I’m a big fan of Aaron and the Nomads Nation team. Their wide and deep coverage of carry gear was a big part of my backpack-fiend origin story. Like a lot of us here, I was excited when he launched his own gear brand. I gave the Levo a skip because a large travel backpack wasn’t what I was looking for, but was definitely keeping an eye on all the reviews here and on YouTube praising its weight, comfort, and organization.
I was all in when Fyro started talking about an EDC backpack, and so when things started taking shape, the 18L Citta really stood out. I’m not a fan of X‑Pac, so the 25L was never for me.
All the pre-launch marketing definitely had me hyped, and Aaron being Aaron, seemed like he knew what he was talking about with all the deep research into and final choice of material, the organizational design approach, and the crazy emphasis on comfort.
As a teacher with a longish workday, I carry a sizable EDC load - including tech, food, drink, and paperwork. The Evergoods CPL24 has been my daily driver for the past few months, handling everything comfortably and keeping it all organized. But on days when my schedule changes a little, and my EDC isn't as heavy, I was hoping for something smaller. I thought the Citta 18L would be a good idea, and might even train me to be more efficient with my daily carry. I was one of the first few to order it during the July 1 launch drop, and it reached me a couple of weeks later.
After toning down my daily carry by about 70 % and making it as light as possible, here are the key reasons the Citta doesn’t work for me:
- Comfort: I think this was the biggest disappointment for me after hearing so much about how good the comfort is. The straps sit too wide on my chest and need constant readjusting to feel closer - at times, it almost feels like the bag is trying to remove itself from my shoulders. The sternum strap, when used, is just too tight. To be the most comfortable, I also have to loosen the straps so the bag sits lower on my back, and that's not a feeling I enjoy (Team High and Tight). The back panel feels rigid and stiff, and doesn’t conform to the shape of my back. After a few minutes of carrying the bag, I definitely started to feel some strain between my shoulder blades and on my mid-back. The straps themselves are okay, and I didn't experience all of that "marshmallow-y" softness when worn. This lack of carrying ease and comfort is my biggest reason to turn the Citta in
- Organization: It's heartbreaking that I didn't like a bag that has such a fantastic orange interior, but the layout appears tailored to specific use cases. I rely heavily on pouches for my EDC (an Evergoods CAP1 and CAP 0.5 mainly), and beyond the main chamber and front drop‑in pocket, I found little practical use for the remaining zippered pockets, especially the two large ones on the inside of the clamshell lid. I also didn't like how the tech pocket that's part of the laptop "TechBay" sits lumpily in the main area when it has stuff in it. Organizationally, the front admin section with the zippered pockets and the deep drop-in pocket were probably the best part of the bag for me
- Top QAP fabric: This may be a nitpick but the thin fleece‑like material used for the top quick‑access pocket just stood out by how much I didn't like it
Highlight of the bag for me: One of the things I really miss in my CPL24 is the ability to slip it off one of my shoulders and under my arm to access stuff in the front pocket - when fully loaded out, it's almost impossible given the size and weight of the bag. Sideways quick access is where the Citta really shines. Those two pockets on the right side of the bag are a dream for stashing and grabbing things like commuter cards, work ID/access cards, and a wallet or phone when on the go.
I really wanted to love this bag and was hoping for something to become my smaller, lighter EDC backup, but this is r/manybaggers, and maybe the one for me is still out there.