ORBITGear R101c Daywalker Review
We’re back with more ORBITGear! This time, we’re reviewing the R101c Daywalker, which is a smaller and trimmed down cousin of the R101 Nighthawk that we reviewed a couple years ago. The Nighthawk was a ~22–24L, highly organized and modular EDC bag, while the Daywalker is about 20L, has fewer pockets, and eliminates some of the bells and whistles. In the end, you still have a solid EDC backpack, but with a slightly different use case or for someone whose daily carry is more minimal.
Disclaimer: Our R101c Daywalker was provided to us by ORBITGear. 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 Daywalker is a top-access backpack with a flap cover. Similar to roll-tops, you can expand the volume significantly by leaving the top flap unbuckled. The top flap has two side-release buckles to secure it. The webbing of the buckles run nearly to the bottom of the bag, which allows you to use it to secure large items to the outside of your bag, like a box of a jacket. Unfortunately, if you don’t want to use the buckles on the top flap, there is nowhere to hook the straps with the side-release buckles. They will just dangle off your backpack like a long sparrow’s tail. This is a big missed opportunity to me, because I am very often too lazy to secure both buckles and if I’m just commuting to/from the office by car, I don’t necessarily feel like I have to buckle the lid down.
Like pretty much all of ORBITGear’s bags, the Daywalker is designed with modular components in mind. So, there are three rows of PALS webbing on the front of the bag.
Size: 18 x 12 x 5.5 inches (H x W x D); ~20 liters
Weight: 2.65 lbs
Materials: 580D elecor, 420D riptsop nylon
Price: $138 regularly, but currently on sale at ORBITGear’s site for $83 for the black version (which is an amazing price for this bag, in my opinion) or $129 for a coyote tan one.
Pros
- Though it’s a compact version of the R101-ADV Nighthawk, it can still carry quite a lot
- Lightweight and well-padded with contoured straps make it a comfortable bag
Cons
- Laptop sleeve opening isn’t well-suited for larger laptops
- All organizational pockets are dump pockets (no admin compartment)
Organization
All the front pockets are flat so anything bulky pushes into other compartments
- Main compartment — Huge dump compartment without any additional internal pockets aside from the laptop sleeve, which comprises most of the 20L of volume. With a laptop in the laptop sleeve, I can easily fit a couple notebooks, headphones case, glasses case, wireless keyboard, and a hoodie and still have some space to spare.
- Laptop sleeve — This is the only internal pocket in the main compartment. It’s protected by all the back panel padding and an internal frame sheet on the backside, a little bit of padding on the front side, and a false bottom. The zipped opening at the top of the main compartment has a small zipper garage, which I didn’t think was necessary. The sleeve’s opening is half an inch above the top of the main compartment’s opening. So, when the main compartment lid is folded down, the laptop sleeve opening is completely covered. The garage could provide some protection from the elements if you have the lid open of the main compartment is very overstuffed. But those are rare instances for me, and the zipper itself is not aquaguard nor does it have taped seams. So it isn’t very water resistant anyways. The garage does slightly restrict the size of laptop that will fit through the opening, though. The laptop sleeve is 19 x 10.5 inches and should be able to fit a 16-inch MBP according to ORBITGear. My 14-inch Thinkpad fits in the sleeve well, but getting it through the opening does require precise aligning because of how tight the opening is.
- External pockets — 4 external pockets. One zipped pocket at the bottom of the front panel that is 4 x 8 inches and has a bit of its own volume. I didn’t want to keep my electronics in this pocket since it’s along the bottom of the bag and I was concerned about items in there getting damaged. So I mostly used this for snacks. The other three pockets are toward the top of the front panel. One has a velcro’ed lid and is 9 x 8.5 inches (H x W). Another has a zipped opening and is 10.5 x 8.5 inches (H x W). And the last is just an open pocket that is 5.5 x 8.5 inches (H x W). When the top lid is folded down, it covers the opening of all three compartments. None of the three upper compartments truly have their own volume, so they’re better suited for relatively flat or small items. You can put bulkier things in them since the fabric is not stiff, just keep in mind that they may take away a bit of volume from the main compartment. Some people prefer to not have an admin compartment as this gives them the option to use an org pouch or tech kit. I think that would apply for the Daywalker. A small org pouch would be a good companion if you’ve got a lot of small gadgets or cables. If I reduce my small EDC items down to just a couple pens, lip balm, keys, and wireless mouse, I’m comfortable just using the built-in pockets. Once I start adding in my gadgets and cables, I might want to use a pouch.
- Water bottle pockets — Two external water bottle pockets with elastic edges. They’re pretty well-designed and mostly stay out of the way when not in use. My medium S’well bottle feels secure in them but they are also wide enough to fit a 1L Nalgene bottle (just barely), but it will take away from volume from the main compartment.
Additional Features
- Grab handle — The design of the grab handle located at the top of the back panel seemed to contrast other components. The grab handle is literally just a piece of single-layer webbing, so it’s very floppy. Considering how much padding is on the shoulder straps and back panel, I thought the grab handle could use a bit of beefing up. But I suppose that matches the top lid’s webbing straps.
- Sternum strap — Fully adjustment and detachable, and utilizes a magnetic buckle. I always prefer sternum straps like this that are elastic.
- Modular design — As mentioned at the beginning, there are 3 rows of PALS webbing on the front panel. You can attach ORBITGear’s other org pouches to the front of the bag or use them as lash points.
- Luggage passthrough — The passthrough is a single layer of webbing on the back panel with a ~7.5-inch clearance.
Construction & Comfort
The Daywalker is 18 x 12 x 5.5 inches (H x W x D). It is listed at 20L, but I think it feels more like an 18–19 L bag. It comes in at 2.65 lbs, which is relatively light for a bag. The exterior is a mix of 580D elecor and 420D ripstop nylon. The interior is a 210D polyamide and TPE tarp liner. Polyamide is a durable plastic that has good wear resistance and is stable at extreme temperatures. Overall, the construction of the bag is very solid, as is standard for ORBITGear. The zippers are YKK #5 RCZ and all the plastic hardware feel sturdy too.
The anchor points of the shoulder straps have a little bit of reinforced stitching with bartacking, but not a ton. The main thing I’d watch out for with the construction is — with these top lid backpacks that use thermopolymer liners, the crease points of the material tends to wear pretty quickly, just from repeatedly being folded there. Even in my bag, which I’ve only used for a few weeks, you can see that it is starting to wear. The good thing is, it doesn’t really wear out to the point of structural failure.
With thick padding and mesh lining on the back panel and contoured straps, the Daywalker is relatively comfortable. The padding uses an open cell foam, which isn’t the most structurally supportive. If you don’t pack a ton of weight into the bag, then it isn’t a huge concern. Since the entire back panel is covered in mesh, there isn’t any true airflow getting through to your back. So on hot summer days, I’d expect my back to get sweaty.
Additional In-Field Usage Notes
The Daywalker has a flat bottom, so it can stand on its own well. Of course, this depends on how you pack the bag, especially since the bottom of the bag isn’t firm.
Similar to many other ORBITGear bags, the straps on the Daywalker have a TON of excess webbing. This allows you to attach larger items, like boxes, to the backpack while you’re on the move. I almost never utilize the amount of webbing provided. But thankfully, ORBITGear also built strap organizers to help tame all that excess webbing and ensure you don’t have a 5-foot trail of webbing behind you.
Summary
Overall, the Daywalker is a top-notch bag if you’re looking for a medium-sized EDC bag that is in the style of tech-wear. It’s comfortable and uses some very durable materials. There are a couple minor points that I think could have improved the bag, like a way to keep the top lid’s straps and better laptop access. It works well for day trips, work/school, or as your travel personal item.
Features: 3 of 5 — Since the Daywalker is a toned down version of the Nighthawk, it is relatively tame in terms of features.
Organization: 3 of 5 — There are a few small pockets, but no admin compartment and no organization in the main compartment aside from a tight laptop sleeve.
Construction: 4 of 5 — ORBITGear always demonstrates top notch quality and craftsmanship, and the Daywalker is no exception. The only place to watch out for is where the sidewalls of the main compartment folds.
Aesthetics: 4 of 5 — The Daywalker is a tech wear style backpack. So, it looks a bit tactical, but with the all-black color, it’s not overly tactical. This might not be everyone’s style.
Comfort: 5 of 5 — With thick padding covered in mesh, contoured shoulder straps, and a nice sternum strap complete with elastic component, the Daywalker is quite comfortable. Since this isn’t a very large backpack, the lack of load-lifter straps isn’t a big deal.
Life Integration: 4 of 5 — As with all modular backpacks, you need to figure out how you want to set up the bag and what components you want to use and if you want to use an org pouch.
X-Factor: 4 of 5 — ORBITGear doesn’t have massive marketing campaigns, but they have a strong following and brand name among bag enthusiasts and the techwear community. The Daywalker presents a good option for those who like their backpacks but wanted something a little smaller.
