It doesn’t matter if your everyday bag is a small gear bag or big enough for a 17″ laptop, you’ll find a bag at J. W. Hulme Co. that fits your needs.  They’ve been around for more than 100 years, making duffle bags, briefcases, and sporting and hunting gear.  They handcraft bags from fine leathers and canvas in Minnesota.  They sell their bags at select retailers around the world, but you can also order them directly from Hulme.  The bag shown above is the leather Document Briefcase.  It’s big enough to hold up to a 17″ laptop, and it’s organized with 4 interior compartments, a back zipper pocket, and two end pockets.  As shown, the bag is $790; the price varies from $690 to $890, depending on the leather and color.  You can add personalization for $19 more.  In addition to gear bags, they also produce wallets, iPad cases, small notebooks, dopp kits and travel bags, and other accessories.

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, News

Tagged: gear bags

Serious Style for Your Everyday-Carry Bag with J. W. Hulme Co. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 16, 2011 at 8:00 am.

Hokay, let’s be honest here.  I’m going to mention something and I want you to close your eyes and picture the first thing that comes into your head.  Ready…..

Lap Tray, Stable Table

If you’re like me the first thing you see in your mind is either an elderly person sitting on a floral couch with doilies, surrounded by their six cats  or a larger gentlemen, comb-over , eating a heat and eat meal in his white singlet in a room lit only by the glow of his television

So when Julie and Trabasack offered me to review their Laptop Desk and Travel bag ( Trabasack Mini ) I had to wonder if I fitted into either of those two stereotypes ( I didn’t ask my kids as I know what they’d say )

So has my time with the Laptop Desk made me old(er) , fat(ter)  and lonely(ier) ……let’s find out.

The Trabasack at first glance looks like any other small notebook bag.  At 33 x 25 x 6.5cm and 510g it’s  sized to fit up to a 14″ notebook and it’s machine-washable should it get too dirty.

Inside, you’ll also find straps that convert this bag into a messenger or backpack (more on the backpack later).

Here it is loaded up with a Toshiba 13.3″ notebook.

So far, so good, but this is where the Trabasack Mini differs from other notebook bags.  On the other side of the bag is a flat, vinyl covered hard surface.

And on the other side  inside there’s actually a  removable bean bag inside a zipper pocket.

So when you’re out and about, you’ve actually got a lap tray/stable table to use to write on, eat off or whatever.  Here it is on my lap, sitting on a stool with my Samsung Galaxy Tab 7″ on it.

You’ll note that the tray has an edge around it to assist in keeping things from rolling off the table.

Another thing to note is the zipper pull rings used through out. They’re nice and large and easy to use.

With a notebook inside, the top and bottom of the notebook are well protected by the bean bag and the table surface, however there’s no protection around the edges.  Might be an issue when you’re putting your notebook down or when its swinging around if you normally carry your notebook or devices “naked”.

The straps included can be used to connect to the various D-Rings attached to the bag. The clips to attach are nice and big and easy to use.

The swivel clips are really nice and big and easy to undo, so you don’t actually have to slip the bag over your head to remove if you don’t want to or it’s too hard, just unclip, remove, and reclip.

Used as a messenger bag, it’s comfortable, and depending on which side you have towards your body, the table surface raised edges or the bean bag create a cushioning effect against your body.

The strap can also be used around your waist to stop the tray from sliding off you lap if you find yourself in that situation. Again the quick release swivel strap makes this easy to use.

By using both straps, the bag can be turned into a backpack, and it’s here that I have my real only issue with the bag. Here’s my 16 year old son with the backpack on.  Again, the edges of the tray create a nice cushion against your back.

While the rest of  the features on this bag seem to be “hand friendly ” (large pull-rings, large swivel buttons), the adjustment process using the adjustment sliders was not an easy one. Then once we got it on and adjusted, there was a lot of excess strap hanging down. We tried the straps clipped on both ways.  With the clips on the top of the backpack, there was a lot of excess strap and my son mentioned he didn’t like the clips on top of his shoulders, and clipped the other way the excess strap hung down a long way. In the above picture, you can see how much strap was hanging in the backpack configuration. It would appear that the long straps are actually a marketing feature from reading the brochures that came with the bag, but in my personal opinion they just flap around way too much.

The good, though, was that to take it off you didn’t have to swing it around and contort your arms like with a normal backpack, again you could just unclip those nice “hand friendly” swivel clips.

All in all the Trabasack Mini is a very useful companion.  I’ve used it out and about over the last couple of weeks, and it’s proved itself extremely versatile when you need a lap tray to write on or put things on.  I’ve used it around town and on the weekend, and it’s good for writing in logbooks while geocaching. I’ve used it in the house a couple of times even to rest my Galaxy Tab or a bowl of food on. I’ve even thought outside the square and used it as a cushion ( making sure there was nothing breakable inside ) to be a bit more comfortable and keep off the wet grass while in the park.

Also available is a version where the tray is covered in velcro material.  You can then stick small patches of “opposing” velcro to your objects so that they stick to the surface and don’t slide about.

My only suggestion is that the backpack straps need to be looked into both in terms of their length (yes I could just cut them off an seal them with a cigarette lighter) and also in terms of adjustment. Some of the other features like the pull-rings and large button swivel clips are obviously aimed for someone who maybe has something like very arthritic hands, and I think they’d have issues adjusting the straps. This isn’t so much of an issue when using in messenger bag configuration.

The other thing to consider is that there’s no  small pockets inside the bag to store pens, or notebooks, or MP3 players and the like.

I note on the Trabasacks site that one of the target markets is people in wheelchairs, and it just so happens that I was recently at a conference with a mate who’s in one. Knowing this bag was coming, I was interested to see  the “trouble” that he and other wheelchair users had while say, eating their lunch during the non-sit down buffet lunches.  I’m actually going to pass this onto him and hopefully get a review from his perspective.

That being said, don’t discount this bag if you find yourself out and about and needing a stable flat surface, this might just suit your needs.

And finally to end, I notice that in all the promo pictures on Trabasacks website, all the cups being used seem to be empty.  Here’s a full glass of water on my Trabasack Mini on my lap while sitting on a stool  :)

Thanks for reading, and now if you’ll please excuse me, I have to go feed my 7 cats and microwave my dinner

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: gear bags

Trabasack Mini Laptop Desk and Travel Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 30, 2011 at 2:00 pm.

No matter what you’re doing – hiking, shopping, going to school or work – you’ll probably need a bag to carry your stuff, and you’ll need to give a thought to your personal safety.  iSafe Bags has just announced a waist pack with a personal security alarm built in.  They say the iSafe Waist Pack “is the first and only waist pack with a hidden, built-in mobile personal security system to protect the wearer and provide security in threatening situations.”  This water-resistant bag is made of Poly 600D fabric.  It measures 11″ X 6.5″ X 5.5″ and weighs about a pound with the batteries installed.  To sound the alarm, simply release and pull up on the flap you can see in the pictures;  lights on the front pocket will also begin blinking when the alarm sounds.  The Waist Pack is available from iSafe in black or blue/gray;  it’s $39.99.  If a waist pack isn’t your style, iSafe also sells school backpacks and laptop backpacks and messenger bags with built-in alarms.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: gear bags, Personal Safety

Let Your Gear Bag Help Keep You Safe originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 14, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Voltaic makes a line of gear and laptop bags with built-in solar panels, like this Generator Solar Laptop Charger. The bag is made of 600-denier fabric made from recycled soda bottles; the fabric is waterproof, lightweight, and UV resistant. Inside is a padded laptop sleeve that fits up to a 17″ MacBook Pro. Wire channels allow you to route your headphone cables and other wires. The handle has an LED logo that lights up when sun shines on the solar collector panel. The front of the bag is a 15W solar panel; inside is a battery that fully charges in about 8 hours of direct sunlight. It has a 50Wh capacity, and it can output 19V, 16V, 12V, and 5V for device charging. The bag comes with a variety of tips that will allow you to charge most laptops, tablets, handheld devices, and phones. A special tip may be needed to charge some laptops. Voltaic says 1 hour in the sun will provide between 12 and 45 minutes of runtime, depending on your laptop. 1 hour in the sun is typically sufficient to charge most cell phones and other handheld electronics. See the list of compatible devices at the above link. The Generator Solar Laptop Charger bag is black, and it is available with silver, green (shown), or orange accents. It’s $499 at Voltaic.

Ha! I wrote this post before I saw Ian’s post just below this one. What a happy coincidence with the Fellowship of the Ring references!

Filed in categories: Gear, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: gear bags, solar charger

One Laptop Bag to Charge Them All originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard it said that the number one way to make yourself a robbery target while on vacation is to walk around with very obvious expensive camera gear.  That neck strap that has the brand name of your camera emblazoned across it in bright colors, and the camera bag that likewise bears brand names and could be mistaken for nothing other than a camera bag, are like painted targets for would-be thieves.  As a result, a common piece of advice given to new DSLR owners is, “buy a camera bag that doesn’t look like a camera bag.”  More and more options in this category are becoming available, and now Timbuk2, maker of ridiculously sturdy messenger bags, has finally thrown their hat in the ring with the introduction of their Snoop Camera Messenger Bag.  Is their new offering enough to satisfy true photo gear hounds?  Timbuk2 sent me a review sample of their new bag so that I could find out.

A Plethora of Pockets Protect Photo Peripherals.

If you’ve ever owned or spent a lot of time around Timbuk2 messenger bags, you’ll notice that the Snoop looks practically identical to their other offerings, differing only in the number of color panels present on the outside.  The sample bag I received is made of the same tough-as-nails ballistic nylon that my other Timbuk2 messenger bags are composed of, and it uses the same reliable buckles and shoulder strap cam system that are featured on all other current-model Timbuk2 messenger bags.  Lifting up the front flap reveals three horizontally-zippered pockets (one containing a tether for your keys, and one featuring a see-through vinyl window), and one hidden “napoleon” pocket that measures at approximately ten inches deep.  Timbuk2 now also includes two fabric strips that can be used to cover the Velcro closure on the front of the bag, in case you feel that the buckles are enough to keep the flap closed, or simply don’t like dealing with the sound of Velcro every time you open the bag.  Really, the only external feature on this bag that isn’t found on other Timbuk2 messenger bags is a pair of straps on the bottom of the bag which can be used to secure a tripod.  Very handy.

The camera sleeve removed from the bag and all zipped up.

It’s not until you get inside the bag that it becomes clear how it differs from Timbuk2′s other bags.  The main compartment is dominated by a large, removable sleeve for holding, compartmentalizing, and protecting your camera equipment.  The shell adheres to the inside of the bag with Velcro, and when installed, doesn’t seem to run any risk of coming loose.  Once removed, a top flap is revealed, and the entire deal can be zipped closed and carried about with the handle of nylon webbing that is attached to the back.  The inside of the camera compartment is soft enough to provide a safe ride for one’s equipment, and features four dividers which attach to the walls of the camera compartment with Velcro, allowing them to be configured or removed as needed.  A permanently-attached fabric divider separates the larger section of the bag from a smaller section that is the ideal size for a laptop or an iPad.

Left to right, a Nikon D90 body, two lenses, and a flash in its case

The Snoop Camera Messenger bag is available in two sizes, small (which I was sent for the purposes of this review), and medium.  I found the small to be a bit too — well, small — for my needs.  Once I put my Nikon D90 body (no lens mounted), two lenses, and a flash into the bag, I had basically filled the compartment.  There was still room for a few smaller items — a camera strap, perhaps a couple of lens filters — but not for anything heavy or delicate.  Likewise, the laptop compartment was just too small for my 15″ MacBook Pro.  I imagine that the extra three inches of width and depth offered by the medium-sized bag probably would have fit my needs to a T.

In terms of wear, I have to say that this is probably the most comfortable camera bag I’ve ever worn.  Like all Timbuk2 bags, the shoulder straps are nice and wide, shoulder strap pads are available (and, in my opinion, very much worth the added expense), and the bag is well-balanced and rests easily against my body, regardless of whether I have it against my front, back, or side.

So, what don’t I like?  I don’t like the fact that, with only four dividers (two narrow and tall, two wide and short), one is pretty limited in how one can configure the inside of the camera compartment.  Ideally, the bag would come with a few additional dividers so that it could be configured in a number of other ways (for example, I really want a couple of short, narrow dividers so that I can better support my camera when it’s in the bag with a lens mounted), but I’d even be satisfied if Timbuk2 simply sold additional dividers in varying sizes and shapes on their website.  I also don’t like the fact that the permanent rear-wall compartment is not padded at all.  While it isn’t explicitly a “laptop compartment”, even the Timbuk2 website does mention using it for “e-readers or laptops”.  As it is, I wouldn’t dare put my iPad in there without a protective case or sleeve of some sort.  Finally, it could use more pockets.  To be fair, I would likely have had this complaint no matter how many pockets were on the bag… I always want more pockets.  In this case, I’d love to have a side pocket for a water bottle and/or an external pocket on the back for easy access to plane tickets, etc.  Finally, I’d really like to see a top handle on this bag, like the ones found on Timbuk2′s laptop messenger bags.  Gear bags are things that often find themselves being swung around the body and lifted up onto a work surface, and a top handle really makes that easy to do.  Without the handle, there’s nothing to grab onto other than the shoulder strap, and it’s a little awkward.

As first forays into camera-bag-making go, Timbuk2′s is an overall successful one.  I can definitely see this bag replacing standard camera bags for a lot of people, and given how much punishment Timbuk2′s bags seem to be able to take, I can see those same people still using them years and years from now.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Camera gear, gear bags

Timbuk2 Snoop Camera Messenger Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 19, 2010 at 9:24 am.

Timbuk2, maker of rugged, high-end messenger bags, has finally gotten around to addressing the needs of their photography-loving users with the release of their new Snoop Camera Messenger bag.

The Snoop looks a lot like Timbuk2′s standard and laptop messenger bags, but includes a padded and removable compartmentalized insert that will hold and organize your camera and a complement of lenses, flashes, and other gadgets.  The shoulder strap, buckles, etc. all appear to be standard fare for Timbuk2 bags, which is to say, quality.

The Snoop Camera Messenger is available now on the Timbuk2 website for $130.00.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear

Tagged: gear bags, Photography, Spotlight Gadgets

Timbuk2 Shows Shutterbugs Some Love, Finally originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 12, 2010 at 3:00 pm.

Levenger offers some gear organizer bags that are a cut above most organizer bags.  The Bradley Hold-It-All case is made of full-grain leather with a pebbled texture and nickel hardware.  In addition to the main zipper compartment, there’s a zippered pocket along the length of the front.  Color choices are black or espresso brown. Choose a single case in  large (9.75″ W X 2.625″ D X 4.375″ H) for $69 or small (7.625″ W X 2.125″ D X 3.375″ H) case for $49. Or choose both for a special price of $105.  You can even add your initals or complete name for a personalized touch.  The photo shows the large case in espresso.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: gear bags, Leather cases, Spotlight Gadgets

Bradley Hold-It-All Case from Levenger originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 6, 2010 at 7:30 am.

Shinnorie makes gear bags and cases that you can customize to make them your own.  They offer laptop bags, travel bags, and cases for small electronics in leather or nylon, all customizable to some degree.  Sometimes you can only choose the color, but sometimes you get to select size of the case and the colors for its various pieces.  Pictured is the Ringo pouch from the Elements line of cases for small electronics.  With the Ringo, you choose the size (medium to extra-large) to fit a variety of mp3 players and phones, then you get to choose the main color (mint green in my dream case!), secondary color (black), accent color (cool blue), and stitching (black) – the Shinnorie label is always red.  Color choices are free.  The Ringo is shown with the optional utility pocket on the front.  You can also add a card holder to the back.  Prices range from $65 – 90, depending on the options you select.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: Cases and covers, gear bags, Spotlight Gadgets

Customize Your Cases with Shinnorie originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 19, 2010 at 9:19 am.

Levenger has a new line of gear bag/laptop bag organizers.  The organizers are all made of nylon with blue zippers.  Shown is the Organizer bag.  The Organizer bag has a center compartment to hold a netbook, files, or books.  There is a variety of nylon or mesh pockets on the outside to hold electronics, cables, cards, or papers.  The line also includes cable bags, electronics pouches, and a panel organizer to keep your gear organized and protected.  The Organizer bag is $48.  Other pieces in the Stow-It line range from $12-38.

Filed in categories: Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: gear bags, Organization

Stow-It Organizer from Levenger originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 18, 2010 at 9:29 am.

Traveling by air post-9/11 is a hassle. Segregating liquids, removing laptops, pulling tape from camcorders, taking off your belt and shoes – it’s all a royal pain, to say nothing of the juggling act required to recover your stuff on the other side of the x-ray machine and metal scanner. Aerovation is among a small group of companies that has been certified by the TSA to manufacture and market approved cases that allow you to not have to take your laptop out for the trip through the x-ray machine. How do these bags work, and are they worth the effort? We’ll see.

I fly at least once a month, either to our home office or to do training with our help desk. Both of these usually require an overnight stay, which I have reduced to my regular bag, plus clean shorts, socks, shirt and handkerchief and a toothbrush. Everything else I need – shampoo, soap, lotion, etc. is provided at the hotel, along with evening tea and breakfast coffee. This means I don’t have to check a bag (which, with my favorite airline, Southwest, doesn’t cost extra, but can result in a wait or the occasional loss of a few hours.) It also prevents me from being “that guy” who tries to wrestle a roll-aboard the size of a dead yak into the overhead while balancing a laptop bag on my shoulder. (Trips in the early spring, winter and fall can require more, given the need for sweaters and gloves at one end of the trip. But the spring/summer flights are a dream.)

Aerovation has designed this series of bags in two parts: one to hold the laptop and only the laptop, the other to hold everything else. The bags split apart and ride through like an open-face sandwich through the toasting oven at Quiznos®. On the other end, you just need to grab the handle that has connected them, and they fall back together, hooking together with Velcro® to join them back into a single bag. A great plan, and actually, it almost works.

I tested two bags: a laptop bag designed for 15″ laptops,

The Laptop bag. Note the hardware connection. You can actually detach them and only carry one, if you'd like.

and a trolley cart bag, designed to hold 17″ laptops and overnight supplies.

The hardware for the trolley takes up a little room in the third section, but it is solid hardware. The laptop section can be zipped off for carrying separately.

The Laptop bag is actually two bags joined by a common handle and hardware. They can be separated and carried independently, if desired. The laptop compartment is lined in black, entirely covered by instructions printed in bright yellow. (More on this later.) The non-laptop section (easy to spot by the complete lack of instructions) has a zipper that extends from halfway down each side across the top. There are a few pen loops, a tier of credit card pockets, and a pouch that would hold a candy-bar phone on one side, along with some full-size non-gussetted pockets behind. The rest of the section is all one compartment, just like the laptop section. There are also a few tight single-magazine pockets on the outside of the bag, but nothing that’s going to hold anything thicker than a half-inch or so.

The laptop section of the 17" bag. Note the detailed instructions screen-printed onto the lining. I sure hope that information doesn't change. Or maybe they send you a new bag when they do. Who knows?

The trolley cart is actually three compartments: one for the laptop only (up to 17″, and lined in bright yellow with explicit instructions not to put anything else into it — again, more on this later), the trolley and clothing section, and the “other stuff” section, where you would put the usual laptop bag items. This section is similarly configured to the laptop bag, with tight, small, non-gusseted pockets. Again, the laptop section can be detached.

So, the non-laptop pocket on both of these bags is where you’d carry your power adapter, umbrella, iPhone charging cable, point-and-shoot camera, pad holder, pen pouch, business card holder, earbuds, bag of “fluids” (nasal spray, chapstick, eye drops, hand lotion, toothpaste, etc.), and the million other things you usually carry in your gear bag. All this in a single, narrow, pocket-less rectangle of cordura. Is anyone seeing the problem here? Right! – There’s no way to organize and handle this stuff! Placed in a single large square-ish pocket, it all slides down to the bottom. When you grasp the handle to rejoin your laptop section to this part of the case, it’s like trying to meld a book with a football! Nothing seamlessly rejoins, unless you stop, open the “support” area, pull things up, press on the Velcro® to ensure the seal, and zip things back.

Laptop section to the left, gear section to the right. Notice the lump caused by everything being loaded into one pocketless section. Guess what happens when you pick up the handle?

If you only carry a power adapter and two magazines with you, you’ll be fine. Or, as Julie and others have done, if you use packing cubes to organize this area, you would probably not have any issues. But most of the folks I know – especially gear-a-holics – will have too many iPods, chargers, USB drives and other detritus of the life of a modern digital nomad floating around to have it stay this flat. While that doesn’t preclude us from using the case, it does overwhelm the convenience factor of the grab-and-walk on the far side of security – which is the whole point of the system.

There is another thing, which I must mention, because it really drove me to distraction: obsessive labeling on the exterior and within the laptop area. The trolley cart is very professional, and would blend in nicely, except for the bright yellow warning painted on top, beside the handle: “RETRACT HANDLE BEFORE SCANNING.” OK, maybe I’d need to be warned of that once. A simple tag will do. But permanently marking the bag is like tattooing your phone number to the back of your hand. Do they really think I can’t learn this simple fact and not do it? And if I do, TSA will stop me and remind me that I’m an idiot, and I’ll never do it again. Why deface a nice bag this way? (Of course, I remove the airbag/childseat warnings from my cars’ visors. I know not to put child seats in the front, and don’t need to be reminded. Why leave the tags there? My youngest child is 20!) Same goes for the bright yellow & black printing inside the laptop compartment. It totally detracts from the elegance of the case to have 42 rules and regulations silk-screened to the lining.

So, while I really wanted to love this product for the idea, the execution and lack of organizational pockets killed it for me. The excessive overprinting added insult to injury.

Three stars: Four for concept and workmanship, two for design and signage.

15.4 Inch Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bag $69.95
Checkpoint Friendly Trolley Bag with Removable Laptop Compartment $199.95

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: cases, gear bags, Laptop Bag

Aerovation Checkpoint-Friendly Laptop Bag and Trolley Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 22, 2009 at 5:22 pm.

Austrian design company Urban Tool hopes so. I’m definitely not brave enough to wear one myself. People already think I’m goofy… If I’d showed up at my day job wearing one of these, I can only imagine the looks that I would get. But then, I live in smalltown USA. I do think the idea is pretty interesting and I’m always looking for new bag ideas. Urban Tool sells several styles of these convertible holsters, as well as more traditional shoulder bags, that I’d really like to check out. I also love how they say that some of the bags are made of hydrophobic materials.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: bags, gear bags, holster

Is the US ready for Urban Tool hipHolsters? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 25, 2009 at 7:52 am.

Waterfield Bags, one of my all time favorite gear bag companies, has just announced the Muzetto Urban Man Bag. These bags are made of distressed dark Brown leather, with your choice of two sizes and 6 color accents. Guys like David Beckham, Robert Downey Jr. and Brad Pitt have been seen sporting man bags, so the rest of you can now get in on the wave – if you’re not afraid I know that Waterfield is marketing them for men, but I want one!

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: gear bags, Spotlight Gadgets

Real men aren’t afraid to carry gear bags originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 19, 2009 at 1:52 pm.

Attaching to your pack's compression straps, this little wonder adds handy, front-facing pockets for technology and maps, along with a writing surface.

How much technology do you carry into the wilderness with you? Camera, GPS, mobile phone, paper map, plus the requisite trail mix bars, maybe a water bottle? Or do you go off the beaten path, with a full trek pack, keeping track of where you are with a local topo map, stopping to update your location in case of a sudden storm. If either of these are the case, the fine folks at Civilian Lab have a product that may interest you. It’s called the Ventrapack, and, while it’s not for everyone, for those who need the features, it may be just what the doctor ordered.

When you first remove it from the packaging, it seems as though it is little more than a confusing array of webbing held together with a rectangle of Cordura. Once you’ve taken the time to follow the logic behind why each strap is placed where it is and either hide it, adjust it, or unclip it, the various uses and benefits start to show themselves.

First off: colors. The outside, including all the straps and webbing, is black. The inside, for the most part, is bright, day-glo orange. That’s the only scheme available. The orange interior makes it easy to see things, but if you’re out in the sun, I can imagine there are times it would be a little jarring. Another use is as an emergency signal. Should you become lost and see a plane or helicopter, waving the pack inside-out would be seen easily in a natural setting. (Well, except in the fall.)

The pack is meant to be clipped to the compression straps of a backpack and worn on the chest. There are easy clips that allow this to happen, along with orange quick-release buckles that let you keep everything together when taking your pack off. If your backpack is a pain to wrestle on and off, or if you’re trying to track your movements carefully on a map or tracking with other instruments, the Ventrapack can prevent having to unsling constantly when you access your tech.

Ventrapack showing map flap. Note straps holding flap at 90º, as well as unused buckle on lower corner.

While in the front position, the outer side of the pack drops down to 90º and is held there by two narrow web straps. This can be adjusted to less than 90º, but not released or let out beyond that level. (They also can’t be unclipped or removed, so they are somewhat in the way when writing. Note the strap across the writer’s hand in the above photo.) This outer side is lined with a heavy, clear, stiff piece of vinyl, so that a map can be folded and placed behind it. You can use a grease pencil or dry erase markers (or probably overhead pens – I didn’t have any to test with) to write on the vinyl, or you could pull the map out and mark on it, using the flap as a writing surface. For search-and-rescue, field scientists, cartographers, geo-caching hobbyists, orienteers, or birding folks wanting to refer to notes in the field, this is quite a nice arrangement. You can place your field glasses, cameras, pens, GPS, etc., in the pockets on your chest, and the paperwork in the flap, and it’s like a walking desk. There is a pass-through from the inside for headphones as well.

While clipping it to your backpack as a front pocket is the major designated use case, there is also a shoulder strap included so that it could be used alone. With a few guide books, a camera, GPS, and various other small pieces that usually require a bag when touring in a city, this could be more useful than a fanny pack or a day pack. If it just weren’t for the large clips and the adjustment buckles, it would not look particularly odd at all. You could even fit some models of Netbook into the Ventrapack, but I don’t know that I’d want to use it as that all the time. There is not a lot of protection, and none of the pockets really are set up for a device of that size.

Speaking of pockets, beyond the pen silos and the few pockets for iPod, phone, or maps, there is a complete modular web system sewn onto the front face. This means you can get any accessory pocket that uses web strapping and attach it. Civilian Labs, of course, makes a complete line of special add-ons, but so do police and military gear houses. It’s a fairly standard system. The Cluster Flap was one I used in testing. (It’s a drawstring enclosure large enough for a 200 mm lens under a web buckle-closed flap along with a pocket large enough to hold an iPhone or a small point-and-shoot camera.) Another module they sent for testing is the Koala sheath. This hook-and-loop fastened Cordura envelope is elastic on both sides, and can hold a Victronox Super Tinker, or a standard Original Leatherman tool. The weave-and-snap attachment looks confusing at first, but it is designed to be sturdy, yet difficult to unsnap or fall off under stress. You really have to work to thread the modules onto and off of the grid base, but once attached, they won’t slip off easily.

So, moment of truth – is it a good value? Would it be a worthy addition to your geek stash? If you have any time that you do one of the above mentioned activities or similar ones, where you’re wearing a pack and don’t want to have to constantly stop and pull it off to bring out a map, pen, or small electronics, This could be for you. If you’d like a mini-messenger bag for touring around town and don’t want the traditional tote, daypack, or belt/waist bag, the Ventrapack could easily fill your need.

If, however, you or any of your travel companions are sensitive to looking like you’re carrying a piece of military kit, with straps and buckles dangling from every corner, you may want to seek another alternative. And because of the amazing variety of adjustments, it suffers from being lumpy and overly-engineered, no matter which configuration you’re currently using. In the top center, for example, is a full-sized clip with an adjustable strap that lets you clip the writing flap in place without having to zip it closed. (It’s the large clip centered on top, visible in the picture just above.) This is great for wildlife studies (very quiet) or as a back-up if you’ve over-stuffed the main compartment. But the bulk and awkward placement of the buckle takes away from general use: it’s in the way unless in active use. And this is only one example.

There was one thing that, while not a show-stopper, still caused me confusion every time I opened the main flap. The pass-through for the headphones is on the flap, facing the weather-side, and on the opposite side of the pack from any of the pockets that would hold devices with headphones. If it’s not in use, I could see rain seeping into this hole and getting straight into the map compartment. When headphones are being used, every time you open the flap to notate anything, the wire is stretched across exactly where your right hand comes into the writing area. It would be better to place the hole on the back, away from paperwork, and closer to the electronics you’d want to connect to, while routing the cord away from the writing area.

Placement of the headphone pass-through port means the wires are stretched across your field of view twice when looking at a map. Note the heavy straps and D-rings that cannot be unclipped or removed.

For construction quality, concept, and feature planning, I give this four stars out of five. It’s really well made. But for execution – making the tough decisions about leaving in or removing (or changing the size of) some features – I have to give them only two stars. That may sound harsh, but every single time I loaded it with gear for a different scenario, there was some other feature interfering with how I had planned to use it. Elegance of design is as much about what you leave out as what you put in. And adding all those buckles, straps, and bar-tacked seams makes the thing much more expensive than it should be.  So, over all, three out of five stars.

Another map view - Picture from Robert Grenader

In action - Picture by Robert Grenader

Filed in categories: Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: gear bags, hiking

Civilian Labs Ventrapack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 11, 2009 at 11:00 am.