ORBITGear R102-ADV MK23 “Clamshell” — Backpack Review

We’ve reviewed a handful of bags from ORBITGear, such as the R101 Nighthawk, S400A Sidesweeper, the R102c Sharpshooter, the R111 Hillwalker, and the C101 Carrier. Yeah, we’ve covered ORBITGear a lot. But if you’re unfamiliar with them, they are a small team based in Indonesia who have found a home in a niche area of bags by using a tech-wear or streetwear style along with technical fabrics for their bags. One of the great things about ORBITGear is that they’re constantly experimenting and trying out new designs. But this time, we’re going back to one of ORBITGear’s OG bags — the R102-ADV MK23 “Clamshell” backpack, which was their first backpack and initially launched 6 years ago.

Disclaimer: This bag was provided to us by ORBITGear as a sample to review. We are grateful for the chance to try out the bag, but as always, our reviews contain our honest opinions based on real usage, including both positives and negatives.

Overview

The R102 is a 26-liter casual backpack that works well as an EDC or commuter backpack. It was just the right amount of organization for the office or school, and still boasts the technical fabrics that provide durability and reliability. The main compartment’s opening is the namesake of the bag, though the zipper doesn’t technically go ALL the way down to the bottom of the bag. So, it’s more like a nearly clamshell opening.

Aside from the main compartment, the R102 also has a dedicated laptop sleeve, a few small pockets on the front panel, a few internal pockets, and a couple additional pockets on the sides and back panel. So, there are plenty of options when it comes to organization. Overall, the R102 feels roughly true to size and packs similarly to other 24-26L bags I’ve used.

Strengths

• Plenty of organizational pockets without getting overly organized with an admin compartment
• Strong technical specs especially with the X-Pac exterior

Weaknesses

• Padding is open-cell foam, so while it’s very soft, it doesn’t provide structural support
• Zipper orientation on the laptop sleeve is a bit confusing
• The Velcro hooks on the front of the laptop sleep catch onto the nanofiber of the laptop compartment

Organization

Overall, the R102 has a ton of organization, with enough pockets to store all your gear but not being overly stringent on where you can put things. There are three primary compartments along with a total of seven internal pockets and four external zipped pockets.

• Main compartment — This large compartment can easily fit all my main carry items for the office. I typically carry a wireless keyboard, headphones, mouse, notebook, and water bottle. At times, I also carry a packed lunch here. Even then, there was enough extra space for a light jacket or hoodie as well. On the right side of the bag is a zipper that gives you access to the main compartment. It lets you get your water bottle out without opening the main zipper. Inside the main compartment is also a large elastic pocket at the bottom that stretches the width of the bag, and 3 rows of MOLLE webbing for any modular attachments or organization.

• Internal zipped pockets — There are three zipped internal pockets on the outer side of the main compartment (one on the bottom and two on the top). The two top interior pockets in the main compartment overlap with each other, so the one underneath is difficult to access. It’s better to keep things in there that you’ll rarely need to access. The outer one is 6 x 6 inches and lined in nanofiber cloth. The others are 9 x 6 inches (W x H) and 9 x 9 inches.
• Internal water bottle holders — For me, water bottle pockets are a must. I prefer external ones for their convenience, but internal is better than none, in my opinion. The two internal water bottle pockets on the R102 are well-designed. They’re elastic and stay out of the way when not in use. They fit my medium S’well bottle well, but something fatter, like a 1L Nalgene, is a very tight squeeze. Remember to make sure that your water bottle does not leak when jostled around. Low quality bottles will give all your stuff a shower.

• Laptop compartment — Behind the main compartment is a dedicated laptop compartment. Interestingly, the zippers are attached in the reverse orientation. This was intentional so that there is no hole in between the zippers where water can drip in when it’s raining. But I’m not a huge fan of this configuration because it means you can’t just have the top open. In order to have the top open, one of the sides also has to be open. It also takes a long time to get used to this zipper configuration. Personally, I haven’t quite gotten used to it after a couple months of near-daily use since the main compartment’s zippers are oriented the opposite (normal) way. The sleeve also has a Velcro elastic band to hold your laptop in place. But one issue with the design is that the hook field catches the nanofiber lining of the compartment. After a short while, the lining will start to wear. The hook field should be on the elastic strap instead. Personally, I don’t think the elastic strap is needed at all. The sleeve is advertised as fitting a 16" Mac Book Pro, but my 14" ThinkPad seems to be a snug fit.

• Front compartment — On the front panel is a vertically zipped compartment that is as wide and tall as the front panel (11 x 15 inches, W x H). The aquaguard zipper has excellent waterproofing, and while it doesn’t have a zipper garage, there is a flap on the front panel that prevents rain from getting into the hole at the top of the zipper. Inside the compartment are two elasticated pockets (about 5 x 5 inches each). Though this compartment is flat, you can still use it for bulky items like a small umbrella because its so large. My only wish would be that they used a larger zipper tab or added a zipper pull.
• Front panel pockets — On both sides of the front compartment’s central zipper are smaller vertically oriented pockets. One has a key leash as well. There isn’t much space in these pockets (4 x 11 each, W x H), so I just keep small items in them, like lip balm or pens. It seems like these zippers are hidden because they are under a flap of fabric. So, it’s odd that these zippers have large zipper pulls while the central zipper of the large front compartment has such a small zipper tab.

• Side pocket — On the left side of the bag (when looking at the front panel), there is another vertically oriented compartment. The zipper is on the opposite side of the main compartment’s side access zipper. If you put something large and bulky in here, you won’t be able to get a water bottle into the internal water bottle on that side though. I usually keep my glasses (hard case) in this pocket and use the internal pocket on the opposite side for my water bottle.
• Back panel pocket — At the bottom of the back panel is a hidden pocket. These are typically meant for valuables, like cash or a passport. Oddly again, it has a green pull tab on the zipper while the rest of the fabric around there is black. I guess that lets you access it more quickly but defeats the purpose of making it a hidden pocket.

Additional Features

• Sternum strap — Adjustable and removable sternum strap with magnetic buckle
• Luggage pass-through — The bottom panel of padding on the back is a luggage pass-through; it keeps the bag oriented upright
• D-rings and clips — Each shoulder strap has a D-ring and on the sides of the bag’s body are built in clips
• Grab handles — The top grab handle has removable leather padding. One side of the grab handle is also removable, which I don’t really understand. The other side is stitched to the bag so you can’t fully remove the grab handle. The sides of the bag also have nylon webbing that can be used as grab handles.
• Attachment/Compression straps — As with all of ORBITGear’s bags, there are super long straps that allow you to strap large items (even large boxes) to the bag. Helpful for couriers or if you get around by bike. Otherwise, you just keep them rolled up.

Construction and Comfort

The R102 is 16.1 x 12.2 x 7 in (H x W x D), 26L in volume, and weighs about 3.5 lbs., which is on the heavier side for a backpack but not bad for a bag this size with this many features. The exterior is X-Pac with 580D Elecor (a Cordura custom-developed fabric), providing excellent water-resistance. The bottom is reinforced with leather. The lining is 210D PA and the zippers are all YKK. Oddly, the external pockets’ vertical zippers are aquaguard or have PA fabric lining, but the main compartment and laptop compartment zippers do not. Those are YKK 8V8, which are large and durable, but not as well-suited for water. All the hardware feels very solid, even the plastic buckles and adjusters. The craftsmanship and stitching all seem excellent, though I wish there was a bit more reinforcement at the key anchor points on the shoulder straps.

The pack is relatively comfortable with ample mesh-covered padding on the back panel and shoulder straps. The padding is very soft and is probably an open-cell foam, which means it doesn’t provide any structural support. Under heavy loads, it will flatten, though under a light load it will feel comfortable. ORBITGear tends to use open-cell foam for their backpacks. The padding on the back bulges out a tiny bit at the bottom half of the pack panel where the luggage pass is, but since it’s open-cell, it’s barely noticeable. The shoulder straps are contoured and have load lifter straps as well. So, they are also relatively comfortable.

Additional Usage Notes

One of the things I like about the R102 is that the aesthetics are a bit more versatile. It’s not as tech-wear as ORBITGear’s other bags, but still has some slight tech-wear attitude and some modularity. A good balance. It also has a small loop field at the bottom of the front panel for a patch, so you can add your own flair.

On the other hand, another small issue I’ve had is the zipper pulls of the internal pockets inside the main compartment getting caught in the zipper of the main compartment’s zipper. It only happens occasionally and is barely even a minor inconvenience.

Lastly, because the bottom is angled slightly upward, the R102 does not stand up on its own well. It tends to fall forward, but depending on how you pack it, may not stand at all.

Summary

The R102 is an excellent bag for students and working professionals. It has plenty of organizational elements, excellent build quality, and is relatively comfortable. The key change I would make is the orientation of the zipper on the laptop compartment. All the other critiques are minor and not deal-breakers, like the choice of which zippers get a zipper pull, and reversing which part of the laptop sleeve’s strap has the Velcro hook field. If your daily carry is very minimal (e.g., just a laptop, charger, and small notebook), you won’t need a bag this large. But if you’ve got a few additional items that aren’t small (e.g., a keyboard, headset, and water bottle), then the R102 may be just the right size for you.

Features: 4 of 5 — The R102 has all the table stakes you’d expect, but a ton of other small features too, like compatibility with modular components. But nothing that is super innovative or unique.

Organization: 5 of 5 — There is plenty of organization. Enough internal pockets for all the tech I need for work, and enough external pockets for whatever else, if you like to be prepared for anything.

Construction: 4 of 5 — X-PAC is always a good choice. Excellent fabrics, durable hardware, good stitching. I just wish there was more reinforcements.

Aesthetics: 4 of 5 — A good balance of tech-wear and casual professional. It tends to always look a little bulky because the leather bottom keeps it looking relatively full.

Comfort: 4 of 5 — Ample padding with contoured straps, load lifter straps, and sternum strap. The only improvement would be the choice of the type of foam used.

Life Integration: 3 of 5 — Very easy to use, though you may need to try things out with the modularity. The key issue is the orientation of the laptop compartment’s zippers, which make it take a while to get used to the backpack.

X-factor: 3 of 5 — ORBITGear is a small company and doesn’t have the furthest reach in the market. But it’s well-known among bag nerds and has a loyal following. The R102 is one of its older bags and there isn’t a ton of marketing hype around it.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about the ORBITGEAR R102, feel free to drop a comment. Follow us on Instagram (@pangolinswithpacks) to stay up to date on what bags we’re trying out and what we’re up to.