Luggage Bags and Packs
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I'm an avowed follower of the Dead Bird but think my Watershed Bags Mission pack is better value for a drypack. I have two of their products and they are bombproof. Active .mil contracts also from units that really beat the crap out of their gear in way harsher environments than I'll ever be in.
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I like the new Aer Travel Pack 2.0.
https://www.aersf.com/travel-pack-2-black
It comes close to the versatility that would spur an all in one travel bag adoption for me but I don't like the idea of having to ruck all my clothing and toiletries in a business bag (or having so spacious a bag as to look as though that's what's happening) to actual meetings: if only they made one of these that clamshelled, where the upper half of the clamshell fully detached into a laptop daypack: this would be the perfect travel bag. That Osprey I posted comes close but a bit too spacious to Grahame's point and also very outdoorsy and unprofessional in appearance.
The reason I'm researching this area is I love the idea of not dragging a bag around and being free to run up escalators more freely, for example.
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I still think that the Topo Designs Travel Bag (30 litres) with a 3-Day Briefcase or Commuter Briefcase would be a good combination. Both of those can be attached to the Travel Bag, if you want an all-in-one solution.
Another alternative pairing would be a Mission Workshop Arkiv backpack (the Radian looks good), with their new Transit Arkiv. The latter is a laptop briefcase that can be attached to the packs, or used separately.
Unfortunately they're not cheap, and have an Urban Tactical sort of look.
If you want to get really spendy, how about the SDR Traveller D3 duffle, an M1 Messenger, and their three piece Pack System?
The M1 is 17" x 11", so a bit bigger than the large travel cube. If it wasn't overfilled, it'd probably occupy the same sort of space in the duffle, so you could probably fit it in with the three cubes from the Pack System.
OK, it'd cost about $1200… :o
Tom Bihn used to offer the Hero's Journey, which was a two-in-one backpack. It's been retired, but you might be able to dig one up from somewhere.
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Picked up this ‘Smith the roll pack’ by Millican recently, very happy with it as a daily pack.
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The roll top I’ve found really handy. It’s not too bad when full either.
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Bedouin have made a limited run of the Delireis in Dyneema.
@Cutlasshound is going to be in so much trouble with his wife.
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That is nice looking, and I'm not even a fan of backpacks.
I'm about to get some Dyneema, and I'm really interested to see what it's like.
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I'd have been tempted by one myself, but I'm still broke, and Bedouin have just sold out.
(I'll have to see if I can get one in @Cutlasshound's divorce sale! :D)
The one thing I don't get is that Dyneema is ultralight, but they stuck three heavy Cobra buckles on the bag. The standard version uses D-rings for its strap adjustment, which makes a lot more sense.
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Review of the Mission Workshop Radian Arkiv.
I had one of those Mission Workshop modular bags for a while but ultimately ended up getting rid of it in favor of a Chrome bag. It just didn't have the satisfying heft I expected of it and its lack of real water bottle pockets was annoying.
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The one thing I don't get is that Dyneema is ultralight, but they stuck three heavy Cobra buckles on the bag. The standard version uses D-rings for its strap adjustment, which makes a lot more sense.
But Cobra buckles are cooler. Duh.
More seriously, I'd guess they're using Dyneema less for its light weight, and more for its strength. They've got heavy Dyneema bonded to 150D nylon, so the composite fabric in this bag is pretty heavy, relatively speaking, at five ounces.
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Yeah, I know that Cobra buckles are cooler than a hypothermic polar bear, but a simple slider would have been a better choice.
I still really like the bag, though.
You know me too well Sir!
Thankfully for Mrs Leech, although I was seriously tempted, I know from bitter experience that top loading packs drive me absolutely mental!
A dyneema Pequod though…......
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How is the Pequod working out for you @Cutlasshound?
I really like the design, and came close to grabbing one last year, but it rode too high on the back to be usable on a bike.
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Cobra buckles used for fasteners on bags is ridiculous. Overbuilt is one thing, there is simply no need for that kind of a fastener for a bag. Complete waste of money and and spec.
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a simple slider would have been a better choice.
True, but so much less fun than using this on a daily basis
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How is the Pequod working out for you @Cutlasshound?
I really like the design, and came close to grabbing one last year, but it rode too high on the back to be usable on a bike.
It is definitely one that has its specific strengths though. It is great for carrying clothes (it holds a lot) and is particularly useful when used as a carry on due to the fact that you can easily switch between duffle or pack.
However, due to the fact that it tapers towards the bottom it is absolutely dog shit for carrying anything rectangular in shape (.i.e. a lever arch folder). You can get one in but you have to pack it meticulously. Also, i find the interior pocket to be pretty much useless.
That being said, it is beautifully made! The zipper works flawlessly, it transfers load very well and has a very robust build quality.
For the money that I paid (thanks to your kindness) it is absolutely fantastic. Would I buy one full price? No. Purely based on the lack of exterior pocket (or a zipped pocket within the interior) and the fact that trying to get a folder in it can be pretty excruciating; essentially rendering it redundant for my job.
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I'm a fan of packing cubes, so the Pequod's shape would be awkward for that. I think that the Delireis has a trapezoid cross section, which also makes it a bit less usable.
(I think that my next bag is likely to be a Lotuff Leather Duffle Backpack or the Nigel Cabourn Hand Cannon, which have a square section, and are relatively simple.)
As for Cobra buckles, Austalpin created a lower spec and lighter version for use on bags. They don't seem to have taken off, unfortunately.
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As for Cobra buckles, Austalpin created a lower spec and lighter version for use on bags. They don't seem to have taken off, unfortunately.
They have a plastic variant that makes a lot more sense for bags too, cheaper and lighter.
