ORBITGear C101 Mk23 The Carrier Review
We’ve been fortunate to use so many bags from ORBITGear, a small techwear softgoods and apparel studio in Indonesia. This year we’re checking out two more offerings, updated for 2023 as indicated by the “Mk23” modifier. This review is on the C101 “The Carrier” from their commuter collection.
Disclaimer: This bag was provided by ORBITGear as a sample for review, however we do our best to publish our honest and objective opinions. We do use Amazon affiliate links in a few places which help support our site.
Overview
The C101 is primarily a top loading bag that technically is a roll-top but is more like a short flap that you roll a couple times to secure with a hook and loop panel. It’s not really expandable as you might initially expect as with other roll-tops. I’d estimate the volume to be around 24–26L.
It comes in either a nylon shell called elecor580D or in X-Pac VX21, and only in black. We have the X-Pac version for this review.
There are a couple distinguishing aspects of the bag given its “roll-top”/top-loading nature:
- The front panel can zip down on both sides for wide open access. In order to take advantage of this, however, the top opening must be unrolled.
- The front panel zippers also have zippers at the bottom of the bag. This allows you to access the main compartment from either side, without needing to unroll the top.
- There is a built-in admin panel on the interior of the front panel. This kind of admin organization is not often seen in the main compartment of a roll-top.
It wouldn’t be an ORBITGear bag if there wasn’t modular capabilities. While the outside is devoid of PALS webbing, the inside back wall has 3 rows to mount various mods.
Access
Side Zippers
Compared to classic roll-top bags, the C101 Carrier has far better access to the main compartment thanks to the 4 side zippers. Having the two bottom zippers is essential, because they’re the only way to access the main compartment without opening the top flap. Alternatively, you can keep the top zippers slightly open so the sliders stay below the rolled portion of the top, but I don’t think it’s worth the hassle.
Something that undercuts the side access is the choice of zipper tabs. They’re #5 zippers with the tiny rubbery-ish coverings, which makes them difficult to find and grab; you really have to fish for them with your fingers like a baby working on the pincer grasp. I think the reason for this is for aesthetics, so you don’t see zipper pulls sticking out at the corners of the bag. Functionally, however, I find it quite inconvenient.
Another gripe about the side zipper access is sometimes the zipper path gets bent up with the flexibility of the fabric which makes it difficult to fluidly close after it has been opened. When this happens, you need two hands to resolve it, and that tiny zipper tab doesn’t make it any easier.
All in all, it’s definitely a value-add that the C101 has side access zippers to the main compartment, but the execution could be improved in order for the experience to be truly fluid in more situations.
Flap Opening
This is my least favorite opening of the bag, which is unfortunate because it’s sort of the primary mechanism to access the main compartment. There are Velcro pads on the sides in the folds so when you want to close the bag you can fold it flat before rolling.
I like this in theory, but I don’t love that it uses Velcro, as it’s noisy and requires you to line up the folds if you want it to fold neatly/evenly. It also is a little inconvenient since it adds a half-step to get into the bag. I would much prefer magnets or just horizontal stiffeners sewn in.
When you roll the flap down, there are two strips of loop so that the front flap lined with hook can keep everything in place. I found for some reason it’s hard to get it evenly, even though my bag is not packed out. This is just an aesthetic/OCD grout and doesn’t affect the effectiveness of the closure.
Organization
External
The C101 has a dedicated laptop compartment accessed via a side zipper. Your laptop is sandwiched between two pieces of foam, but is not explicitly suspended from the bottom. The main thing protecting it on its sides is the foam pieces joining together via binding. It’s a nice tall compartment with the zipper opening being 16.5 inches long. My Macbook Pro 14 inch swims in the compartment.
On the front there are 3 zippered pockets. One horizontal pocket near the top that is just a little more than 1 foot deep (a couple inches from the bottom of the bag) and almost 9 inches across. It’s a natural place to store documents and letter-size papers, though it doesn’t have any rigid backing to prevent wrinkling/crunching. Inside this front pocket is another zippered pocket that is about 2 inches from the opening, and goes down about 10 inches. It’s a nice place to stow some more hidden things, but I wish it didn’t go so deep because everything sinks to the bottom. Since I don’t carry documents often, I didn’t always make great use of this pocket. It’s too big for smaller accessories, but a bit too tight for something like a keyboard. It does make a great spot to stuff a light and thin jacket, but maybe not a heavier pullover or hoodie.
The other 2 zippered pockets on the front are toward the bottom, one on each side. They look small but are roomier than you might think, at 5 inches tall and 7 inches deep. They do not form a pass-through pocket, so some of their volume overlaps with each other about 6 inches. I used these pockets to store things like tissues, a power bank and cable, AirPods, and sunglasses.
Even though these pockets are “flat”, the lining material has a lot of give and naturally expands both inward and outward. I’ve never felt like my hand was getting pinched.
There are water bottle pockets, one on each side. I find they are quite loose, even when the elastic is not being stretched. Maybe it’s because the bag is so flexible and has a good 6 inches of girth. The pockets are about 7 inches deep, but I wish they were taller to compensate for the looseness. If the main compartment is moderately packed it’s less of an issue. Actually, I’ve rarely experienced my bottle falling out during typical use.
There are compression straps about 6 inches above the bottle pocket, so you could strap something like a tripod more securely, but most taller water bottles would be too short for the straps to be of use, yet also too tall to feel confident they won’t fall out of the pocket if you’re moving a lot.
Internal
The main compartment on the back wall has 3 rows of webbing for modular attachments, and an elastic mesh sleeve beneath it to keep notebooks relatively in place. It’s not a tight sleeve so things can still slide back and forth.
The back of the front panel has admin organization with 2 zippered pockets, 2 pen slots, and 2 really small elastic slots. Even though the zippered pockets are mesh, they’re not really see-through. I don’t know what the small elastic slots were intended for, but if you’re not using a pouch to keep tiny things in place, they fit SD cards and USB adapter tips pretty nicely. I kept my InCharge X in one of them.
One consideration is that this admin organization is not easily accessible from the side, with the exception of that vertical zipper pocket. So when you’re packing items you will want to think about whether you will primarily access the bag from the top or the side.
Comfort
The back panel and straps are pretty thick and soft due to the air mesh. I usually prefer firmer foam with a slimmer profile, but honestly the bag is comfortable. There is a more rigid frame sheet that spans the upper 2/3 of the bag which keeps the straps at the top more fixed, while allowing the bottom to flex and curve to your body. Though if you have a laptop inside, that acts as a flat stiff sheet.
One detail I really appreciate with the shoulder straps is how the end is attached to the adjuster right at the edge. For me this prevents my hand snagging at that point and I wish many other bag companies did this (a few others that do are Bellroy and EVERGOODS).
The top handle is just a strip of webbing, and is rather small/short for my big hands. It’s not the easiest to grab as a result and I wish it were a little longer.
There are load lifters but I pretty much leave them fully tightened so the straps remain in that angled position. One downside of that is it somewhat limits the top grab handle.
Aesthetics
If you like a taller and more rectangular proportion for a backpack, then the C101 probably looks pretty good. With its symmetrical design and lack of MOLLE on the exterior, it looks pretty clean and much less tactical relative to many of ORBITGear’s other offerings. The X-Pac version also gives it that more technical and shiny look.
A reflective strip at the bottom helps keep you visible at night, as does the laser cut reflective patch (sold separately). I really appreciate the design of this patch btw, a nod to the older Intel Pentium processor labels. It’s a clever remix.
Additional Notes/Quirks
The compression straps weren’t that useful for compression in practice, as I never felt the bag was protruding out more than I felt was appropriate. Also the way webbing is looped through the Fidlock buckles seemed loosey-goosey. I imagine they would start to slip gradually under pressure, especially with this type of seatbelt-style texture.
The bottom is flat but not padded. So heavy objects will poke outwards. If you’ve read my reviews, you know I appreciate a padded bottom (in my bags, not my own bottom).
Summary
I really appreciate the distinct design features of the C101 in ORBITGear’s line up, and it shows ingenuity and boldness to try new things. While the execution could be improved, the C101 is still a great pack to use and I think most people would be happy with it. The price is competitive compared to other X-Pac or small-batch produced bags.
Thanks for reading this review, and as always check out our Instagram to see what we’re testing.
