I won’t be talking so much about the actual bag itself, but my current everyday carry bag is an Alpha One Niner Chio – I’m trying something a bit different, and so far I’m pretty stoked. I’m a traditionally big EDC guy, I’m used to carrying a liter of water, food, lots of “might use” items and a bunch of “will definitely use” items.

After moving to a much smaller shoulder pack purely by chance (long story short I got sent one and I tried it once and now I can’t stop) I have severely cut down my carry.

Let’s break it down by bag compartments.

External Velcro-lined pocket

2x ANKER USB-C / USB 3.0 cables

1x ANKER Micro-USB / USB 2.0 cables

2x Nite Ize Gear Ties

1x ANKER PowerCore Elite 20000mAh powerbank

1x Olight M2R

My partner and I both have USB-C phones, so the ability to charge both, with a port free, is super important in my powerbank choice. I chose Anker because of fast output, great warranty and fantastic reputation.

The Olight M2R is the best EDC flashlight I’ve ever had, I haven’t left home without it since it was released. The magnetic charging actually makes charging your flashlight fun.

The gear ties come in handy for damn near anything. So far they’ve been used for:

• Holding phones for movie / Netflix viewing
• Organizing power cables neatly
• Wrapping up earphones to stop pocket gremlins
• Temporarily blocking a garden hose
• Towel hanger in a dodgy hotel
• They’re an item I never forget to add to a pack.

All of these items are nicely held on with Velcro. Powerbanks don’t come with Velcro, so a handy adhesive strip of ‘hook material’ does the trick.

Cables and gear ties are held in a custom organizer made by High Range Outdoors.

External vertical zipped pockets

These are nifty little pockets tucked in behind the previously mentioned Velcro pocket.

In one, I have my stock earphones that came with my phone. They do the job, the inline mic never fails and they’ve taken a good beating.

The other pocket has a small ziplock bag, with business cards and stickers.

External horizontal zipped pockets

These two are on the opposite side of the bag to the previously mentioned pockets.

Spread across the two pockets are:

1x Tom Bihn Clear Organizer Wallet

1x Rite in the Rain Notebook Cover

Inside the Tom Bihn Organizer is:

1x Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C

1x USB-C to Female USB 3.0 OTG

1x Tom Bihn Ultrasuede Cloth (discontinued)

Inside the Rite in the Rain cover is:

1x Lamy Safari Ballpoint

1x MIG Bolt Action Pen

1x Sharpie permanent marker

2x Rite in the Rain notebooks

Those two organizers fit super nicely in the external pockets, providing quick access if the bag is on-body, or on a desk. It just works!

Main compartment

I’m a huge fan of pouches, there’s all different kinds and you’re guaranteed to find something that will suit your needs – and then you can just take it to each bag you use. Pouches are forever.

The pouches in my main compartment are:

2x IKEA FÖRFINA Pouches (with DIY zipper pulls) – I know, I know, what am I doing with IKEA pouches!? Well, these little things are absolute gold. They’re dirt cheap, and can be modded for even more modularity.

I use a red pouch for a first aid kit, and a black pouch for general small stuff I want to keep together. Everyone has different first aid needs on a daily basis (some people may have none!) so I won’t bother going through my list. The black pouch has some small goodies like:

1x humangear GoTubb with basic medicines inside it

1x BOgear Shrapsac containing chapstick, Leatherman bit kit, BIC lighter, old loyalty card wrapped in Gorilla tape and a Boker VAT

1x Sea to Summit Dry Sack

1x Clif Bar

1x Stanley 2M tape measure

Hanging 210D ripstop nylon pocket in main compartment

Inside this little pocket we have:

1x BOgear Shrapsac full of mints (discontinued product)

1x Buderim Ginger Bears

3x Moist towelette for grubby hands

I’ve also been known to throw my wallet in here occasionally.

For a bonus, my general on-body carry is a Fused Goods Bifold,  Gear S3 Frontier with a custom Fused Goods watch strap and a Leatherman Charge TTi in a custom leather holster.

My carry isn’t perfect, but it’s what works for me – I routinely change bags and carry, but when I’m not reviewing a bag the Chio will be my go-to. My total commute to work is 900 meters / 0.5 miles so right now the Chio just works, and my loadout for it hasn’t let me down yet!

The post What’s In My EDC Bag? appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

The world of Everyday Carry has it’s roots in being prepared, and wanting to have items with you during your day that will cover your basic needs, and anything within reason that might pop up.

In serious EDC circles, folks might pack things like a medical kit in case of injury, or a compass if they find themselves off-grid with a need to navigate to safety. Whilst on the other hand, your everyday urban commuter might pack an extra jacket in case they’re caught in an unexpected downpour. We all pack and prepare for different things at different levels.

And it’s worth noting, EDC is a very slippery slope, you can really end up knee-deep in a bunch of useless crap if you’re not careful – I’ve been there. My EDC has evolved throughout the years and if you’re interested, you can read more about that journey here – but right now we’re going to get in to how to handle your EDC bag, in my case: it’s a backpack.

Layout – Where do I put X?

The best way to pick a layout is simply by thinking about when, and how often you’ll need to use the thing. Ideally you don’t want to be reaching in to depths of the Mariana Trench each time you want a pen – the pen you use 35 times a day to jot down notes. Bulky stuff like drink bottles and laptops can prove difficult, luckily most bags these days offer a dedicated spot for a laptop, and if you carry a water bottle each day I’d definitely recommend external bottle pockets. 

This is purely my experiences, but I can’t even look at a roll top or top loading bags for EDC – function comes before fashion for my packing.

A rule of thumb is simply pack by need, quick access stuff up top and less likely to be needed stuff down below. Rain jacket? Probably stuff that in the bottom. Transit pass and earphones? Nice and high.

Pouches – get some

No bag comes with perfect organisation, despite how awesome it might seem – there will always be something you can do better. I take my organisation to a pretty insane level by most standards, which include custom made organisation panels, and a lot more pouches – I like pouches. Basically, anything your bag can’t organise properly, a pouch almost definitely can.

No dedicated admin compartment for pens, multi tools etc? Pouch.

No space for your power bank? Portable HDD? Pouch.

I was lucky enough to get in on the BOgear EDC Pouch before BOgear ceased production operations, it completely changed my carry game and is one of the best bag related decisions I’ve ever made.

I even picked up some pouches from IKEA, for $3.99 – perfect for snacks and toiletries.

Don’t overpack

This one’s easy, just don’t fill your bag up! You need the ability to stuff a couple things in there on an ad hoc basis, whether it be a cheeky 6-pack on the way home or that sneaky piece of cake left over from Sandra’s birthday that’s been sitting in the work fridge.

Take stock 

I find myself unpacking my bag somewhat often, looking at things I haven’t used and things I can switch out. If I haven’t used something in a while, I’ll usually ditch it. I charge batteries, make sure things work and pack everything back in – sometimes changing the organisation to make everything easier to access.

Packing an EDC bag is not a one-time deal, you really do need to take a look every now and then and make sure you’re not carrying stuff that just doesn’t make sense anymore. Carrying a sweater in winter makes sense, carrying one in the blistering summer heat really doesn’t – don’t forget to evaluate your packing.

Obviously there are different courses for different horses, but really, why not make your carry efficient? Lay out your gear properly, organise your small stuff, don’t overpack and evaluate your carry regularly – simple.

*And hey, if you’ve got any insights of your own, we’d love to hear them in the comments! 

The post How to Pack an Everyday Carry (EDC) Bag appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

I need a decent backpack.

As a dad with two very small kids, I am the proverbial camel of the family, carrying loads of random kids’ gear whenever we head out the door. On top of that, living and studying in Japan means getting around on a bike and public transport a lot, so I need a large bag for a laptop and books, and possibly groceries when I come home. The weather here in the northernmost island of Japan (Hokkaido) can be quite extreme too (6 metres of snow a year), so I needed something that could handle bike commutes through rain, sleet and snow. And finally, I find myself travelling a lot, and so I need something good for overhead compartments in planes.

Enter the Spare Camel.

Handmade in Australia by Brisbane Outdoor Gear (BO Gear), it’s the little messenger bike bag company that could. It’s designed and built by Dave Bell – the guy who answers the phone, updates the website and replies to emails. In early January I gave Dave a call asking for a custom-made BO Gear Spare Camel, and within a tight time frame. Not only did he come through with the goods, he even sent me a studio photo of the bag ahead of time so I would be left waiting in anticipation for its arrival in the post!

The great thing about BO Gear is their Custom Design feature where you customise a bag to the colour scheme of your choice – from the fabrics all the way to the bartacking. I know, for some of you this is a dream come true, and for others (like myself) that sounds like a nightmare. Don’t worry, there are dozens of sample photos to give you ideas, or you can just stick with standard colour schemes. Or if you’re really daring you can try out their WTF options and get a complete surprise of random colours.

[Note: The gold webbing seen on this bag is no longer available on the BO Gear website. Also, whilst BO Gear does provide the option to add paracord to zipper pulls, the reflective paracord zip pulls seen on this bag were purchased separately and added by the author.]

Who It Suits

The primary audience for this bag are bike commuters, outdoor folk looking for a daypack and one-bag travellers who are looking for a versatile, simple and tough backpack that’s on the larger end of the scale.

At 30 litres capacity, it’s not a small bag – so ideally this is a bag for those who feel the need to carry a lot of stuff. The website claims it can carry a carton of beer, a claim I haven’t tested but that should give you a sense of the Spare Camel’s capacity.

Who It Doesn’t

Those looking for a more subtle silhouette, i.e. those who prefer small or medium-sized bags.

Those who crave bags with lots of externally accessible pockets. No water bottle pockets or fleece-lined sunglasses pockets here.

It’s hard to say if this is an office-friendly bag – PALS webbing doesn’t always suit the office environment, but perhaps if you’re careful with the colour choice it could work out.

The Good

Design

BO Gear’s mantra is “Dirtify Me” and everything about the bag’s design tells you it’s ready for rough handling: 1000D Cordura fabric, the ITW Nexus buckles and D rings, the seat belt webbing at the shoulder straps, the PALS webbing, the #10 YKK zip on the main compartment. I don’t see the point of a bag you need to handle with kid gloves, and this isn’t one of those bags.

“…everything about the bag’s design tells you it’s ready for rough handling…“

On the front of the bag is the PALS webbing. For the uninitiated, this is something the military came up with for creating a modular solution for carrying items very securely on bags and tactical vests. For some, the PALS webbing is a bit of a turn off, and gives off a ‘tacti-cool’ vibe. But the truth is, proper PALS webbing sewn into a strong fabric (like 1000D Cordura) is really useful, as it effectively allows you to strap items securely to the outside of your bag. It’s a bit like how a roof rack on a car gives you extra options when you’re carrying a lot. BO Gear sells a variety of gear which is designed to mate perfectly with the PALS webbing, including the Cellblock M and the Royd Bike Bag, which is designed to help you ride to and from the airport with your bike (a great idea). Alternatively, with a bit of rope, you can just use the PALS webbing to cinch down oversized items.

The top handle is a simple strip of webbing bartacked to the top fabric. Not the most comfortable on your hands for long-term carrying, but does the job. It’s a backpack after all. On each side of the handle is an extra length of bartacked webbing, so you can clip items to the side of the handle as well.

On the sides are compression straps with plastic side-release buckles. The standard Spare Camel comes with one compression strap, but I opted for two to enable carrying longer items like tripods and blankets.

The inside of the bag is lined with a soft 300D polyester. It’s a great idea to have the liner a bright colour so you can easily see the contents of the bag. The standard bags come in light grey, but you can opt for some more eye-popping purple, red or royal blue.

There are three internal mesh pockets. I was quite surprised at the thickness of the mesh fabric – there’s no need to worry that something might snag the mesh and rip it as it feels seriously tough.

The shoulder straps are wide, tapered and moderately padded. I’ve certainly had more cushy shoulder straps before, albeit on hiking packs. The top of the shoulder straps are not sewn into the bag itself, but are ‘floating’ via a piece of thick seatbelt webbing. The idea of this is to allow the straps to be able to twist a bit more according to the shape of the wearer. I regularly carry 7-8kg loads and I’ve found the bag quite comfortable.

The bag is also taller than the shoulder straps, i.e. the top of the bag is not where the shoulder straps meet the bag – it’s a few more centimetres above. Dave tells me this makes the bag stronger. I also think it makes the bag contents sit higher up and closer to your back – which is great for stability and comfort when carrying heavy loads.

The shoulder straps are designed to be able to loop through hydration tubes, attach sternum straps at two different heights and have a D ring for further attachments. The straps themselves can be loosened quickly with quick-release D rings on the adjuster buckle, though I haven’t found myself using them much. There are Velcro strap keepers on the ends of the shoulder strap webbing, so you can avoid having long shoulder strap webbing flapping around. At the bottom point where the shoulder strap attaches to the bag, there is another D ring for even more attachment options.

The back panel of the bag is a completely plain piece of 500D Cordura. There’s no air-mesh, no bumps, no ridges, no trampoline…nothing for back ventilation. For some of you this is a relief – instead of non-functioning fabric technology which only makes you itchy, it just keeps things simple. I haven’t worn the Spare Camel in warmer seasons yet – but my friends who have toured with the backpack through Thailand reported quite a sweaty back.

“There’s no air-mesh, no bumps, no ridges, no trampoline…nothing for back ventilation.”

Behind the 500D Cordura is a removable and flexible HDPE plastic frame sheet and a piece of 10mm EVA foam. This makes a huge difference in comfort when carrying awkwardly shaped items. Weird bulges are kept away from your back, helping with carrying comfort. It also helps keep the bag straight, helping the bag stand up on its own. It’s a small but great thing to be able to put the bag down and not have to watch it flop over helplessly (well, depending on how you pack it).

Clamshell opening

To be honest, before meeting this backpack I wasn’t really that sold on the idea of a clamshell opening bag. I understood the benefits, but it didn’t seem that great to me. And even now, 95% of the time I open the bag the traditional way – from the top.

But the 5% of the time that I need to grab something from the bottom of the bag, or the times I’m trying to pack the bag carefully, the clamshell design becomes really, really useful and makes you swear off using regular bags ever again.

For example, I can put clothes into the bag folded flat against the back, avoiding the problem of pulling out a wrinkled mess later on. Or I can pack emergency items (like a nappy change mat) right at the bottom of the bag, and when that emergency comes I won’t be furiously digging into the bag to get it out. Or when I’ve got a lot of things to pack, rather than just dumping them into the backpack from the top and hoping for the best, I can lay it flat and try to arrange items to be as high and flat against my back as possible to give greater carrying comfort.

“…the time that I need to grab something from the bottom of the bag…the clamshell design becomes really, really useful.”

And while the bag doesn’t have a water bottle holder, I always try to lay my bottle against the side zip of the bag. That way, I can access the bottle by just unzipping the side of the bag. Not as simple as a regular bottle holder, but pretty close.

Water resistance

Both the outer 1000D Cordura and 300D polyester liner have a water-resistant backing which makes the bag quite water resistant. Of course, the bag isn’t truly water resistant – the zips and stitching and so forth will inevitably let water in eventually. Nonetheless, the bag has handled itself well so far in bad weather.

Thanks to my daughter, the bag has been dragged through and buried under snow. At the end of winter here when the roads are perpetually wet from melting snow, and despite having a mudguard on my bike, the bag often gets totally covered in water from a bike commute. I’ve also carried the bag through brief rain showers.

So far so good – I find I can just get a towel and wipe the bag and it’s virtually dry and good to go.

“…the bag has handled itself well so far in bad weather.”

However, the outer pocket which sits right behind the PALS webbing isn’t completely water resistant – because the zip isn’t covered with a storm flap. One time when it was sleeting down, water managed to enter in through that zip. I had some books in there that got slightly damp. I suspect wet sleet was piling up on my back, and so it presented the worst case scenario for the bag/zip. (I dunno, I can’t see what’s happening on my back).

However, the rest of the bag contents were fine – i.e. the top external pocket and the main compartment were bone dry. Because of this I make use of a rain cover when I plan to ride my bike through serious rain. But if I’m caught without it I’d still be relatively confident in the bag’s weather resistance (but I now avoid putting paper items in that pocket).

Pocketing

The front of the bag features a tight top pocket, which is perfect for keys, wallet, tissues and any other items you need quickly. Below that is another external pocket that goes all the way to the bottom of the bag. I put other quick-to-grab items here, like a small towel and bike lights. Items in the main compartment tend to push into this pocket, so on days when you’re carrying a lot, it gets quite tight in there. In general, both external pockets are a bit on the tight side – so you’re really more encouraged to put items into the internal pockets.

Most backpacks sold today tend to use a secondary compartment that is parallel to the main compartment (e.g. The North Face Surge). This sort of design tends to make ‘secondary items’ fall to the bottom of the secondary compartment, and the bag sticks out further and further away from your back, which messes with your centre of gravity.

“In general, both external pockets are a bit on the tight side – so you’re really more encouraged to put items into the internal pockets.“

The Spare Camel’s internal pocketing essentially does away with a parallel secondary compartment with its internal mesh pockets and tight external pockets. This way the ‘secondary items’ are kept closer to your back, higher up and compartmentalised. I find this makes a big difference in carrying comfort, and in keeping the bag rectangular in shape even when full. Also, the pleating of the internal mesh pockets is a very useful feature – no super-tight pockets that can only store a handful of flat things. You can stick your whole fist in there to hunt around for items.

The top mesh pocket for small items is really handy, and it’s in a great location. The bottom mesh pocket is a bit tough to access when accessing the bag from above. However, I like to use that pocket for storing items I rarely access, like a first aid kit.

“…the pleating of the internal mesh pockets is a very useful feature – no super-tight pockets that can only store a handful of flat things.“

What really sets this bag apart from others is the ability to hang a pouch (the BO Gear Cellblock M) on the inside of the bag for more organisation. Depending on the occasion I use it to store small notebooks, pencil cases, food, a camera, computer mouse – basically stuff I need to access once I’m sitting down at my intended destination or stuff that’s too big for the mesh pockets. I love the fact that the Cellblock M is hanging up high in the bag in a location that is normally empty, thus making more efficient use of space. It also helps keep the load of the bag high up as well, which is better for stability and carrying comfort.

In many ways the Cellblock works similar to how traditional ‘cinch top’ rucksacks (e.g. Burton Tinder) have a hanging pocket sitting on the top – which I always thought was useful, but made the bag look funny when empty, since those bags tend to invert into themselves.

As mentioned earlier, the Cellblock M is PALS webbing compatible, so you can attach it to the front of the bag if you need it there. And if you’re really someone who compartmentalises in life, you could possibly swap out different Cellblock M’s depending on the situation, such as one for work, one for camping, etc.

Tip: Put some paracord zip pulls on the Cellblock – it’s a pain trying to locate the little black metal zips when it’s hanging inside your backpack.

On the downside, when accessing the bag from the top the Cellblock M tends to be in the way – you need to get used to flipping it out of the way. Not hard to do, but it’s a hassle. And when the bag isn’t very full, the Cellblock M tends to pull down the roof of the bag a little, which kills the bag’s aesthetic ever so slightly.

Optional Waist Strap

I didn’t actually buy this, but I thought it was really a great design point to highlight. Instead of a thin waist strap that dangles around annoying you when you don’t need it, I love the fact that the bag is able to slot in a full size beefy waist strap for the occasions you’ll really be carrying heavy loads for a long time. And then you can remove it when you don’t want it.

The Not So Good

Internal vertical zip

My biggest issue with the bag is the use of a vertical zip on the internal mesh pocket. When accessing the bag from the top, it’s not the easiest to push the zip down to open the pocket, and it’s hard to pull things out from the pocket at that angle.

“My biggest issue with the bag is the use of a vertical zip on the internal mesh pocket.“

There are ways around this (turn the bag sideways, use it like a ‘Napoleon pocket’) but as a pocket I access regularly I would have really preferred a horizontal zip.

Back ventilation

As mentioned earlier, there is none – it’s just a flat surface covered with 500D Cordura. No bumps, no air mesh, no trampoline.

Laptop protection

The bag also lacks any real laptop protection. You really must put the laptop into a sleeve which protects the laptop’s corners and edges. Otherwise when putting the bag on the floor you might hear the unfortunate noise of your laptop kissing the concrete.

Sternum strap

Whilst the sternum strap does the job, it’s not without significant faults. Because of the way the sternum strap attaches to the shoulder straps (i.e. all the way around) I often find it twisted around the shoulder strap and buried in my armpit whenever I’m trying to find it. It’s a bit of a pain every time, and it comes as a surprise to me as other bags I’ve had don’t have this problem at all.

“Whilst the sternum strap does the job, it’s not without significant faults.”

Furthermore, I find it slowly unravels by itself. One time I reached for the sternum strap and it came off completely, much to my surprise. It seemed I hadn’t been paying attention to its slow unravelling. So now I make sure it’s always attached tightly, which is an unwanted hassle. Other bag manufacturers use a sternum strap which connects to the webbing of the shoulder strap (e.g. Tom Bihn sternum strap) with a plastic buckle – I wonder if that would have been a better solution.

Construction

For the most part, the bag is well put together. The heaviest load I’ve carried included a 10kg bag of rice, and the bag held up without complaint. However, over time some of the stitching has come loose and I’ve found myself trimming threads here and there. The bag also arrived with a less-than-straight line of stitching on one of the side buckles. While it wasn’t critical to the reliability of the bag, small imperfections like that are hard to ‘unsee’ every time you look at the bag.

Others to Consider

The look and design of the Spare Camel has a few bags with similar design philosophy out there. It’s impossible not to notice the similarities to the smaller but (probably) tougher Goruck GR1. For those who aren’t interested in PALS webbing, consider the more old-school look of the Madden Equipment Daylite (Note: I’m fairly sure the volume of the Daylite is not 30 litres as advertised – the dimensions of the pack add up to 21.5 litres). Or for a similar size, but a more modern look and lighter fabrics, consider the Crumpler Low Level Aviator 3 Day Pack.

Verdict

I got to say I’ve grown to really love this backpack. It’s tough, it’s versatile and it’s got great functionality. I need to use a backpack every day, and I know I’ll be doing so for quite some time – and so I searched high and low for a backpack I wouldn’t just like, but love. And I think this is it.

I’ll add that as a company which sells its bags only via the Internet, BO Gear does a really great job of marketing its products. I only wanted to buy a bag I could examine in-store, but the simple but effective videos of Dave from BO Gear explaining his bags was crucial in changing my mind. Other online bag manufacturers really ought to take note of Dave’s work.

The post Drive By :: BO Gear Spare Camel appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Johnson lives on his bike. From work to gigs to art school and back again, it’s 2 wheels and some panting all the way. So it was pretty obvious that he should test the ‘Chunky Toad’ from BOGear. Here’s his take on the bag… 

Since starting in late 2008, Brisbane Outdoor Gear (BOgear) has become a strong part of the Brisbane cycling community and by extension, the courier and bike polo scenes. With company founder, machinist & designer Dave “Ranga” Bell being heavily involved in the community he has had the perfect testing ground for all his products prior to going into production. From the first “Papermunky” messenger bag out of the BOgear Studio to the “Strap-On” foot retention system straps to the mammoth short run backpack “The Singularity”, the products coming out of BOgear are setting standards for boutique bag companies with quality material, construction and innovation.

Up for the Carryology Road Test this time is BOgear’s first backpack in production, the “Chunky Toad”. But to set this review about I have had access to a standard production model (Multicam) and my personal custom Chunky Toad (Orange X-Pac).

Highlights

Firstly, the materials. BOgear only uses quality high grade 1000D nylons, webbings and threads. Everything they use is thoroughly tested by the ever-unrelenting Abuser Team which field tests all BOgear prototypes before they go into production. Nothing but the strongest gets past these guys, and it shows in the final product.

The Chunky Toad is no exception to this as well. The standard production model boasted a 1000D nylon outer which can take a massive amount of punishment and ages very well. Inside is a 420D nylon liner that just adds to its water resistance. As a note, consider the lighter colors for liners as this bag can become a cavern and items can become difficult to find in low-light places, as with any dark liner bags.

The interior of the standard has a front and back full size pocket which can fit a 17” MacBook in the back one and if you don’t use a protective case, a 15” MacBook in the front. The tub is tapered towards the base, making it feel more comfortable on your back when it is full so the bottom doesn’t just have everything sink there and bulge out. There is a secret pocket too but I will let you figure that out.

For my custom Chunky Toad I chose something different. Living in Brisbane, rain and storms are part of life (not currently though, but summer is coming) and you need to be prepared for it to get wet and not stop for the next two weeks. I chose an X-Pac material that is different to the standard model’s 1000D nylon in a few ways. It is double sided, with a 1000D nylon on the outside and a 70D lining in the inside. This helps waterproof the bag and its contents. In between the two layers is also an X weave which strengthens the fabric against tearing and stretching.

A big difference between the standard and my custom model is the large amount of webbing on the custom model. This is because I like to be able to attach pouches or other quickly accessible or long items as my routine and use for the bag requires it. This is an additional option you can request for an extra cost.

The front pleated pocket is a perfect size. Literally. Not so small you can only put your wallet, keys and phone in there and be left with no extra room but not massive enough that you spend five minutes running your hand along the edges looking for that pen you know you put in there two days ago. Also on the front panel of the backpack is a great addition which has seen previous use in BOgear’s messenger range, a d-lock sleeve. This allows you to tuck your lock away into your bag securely and not have it bash against your other items in your bag. Plus you’re not testing fate by letting it stick out of your back pocket.

Also on the front panel for the standard model  are four strips of webbing. I am a big fan of webbing. I find that it can be a dealbreaker for me and bags (look at the orange bag, littered with the stuff) . It lets you customise and attach extra gear you may find is needed. This has been added for the above reasons. You can attach keys, rigiding, tools, pouches, whatever you desire. Whilst traveling I need to have everything on one bag for convenience, so I bought some 1.5 meter straps to lace in the webbing to hold my water bottle and my sleeping bag.  And on the subject of pouches, BOgear will soon be releasing a line of pouches for their webbing system, so keep an eye out for those.

Lowlights

Although the Chunky Toad is made strong and comfortable, it isn’t the prettiest backpack out there. But in this game function over fashion is key (in my mind anyway). The silhouette of the bag looks a little odd with the tips of the folds for the flap when the bag has little in it. But when you have a bag with the word “toad” in the name, what do you expect.

One thing that took some getting used to was the U-Lock sleeve. This feature is great for the cyclist market but with no ability to adjust after purchase it can be annoying trying to remember which shoulder to swing the bag around in a hurry and awkward if it is swinging to the unnatural side for yourself. But you adapt over time.

As I have mentioned, a lighter-colored liner is probably the smarter way to go with this bag also. It is pretty deep and with the interior pockets items can become difficult to find in low light.

Aside from those few issues, it is hard not to really appreciate this bag. And over time you will figure out more and more useful advantages of its construction.

Best suited to

To put it bluntly, cyclists. BOgear started out as a messenger bag company so why wouldn’t they take what they have learned and adapt it into a new product range. As short-sighted as that sounds, this bag is great for a medium to large EDC and weekend trip. I have been on five-day road trips and this was my only luggage. Customised Chunky Toads have also been adapted for other outdoor activities like rock climbing.

Not suited to

Anyone trying to keep their commuting luggage as minimal as possible. Compared to some other bags on the market, this guy can seem overbearing and large even though it really does sit on the large side of a medium in my mind. As a side note, BOgear also has two smaller models in the works so keep an eye out for those.

Any niggles/annoyances

Only that the d-lock sleeve is one side accessible. Other than that, it is hard to have niggles about a bag you choose then add custom options to in order to suit your needs. If I was to add something else it would be that the X-Pac material I chose for my custom Chunky Toad isn’t as rigid as the heavy duty nylon and lost its firmness reasonably fast. But that is nothing wrong with the overall product, just a consideration to bear in mind when looking at fabric choices.

Similar options out there

For this style of bag your options are becoming more available, with cycling bag manufacturers starting to produce more full-flap style bags. There are also a few out there that match the size of the Chunky Toad too. The short list for this comparison would be the Mission Workshop Vandal and Skingrowsback’s Medium Backpack. Both excellent options but not as versatile as the Chunky Toad

Price & where to buy it

The Chunky Toad standard model retails for $250 with an additional waistbelt available for an extra $25. You can buy one off the BOgear Web store or through a number of distributors within Australia. Custom builds are also available at an extra cost.

Overall conclusion

I have had my custom pack for about 18 months and it is still holding up extremely well, almost as new. In this time it has been with me on interstate trips, grocery & market runs, being a pack horse, car crashes, week-long tours, and as a school bag. No other bag I own has seen this much variety of activities and I daresay no other bag could handle it.

I can’t deny that this is a quality, well made, thought out backpack. Every basic feature you would hope to find in a backpack is here, made with highly resistant materials. This is definitely one of those bags you come across from time to time that, if you manage to not set it on fire or have it become the victim of your destructive family pet, will last you a lifetime.

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