GWA Citadel Micro Crew Review
After reviewing GWA’s flagship Citadel (Gen 3 and Gen 3 Mk 2), the remaining backpack variant left is the Citadel Micro, the little brother of the standard full-sized Citadel. More recently, the Citadel Micro has been exclusively announced/released in the GWACREW Facebook group in various color combinations (green, maroon, coyote, grey, and most recently Multicam Black). Since the overall design of the Citadel Micro has a lot of overlap with the standard Citadel Gen 3 Mk 2, this review will quickly touch on the differences and discuss when you’d use the Micro over the full-size.
Overview
There are 4 primary differences between the standard Citadel and the Micro:
- Size — the Micro has the same height and width as the full-size, but is about 1.5 inches less deep (5.75 inches vs. 7.25 inches for the full-size). As a result, the Micro has roughly 20–21 L of volume (the full-size is 24–25 L).
- No dedicated laptop compartment — the full-size has a dedicated laptop compartment with a padded internal sleeve, whereas the Micro has a padded internal sleeve in the main compartment.
- Single water bottle stretch pocket — the full-size has water bottle pockets on both sides, but the Micro has a 3x2 PALS webbing grid on one side. This can be used with MOLLE accessories or as daisy chain loops for clipping something like a carabiner.
- Exterior fabric — The Micro Crew recently has been made using 1000D Cordura on the exterior, though since they are limited releases different materials could be employed in the future. The full-size is typically made from 500D Invista Cordura. Additionally, the lower half of the front panel of the Micro is the same face fabric, whereas the full-size is made of a stretch fabric.
Everything else is identical — pocket layout, top and side handles, straps and back panel foam, side compression straps, strap keepers, and padded flat bottom (yes!).
Use Case — Parenting Bag
I used the Micro Crew bag almost exclusively as a parenting bag for a baby/toddler. After using 4–5 various bags for parenting, this is our current favorite. It has:
- Clamshell opening — access can be wide open or limited to the top, side, or towards the bottom using the two zippers.
- Flat, padded bottom — makes setting the bag down so much easier without worrying about it toppling over as much (though this depends on how contents are packed).
- Buttery smooth zippers — open and close very easily with one hand, making access quick and simple.
- Two external pockets of varying size — coupled with the smooth zippers, this makes getting most commonly needed items a breeze. The openings are straight lines and very easy to get open. They span the width of the bag so even if the pockets are packed out, you have a large opening. The internal slots are a nice bonus, though admittedly we ended up just tossing things inside.
- External bottle pocket — while there’s only one, you can pick up a 3rd party accessory to add another on the other side which has two columns of PALS webbing
Organization
The Crew strikes a nice balance of organization. Smaller items can go inside the internal slots on the front pockets, and medium to large items can be stowed in the zippered pockets behind the front panel. The external pockets with internal slots are probably my favorite aspect of the GWA Citadels.
The biggest challenge is making use of the main compartment space while maintaining ease of access. If I were using this as a work bag, my keyboard, Roost stand, notebook/books would just get tossed in the main compartment, no pouches necessary. But for baby stuff, we had to use pouches to keep things like food, diapers, clothes, and toys organized. With the clam-shell opening, we’re able to grab pouches from either side by positioning the zippers appropriately rather than opening up the whole compartment. This kind of access isn’t as seamless as something like the No Reception Club Getaway backpack (read our review) that has adjustable shelves and a side access panel, so if you prefer integrated partitions over using pouches to organize, that’s something to keep in mind.
The laptop sleeve in the main compartment was repurposed for holding some toddler books. While I can fit 2–3 at a time, they’re usually stacked on top of each other vertically tandem-style, so if I want the book at the bottom I have to take the other ones out too.
The one pocket that I ended up using the least was the bottom zippered pocket behind the front flap. It is a pleated pocket so it can store bulky items, but it’s difficult to access easily when the main compartment is full unless you open the clam-shell opening completely. It was easier to use a pouch and pull it out and leave this pocket empty.
Accessibility
Perhaps the functional aspect of this bag (and the full-size Citadel) I appreciate the most is how all the pockets are laid out and oriented to be accessed from the top. This means I can sit the bag down and access any compartment without needing to turn the bag on its side, or reorient myself to access a certain compartment. While eating out, I often set the bag on its own chair with all the pockets partially opened so it’s easy to grab whatever I need. The only pocket that’s difficult to access is the bottom internal pocket I mentioned earlier.
The bottle pocket is made entirely of Tweave stretch fabric and can hold even a fat 1 L Nalgene. Our baby’s bottles (OXO Tot 9 oz straw cups) are completely swallowed by the pocket, which actually makes it a little difficult to get out. Taller bottles don’t have this issue. The OV Innovations Teeter Pouch on the other side works better for shorter baby bottles because it has a more open design that makes bottles easier to grab. There are also many third party MOLLE bottle holders available to try.
Aesthetics
While obviously very similar to the full-size Citadel, I find the Micro Crew looks more like a casual day pack in part to it’s more compact size. It has a slightly different silhouette that I personally like more than the full-size because it has the same height but not as wide largely due to the lack of a water bottle pocket on one side. Its smaller size also makes it more viable and less like a turtle shell for smaller/shorter frames.
In terms of colors, I have the solid Maroon variant and it also has been released in green, coyote, and grey. All the variants have a light or bright-colored interior lining which I love for visibility.
The lack of MOLLE webbing on the front gives the pack a casual and subdued vibe, especially when you use the “silencer” Velcro patch to cover up the black loop field. Of course, you can affix Velcro patches of your choice to the loop field to add your own flair.
Because the bag is not made of a stiff fabric, it can get lumpy or frumpy depending on how it’s loaded. Similar to the full-size, it tends to lean/bow forward, especially if you have the top front pocket loaded. Unlike the full-size, however, the front bottom pocket is Cordura nylon like the rest of the bag, so it is better at masking lumps and shapes from its contents than the Tweave fabric on the full-size.
Comfort
If you read my review on the Gen 3 Mk 2 full-size Citadel (the Dyneema version) and the original Gen 3 Citadel, perhaps my biggest dislike about the bag is the shoulder straps. In the original Gen 3 I didn’t like how close the straps are at the top, and I wished that the straps had more of an S-curve to them. I also didn’t love that the straps were narrowed since it made a fully loaded full-size Citadel less comfortable on my shoulders.
The Micro Crew has the same straps as the Gen 3 Mk 2 updates (and the same softer mesh covering on the foam pads), and I gotta say, for the little brother the straps are just right. I never felt like they were too thin or too narrow, and I think it’s because of the reduced depth of the Micro which keeps the load closer to your back.
Construction/Craftsmanship
Most of my thoughts on this still stand from our first review on the full-size Citadel. After using it on the daily for months, the bag has not suffered any tearing or degrading wear. The stitching is solid and durable.
Craftsmanship isn’t the neatest, so if you’re looking for flawless finish you may not find it here. There are some stray thread ends here and there, especially in the interior of pockets. The fabric edge along the main compartment under the zipper has also started to fray. This doesn’t affect the integrity of the bag, just that the fabric could’ve been cut better. Taking a scissor to trim these threads is all it takes to resolve this.
GWA products are proudly made in the USA, which accounts for its higher price tag.
Concluding Comparative Thoughts
When should you opt for the Micro vs. the full-size? If you can only acquire one, which one should you get?
To me it comes down to:
- Capacity — the full-size has a couple more liters which makes it more suitable for travel. When I needed to pack more food or more layers for the toddler, I switched from the Micro to the full-size. It helps that they have similar pocketing so transitioning is quite simple. For everyday carry, the Micro is probably sufficient for most people.
- Dedicated laptop compartment — if you anticipate having a fully loaded bag and needing quick access to your laptop, the full-size should be your go-to.
- Comfort — if you’re going to be wearing the bag for long periods at a time, I would pick the Micro rather than the full-size. The more compact size keeps the load closer and the strap thickness and width are appropriate for its size. I wish the full-size had slightly beefier straps to offset the additional 2 inches of depth.
- Materials — unfortunately, there’s no consistency of materials between the Micro and full-size. So if you want 1000D Cordura, you’ll have to go Micro. The only exception is if you become an unofficial VIP of the owner of GWA and are granted the privilege of a custom build, but that is a mysterious process in it of itself.
- Price — the Micro runs about $290 at the time of this review, while the full-size was last released for $340. Note that shipping and taxes are additional. It’s expensive (made and sourced in the USA), but the nice thing is the secondary market is pretty good if you join the various bag Facebook groups.
For me, I think the Micro is overall a “better” bag for most people — you can really fully utilize its capacity, it’s cheaper, and is more comfortable in my experience.
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