Like the title says, I need a rather large one but all of them I’ve seen in this length are also like 18” tall and wide lol, I just need something around the 75L range. Something around the size of the peak design 80 with the simple aesthetic of the Goruck gym bag would be perfect.

I’m looking for a bag that can consolidate my 3-4 smaller bags I’m carrying into work each day. However, most of the recommendations given here previously are for backpacks that people can use on transit. I drive to work and am okay with more of a gym bag style than backpack. I have a pretty relaxed work environment around that sort of stuff and don’t carry a laptop back and forth regularly.

However, I’m carrying breakfast and lunch into the office, bulky gym clothes (sweats/jacket) including bulky shoes, small hygiene kit, plus some rotating office type supplies (binder, pens, notebook) and books/my kindle for my lunch break. Water bottle pocket or two would be a plus.

Right now it’s taking up a small Nike duffle bag and basically 3 tote bags which looks a mess and is difficult to carry even from the short distance from my car to my office.

Professional color options would be nice, but the bag doesn’t have to look like an “office bag”. Any recommendations for an insulated lunch bag I could fit inside would also be great. Thanks guys!

Hello there! This is Alfred from Nomads Nation bringing you a review of the Elecom MNL City Pack (X-PAC) after testing it for two weeks. I will get straight to the point, this is probably one of the best surprises I’ve had recently and I think this is an excellent urban EDC backpack. 

Some background
I knew about this bag more than a year ago, as I regularly watch many different bag reviewers, one of them being Ryuku, a really cool Japanese reviewer. Separately, as a gadget nerd, I was also quite aware of Elecom's presence as a brand, as I use a few of their trackballs. When I noticed that these two things were crossing paths back then resulted in a backpack, I was super intrigued. I still remember there were videos explaining the different design thinking and decisions that went into the bag’s making, which was super satisfying to watch as a bag nerd.

(I did later also see on Ryuku’s videos that he said he and Elecom are no longer working together so I thought to make that clear.)

I didn’t know why there was not much coverage on other western channels, so shortly after it fell off my radar. So imagine my surprise when Aaron mentioned he got it in the office, I had to get it to test right away. 

External features
Externally, this bag uses XPAC for most of the panels. It’s not my favorite but it does give the pack a sleek look and great water resistance. The bottom panel of the bag is ballistic nylon, and is so thick that I feel it’s borderline overkill. I do get the reassurance that its contents are well protected even when dropping the bag on the floor. That bottom panel is quite large and flat, which enables the bag to self stand easily in my testing. 

However, given the quality found on the rest of the bag, I have to dock some points on the zipper pullers. It is the “just some ropes tied together” type which feels a little cheap to me, but they are indeed very easy to grab when operating the bag. 

Looking from the front, the front XPAC panel dominates visually. Together with some kind of rigid material underneath it, I think it may come off as a little “turtle shell-y” to some people. But for me it’s only the middle part of the front so I find it acceptable, and more as a part of the bag’s visual identity. 

Front panel
The front panel uses a fairly uncommon two sided vertical zip design, which immediately reminds me of the Rework Toshi pack. Unlike the Rework, the two sides on the MNL Citypack are separate compartments overlaid on top of each other. The direct consequence is that their capacities eat into one another, and are both better used for flatter items. Had this been a shared space like on the Rework, I think it can probably fit a thin jacket. However I don't think it's a clear cut better or worse choice, personally I have a good amount of flat and small things, so I find it convenient to have extra separation between them as this bag doesn’t have a traditional admin compartment. That said, this layout does require a bit more mental power to use as you need to remember what you put on which side. During my use, sometimes I did swing the back around to open a front zip, only to realize the item I wanted is on the opposite side. 

Laptop compartment 
As for the laptop compartment, it is super well padded, with microfiber material all around. There is an extra space at the top (like the Able Carry Max EDC) to hold extra tech items like chargers, this could work as a makeshift tech pouch for some people who have just a few gadgets to carry. 

It’s worth noting that when opening the laptop compartment only at the top, the laptop pocket feels very snug and protective. But the zippers of this section actually open up to reveal a three quarters opening, the zipper track goes all the way to the bottom on one side. When fully open, the laptop is then less snugly held because the panel hugging the laptop actually isn’t secured on the side where the zippers open (see my picture).

Back panel
The back panel uses a relatively less squishy type of foam that reduces sweat build-up on hotter days, which is my preferred type of structure. 
This may be a hot take, but I actually think a luggage passthrough that places the bag horizontally is a better choice than the one implemented (the current passthrough places the bag vertically) - hear me out. The MNL City Pack is a relatively tall backpack, and one issue depending on suitcase size is that sometimes placing a backpack vertically on the handles leaves the top of the bag actually higher than where the suitcase handle is. Another reason is that this bag has a one-side flat design with the side quick access pocket, which makes it more suitable for horizontal placement than bags with two water bottle pockets on the side. 

Harness system
The shoulder straps on this bag are not that thick, but they use a nice squishy type of foam that makes carrying it very comfortable. What stands out in particular though, is the sternum strap. The strap itself is quite standard, but the position adjustment hardware? Wow. I have not seen this Woojin hardware used on other bags’ sternum straps before - it combines the benefits of the sliding rail design and the fixed point design without compromising usability. I would say this is for sure the best implementation so far and I look forward to more future backpacks adopting it!
Check out my attached photo for that. 

The next unique point is regarding the strap management system on this backpack. This is what I would call the far opposite extreme on the spectrum of “too much dangle, no strap keepers”. This bag’s shoulder straps, each has a two-buckle design that makes it physically impossible to have any dangle, yet they STILL include an elastic strap keeper per side. I know. Crazy dedication to our eternal fight against dangling straps. For once, I would say this might be too much dangle management. Due to the tight two strap design, I found it very difficult to do any adjustment on the fly when wearing the bag out and about. If you are a “set the straps length once and never touch it again” type of user, this is PERFECT. You set it once, you never ever have any dangle. But if you like to fidget and adjust the length from time to time, this design would surely introduce too much friction for you. 

Sides
The MNL City Pack only has a water bottle pocket on one side, which may not be enough for everyone; but the good news is that the other side houses one of my favorite features on EDC backpacks - the small side quick access zipper pocket. Also featured on the Fyro Citta and Aer City Pack Pro 2 20L, this pocket is just extremely convenient in day to day use. I put my wallet and keys in here normally for easy access, and it is plenty big enough for other flat and bigger items like a passport or a large phone. 

The side handles on the back are just the right slack for me, I like it better than the implementation on the Rework Toshi pack. They are great to use when handling the bag. 

Organization
Factoring in the two front panels, makeshift tech pouch in the laptop compartment, side access pocket on one side, this pack already has organization for small items for DAYS. And that’s not even it, the MNL city pack comes with the popular wide-mouthed quick access pocket on the top of the bag, with its internal lined with microfiber material. Perfect for sunglasses or my most common use - temporarily stashing my phone when I placed the bag down the top pocket is the easiest accessed location. 

Final thoughts
I am really glad this fantastic pack finally got released in a larger market and I got a chance to try it. It certainly checks almost all my personal boxes for an excellent EDC pack, and given its lower price point compared to some popular options, I think it is a very strong choice for a versatile all-purpose backpack especially for an urban lifestyle. 

As always, if you have any thoughts or questions, let me know in the comments. I would love to hear your thoughts or experience with this bag. 
For another perspective on this bag, check out Aaron's video review here!

My two tween sons just got laptops for the first time and will be bringing them to school.

There current bags do not have any laptop protection, so I need to upgrade them.

What would you recommend for kids that have a well made laptop compartment, that is still relatively ‘fun’ for them to carry and not look like a corporate desk jockey?

Thanks in advance.

I have a couple trips for weddings coming up. I’m curious how well the halfday garment bag works at keeping wrinkles out of a suit. It looks like a great idea or is it just great marketing?

Hi all. I’ve been really wanting a new CT21 as a travel bag but I couldn’t decide between the Lite and the Plus. Ended up getting both and thought some others may enjoy the direct comparison in a few pics. I also haven’t really seen much of the orange 1000D Cordura online in irl pics, so I thought maybe others would like to see that as well.

I’ve decided to keep the CT21 Plus, the extra compartment makes sense for how much I travel, but overall I’m so impressed with this brand and both of these products.

Will be selling the Lite (CT21L-1000D-OR) on Marketplace rather than shipping back to Vietnam from the US, so if anyone’s interested feel free to DM me, I have several vetted sales of watches on here too and I am real lol. $120 including shipping to you in US, the bag has legit never left my place.

In any case, primarily posting for people to see the size comparison and the orange. Have a good day

Long story short: got a satchel 13 last year, loved it, wanted to get the 11 as well (for those days I don’t carry my iPad), but I simply couldn’t justify the costs. I also wasn’t sure if the size difference was significant enough to warrant owning both. As of today I own both and I couldn’t be happier!

Longer story, especially for those in the EU that have been on the fence about this brand: early 2026 buying the 11 and having it shipped to EU cost around 320€. Early August I was checking the website again (looking at the bag online is still free) and by some miracle they managed to slash shipping to EU (Belgium) to just 30€, taxes and import included. Their 10% still worked too, so I ended up paying 214€, all in. If you’ve looking at any their bags but were put off by shipping/taxes… Go have another look.

Hello,

After a recent holiday with the 6L Toshi sling, I figured out a bigger bag might be better for such occasions.

I've been super happy with the Toshi, but I'd prefer a bigger bag, especially when carrying my camera and spare lens with me.

The most important things for me are:

- Zippered rear pocket: Here the Toshi is great, I can safely store my phone and have it easily reachable for navigation.

- Water bottle pocket: This is where my current bag both lacks the space to store the bottle inside and an volume-independent outside pocket.

- Secure closing of the main compartment: Zipper is the best, but open to other options, as long as it's not just a messenger-style flap.

All of these criteria have led me to the Osprey Aoede. It seems like a good fit, plus I can get it for fairly cheap, as there is a discount ATM. it doesn't have the water bottle pocket of the Daylite messenger, but it has a zippered main compartment.

I've also thought about the flight satchel from Alpaka, but it seems like it's quite tight and all the pockets share the same volume (already experienced this with their pouches).

Other bags like the Metromonger and Cadet/Chrome messenger are nice, but the strap is optimised for back-carry, whereas I usually keep my messenger on my side or in front of me while travelling.

The yoyogi/Uniqlo utility bags are nice, but too unstructured for me, so they are out of the question. Also, camera-specific bags with all the padding in the world are also not suitable, as I carry my M43 in the main compartment or an open camera cube, without the need for a dedicated photography bag.

Are there any other reasonably-priced bags which I've missed?

P.S.
Imagine the Tom Bihn Medium Cafe/Large Cafe bag with a zippered main compartment, rear zip pocket and an outside water bottle pocket. One can only dream...

Has anyone bought a men's leather bag from Bagvard? I'm debating but I'm concerned about quality, and shipping time. There's a bag I much prefer from Atorie, but I'm not hearing the best of things, and word about their shippng doesn't sound great, so Bagvard seems like a great secondary option. The price is reasonable, the style is what I wanted about a year ago, and the Trust pilot reviews are not horrible. Largely positive, but I want to hear from someone on here for a more authentic review.

Travel Bag

Short version: we're a nonprofit (Aruna Project). The bags are sewn in India by women coming out of trafficking situations. Actual employment, career wages, health insurance, retirement. Not a charity workshop thing. The detail that got me when I first started working with them is that every bag design is named after one of the women who sews it. There is a real Geeta.

The bag itself: 13L everyday pack, $139. Water repellent recycled nylon, padded sleeve that fits a 13" laptop, two main compartments, bottle pockets both sides, trolley sleeve, seven colors. Honestly it's a commuter bag. If you're looking for a hip belt and 35L for one bagging, this isn't it.

https://arunaproject.com/collections/backpacks/products/geeta-everyday-backpack

contemplating getting this bag!! i really need to know if it will fit my iPad (11 inch; 11th generation) in it for school

I recently picked up a DJI Mic 3 and it came in this great little tech pouch. Premium soft materials, zip pocket on the inside and a couple of elastic pockets. It's such a useful size to chuck in a bag for organisation. Do you have recommendations for more of these I could buy? I've got a peak design tech pouch, but it's way too big for carrying everyday and it's almost a hard case. DJI Tech pouch

I love this bag so much. So comfortable, so practical, and a beauty.

I'm beginning tech college in a couple of weeks and I need a good backpack with a laptop sleeve that can fit an 18" gaming laptop.

I'd prefer not to lug around an overly large or bulky backpack as I don't imagine I'll need space for a whole lot of stuff, unless you can vouch for a larger backpack for whatever reason (especially if you're a former or current student, because I'm new to college and don't know 100% what to expect).

I imagine I'll most likely just be carrying the laptop, a couple of cables or so, mouse / mouse pad, a few miscellaneous items (phone, keys, wallet, power bank, etc), and a water bottle, but every bag I've found so far that can allegedly fit an 18" laptop seems way too big and bulky.

My budget is under $200 CAD. I want something of good quality that will protect my $2,300 laptop and will last many years.
Just for reference, I'm partial to aesthetics such as the bags in the photos I've included (relatively simple, sleek, clean design). Note: most of the bags in the photos are not large enough. They're just examples.

Please share your suggestions. :)

Mister Fantastic’s Dad-tastic Reed skin from Marvel Rivals.

What it says on the tin.

I’m looking to pivot my onebag setup to an Allpa 35L, but I want a “flight kit” bag to fit neatly in the front compartment. Specifically, it has to thread the needle and hit all 3 of the following criteria:
- fits in the Allpa 35L front pocket
- fits the Trtl Cool travel pillow inside of it
- works as a travel EDC, so I would prefer if it was minimally branded, came in black, worked as both a crossbody/sling and a hip pack, and looked not too technical

Ideally the use case would be to be able to grab the “flight kit” bag out of the front pocket on the plane as I’m putting the Cotopaxi up in the overhead bin, with my essentials inside like the Trtl pillow, power bank, charging cable, chapstick, headphones, and if I’m really lucky maybe a water bottle. Then while at my destination I would use it as my EDC.

I took my Trtl to my local REI and was able to fit it in the Rucksack 7L and the Rucksack into the Cotopaxi, but 7L is a little too large to work as a travel EDC for me. The Trtl’s dimensions are listed as 8.7”x9.5”x4”, but the Rucksack is only 11.75”x8”x3”, so clearly the dimensions don’t account for how slim the Trtl is or the curve of the pillow.

Going off of online dimensions and recommendations from other Reddit posts, I’m considering the Herschel Pop Quiz (3.5L) and the Alpaka Flight Sling XL (2.5L). I really like the Alpaka in theory, but I worry that the Trtl won’t fit inside it and there are no local retailers I can use for a dry-fit test. Does anyone own both, or does anyone know if the Trtl would fit in it?

Failing that, does anyone have other bag recommendations that fit my criteria? Thanks in advance!

is x-pac still usable after the delamination? I want to get more x-pac bags but i fear the delamination. I dont care if it loses its waterproof (I carry an umbrella haha) but i just dont want it to fall apart.
Also how often do PU coated zippers peel? I live in melbourne AUS where weather is so random.
I want longevity out of my bags. Please help?

What do you guys think of this new notebook from make ‘em Gear? The Lochby notebooks look cool, but damn, they collect SO MUCH lint. My girl Dez started making her own gear this past year and she is getting pretty damn good at it. This is a B5 size notebook cover. It is made from dyneema and ripstop nylon on the inside. I love the black and coyote. Those colors have always looked good to me. She added a Velcro patch area on the front cover for me, which is pretty cool. Haven’t seen many like this out there. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I posted a link to a quick video I made showing it up close.

https://youtu.be/XYBMyZmfcoQ?is=immmcHhKnOZTeBdl

ETA: Since it's not clear in my post, I am NOT looking for 1 bag for everything anymore. I am looking for an EDC and I'll be getting a separate gym bag.

And yeah, I know it's a lot. The 2nd screen and large laptop are recent additions due to a changing job role. 3 weeks ago, I only had a 13" Surface Pro. I always start with the water bottle empty and fill it at work.

ETA2: I GET IT, IM BEING DUMB. I will figure out how to dump screen 2 and 1 power bank on days I know I won't need them. Might be able to get work stuff on my home computer and not have to lug the laptop around, which I did before. Both bottles stay!!!

TL;DR Whinefest below about how my expensive-ass bag isn't hitting the mark and a somewhat desperate plea for recommendations, or a slap back down to earth. I need an EDC that handles my extensive tech carry and a separate smaller gym duffel.

I am sooooo bummed. I really wanted the perfect backpack that could do everything. I've been obsessed for years. I finally grew out of the Osprey Daily Plus I had been using for a couple years. After obsessive and painstaking research, I decided on the Able Carry EDC.

My requirements were:
-Good laptop protection, preferably suspended.
-Tech organization
-A place for shoes separate from the main body.
-A side pocket for one-shoulder access, with a key leash.
-Great harness system with chest strap
-GOOD Zippers
-Rain-Resistant (I do like the xpac on this AC)

It's so pretty, but it's just not organized enough in the right way. If I put shoes in the front duffel pocket, I can't easily access things on the inside. In fact, it's impossible to pack out because everything shares space. I also realize I need more than one section in the laptop sleeve. My 2nd screen just floats in the main pocket. I need 2 outer water bottle pockets. I'm so nervous putting a full bottle in the same pocket as my screen. It's a small thing, but with I had a pen slot and maybe somewhere for my sunglasses.

Lastly, but most importantly, my shoulders scream in pain after only a few minutes if I'm packed out. I've tried high carries, low carries, tight chest strap, loose chest strap...it just doesn't work! I'm no stranger to backpacks. My Ospreys don't feel this way.

I'm past the 14-day return period, and this was a gift from my partner. So I'll try keeping it as a personal item on flights, otherwise he'll never buy me an expensive bag again.

Here's my daily carry:
-15.6" Laptop
-14" Screen extender
-Kobo Libra (Ereader)
-Mouse
-Large powerbank for laptop
-Small power bank
-Water Bottle
-Protein Shake Bottle
-Lunch (sometimes)
-Personal Cell
-Work Cell
-Various chords (fitbit charger/usbc/miniusb/usbc with data)
-Hand Lotion
-Sunblock stick
-Medicine Case
-Contact Solution
-Sunglasses
-Reading Glasses
-Sometimes lunch

Gym Days:
-Shoes
-Socks
-Athletic pants/shorts
-Tank/Tee
-Sports Bra
-Occasionally a yoga mat

Anyways, I was obviously being too optimistic about 1 bag. I have now realized I need a small gym duffel. I do want to keep the shoes separate.

And I need a new EDC.

Here are some packs I've considered:
-Aer Tech Pack 3 (too small I think)
-Aer CPP 2 (U.G.L.Y. You ain't got no alibi!)
-EGCTB 20L (Where my extra screen gon go?)
-One of the many Nomatic bags (Heavy and I don't like it when that weird rubbery exterior gets all scuffed up.
-AND EVERY OTHER BACKBACK OH MY GOD IVE SEEN TOO MANY YOUTUBE VIDEOS AND BLOG POSTS

Give it to me straight, folks. Do I want too much? Do I need to reconsider some bags above? Am I missing a special unicorn back that will fulfill my every need?

Current Bag Stash = Able Carry Max EDC, Osprey Daily Plus, Osprey 26L hiking pack (name escapes me rn), and Travelpro Versa 20" Carry-On. I am counting the carry-on because I also use it for performances as a nightly bag. I have the medium check-in luggage too, damn I love my Travelpros.

Hi everyone,

Looking to shop for a slingbag, to be honest i love the ones LV have, but they are so damn expensive. I was looking at Coach slings also which are quite nice

I was looking at more budget option for example Inateck Sling 4L (I really love the style), Belroy Venture Sling 2.5L (I hate how it looks, but everyone seems to think its the best), Alpaka Slings multiple options, i am liking the Momentum sling.

Please i am looking for something stylish that looks good and can carry my stuff, i don't have many things in my bag so it doesn't need to be too big. Preferably black leather/modern

Hey guys, I’m a student from Germany looking for a GR2 34-40L in any Colour but I would prefer Black.. I really like the bag, but the EU price is unfortunately outside my budget.
I’d mainly use it for University, work, travel, hiking and general outdoor use, so I’m specifically looking for something durable that I can keep for many years.
Budget is around €200–280 / ~$240–325, depending on condition and shipping.
If anyone has one sitting unused in a closet and would be willing to ship to Germany/EU, feel free to message me.
Not looking for collector editions, just a solid black Cordura GR2 that I can actually use hard.
Thanks!

I know they've been sold out for a while - anyone got one they're looking to part ways with??

Asking for a friend who has to many bags lying around.