sanitizer, lip balm, pack of tissues, etc.
• Front vertical-zip compartment — On the very front of the front panel is a vertically zipped pocket that is 7 x 13 inches (H x W) and also does not have its own volume. Though the pocket is as wide as the whole bag, the zipper is a couple inches off from the side of the bag. I kept some snacks in this compartment but didn’t have much additional use for it.

Additional Features

The only additional features in the Daylight Briefcase, beyond the O-rings already mentioned above, are the carry features (the grab handles and shoulder strap).

• Grab handles — A pair of grab handles at the top of the bag; made from 1-inch webbings and has no padding. But at 8L, it doesn’t get so heavy that I felt the need for more padding. The webbing is very smooth; feels like seatbelt grade.
• Shoulder strap — Same material as the grab handles, but 1.5-inch webbing. The strap is adjustable to different lengths and removable. It attaches to the bag via gated snaphooks. The snaphooks are not locked in position and can rotate, which helps keep the shoulder strap from getting twisted. I do notice that with how smooth the webbing is, it slides off my shoulder very easily unless I wear it cross-body style, especially if I’m wearing my waterproof jacket.

With such minimalist straps, there isn’t really any intentional design to make the bag more comfortable to carry. But I guess it’s not UNcomfortable at least.

Construction

The Daylight Briefcase is 8L and listed at 14.2" (w) x 10.2" (h) x 3.9" (d). It comes in at 12.7 ounces (359 grams), which is very light for an EDC bag. The version I am using for this review is a high-tenacity 630D ballistic nylon exterior with a 210D cerylon 6,6 ripstop nylon lining. Both the interior and exterior fabrics are bluesign certified. Personally, I feel like 630D is good enough for a small EDC bag. If it were a larger backpack that I knew I was going to use for carrying a larger load or use as a travel bag, then I may want something a bit more robust.

The zippers are YKK #5 coil zippers, and like all TB bags, they come with unattached zipper pulls so you can attach them yourself at the length that you prefer. The rest of the hardware is Duraflex, Nexus and Woojin buckles, which feel good enough for an 8L bag. Unfortunately, the zippers are not sealed, and the exterior fabric is not coated, so don’t stay out in the rain too long.

TB is known for great craftsmanship, and the Daylight Briefcase, even though it’s minimalist by design, still boasts that same level of quality. There is no loose threading; the stitching is neat and well-done. There is reinforced stitching (bartack) at the load points of the handles and straps. So, no concerns with the construction and I would expect this bag to be able to last years.

Additional Notes

Funnily, even though the Daylight Briefcase is relatively thin, it manages to stand on its own better than I expected. Of course, this depends on what you’re carrying and how you pack the bag, but even with my normal carry described above, it will stand.

Conclusion

The Daylight Briefcase carries Tom Bihn’s excellent craftsmanship into a small minimal EDC work bag. This bag would be good for someone who doesn’t carry a ton of gadgets and doesn’t expect to heavily abuse their bag. But if you just carry your laptop, a notebook, headsets, mouse, and a few small things for work, and you primarily commute by driving, the Daylight Briefcase can be a perfect choice.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the Tom Bihn Daylight Briefcase and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

Tom Bihn Daylight Briefcase Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Black Ember provided the Citadel H2 as a sample for review. We use affiliate links in this article for the product featured should you want to purchase it. Nevertheless, we always share our honest opinions and feedback, positive and critical.

Overview

• 25 L capacity — probably accurate though it can feel a bit tight when moderately packed out
• Half-zip main compartment opening
• Dedicated rear laptop/tablet compartment
• Two external zippered pockets on the front
• Two water bottle pockets on the side
• Water-resistant Embertex fabric, Aquaguard zippers with Hypalon “lockable” pulls, metal and plastic hardware

What does the H stand for? Not sure, my first thought was “hydration” or “H2O” (the 2 has to be referring to the 2 water bottle pockets right?), but I’m realizing it could also refer to “half-zip.” Stay tuned for the real answer from Black Ember (or just scroll to the end).

Construction and Materials

“Embertex” Fabric

Let’s talk about this “Embertex” fabric. In some of Black Ember’s semi-recent releases they’ve used Cordura’s latest Re/Cor RN66 “Velocity” nylon, which uses recycled materials. I had a chance to check this fabric out on the Modern Dayfarer 18L, and liked it quite a lot. But in Black Ember’s latest releases they’ve been using a custom-developed fabric which is dubbed “Embertex.” Why? I asked the Black Ember team about this, and it comes down to these reasons:

• Currently, the Cordura “Velocity” fabric is only available in 420D. The current proprietary “Embertex” fabric has a higher denier, 1200x600D (two yarn thicknesses forming the weave!), so it’s significantly heftier
• Black Ember has been pushing for sustainable fabrics, and one aspect of that is removing PFAS (i.e., “forever chemicals”) from their supply chain. Cordura’s “Velocity” fabric uses a DWR-treatment that is not PFAS-free. “Embertex” is, while still remaining very water-resistant
• “Embertex” has more of a matte finish over an underlying “bright” yarn. I didn’t know what that meant so I asked AI and basically “bright” yarns are smoother and can shed dirt/dust more easily, but they look shiny. So, in essence Embertex claims to be engineered to look matte (more in line with Black Ember’s aesthetics) while still performing like a bright yarn in shedding dirt

In my experience, the Embertex repels rainwater very nicely. I walked around in pouring rain for several minutes and didn’t see any signs of moisture soaking through the fabric (contents inside were still dry). Water just beads off if you don’t touch it.

The fabric feels slightly textured yet smooth/slick to the touch. It feels like a technical and premium fabric for sure, yet still flexible enough to drape slightly. This is in contrast to the material on the earliest Citadels which were quite rigid and structured. All this is to say I’m convinced that Embertex is a high-quality fabric.

Build Quality and Other Materials

One of the defining processes that makes Black Ember unique is their construction. They laser cut their Hypalon components and use computer controlled sewing machines, which results in a bag that certainly gives the impression of being constructed with surgical precision. I didn’t find any loose threads or unsightly exposed stitching. Details like the edgeless and 3D-molded straps (i.e., straps that have a natural convex curvature to match where they lie against your chest) and Hypalon zipper garages that double as counter-pulls are also quality touches that show thoughtful attention to detail.

Almost every component and material used in the bag feels premium — firmly padded and easy to grab top handle, anodized aluminum hardware used to affix the top handle (technically removable though not sure why you would), Hypalon accents and zipper pulls, burly webbing, closed cell foam padding, Aquaguard YKK zippers, plastic buckles, Fidlock key clip and sternum strap clip, and the silver ripstop lining.

The only materials that felt just OK are the black ripstop lining for the top interior zipper pocket (not bad, just a bit thin), and the mesh on the bottom interior zipper pocket (it’s stretchy and soft but feels like it would be the first thing to tear from an uncapped pen or any rough surface that might catch on it from sliding something out of the bag).

Construction Design “Quirks”

The bag has a padded and flat bottom so it is built to be able to stand up on its own. However, I found that it tends to fall forward quite often if only lightly loaded (or empty). Once you have heavy/dense objects that sit on the bottom of the main compartment, it becomes stable.

The water bottle pockets do expand outward at the opening to accommodate medium size bottles easily. A 1-L Nalgene is a tight fit. The elastic is only at the opening; the bottom doesn’t expand outward so the thicker the bottle, the less further down you can stuff it in. Also, there aren’t any drain holes in the water bottle pockets, which I found slightly odd given the pack is built to be water resistant and used in the rain; the water resistance is so good that the water bottle pockets can collect rainwater 😝.

Another note is the luggage pass through is oriented vertically, so the bag slides onto your luggage handle sideways. I don’t like this especially since all the pocketing on the bag is oriented for top access. This is definitely a design miss in my book, though in the grand scheme of things, not a huge deal.

Organization

The organization of the Citadel backpack has changed quite a bit over the years, and I think the current iteration is definitely the best version, albeit not very unique. The earlier R1 and R2 models were a bit too prescriptive in their pocketing. I remember the interior had maybe six relatively slim slip pockets. The H2 interior has a top zippered pocket and a bottom zippered mesh pocket like many other EDC bags.

What sets the H2 apart in their execution of it is that the top pocket has a larger gusset at the bottom and a U-shaped zipper opening rather than just a straight line across. This makes it a very versatile and practical pocket — spacious enough for large over-ear headphones or a bag of chips, with wide open access. It’s awesome. Perhaps not ideal for stuffing with small things as they could fall out when you open it all the way, but there are better pockets to stow those items securely, namely the exterior front pocket.

The interior bottom mesh pocket, on the other hand, I literally never used. It’s too hard to access especially with the half-zip main compartment opening, and it really competes for space at the bottom of the bag. There isn’t as much depth to the main compartment as you might expect. I think the H2 could do without this pocket altogether and it wouldn’t be sacrificing much functionality.

On the front exterior you have two zippered pockets. The top half has a key leash and magnetic clip, and a padded divider to separate items from the front and back. It does afford some organization though I never developed a consistent system where certain things would go on one side of the divider vs. not. It has some independent volume, but it does push a little into the interior top zippered pockets. This is where I throw my keys, boo-boo kit, and flash light. Also some flat snacks for the kid.

The bottom zippered pocket is a little larger with no internal organization. It can fit a medium-sized pouch and a few bulky items, but it definitely gets squeezed when the main compartment is packed out. Even though the pocket has its own volume, the zipper opening is tight being just a horizontal line, so that kind of limits what you can comfortably put in and pull out even if the capacity is large enough. I found it most useful for stashing an extra set of kids underwear and pants in case the kid has an accident. I have to specify that latter part otherwise it sounds really disturbing.

The dedicated rear laptop compartment is suspended and has an additional shallower sleeve for a tablet. It’s nice that they have this additional shallow sleeve to utilize some of the upper volume. The zipper goes down just enough to bend the rear padding open for wider access. The wall adjacent to the main compartment is basically a divider that is sewn along the top, so it’s not completely sealed off; you can stick a few fingers into the main compartment from the corners. This is similar to the Alpha One Niner Evade (the divider is actually micro-adjustable along the top with hook and loop) and Penumbra 2.0. Anyways, solid padding all around so your laptop is well protected.

All in all, I think the organization is pretty versatile. What it does lack is an “admin” panel that some people may want, so if you’re looking for a bag that has a pen slot or small slip pockets, the closest thing on the H2 is the top front exterior zipper pocket, which isn’t very close as lens will just fall sideways to the bottom.

Comfort

I find the H2 very comfortable to wear. The back panel has solid foam with some perforated holes probably to reduce some of the weight (the bag is pretty heavy on its own at 3.5 lbs). The foam panels are covered with a soft, smooth mesh. The back is curved inwards to try to fit the curve from your shoulders down your back, which is also probably why the main compartment feels slimmer inside than it looks on the outside.

The shoulder straps are streamlined, not too thick nor very wide, but with a Goldilocks amount of padding. They do indeed have a subtle 3D bend/warp to them such that they sort of hug your chest towards your arm pits. While it’s certainly not the same as vest-style straps on some active packs, it does seem designed to emulate that kind of feeling. It’s a subtle detail but one that does feel different when I switch from other bags to the H2.

The sternum strap and load lifters help dial in the fit and I have no issues with how these are implemented. I basically just leave the load lifters 90% tightened and the loose strap is managed with Hypalon keepers sewn into the straps.

Speaking of loose straps, the shoulder strap adjustment webbing is managed with an elastic keeper sewn on the ends of the strap and permanently looped onto the webbing that attaches to the bag. No dangling straps here, though you do get some loops that form. An elegant solution otherwise.

Aesthetics

The H2 looks a lot like the Citadel R3. Same exterior features and silhouette except that the H2 has bottle pockets and is a half zip opening. The matte Jet Black is pretty stealthy and suitable for professional contexts while still being a bit sporty and sleek. The branding is also very subtle and no loud logos. All plus points so far.

The front bottom has that embossed strip with laser cut slits for clipping optional bottom compression straps, or for anything else that fits. Depending on your perspective this could detract a little form the clean appearance.

The biggest turn off aesthetically has got to be zipper pulls. They are really long and have a tendency to stick out and up, probably because they’re Hypalon and have structure and friction against the zipper tabs to stay in a suspended position. They look like messy hair that was slept on funny. So yeah, while they are functional as pulls and can be “locked” together, when you just leave them be, they can naturally end up in sloppy, haphazard arrangements.

Summary

The Black Ember Citadel H2 is without question a premium quality bag with precise construction. It’s got great organization and comfort and if you really wanted to try Black Ember out but was being held back by the lack of water bottles, the H2 is certainly the pack for you.

As always, it’s not without tradeoffs. The vertical luggage pass-through doesn’t make sense, it’s a pretty heavy bag at 3.5 lbs., and it doesn’t always stand up on its own as often as you’d expect. It also lacks an admin style organizer if that’s what you want.

At $265, it’s expensive but honestly a good value considering the technical fabric and construction that is hard to match. Black Ember also runs sales pretty regularly so definitely wait until there is a promotion if you choose to buy.

And if you made it this far, the answer you’ve been dying to know is that “H2” refers to both half zip and H2O!

Black Ember Citadel H2 Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Our Core Backpack was provided to us by KNKG. We are hugely grateful for the chance to try it, but we also caveat that we provide our honest opinions in the reviews, both the positives and the negatives. This review may also contain affiliate links.

Overview

The Core Backpack can act as a regular gym bag or an office-to-gym bag. This 25L, 2.2-lb backpack is a top-loading bag with a zipped lid, allowing for easy dumping into the main compartment. The key features include a laptop sleeve, a couple internal and external pockets, a shoe compartment that is accessed by a zipped flap at the bottom of the backpack, and external daisy chains that can be used to hold a lifting belt. I’m using the waxed canvas edition in this review, which gives it a classic look. The bag also comes in nylon instead, which has a slightly more tactical aesthetic.

When using it as an office-to-gym backpack, I can include a relatively light EDC load for work and a simple gym setup. That includes a laptop, notebook, glasses case, pouch with work headsets and mouse, various small items, water bottle, a pair of sneakers, socks, gym shorts or joggers, t-shirt, and workout headsets. With this load, when I change into my gym clothes, there is still enough space for my work clothes, which take up a bit more space — shoes, socks, slacks, belt, undershirt, and sweater. With my work clothes and my work carry, the 25L backpack is mostly full. I can fit a tiny bit more, but I’d be cramming the bag at that point.

Pros

• Can stand on its own (depending on how and what you pack); with the top lid open, the backpack can pack like a large dump bag
• Water bottle pockets have a good elasticity, so they can hold large bottles but also stay out of the way when not in use

Cons

• Interior lining is not very tightly attached, which makes the interior feel a little cheap
• Laptop sleeve is also a bit loose, making it look saggy — elastic would improve the experience. Same applies for a few other slip pockets.

Organization

• Main compartment — The main compartment of the Core backpack is relatively simple. There is a 16" laptop sleeve and an 8" x 5" (W x H), elasticated mesh pocket. The laptop sleeve has a strap with a side-release buckle to secure the laptop and is slightly padded. Personally, I’m not a fan of that security strap. It’s unnecessary in my opinion and gets in the way, especially because the side-release buckle is so big. Furthermore, the opening of the laptop sleeve is loose and sags a bit. So, it can get in the way when you’re loading/unloading other items. The user experience could be greatly improved with some elastic at the top edge of the laptop sleeve.
• Shoe compartment — Shoe compartments are the key features of many office-to-gym backpacks. They’re good for keeping all your clothes and items clean from the dirt on your shoes, but they also take away most of the volume in the main compartment. I also keep my shoes in a plastic bag to keep the lining of the shoe compartment from getting dirty. Maybe I’m just obsessive. The 25L Core backpack’s shoe compartment is listed as fitting up to size 10 US shoes, but the actual lengths of shoes vary by brand and type of shoe. I generally wear size 10.5 US and have been able to fit sneakers (Hoka Rincons or Adidas Sambas) or a pair of Oxfords. But 10.5 US feels like the max while still being able to close the compartment. Of course, you can only get low ankle height shoes into this compartment. Over-ankle cuts like hiking boots or basketball shoes won’t fit.

• Top quick access pocket — On the top of the lid is a 10.5" x 4.5" (W x H) pocket, though the opening is only 6.5" across. I generally keep my keys, lip balm, and hand sanitizer in here. Could be a place for my wallet too, but I tend to just keep that in my pocket.
• Front admin compartment — At the bottom of the front panel is an 8" x 9" (W x H) admin compartment with a U-shaped zipper and splayed opening. Inside is a mesh slip pocket as wide as the compartment, plus a few smaller non-mesh ones ranging in size from about 4" x 2" to 8" x 6" (W x H). None of these non-mesh pockets are elasticated, and like the main compartment, I think elastic would improve the user experience. While the large mesh slip pocket is elasticated, the elastic feels too loose because there is no firmness to the compartment itself, so the mesh pocket seems saggy.
• Front zipped pocket — On the front of the admin compartment’s panel is a 8" x 6.5" (W x H) zipped pocket. It’s a flat pocket without its own volume, so any bulky items will bulge outward.

• Water bottle pockets — While the interior pockets of some of the other compartments feel a little lacking, the water bottle pockets are a highlight. They are gusseted and elasticated, so they will stay flush against the body of the bag when not in use. But they are also large enough to fit wide water bottles like 1L Nalgenes, though I can feel that they are pushing against the contents of the main compartment or the shoes in the shoe compartment. Thinner bottles are still secure enough that they don’t feel loose.

Additional Features

• Daisy chains — The upper half of the front panel has two columns of daisy chains for additional attachments. They’re made of 1.5" wide webbing though, so much wider than normal daisy chains. I’m not sure why they’re so wide; it makes it more difficult to attach things. The bottom-most loop of the daisy chain is pretty close to the front compartment’s zipper, and a few times has gotten in the way of zipper.
• Lifting belt holder — The straps with the daisy chains stay flush against the front panel via Velcro fields. If you separate the Velcro fields, you can use the straps to hold a lifting belt and avoid taking up space in the main compartment. The belt would wrap around the back of the backpack and go beneath the back panel. The straps can also be used to hold a jacket or other things.
• Grab handle — The top of the bag has nicely padded grab handle. Being on the lid and not on the back panel by the shoulder straps, it stays very vertical when you hold the bag by the handle, instead of leaning forward. But since there is no frame in the backpack, the bag looks a bit deformed when holding it by the handle.
• Sternum strap — There is a sternum strap attached to the shoulder straps via rails. It has an elastic portion by the side release buckle, so it’s a pretty comfortable sternum strap, but isn’t removable.

Construction and Comfort

The Core Backpack is 25L and weighs 2.2 lbs., which is relatively light for a backpack this size. Though the bag is listed as 20 x 12 x 6.7 inches, the body isn’t firm. So, the flexibility allows the bag to warp in different directions, allowing for a bit of overpacking. Unfortunately, since there is no firm frame sheet, sometimes the back panel can bulge out as well.

The bag typically comes in a 500D nylon version, but the one in this review is waxed canvas (cotton) from Halley Stevenson. The interior lining is a ripstop nylon, though I’m not certain what the density is. It feels like something around 210D. Unfortunately, the interior lining isn’t as taut as it should be, which cheapens the feel of the bag a bit.

The leather components (zipper pulls, grab handle, shoulder strap ends, and logo) are genuine cow leather. The zippers are YKK — The main compartment and admin compartment are #8 RCz and the others are #5 RCz. The zippers are not Aquaguard or sealed, so they’re not the most weatherproof, but that also allows them to run very smoothly. Some counter pulls would be a nice add though.

The plastic buckles all feel very sturdy, but it feels a bit tougher to adjust the straps than normal. I’m not sure if it’s because the buckles are too tight or the webbing is too thick or some other reason. The craftsmanship looks strong with reinforced stitching at the anchor points.

The Core Backpack’s shoulder straps have a tiny curve in them, but I wouldn’t call them contoured. The straps are lined with a thin padding and mesh. The back panel also has mesh-covered padding across the bottom half and two columns beneath the shoulder straps. As mentioned before, the back panel can bulge outward a bit, which prevents much air flow along your back. A frame of some sort would help prevent this and potentially enhance the comfort of the bag. But overall, it’s not a huge backpack, so unless you’re wearing it and moving for a prolonged period of time, it won’t be uncomfortable.

Additional Notes

The limited-edition waxed canvas Core that we received also comes with some incredible packaging and presentation. When the package arrived by post, I was caught off guard by how heavy it was. Turns out, the backpack was in a souvenir wooden box, nicely wrapped in paper inside. There were also a keepsake keychain and a leather wallet in the box, which come with all the waxed canvas Core backpacks. Of course, this has no impact on the performance of the bag, it’s just a nice value add if you’re interested in the waxed canvas backpack. Add on top of this — the waxed canvas looks great and provides a vintage aesthetic that develops a personal look as it gets used.

Summary

Overall, the Core Backpack works well as an office-to-gym backpack or just a gym backpack in terms of what you can carry. It looks great and has style. But there are a few design implementations that I think can be improved — using elastic on the internal pockets and sleeves and keeping the interior lining taut would go a long way. An internal frame sheet and some counter pulls for the zipper could also help.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the KNKG Core Backpack and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

KNKG Core Backpack, Waxed Canvas 25L Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The particular bag I bought is the lighter weight version made with Robic nylon, as opposed to 1000D Cordura or waxed canvas. It was an impulse buy during GORUCK’s Christmas in July (2025) sale since I was curious about the rucksack format.

Overview

• 21 L volume (but packs larger imo, maybe ~24–25L)
• Top loading lid secured with 2 Fidlock V-buckles
• Bucket-style main compartment, firmly padded rear laptop compartment, two internal mesh pockets, and dual water bottle stretch pockets
• Robic 420D nylon exterior, Cordura 210D nylon on the back/underside of the shoulder straps, YKK zippers

The M-series of bags are named based on the year they came out. So the M24 was a 2024 release. Previous iterations included the M22 and M23. There doesn’t appear to be an M25 or M26, so the M24 is the newest variant as of this writing.

Organization

The M24 offers some organization but it’s still primarily a bucket bag. The main compartment is a cavernous and deep space to dump and stuff whatever you need. It’s great for days when you just need to pack and go around town from one stop to the next. Think beach to shopping to food with the kids on the weekend. On days when things move fast, sometimes you just need a bag where you can throw everything inside without worrying about organizing things — this is that type of bag.

There is a mesh zippered pocket on the top of the back wall as well as underneath the lid for stashing your smaller items so they don’t get lost in the bucket. The pocket on the back wall is a bit tighter so it’s better for flatter items like a power bank, pens, granola bars. It can fit slightly bulky things, but it becomes tight. The mesh pocket under the lid has more volume and is better for things you want to access more quickly as they are truly separate from the main compartment when the flap is opened.

If you put things in the lid mesh pocket, you’ll want to make sure you zip it closed every time. If you don’t, you run the risk of things getting flung out when you flip the lid back over the bag. True story: my airpods case flew out and hit the ground, spilling both earpieces.

On the outside, there’s GORUCK’s signature laptop compartment that is heavily padded. This allows the M24 to become a work bag. Like on all GORUCK bags you’ll need to move the shoulder straps to the front in order to access and fully unzip the compartment. Personally I don’t like this design at all, but I don’t think they’re going to change it anytime soon.

Rounding out the outside are dual stretch water bottle pockets. These are great and easily stretch to accommodate large bottles while staying flush on the sides when not in use. The elastic will loosen the more it’s stretched over prolonged periods of time so remember to take those bottles out when you get home.

Access

The M24 has two ways to access the main compartment. The top flap/lid is the primary method, with two Fidlock V-buckles to secure it closed. Underneath the lid you’ll find a typical cinch cord opening. Essentially getting into the bag is a 3-step process – undo buckles, flip open the flap, and pull the cinch cord loose. Closing the bag of course involves doing the same in reverse though arguably slower because it’s harder to secure both buckles simultaneously. And if you don’t want the loose cinch cord slack hanging outside, you need to do an additional step of stuffing it inside the small opening. Not very fluid access and in practice these steps will slow you down while you’re on the move.

The second method of access is a vertical zipper opening on the side of the front panel. This let’s you get into the main compartment much faster especially things at the bottom. It’s definitely a value add, though it’s not as convenient as I thought it would be for a couple reasons:

1. It’s an Aquaguard zipper which means more force required to open and close. It’s the closing that is more cumbersome in my experience as there’s no counter pull so you need to grope the bottom of the bag to pull the zipper back up. I don’t think this zipper needed to be Aquaguard because there’s already a flap that keeps it covered.
2. The opening being towards the front of the bag and just a straight zipper line means the amount of access doesn’t get very wide and it can be hard to pull out bulky items like a larger pouch. Very hard to also put things back in in a way that maintains any neat stacking that may have originally been in place. This design is more of a get something out and just shove it back in without worrying about keeping things nicely arranged.

To be frank, I don’t like the access on this bag. It’s too cumbersome and inconvenient from a practicality standpoint. That being said, this design has its advantages in other ways. A key benefit is the expandable volume. Because of the cinch cord opening, there is a bit of extra volume you can get at the top. The cinch cord can compress it down and the flap top can compress it even more. The buckles that secure the flap have adjustable length so they can be longer for securing taller loads. Adjusting those straps, however, is not smooth and at least initially there’s a lot of friction. Maybe if you do it a lot it will gradually break in and become easier but since I hardly needed to expand it, it hasn’t gotten easier during my testing.

Construction and Comfort

As you’d expect from GORUCK, the built quality of the M24 feels quite rugged and tough. While the main body’s Robic nylon fabric is lighter and flexible, the shoulder straps and back panel feature very thick and stiff foam to provide structure and support (no padding on the bottom though). This means you can really load it up and the harness will still feel supportive.

Given that the main compartment of the bag has no padding and is very light and flexible, it feels a little bit strange that the back and straps are so beefy. The straps are also a bit wide, so they definitely feel overbuilt, which, GORUCK prides itself on. However, it’s not for nothing — when you’re lugging stuff for 3 people, the weight of all those things can add up to a hefty load. In those scenarios, I appreciate the beefy harness. As with all foam, it will break in and soften over time according to your body.

I do like the feel of the Robic nylon and it was one of the main reasons I wanted to try out the bag. It feels durable despite its flexibility and doesn’t attract hair or lint. It is textured with a ripstop grid so dirt does “stick” but it seems to brush off quite easily. I’ve taken this hiking multiple times and never intentionally cleaned it, but it still looks pretty clean.

Obviously, the back panel has very limited breathability. No mesh or air channels. So if you’re hiking or walking for any length of time in warm weather, expect a sweaty back pretty quickly. On the plus side, no mesh and a slick fabric means less prone to wear, and less likelihood of scratching up your clothes.

The webbing and hardware on the bag are all tough, even the sternum strap side release buckle feels overbuilt. The only thing that feels less robust is the interior lining. It feels like an ordinary pack cloth. Not cheapo but definitely not the same tier as the exterior Robic. I wish it was at least a ripstop fabric.

Aesthetics

The rucksack format does have a certain aesthetic appeal that a lot of bag companies draw inspiration from. There are lots of variations of designs with a top lid secured with buckles, probably because people like the way it looks. Maybe the appeal comes from a bit of vintage/heritage vibes inspired from old military knapsacks. I do dig it a little, maybe because most of the bags in my collection are zipper/clamshell bags.

Now, the electric blue version I have is definitely a “louder” bag that has less of a heritage aesthetic. It definitely stands out, which is good when you’re in crowded places and your family is trying to spot you. Unique to this version is also the printed topographic pattern on the interior lining. I think it’s kind of cool, but I suspect it’s polarizing.

GORUCK has made many other versions of the M series of bags in various materials (waxed canvas, Dyneema, ballistic nylon), so if you like the rucksack design, chances are you’ll find a material that speaks to you — though at the moment, none of them are in stock 😆.

Summary

The M24 Lightweight Robic backpack is an interesting modern twist on a classic design. It’s a bucket bag with minimal organization and exterior quick access pockets. Access is very cumbersome, but it has a simple, no-nonsense organization. It’s beefy harness means it can handle a bucket-load (ha, ha). While I like the Robic material a lot and cannot deny the quality construction, it’s not really a bag I’d recommend for most people unless they just really liked the aesthetic.

Access is too slow if you frequently need to get in and out of the bag. The lack of a padded bottom means it won’t stand well unless you’ve packed it out the bottom with a large pouch. It would be a good travel backpack with its large capacity and comfortable harness, but the top and side access alone makes it hard to pack compared to a clamshell, and trying to get a passport out while people are waiting behind you in line is going to feel like it takes forever.

This bag looks cool, but now that I’ve scratched the itch of trying a rucksack style, I’m moving on.

Thanks for reading this review! Follow us on Instagram to see what bags we’re testing.

GORUCK M24 Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Our Toshi Pack 20L was provided to us by Rework Gear. We are hugely grateful for the chance to try it, but we also caveat that we provide our honest opinions in the reviews, both the positives and the negatives.

Overview

The Toshi Pack is a clean-looking, urban-style EDC backpack that works well for both a professional setting like the office, but also a more casual setting like a college campus or airline personal item.

Bag specs:

• Dimensions: 18 x 11.6 x 6 inches (46 x 29.5 x 15 cm) (H x W x D)
• Volume: 20L
• Weight: 2.25 lbs. (1 kg)

At 20L, it’s a good size for the typical office commuter. I can carry my laptop + charger, a notebook, a pouch with a headset and mouse, a wireless keyboard, my glasses case, water bottle, a small umbrella, and various small items. There is still extra room to spare if I want to pack a snack box and drink or toss a light jacket in there. While it can theoretically work as an office-to-gym bag, I’d have to leave out the keyboard and snack box/drink if I want to be able to squeeze a pair of sneakers into the bag along with gym shorts and a t-shirt. I’d probably go for a slightly larger bag if I wanted to head to the gym from the office.

The Toshi pack has a good amount of organization but doesn’t go overkill. The main compartment is a clamshell opening, which allows you to pack it efficiently, but the zipper track is angled in a way that naturally allows a half-zip opening where the top half of the front panel hangs down. There are a couple other large compartments that are U-shaped zipper openings.

This backpack would be good for working professionals or students who don’t need to carry a ton of stuff and people who like a clean urban-style design. It’s not ideal for someone who wants a ton of built-in organization pockets so that they don’t need to use org pouches.

Pros

• Clean but still casual style makes it suitable in a variety of environments and use-cases
• A good amount of organizational features without going overboard
• Good implementation of zipper directions, angles, and placement (gives ambidextrous access to the front pocket and allows the main compartment’s front panel to flip open like a lid)

Cons

• Multiple internal pockets toward the top of the backpack can cause the bag to lean over
• Shoulder straps can be a little tight for larger people
• With many zippers going over the top of the bag, it can get a little confusing when all your zipper pulls end up at the top in the same area
• With three pockets taking up space toward the top of the bag, top entry into the main compartment can feel a little tight.

Organization

• Main compartment — The main compartment includes an elasticated tablet sleeve on the back panel, and a 9.5 x 6.5-inch (W x H) zipped, mesh pocket toward the top of the front panel. Inside this mesh pocket is also hidden slot for an Airtag or a Tile tracker. The compartment is relatively simple in terms of built in features, which gives you space to organize items how you prefer, including an org pouch if you would like additional organization. The tablet sleeve is suspended from the bottom of the bag and slightly gusseted, so you could keep your laptop in this sleeve if you don’t need much protection for your laptop (e.g., if your commute is just a car ride and walk into the office rather than running down the stairs to catch the subway). I do find that if the zipped, mesh pocket is too full or if I keep bulky items in there (like my glasses case), it can protrude out a bit making it more inconvenient to access the compartment from the top when the main compartment’s zippers aren’t pulled down very far.
• Laptop compartment — Behind the main compartment is a laptop compartment with an elasticated sleeve. Though there is no micro/nano-fiber lining, there is padding on both the front and back panels, and a false bottom. No Velcro strap or anything that goes over the top of the sleeve to keep your laptop in place, but the sleeve itself is pretty tall, so your laptop can’t really fall out of the sleeve anyways. Generally, I never use those security straps anyways, so I prefer this design.
• Top quick-access pocket — At the top of the bag, in front of the main compartment’s zipper is an 8 x 4-inch (W x H) quick-access pocket. Though many quick-access pockets have some sort of fleece lining, this one does not. Just the same ripstop nylon lining through the rest of the pockets. The screens on smart phones today are durable enough that you don’t need to worry about nylon scratching the screens. The pocket is a little small (at least height-wise). It’s just deep enough to fit a smart phone or passport. But at the same time, if it were bigger, I’d be more likely to put bulky things in there, which would impede entry into the main compartment.

• Front organizational compartment — The upper half of the Toshi backpack’s front panel is an organizational/admin compartment. It includes two 5 x 4-inch (W x H) elasticated pockets as well as a 9 x 6-inch (W x H) zipped pocket. I like that this compartment provides some organization, but doesn’t go overboard with a dozen small pockets and pen sleeves, etc. One note though — if you’ve got stuff in this compartment, plus stuff in the quick access pocket, plus stuff in the zipped pocket in the main compartment, the top of the front panel can become overpacked, especially if you’ve got bulky things like glasses cases and wireless earbuds in addition to the pens, wallet, keys, hand sanitizer, etc.). This happens for any backpack when you’ve got a few small pockets in the same section of the bag.
• Front vertical zip pocket — The bottom half of the front panel is a semi-concealed pocket with dual vertical zippers (one on each side of the bag). This allows you to swing the bag in front of you from either shoulder and still be able to unzip this pocket. One of the issues we noted with some of EVERGOODS’ backpack is that the pockets on the front panels with vertical zippers only have zippers on the left side of the bag (when looking toward the front panel of the bag), which means you have to swing it around to your front on your left shoulder. If you try it on your right shoulder, the zipper will be downward and unzipping it will result in the contents spilling out. Rework Gear’s dual zipper approach effectively solves this issue.
• Dual water bottle holders — For me, water bottle pockets are a must have. Two is great, but one is the minimum. So of course, I am happy that the Toshi backpack has two. These are elasticated and gusseted and are able to fit a 1L Nalgene bottle. However, the Nalgene bottle (3.5-inch diameter) is a very tight squeeze and requires two hands to get in. Plus, you can see it pushing inward into the main compartment’s space as well. My 18 oz Yeti rambler and medium S’well bottle fit quite well. The pockets are 8 inches deep, but the bottoms of the pockets are not gusseted, so you can’t get your water bottle to sit all the way at the bottom of the pocket. This is a frequent design for water bottle pockets, so it’s a common issue.

Additional Features

• Sternum strap — The sternum strap is half-inch webbing with a side-release buckle and an elastic bit in the middle. It’s attached to the shoulder straps via a rail system and also has a strap keeper.
• Luggage passthrough — The back panel includes a simple luggage passthrough in the form of a 1-inch piece of webbing across the back panel. The horizontal orientation allows your bag to stay vertically upright when using the passthrough.
• Lash points — On the sides of the bag, above the water bottle pockets, are additional lash points for attaching carabiners or whatever you like. The shoulder straps also each have a couple loops for attachments.
• Key leash loops — Inside the quick-access pocket, dual-access front pocket, front org pocket, and interior zipped pocket in the front compartment are small pieces of looped cord where you can attach a key leash (also included). It’s nice to have options for where to hook your keys. Mine was in the front dual access pocket when I received the backpack.
• Grab handle — The grab handle is at the top of the back panel, rather than on top of the bag. It’s very well padded and very comfortable, but because it’s so well-padded, it sticks upward a little bit.

Construction and Comfort

The Toshi backpack is 18 x 11.6 x 6 inches, 20L in volume, and comes in a 2.25 lbs. That is relatively light for a bag this size but not so light that they’ve compromised in materials. The exterior is 840D nylon and the interior lining is 210D PU-coated ripstop nylon. The 210D lining is a little bit thin, so you can somewhat see through it, but given it’s an interior lining, I don’t have concerns about that. Though some companies go overkill with 1680D ballistic nylon, the 840D with an interior lining is definitely sufficient for an EDC commuter bag and is still durable enough to last a long time.

The main compartment and laptop compartment have #10 RCz YKK zippers with a DWR finish. The other exterior zippers are #8 YKK RCz with DWR finish, and the interior zippers are #5 YKK RCz. The plastic hardware is all Woojin and feels strong enough for the typical commuter.

The craftsmanship of the bag is great. I haven’t noticed any stitching issues. The anchor points all have bartack stitching for reinforcement. Some manufacturers prefer to use box stitching for certain areas like shoulder straps, as they are supposed to be better for distributing the weight across a more area of fabric. I guess time will tell whether using bartack stitching on the shoulder straps is sufficient.

The shoulder straps are contoured and edgeless. They have a thick padding — feels like some sort of dual-density foam padding or EVA foam. In any case, it’s a comfortable padding that still provides structural support. The padding is covered by a fine mesh. The back panel has the same padding and mesh covering in four quadrants, leaving an airflow channel down the spine and across the middle where the luggage passthrough is. Overall, the backpack is pretty comfortable, but I do notice that there isn’t a ton of extra webbing when I wear the backpack. While I don’t wear it very loose, someone larger than me who prefers a loose fit may find that there is not enough webbing for how they want to wear the bag. For reference, I am 5'11 and wear US size L t-shirts.

Additional Notes

• The Toshi pack can sometimes stand on its own, but this depends on how you pack the main compartment. It has a tendency to lean forward, especially if the front compartment is loaded.

• When I first received the Toshi pack and opened the packaging, my initial reaction was that it’s very similar to Aer’s commuter backpacks like the City Pack 2 and Evergoods’ CHZ22 or CTB20. There are some shared design elements, and the aesthetics are very similar. It’s not a bad thing since I think Aer and Evergoods both make great backpacks, especially their EDC work bags. But the resemblance can be clearly seen, even down to the zipper pulls.

Summary

Overall, the Rework Gear Toshi 20L is a great bag and I’m impressed by their first foray into backpacks. There is some good thoughtfulness put into the design of the Toshi. It’s durable, relatively comfortable, and has just the right amount of organization in my opinion. If it’s the right size for your daily carry, it could definitely become your go-to backpack.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the Rework Gear Toshi 20L and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

Rework Gear Toshi Pack 20L Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If you’re familiar with disc golf, just skip ahead to the Overview section. If you’re not familiar with disc golf, the concept is similar to regular golf (“ball” golf). Get your ball (disc) into a hole (basket). You tee off at the start of each hole, and wherever your first throw lands, you go there and throw again toward the basket (with the same or a different disc). You continue this until you get your disc to land in the basket. That completes one hole.

Disc golf backpacks will initially look totally alien. Players carry potentially a couple dozen discs of similar diameter but with slightly different specs that influence the discs flight path when thrown. They need open access to all the discs, as they will essentially choose which one to throw in the moment. They may also carry other gear or accessories including hydration, towels, chalk bags, and disc retrievers (long telescoping poles to help get discs that are stuck in hard-to-reach places). That means disc golf bags need large open compartments as well as attachment points and smaller pockets. Disc golf players are constantly putting their bags on the ground (essentially with every throw) and picking them up again. So, the ability to stand on its own and having straps that can handle the constant picking-up and putting-down are key. Each disc typically weighs somewhere around 160–180 grams. Multiple that by 12 or potentially even up to 24 discs, and the weight starts to add up. So, durability and weight are also important factors. All this is to say — the attributes we think about with normal backpacks are still critical in the world of disc golf.

Overview

Today, we’re reviewing the CX1 backpack by GripEQ, a company that specifically designs disc golf bags and accessories. GripEQ has a variety of backpacks, including the AX6, BX3, CX1, CS2, and G2 bags, as well as some duffel bags. The CX1 is their middle-tier bag in terms of price and capacity, and I’ve been using it for half a year now. I play about once a week, so I have used the bag a few dozen times now and I am still lovin’ it.

I am a casual disc golfer who plays mostly for fun and in several local tournaments each year, and the CX1 has been fantastic for me. It fits enough discs for my play style, has been very durable, and at 3.9 lbs. is not too heavy. The CX1 is about 20 x 15 x 9.5 inches (H x W x D) and the main compartment has an inverted, zipped, U-shaped opening on the front panel. That flap can stay open via Velcro holding it up. The bag is listed as fitting 16 discs in the main compartment + 3 putters in the top pocket. In practice, I find that ~14 discs is better for the main compartment. There are stiff frame sheets on the sides of the main compartment, so if you’ve got the main compartment packed full and tight it can be difficult to get your hand in between the discs when trying to get one out. The side frame sheets are removable and removing them does give you a little more space in the main compartment. But those frame sheets also provide the bag’s structure and without them, the backpack is not as stable.

Aside from those side frames, the bag also has frame sheets on the back panel, the top half of the front panel, and the bottom, so overall it’s a stiff backpack from all sides. That can make some of the pocket openings a bit tough to reach your hand through, but it does ensure that nothing unintentionally falls out.

Pros

• Highly durable and tough — after a few dozen rounds, it’s still holding up perfectly
• Good balance of weight and capacity
• Expandable side pockets are large enough to hold extra layers of clothing
• Very stable base allows it to stand easily on rocky terrain and hills

Cons

• Some pockets have tight openings because of the stiffness of the bag’s panels
• The zippers on the expandable pockets seem like they’re in the wrong place
• The strap keepers (to organize the excess shoulder strap) have Velcro, and the hooks can scratch up your shirt
• Dark interior lining on the side pockets can make it hard to find things inside, given how large the pockets are

Organization

• Main compartment — Listed as holding 16 discs, but as mentioned above, 14 discs is a more accurate real-world capacity. The flap that unzips to access the main compartment also has a small slip pocket on it where you can store a mini.

• Putter pocket — On the top of the bag is a horizontally zipped pocket for putter discs. You can comfortably fit three putters but can also squeeze four. When I have four putters in there, they usually end up overlapping each other, so whenever I try to pull one out, two discs come out. Not a huge deal, but it happens frequently, so I try to just stick with three putters in this pocket.
• Front quick access pocket — On the front panel, between the top of the main compartment opening and the putter pocket opening is a small horizontally zipped pocket, about 9 x 6 inches. This is meant to hold your wallet, keys, and other small items during play. There is a short key leash in here as well. The opening can be a little tight to get your hand through if you’re grabbing something because of the firmness of the front panel. So, I’ve gotten accustomed to using one hand to push the section of the front panel above the opening back, while using the other hand to grab whatever I needed. Not ideal to need two hands to access this pocket, and you can certainly still do it with one hand. I just find that things are less likely to get caught in the opening if I just use two hands.

• Expandable side pockets — One of the most distinctive features of the GripEQ backpacks vs other disc golf backpacks is the MASSIVE expandable side pockets. Each is about 14 inches tall and about 5 inches wide at the widest point when looking at the bag side on (they taper toward the top). I usually keep snacks in one and extra accessories in the other, like a towel, sun block, and bug spray (depending on what time of the year it is). But I can also drop a layer of clothing in there like a light hoodie/jacket. Each of these pockets has two zippers on them, one is the actual opening and the other is to expand the pocket. The zipper to expand the pockets is right alongside the body of the backpack while the zipper to open the pockets is toward the edge of the pocket. In my opinion, the locations of these are reversed. The zipper to open the backpack should be alongside the body of the backpack because I think it’s a more intuitive place to grab. Even after half a year of using this backpack, I still sometimes grab the wrong zipper. This may also be because the zippers to open the pockets are covered to provide some weatherproofing, so it’s harder to see vs the zipper to expand the pockets, which is not covered. Both sets of zippers have zipper pulls as well. Inside these pockets, there are small slip pockets toward the top, where you can store a couple minis or other small items. Though this is a very minor feature, I love that it provides a little bit of organization to what is otherwise a giant pocket — so there is slightly less rummaging around the bottom to find something. The interior lining is black, so it can still be a little hard to find things inside. A brighter colored lining would make life easier.

• Small side slip pockets — On the sides of the large expandable side pockets are small slip pockets for additional accessories. There is also a cinch straps toward the top of the expandable pocket (but only on one side of the bag) so you can use that small slip pocket to hold a long item like a disc retriever and keep it secure with the cinch strap.
• Dual water bottle pockets — Behind both expandable pockets, you’ll find insulated water bottle pockets. Though they don’t have elastic and aren’t expandable, they are wide enough to fit a 1L Nalgene bottle. I typically only carry one water bottle as I play and will use the other water bottle pocket to hold a chalk bag. But for a multi-round tournament on a hot summer day, I’ll bring two bottles. I’ve used thinner water bottles as well and haven’t had an issue with the bottle falling out. It helps that the CX1 backpack is quite stable and doesn’t fall over easily.
• Zipped lower lumbar pocket — At the bottom of the back panel, there is a zipped pocket under the padding. Honestly, I haven’t quite figured out what this pocket is best for. With the frame sheet in the back panel, there isn’t any volume in the pocket. You can put something flat in there, but it seems like a weird place to want to keep something.

Additional Features

• Sternum strap — The CX1 has a removable and adjustable sternum strap with a side-release buckle. The sternum strap attaches to the shoulder straps via PALS webbing that runs down the shoulder straps. The sternum strap also has an elastic bit that allows for a little bit of stretching and comfort.
• Large Velcro loop field — Toward the top of the front panel is a large Velcro loop field for morale patches or pins. Lets you add your own personal style or flair to your backpack.
• Strap keepers — The shoulder straps and sternum strap have Velcro strap keepers to help you manage the excess webbing. One thing to watch out for — if you have a wide torso or broad shoulders, the hooks on the Velcro can scratch your arms and your shirt as you walk, particularly if you roll up the excess webbing, which keeps the Velcro right by your armpit. I’ve found that this doesn’t happen much when I keep the excess webbing unrolled and just use the strap keepers to keep the excess straps from dangling freely.
• Attachment rings/loops — At the corners of the top of the bag are additional attachment rings for accessories. I keep a towel attached via a carabiner to dry off discs or wipe dirt off. I’ve seen other players keep sunblock, hand sanitizer, or key chains attached to similar rings. If you play in tag leagues, you can keep your tag attached here too. The shoulder straps also have plenty of attachment points via the PALS webbing.

Construction and Comfort

The CX1 is 20 x 15 x 9.5 inches (H x W x D). When the side pockets are expanded, the width goes from 15 to 19 inches. At 3.9 lbs., it’s middle of the pack for weight. I’d consider it relatively light for a disc golf backpack that has a firm structure and bottom that allows it to stand on its own, but certainly heavier than the flimsy entry-level backpacks that have no frame sheet or rigid bottom. With a full load of discs, plus water, plus other accessories, the bag typically weighs somewhere around 16–17 lbs. when I’m playing.

The bag has a 1000D nylon exterior with 420D nylon lining. There isn’t a ton of water-resistance built into the bag, but you can purchase a rain fly for it. Most people won’t be out playing disc golf in the rain though, so it’s not a huge deal. The zippers are all YKK — #8 RCz on all the zippers except the putter pocket, which is a big burly #10 RCz. The other hardware is Duraflex and Woojin. Both are top brands for their components.

The shoulder straps are a single piece bridged design and are contoured for comfort. They are filled with EVA padding with a mesh covering. The back panel uses the same EVA padding and mesh and has some gaps in the padding to allow for airflow. On a hot summer day, your back is still going to get sweaty, but the EVA padding is a great choice that provides both comfort and structure to the shoulder straps.

Overall, the CX1 is a comfortable bag for its size, and the build quality has been excellent. The slightly tactical aesthetics and the burly construction give me GoRuck vibes. After dozens of rounds, I have no concerns about durability or craftsmanship. I can see some scratches on the plastic feet on the bottom from scraping on the ground, but that is very much expected, has so far been superficial, and in no way affects the bag’s performance. I do notice that the right shoulder strap’s padding is starting to look a tiny bit squished, and that is entirely from my habit of picking the bag up and setting it down by that same exact spot on the same shoulder strap every time. I essentially do this action several dozen times every round I play, so you can see the impact of doing this action a couple thousand times. I’m trying to be more conscious about grabbing it by the bridge of the shoulder straps (the grab handle) or by the left shoulder strap. I have seen other players with non-GripEQ backpacks have their shoulder straps wear out much more quickly due to the same action.

Additional Notes

• When I first started playing disc golf, I used a cheap bag from Amazon that a dozen companies make, and while it’s very light and has great value for the price, it doesn’t have a firm bottom nor rigidity to reliably stand upright. The roundness of the discs without a firm bottom made the bag fall over very easily and adding putter to the top pocket just made it slump like melting ice cream. But considering how cheap those bags are, they’re still a good place to start for new players who aren’t sure they’re going to continue playing for the long run. I upgraded to the CX1 after nearly a year of playing when I knew that this was going to be a long-term hobby so it would be worth investing in a better bag.

• While the CX1 is probably still for the casual player, GripEQ also has similar bags with larger capacities. The BX3 has an 18-disc capacity in the main compartment + 3-putter pocket and weighs 4.2 lbs. The AX6 has a 22-disc capacity in the main compartment + 4-putter pocket and weighs 5 lbs. Both have the same overall design as the CX1 with the expandable side pockets, dual water bottle pockets, and front quick access pockets. Additionally, GripEQ has the CS2 and G2 bags, which are smaller than the CX1. The CS2 has a similar design but replaces the dual large expandable pockets and water bottle pockets with smaller pockets. The G2 is a sling bag with a completely different setup.
• If you’re shopping around for your ideal disc golf bag, the CX1 is more like the Axiom/MVP Voyager Lite or Voyager Slim and the Squatch Lore 2.0. The AX6 is more like the Axiom/MVP Voyager Pro and the Squatch Lore 3.0. At least in terms of capacity. I haven’t tried those other bags yet, so can’t comment on other attributes.

Summary

Overall, as a casual disc golfer, I love the CX1. There are times when I wish I had gone for the BX3 so that I could have a little bit more space to carry a couple more discs, but at the same time, I don’t want a heavier bag. So, I tend to change some of the discs I carry depending on the weather conditions or the course that I am playing rather than carry everything I might conceivably want to use. The CX1 has been comfortable and durable, and I like the way it looks. The wide feet on the bottom help keep it very stable, and it has tons of storage for whatever else I may need to carry. I’ll caveat that I have not tried many other disc golf backpacks, and based on how well-built the CX1 is, it may be a while before I have an excuse to buy another bag — unless someone wants to send me a bag to try out and review (*hint hint*).

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the GripEQ CX1 and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

GripEQ CX1 Disc Golf Bag Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Our Foldable Duffels were provided to us by Orbitkey. We are hugely grateful for the chance to try it, but we also caveat that we strive to provide our honest opinions in the reviews, both the positives and the negatives. We also utilize affiliate links in this review.

Overview and Use Cases

The Orbitkey Foldable Duffel is a 55L duffel bag that can pack itself into its own pocket. Out of the packaging, it is 9.4" x 6.9" x 1.2" in size. When opened up, it’s about 23.6" x 11.4" x 11.8". With that much space, you can pretty much pack for any length trip. On a recent trip, I used this bag as my primary luggage just for the sake of testing it. I had a medium packing cube with 4 t-shirts, a pair of shorts, a pair of sweatpants, 4 pairs of socks and underwear, plus a Dopp kit for toiletries, a laptop sleeve and tech pouch with the laptop charger and chargers for my phone and watch, plus a 1L Nalgene bottle, a book, and another small packing cube with various toys for entertaining my toddler. With all these, there was still a ton of space; I was using about two-thirds of the volume.

However, given the option, I would not use this bag as your primary luggage. It’s a very lightweight bag and easily foldable, it does not have any structure and is very floppy. So, this bag serves better as a back-up that you pack with your luggage in case you end up come back from a trip with a lot more stuff, or as a bag you leave in your car in case something comes up that requires a bag (e.g., an unplanned grocery stop or some spontaneous shopping).

I could also see this bag being a gym bag. It’s a little bigger than most people will need for a gym bag, but if you bring other gear aside from clothes (e.g., some combination of sneakers, racquets, a basketball, your own towel, etc.) then you might appreciate the capacity of this bag.

The Foldable Duffel has a standard central zipper opening across the middle of the top of the bag. It also has an external slip pocket and an external zipped pocket. The latter is the pocket that you can fold the whole bag into. Other than these pockets, there is no other organization in the Foldable Duffel. The most noticeable thing once you’ve opened up the bag is that there is also no shoulder strap, just grab handles at the top of the duffel. For me, the lack of a shoulder strap is a significant issue as I like to keep my hands free when carrying a bag. Fortunately, though, there are attachment loops at the ends of the zipper opening so you can attach your own shoulder strap.

Pros

• Truly and easily folds back into its own pocket
• Even though it packs small, it is a huge bag and can accommodate any length of trip
• The low price point ($49 USD MSRP at the time of this review) provides good value

Cons

• The fabric is relatively lightweight, which can be a concern for such a large bag if you’re carrying a lot
• No shoulder strap comes with it, so you have to carry it by the grab handles or add your own shoulder strap
• Flimsiness of fabric and lack of sheet frame mean the contents can easily droop to the side of the bag if it’s not full packed.

Organization

• Main compartment — The main compartment is where all the volume is. It’s literally just a giant chasm of nothingness. No internal pockets, no sort of organization whatsoever. Just 55 L of space. If you add a shoulder strap, then the attachment points for the strap will pull the ends of the bag upward, so your contents will sink toward the middle of the main compartment. If this matters to you, the only way to stop this is to pack the duffel bag fully or add your own frame sheet of some sort. When the main compartment is fully packed, the bag takes a rectangular prism-like shape, which is not uncommon for duffels.
• External pockets — On one large face of the Foldable Duffel is a small panel that houses a slip pocket and a zipped pocket. Both are about 8.75" x 6.5" (W x H). These are relatively flat pockets, but the exterior of the bag is not firm or rigid so you can still throw something bulky in there and let it push into the main compartment. The zipped pocket is a good place to keep your wallet, keys, or whatever smaller items you carry and also offers some water/weatherproofing. Just be aware that it may not be the best place for valuables in terms of security. You can also fit a small water bottle into the slip pocket. But it will make it more difficult to put flat and firm items, like a smartphone, into the zipper pocket. The zipped pocket also has an attachment loop inside, which is meant to be used when the bag is in its packed, folded up form.

Additional Features

• Luggage passthrough — On the opposite face from the external pockets is a simple luggage passthrough. It’s a simple piece of 1"-wide nylon webbing, so it’s as basic as a luggage passthrough gets. In practice, when the duffel is not fully packed, the bag will easily slide off the top of your rolling luggage and just barely hang on via the passthrough. So, it’s a bit of a balancing act to keep the Foldable Duffel on top of your rolling luggage. This struggle is not uncommon for this style of luggage passthrough and flimsy bag material.
• Grab handles — The grab handles are single-layer 1.5"-wide nylon webbing that is folded on itself around the middle to provide some semblance of padding. Rather than a padded wrap to hold the grab handles together, there is a small snap button on the grab handles.
• Shoulder strap attachment loops — At the ends of the main compartment’s zipper track are a couple attachment loops which are where you would add your own shoulder strap. When using the Foldable Duffel, I always added a shoulder strap from another one of my bags.

• Additional attachment loops/handles — Below the shoulder strap attachment loops are strips of 1"-wide nylon webbing sewn on the left and right faces of the bag. These have bartack stitching that divides the strip into 3 attachment loops or simple grab handles on each side of the bag.

Construction and Comfort

As mentioned previously, the Foldable Duffel is 23.6" x 11.4" x 11.8" when unfolded and comes in at 10.2 ounces (290g). That is super light for any bag. Of course, the tradeoff for having such a light bag is that the fabric is also relatively thin. The main fabric of the bag is a recycled nylon with a PU waterproof coating. The nylon does seem to be ripstop and I’m estimating that it’s maybe around 120–240 D. Between the Orbitkey Foldable Duffel and the Triple Aught Design Azimuth Duffel, which is also a packable bag, the Orbitkey definitely feels much less durable, but also packs down smaller.

The zippers are not YKK and I’m not certain what brand they are. But they feel robust and strong and I’m not concerned about the hardware breaking down. There is bartack stitching at the anchor points of the grab handles and the shoulder strap attachment loops, but it’s relatively minimal. Given how light the fabric is, I would be concerned about some eventual tearing if I am frequently carrying a lot in the bag. But, in order to keep the intention of this bag as a back-up or an as-needed duffel bag, rather than my primary luggage for a trip, I think it’s fine as is.

Since the Foldable Duffel doesn’t come with a shoulder strap, I can only really look at comfort based on the grab handles. As noted previously, the handles don’t have any additional padding aside from being a double layer of nylon webbing (actually one layer of webbing folded on itself). If you’ve packed up 55 L of gear, clothing, etc., the bag will be pretty heavy. So, the minimal grab handles aren’t particularly comfortable. But there isn’t much padding that can be added while still remaining a highly compact packable bag. Still, some sort of shoulder strap would help a lot.

Folding / Repacking the Bag

In order to fold the duffel, you would flip the zipped pocket inside out and stuff the bag into that pocket. The easiest way I’ve found to do this is:

1. Lay the unfolded bag out flat with the zipped pocket facing up
2. Fold the sides of the bag inward until it is roughly the same width as the zipped pocket
3. Stick your hand inside the zipped pocket like a glove, and roll the rest of the bag into your “gloved” hand
4. Holding onto the balled-up bag in your hand, flip the zipped pocket inside out so that the fabric that made the pocket is not wrapped around the ball that you were holding, instead of wrapped around your hand. If you’ve ever been in a biology/chemistry lab or conducted a medical procedure/examination, think of how you take your disposable lab gloves off. You pull the glove off of one hand and keep it balled up in your second hand, then pull the bottom of the second hand’s glove up to flip it inside out so that it has wrapped the first hand’s glove.
5. Shove anything sticking out in and zip it up.

I don’t know if this is the best way to do it, but it’s the way I’ve found works most easily for me. When repacked, I’ve been able to get the foldable duffel down to about 8" x 5.25" x 3.5". Compared to the way it arrived in the mail (9.4" x 6.9" x 1.2"), I’d say that’s not too bad at all.

Summary

Overall, the Orbitkey Foldable Duffel is a great bag for a very specific purpose. This is a good bag to bring in my other luggage when going on a trip where I suspect I may come home for more things than I left with. You certainly could use it as a primary luggage for a trip, which I have done. But you’ll just have to deal with the flimsiness of the bag, the lack of organizational features, and you may want to add a shoulder strap. I could also keep it in my car as a just-in-case bag. The ease of refolding this bag makes it very usable. Adding some sort of shoulder strap (even a very simple one that is just a 2"-wide strip of nylon webbing, is probably the primary change I would make to this bag.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the Orbitkey Foldable Duffel and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

Orbitkey Foldable Duffel Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Modern Dayfarer provided the 18L as a sample for review. Nevertheless we always publish our honest opinions, positive and critical.

Overview

• 18 L volume
• Exterior fabric is a 100% recycled “Velocity” 420D nylon, which is part of Cordura’s recycled nylon 6,6 line of fabrics (previous Dayfarers were ballistic nylon), and interior ripstop lining
• Flap top opening secured with a Fidlock V-buckle, front slash pocket, side admin compartment, rear laptop compartment, hidden back panel pocket, and single water bottle stretch pocket

Changes from the 24 L

The Dayfarer 18L has the same overall design and DNA as the previous versions with updates to materials and refinements in patterning. The biggest feature difference is there is no separate bottom shoe compartment like there is on the 24L version. That means that the 18L version is not an office/gym bag since all your dirty clothes and shoes can only go in the main compartment. If you are looking for a bag to transition from work to the gym, the 24L is your pick.

Another notable change is the sternum strap is included and non-removable. I see this as potentially less desirable for a lot of people who just don’t use or aren’t accustomed to sternum straps especially in a work/formal setting. Personally I like having one included and don’t mind it at all.

One more change is the use of a magnetic V-buckle instead of the flat SNAP buckle. I prefer this buckle more for ease of use. Once you learn how to detach the top part aided by the small cord, you never get confused again. With the SNAP buckle, while it looks flat and sleek, there’s always the micro step of asking which direction do I need to slide the buckle to detach it. It’s also less of a secure closure. I’m all for the v-buckle!

Organization

If you’re coming from the 24L, the organization feels very similar. It’s perfect for light office commutes. Dedicated access to your laptop, smaller pockets for a mouse and power cord, main dump space for a larger pouch or a jacket, a slip pocket for documents, and external pockets for smaller and flatter essentials.

The front vertical pocket is sized perfectly for a slim tech pouch that is sold separately but otherwise has minimal give especially depending on how fully packed the interior pockets are. That being said, it’s much easier to get into compared to the side admin pocket.

The side admin pocket is a full height compartment accessed via a vertical zipper toward the back. Inside it has two mesh slip pockets arranged vertically, and a key leash with a metal snap hook. It’s a practical way to organize the vertical space, but access to it is not ideal. One, the zipper is covered with a flap so you have to work to find the zipper. And two, the opening is tight and there isn’t much independent volume in effort to maintain the bag’s sleek shape. You can squeeze a small pouch inside, but getting it out takes effort, and even moreso if you’re trying to store and retrieve things from the mesh pockets. Maybe it would be less cumbersome if the mesh pocket openings were facing the zipper instead of facing upward, or at least angled more, so it would be easier to reach inside of them from the side. Unfortunately while this pocket has the potential to be really useful and practical, its access is a barrier to usage.

The main compartment is primarily accessed from the top via a flap, but it also has dual zippers, one on each side, so you can open it wide like a drawbridge when you need more open access for packing or getting to the bottom. It’s a practical design that keeps the aesthetic and rain protection of a flap without compromising too much on open access. The front panel has two zipped pockets inside, one mesh and one opaque. These are relatively flat, though the mesh one can stretch a bit. Both pockets will bulge inward to take up space in the main compartment so that’s something to consider while packing. As with many bags that have this kind of layout, I find the bottom interior zippered pocket to be the least used because it’s not that accessible in practice. Lastly, on the back wall is an elastic folio pocket useful for documents or folders or a tablet.

Perhaps the biggest downside/trade-off with this bag in terms of organization is there isn’t really a quick access pocket that has its own dimension. All the external pockets are kind of flat, and if I were to travel with this, I wouldn’t know where to put a bag of chips or a burrito without it getting crushed. It’d have to just go in the main compartment.

Construction

The Dayfarer 18L is excellently crafted. It’s a clean bag made with durable and premium-feeling materials. The new recycled fabric is an upgrade compared to the regular ballistic nylon; it’s more flexible and has a textured feel, but also doesn’t attract dirt and dust. Maybe it’s the novelty, but I’m digging this new fabric.

The refined patterning and stitching is also quite remarkable. It looks and feels like a more polished product and the craftsmanship is nice; I didn’t notice any rough finishes or edges. While I did find a loose thread or two, those were nothing that couldn’t be solved with a pair of scissors.

There are strap keepers throughout made of plastic rather than elastic loops. These are a little easier to slip straps through but the trade off is you can’t roll up loose slack of webbing and bind them together like you can with elastic keepers.

The one thing that I don’t love is the bottom is sloped and angled, meaning the bag cannot stand flat on its own. This is true of the 24L variant as well. However I concede that the sloped bottom makes for a sleeker aesthetic.

I do wish the luggage pass through was changed to be a horizontal strap instead of vertical. The laptop and main compartment are top loading as is the side water bottle pocket so that orientation makes more sense to me.

Comfort

Related to construction, the new straps have a refined shape with smooth curves that taper towards the bottom. The way the ladder locks are attached at the bottom is snag-free, similar to Evergoods, Tom Bihn, and Bellroy straps. They are very comfortable and have a soft lining underneath for smooth sliding on and off.

The foam is also beefy without being super rigid, and the back panel foam is likewise firm for structure, with softer foam pads that form a modest air channel and are cushier against your back. Wearing the bag is a very comfortable experience. However, the soft lining on the back panel foam padding is starting to pill a tiny bit, so I would expect with a lot of extended use it might show more wear than other parts of the bag.

The padded top handle is similarly spongy and easy to grab, AND using it doesn’t cause the bag’s shape to warp inwards. It’s probably the most used handle for moving the bag around. The side handle is likewise comfy, though I didn’t use it as often — it’s also more flush against the bag so not as easy to grab and go.

The sternum strap uses a magnetic buckle with narrow webbing. I think this buckle is not as user friendly as others but once you know to pinch the pieces together to separate them it’s fine. My nitpick complaint is that the elastic segment is on the adjustable side, which means you’re very limited in how tightly you can pull the strap. A lot of other bags have this same issue and it irks me when a bag doesn’t put the elastic portion on the fixed, non-adjustable side.

Lastly there are attachment points for a waist belt, which I think are unnecessary for a smaller business bag. They don’t detract from the bag but I wouldn’t suggest getting the waist belt to go with it.

Aesthetics

Like the 24L, the 18L Dayfarer maintains a slick, svelte look that gives the impression of a minimalist bag but actually boasts a lot of organization. The neat fabric and polished patterning enhance the stealthy, formal, and modern appearance.

But in real life, the bag may not always look so perfect and symmetrical. The flap is likely the first part to skew to one side depending on how the bag is packed. And once it skews, it kind of throws off the look. Perhaps having two buckles instead of one will help retain a symmetrical look at the expense of faster access.

Likewise, the water bottle pocket is only on one side, so if you have a bottle inside it will bulge outwards and break the precarious symmetry.

I do appreciate that the branding on the bag is not loud or in your face. In fact, the Fidlock branding on the buckle (upside down I might add because of how the buckle is oriented) is more noticeable than the blacked-out tag for Modern Dayfarer on the water bottle pocket. There’s also branding on the Hypalon zipper pulls.

Summary

The Dayfarer 18L is best for:

• Compact everyday office commutes
• Use as a personal item for business travel

It’s not great for:

• A parenting bag where fast, easy access and being able to stand easily are essential.
• A casual day pack for outings or hikes — the urban/business aesthetic doesn’t really match, and there isn’t a great place for keeping a bunch of snacks.

At $229 at the time of writing, the bag is on the pricier side but not egregiously. Because of the excellent craftsmanship, sleek aesthetics, and robust materials, I think most people would be impressed with the quality when they receive it. As always, just make sure the bag fits your use case and you understand the trade-offs described in this review before purchasing.

Thanks for reading our review! Check out our Instagram to see what other bags we’re testing.

Modern Dayfarer Backpack 18L Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Bleu de Chauffe is a French company that makes clothing and bags but aims to do so in a sustainable approach. They manufacture in moderation, with environmentally friendly materials, and focus on the artisanship and cultural heritage channeled through their designs. Though many of their bags are made of leather, they also have a variety of canvas bags and their line-up ranges from backpacks to tote bags, to satchels, waist packs, briefcases, and everything in between. Today, I’m reviewing the Musette Business Bag, which is a modern take on a traditional fisherman bag.

Disclaimer: Our Musette Business Bag was provided to us by Bleu de Chauffe. We are hugely grateful for the chance to try it, but we also caveat that we strive to provide our honest opinions in the reviews, both the positives and the negatives. We also utilize affiliate links in this review.

Overview

The Musette Business Bag is a prime example of how simplicity works. This shoulder bag is easy, well-built, and has a classic style. But it still does the job well. This top-loading bag has a flap cover (like most messenger/ shoulder bags), with a single centered buckle. The buckle itself has guilloche decoration and is easy to use with one hand, but more stylish than side-release buckles. The bag is ~16 L in volume and only features the main compartment (with a laptop sleeve and one small internal zipped pocket) plus two slip pockets on the outer face of the main compartment, so it’s intended for a relatively simple EDC. I’ve been using it as my work bag and I have been carrying a laptop and charger, notebook, folder of papers, glasses case, a pouch with headphones and wireless mouse, a water bottle, plus various small items (e.g., lip balm, pens, snack bar). It still has a little bit more space, so I can also squeeze a small wireless keyboard in there or a small umbrella. At first glance it doesn’t look like it can fit that much, but it’s bigger than it looks.

Overall, it has served this purpose quite well, feels robustly crafted, and looks great.

Pros

• Easy to use one-handed
• Can fit more than it initially looks
• Well-crafted and classic style

Cons

• Shoulder strap does not articulate, so it can get twisted up
• Buckle and closure flap do not allow for overpacking
• Hefty price tag for a bag that is relatively simple (but that is the cost of hand-crafted premium bags)

Organization

The Musette Business Bag is relatively minimal when it comes to organization with just 5 compartments/pockets plus the laptop sleeve in the main compartment. Here is a breakdown…

• Main compartment — This is more-or-less a dump everything in type of compartment. If you want to keep things better organized, a small org pouch would definitely be helpful. I use a small pouch for my headsets and mouse to keep the cable from causing a mess in the main compartment. There is also a cotton, zipped internal pocket 8" x 6" (W x H) inside the main compartment that is removable — it buckles into the main compartment.

• Laptop sleeve — In the main compartment is a 14.5" x 10.25" laptop sleeve made of felt. The felt provides a gentle soft touch, which makes it nice for tablets too. The sleeve should fit 15" laptops and the manufacturer specs state that it will fit a 16" MBP. The only thing I can attest to is that my 14" ThinkPad fits very easily with a little room to spare.
• Back panel pocket — The back panel has a wide slip pocket that is 14.5" across x 7.5 in height and has a push-button closure. I didn’t use this pocket a ton since it’s quite flat and not quite tall enough to fit a folder. But if you have a relatively thin notebook that you want quick access to, this would be a good place to store it.

• Front slip pockets — Under the flap are two slip pockets. These have a little bit of their own volume, but they are not huge (6.5" W x 8.25" H). This is where you keep most of your small items. I have a couple pens, lip balm, and a pack of tissues in one (could throw your AirPods or wireless earbuds in here too), and some snacks in the other. While a small water bottle could technically fit, the flap won’t close properly.

While the organization is sufficient for a relatively simple daily carry like mine, I thought an internal bottle sleeve might be a nice touch to add a modern twist that would still maintain the classic exterior look. Not everyone would need it, but I bring a Yeti bottle or a S’well bottle to work every day.

Additional Features & Comfort

I’ve included notes on comfort in this section instead of in the Construction section, like I usually do, because all the additional features are modes of carrying, which is directly related to how comfortable the bag is.

• Shoulder strap — The shoulder strap is adjustable and removable. It is also primarily canvas but also has vegetable-tanned leather at the ends with notches like a belt. There is no padding on the shoulder strap, which helps maintain its simple style, but that would certainly be a nice comfort feature to have. The shoulder straps’ ends also do not articulate or rotate, so the strap can get twisted up at times.
• Grab handles — The Musette has a pair of grab handles that buckle together via a push button on a piece of leather padding. The leather padding adds both comfort and style. The handle’s straps are relatively long because they are anchored to the bag at the middle, below where the flap lays. So, when you don’t buckle the grab handles together, they can hang a little lower than you may expect.

Construction

The Musette Business Bag is about 15.5" x 13.5" x 5" (W x H x D) and about 16 L in volume. The bag weighs about 2.5 lbs, which is a medium weight for a 16 L bag. The primary fabric is a high-quality cotton canvas (590 g/m²) with a dry wax and is produced by a company called British Millerain. This is a tight-weave and gives the canvas some natural weather-resistance and durability

The hardware is all metal, though I’m not certain of any details beyond that. I can certainly say that it all feels quite robust and I don’t have any concerns about the hardware breaking down.

Additional Notes

Being made of cotton canvas, the Musette Business Bag doesn’t have a firm exterior and will thus look a little floppy if completely empty. This also means it doesn’t naturally stand upright on its own, but if packed in a certain way, it can stand on its own.

Summary

Overall, the Musette Business Bag is simple but uses that simplicity adeptly to provide a positive user experience and create a great and practical bag. It works well as an EDC, a work bag for a light carry, or even as a personal item for air travel. Bleu de Chauffe calls it a “photo reporter style and outdoor look”, which I think is a good description for its aesthetics. It’s very well crafted and you can see the signature of the artisan who hand-made the bag on interior pocket in the main compartment. While it is very minimal in terms of features, it is still well-designed. It is a premium quality bag, so it comes with a hefty price tag, but for some, it is well-worth the investment.

As always, thanks for reading. Drop a note in the comments if you have any questions about the Bleu de Chauffe Musette Business Bag and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out.

Bleu de Chauffe — Musette Business Bag Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Disclaimer: Greenroom136 provided the bag as a sample to review. We’re grateful for the opportunity and we always provide our honest opinions, positive and critical. This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.

Overview

The bag comes in 3 sizes: 25, 30, and 35L. The 25L doesn’t have bottle pockets on the sides due to the reduced depth of the main compartment. For my build I opted for the 30L size, which I intended to use as a travel bag that isn’t too big. And since I have two kids now, the bottle pockets were a must.

Three compartments make up the Rainmaker, excluding smaller external pockets

1. Rear laptop compartment sized to store the modular laptop “Book Pouch.” This has 4 stacked slip pockets near the top for storing related accessories like the power brick/cords. The compartment itself has no bottom padding since the Bookpouch is padded throughout. There are two vertical strips of loop so the Bookpouch can be affixed more firmly inside.

2. Front admin compartment with a row of cotton slip pockets of varying sizes, within a full height compartment. A key leash strap is here as well.

3. Clamshell opening main compartment in the middle, with a loose folio pocket against the back wall and two zippered mesh pockets vertically stacked on the front wall. With the wildcard builder you have other options for the back wall features.

In addition to these compartments there are three relatively flat external zipper pockets: two stacked pockets on the front and one side access hidden pocket in the back panel.

Check out the builder page to see the full set of customization options.

Organization

If you couldn’t tell already, this bag has a lot of organization built in to the generous volume. Even though the Rainmaker is billed as the flagship laptop backpack, it’s big and feels more like a travel bag. At least for my office carry, I don’t need a set of three full size compartments. Having them makes me think I need to put more stuff in the bag when I don’t really need to. But for travel, having all these compartments is great since the main compartment can be for clothes and you still have two full height compartments for everything else.

For an EDC laptop pack, I think cutting out the front admin compartment and giving that space to each of the front quick access pockets would be more useful. The current front pockets are pretty flat and the rain flaps make them a little cumbersome to access in a pinch. With this bag it’s hard for me to know where to stash snacks like a bag of chips and I end up just chucking them into the main compartment. Having a more spacious external pocket that isn’t full height would be better in my opinion.

While we’re talking about the front pockets, I recommend adding paracord pulls to the zippers because the rain flaps obscure the metal tabs. Adding pulls make them much easier to grab and open, though I often cannot tell if the zipper is open or closed due to the coverage of the rain flaps.

Parenting Use Case

While travel feels like the optimal use case for the Rainmaker, another use case is as a day bag when carrying stuff for both a parent and toddler. Diapers and wet wipes and alcohol wipes can go in the laptop compartment, clothes and layers with a lunchbox in the main compartment, and accessories like a battery pack, extra outfit change in case of accidents, and coloring books/activities in the admin compartment. The front pockets can store small things like lip balm and AirPods, and random things like tickets to wherever you’re going or Hotwheels cars. Then, of course, water bottles — one for the parent and one for the child.

Materials and Construction

External fabric selection consists of Cordura 1000d nylon in a variety of colors, Challenge Sailcloth EPX400 in a variety of colors, X-PAC black VX42, and Multicam Black. Inner lining is an Oxford 400d nylon in either gold or darker silver. These are all durable and rugged materials. Every part of the bag is lined for durability and hiding any seams.

Like all their products, they use YKK zippers, chunky #10s and #8s compared to other companies’ products of comparable size. Foam is EVA and air mesh for comfort without overly rigid structure. Plastic hardware is also all from reputable brands that are durable so every bag feels overbuilt (and also on the heavier side). My build is 4 lbs 6 oz without the Bookpouch, and 5 lbs 2 oz with the Bookpouch.

Because there isn’t a rigid frame sheet nor padding on the sides, the Rainmaker can actually compress pretty flat given its volume. The double lining helps ensure some protection and structure while still allowing for overpacking without feeling like you’re going to rip the fabric.

There are two compression straps on each side of the bag with a lot of slack, more than you’d ever normally need, though helpful if you want to strap a yoga mat. Apart from cinching down the bag, they also sort of serve as limiters on how widely you can open the main compartment zippers and prevent the bag from splaying open accidentally. The lower set of straps also keep the water bottle pockets nice and tight because they can otherwise fold out quite a lot to accommodate even thick bottles without squeezing into the main compartment. The water bottle pockets have no elastic so using the straps is the only way to keep them flat against the side.

The bottom of the bag is not padded but there is a loop field to attach a modular padded bottom. I don’t know any other bag that offers this flexibility so it’s worth pointing out. Some people don’t care for bottom padding and just want a soft flexible structure, whereas I always prefer some bottom padding so I opted to get it.

On the back there is a horizontal piece of webbing for a luggage pass-through. Simple and effective, nothing fancy.

One minor quibble is that some of the interior panels you can see the fabric pen used to help aid in cutting and measuring. Particularly visible on the bottom padding and floor of the backpack, but also on the interior panels that have the cotton slip pockets.

Comfort

The straps on the Rainmaker are moderately wide and padded with EVA foam. It’s not super thick padding but there’s a layer of soft mesh under there. Altogether I wouldn’t call the straps beefy like Goruck but they are comfortable and distribute the load evenly. The length adjustment is very easy on the fly, and loosening is very quick to perform by pulling on the D-rings, a design that is relatively uncommon but pretty nifty.

The back panel conforms easily to your back since it’s just EVA foam and air mesh, though a laptop will create a stiffer feel.

Even under a full load, I find the bag carries comfortably on my back and I don’t feel any specific strain points. The sternum strap helps stabilize the pack and as with the compression straps, there’s plenty of slack to accommodate larger torsos.

Due to the depth of the bag, there is a bit of a turtle shell feel because it sticks out. But that’s basically true of most travel bags that aren’t taller than a typical EDC bag. You can get an optional waist belt, and I sorta wish I selected that option for one bag travel and walking through the airport.

There are top and side handles consisting of just a single piece of webbing. They get the job done and are wider than most other bags that use a single piece of webbing. You can get optional removable pads for the but I opted not to because I think the bag starts to look too bulky with them. In practice I only use the top handle because the side handles are harder to grab quickly and are obstructed by anything in the water bottle pockets. I think they also serve as attachment points for pouches but again I think adding them makes for a really bulky bag.

Aesthetics

The Rainmaker offers a lot of ways to make the aesthetics unique. The front in particular can be configured in a variety of combinations of loop fields and MOLLE webbing, including none.

What stays the same regardless of front configuration is the tombstone shape and black webbing from the compression straps and lash points/handles along the top, sides, and down the shoulder straps. So no matter what, you’re getting a bag that visually has a lot of lines. Of course if you black out all the panels you’ll have a stealthier bag.

Naturally the colors you pick will affect the appearance of your bag. For me, I tried to create an homage to Mega Man. Basic blue armor on the front with red accents, with X-themed armor on the sides and back. Then someone told me it reminded them of Thomas the Tank Engine and I can’t unsee that 😅.

Greenroom136’s style is casual and utilitarian rather than sleek and formal, and the Rainmaker is consistent with that. While it may not turn heads because of how svelte it looks, personally I feel cool donning such a robust and utilitarian bag, like I’m going on an adventure.

Summary

I would characterize the Rainmaker as a strong hybrid EDC/travel backpack. It’s got plenty of capacity and ways to organize though I think it’s really lacking a medium sized quick access pocket with more dimension (the “where should I put a bag of chips” pocket).

Other things that some people may not like:

• The strappiness of the compression straps though they honestly never bothered me.
• Needing to use a separate Book pouch for laptop protection.
• The size of the pack at least for the 25 or 30 L version just feels too bulky or the straps too wide for individuals with smaller bodies and frames

But there’s a lot to like — durable build with lining throughout, travel-friendly features including a hidden back pocket, and of course the flexibility to choose how you want the bag to look and what features to include.

The Rainmaker 30L wildcard build starts at $241 USD for Cordura, which is very good for a custom one-off build that has this many features. Previous custom bags I’ve reviewed have come out to $250-$350, and those were much smaller bags with way fewer compartments. Seen from that lens, the Greenroom136 Wildcard Builder is quite a deal if you’re looking for a custom made bag!

I hope you found this review helpful! Drop a comment here or on our Instagram if you have any questions!

Greenroom136 Rainmaker Wildcard Build Review was originally published in Pangolins with Packs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.