Welcome back to the deep-dive series. Previously, we disassembled nylon and X-Pac and, along the way, learned about polymers, weaves, deniers, and laminates, collecting the building blocks needed to understand modern fabrics. Today, it’s time to learn all about Ultra. Let’s dive in.
UHMWPE
UHMWPE stands for ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. That's a mouthful, so sometimes it’s pronounced “umpe.” Now, about the polyethylene part.
Polyethylene is a polymer—it's made of long-chain molecules, just like nylon and polyester, but with a different chemical structure. Polyethylene chains are built from repeating ethylene units, giving it different properties than the amide bonds in nylon or the ester bonds in polyester, but the principle is the same.
Fun fact: you likelyheldpolyethylene in your hands today, because that is what plastic bags are made of. Why? Well, first, it’s cheap, but beyond that, polyethylene can be incredibly thin and still hold impressive weight—the chains are flexible enough to stretch and deform under load instead of snapping, which is why a grocery bag with a small tear doesn't immediately split open. Not all polyethylene is made equal, and one of the major factors is molecular weight.
Plastic bag (photo by Mathias Reding on Unsplash)
Molecular weight is the mass of a single polymer chain. The longer the chain, the higher the molecular weight. This weight is measured in daltons. One dalton is roughly the mass of a single hydrogen atom. Your plastic bag is tens ofthousandsof daltons. UHMWPE is millionsof daltons — way, way longer chains.
The result: UHMWPE fiber is, gram for gram, stronger than steel. Not figuratively, not in a roundabout marketing way—actually stronger. A UHMWPE fiber of the same weight as a steel wire can hold significantly more load before breaking. That means you need less material to hold the same weight, which is why UHMWPE shows up in applications where every gram matters: climbing ropes, body armor, and ultralight backpacking gear.
UHMWPE climbing rope (image from pushclimbing.vn)
So UHMWPE is incredibly strong. But what else should you know about this material?
UHMWPE doesn't absorb water. Like polyester, it's hydrophobic. Wet UHMWPE stays the same weight and strength.
UHMWPE is less dense than nylon or polyester. At 0.97 grams per cubic centimeter, compared to 1.14 for nylon and 1.38 for polyester. This compounds the strength advantage: the fiber is both lighter per volume and stronger per weight.
Dyneema, Spectra, and Challenge Sailcloth
UHMWPE is a material category, but when you see UHMWPE in actual products, it’s usually marketed under one of two major brand names:
Dyneema is DSM's brand name for UHMWPE fiber. DSM is a Dutch chemical company that's been producing UHMWPE since the 1970s and dominates the market. When you see "Dyneema" on a product—climbing ropes, cut-resistant gloves, sailing lines—it means the UHMWPE fiber came from DSM.
Spectra is the UHMWPE fiber brand now made by Solstice Advanced Materials (spun off from the US conglomerate Honeywell in 2025). Same material as Dyneema, different manufacturer. Spectra shows up in similar applications—ropes, body armor, high-performance textiles—but has less market presence than Dyneema, especially outside the US.
Challenge Sailcloth Logo
Challenge Sailcloth, the maker of Ultra fabric, uses non-branded UHMWPE in their laminates, meaning the same fundamental material but no Dyneema or Spectra licensing.
What is Ultra?
Ultra is a series of laminate fabrics by Challenge Outdoor, the soft-goods division of Challenge Sailcloth. Similar to X-Pac, Ultra has a variety of options that differ in the number of layers and face fabric. Let’s take a look at Ultra 400X as an example.
Aer City Pack Pro 2 in Ultra 400X (image from Aer's website)
Similar to X-Pac X3 series, the Ultra 400X has three layers:
400D fabric that uses a blend of UHMWPE and polyester threads. The key here is that the face fabric isn't pure UHMWPE — it's woven with both UHMWPE and high-tenacity polyester yarns. The UHMWPE provides the strength and abrasion resistance, while the polyester adds better shape retention.
UHMWPE cross-ply. Like X-Pac's X-PLY scrim, this is a layer of UHMWPE fibers running at angles to distribute load evenly across the laminate and prevent the fabric from stretching or distorting under stress. The cross-ply is what gives Ultra its structural stability — the face fabric can handle abrasion and tear, but the cross-ply keeps the bag's shape from sagging over time.
0.75 mil UV-resistant polyester film backing. This is recycled polyester film (Challenge calls it RUV film — Recycled UV-resistant) that provides waterproofing.
And just like X-Pac X4, the Ultra 400TX adds another layer of thin70D polyester ripstop backing.
Hale Walcoff
Hale Walcoff
Before going further, I want to note the reason behind Ultra and X-Pac similarities and talk about Hale Walcoff.
Hale Walcoff was a sailing world champion and a veteran of technical textiles who spent years at Dimension-Polyant developing many of the X-Pac variants on the market today. If you've used an X-Pac bag, there's a good chance Hale designed that fabric.
After leaving Dimension-Polyant, he partnered with Challenge Sailcloth to develop Ultra—a new generation of laminates that took the X-Pac design philosophy (woven face, cross-ply reinforcement, waterproof film backing) and rebuilt it. The structural similarities aren't a coincidence—they're the same design approach applied to a different fiber.
Hale passed away in 2023, but his work on Ultra continues through Challenge Sailcloth.
Dyneema Composite Fabrics
We’ve touched on Dyneema in the context of branded UHMWPE fiber, but there is also a series of Dyneema Composite fabrics with rather confusing naming.
The Dyneema Composite Fabric is not a fabric in the traditional sense; it’s a polyester-film sandwich. Between two sheets of waterproof polyester film, UHMWPE fibers are aligned to form a grid, but there is no woven face fabric. This makes DCF significantly lighter at 99 grams per square meter, compared to 132 grams for Ultra 200X and 210 grams for X-Pac VX21.
The Dyneema Composite Hybrid replaces the outer layer of polyester film with a woven fabric, usually 50D polyester or nylon, making the structure much more similar to three-layer variants of X-Pac and Ultra.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction (40L backpack that weighs 820 grams)
Ultra usually uses a much higher-denier blend of UHMWPE and polyester (from 200D to 800D), making it a better choice for EDC and travel bags that require more abrasion and tear resistance, while DCF makes perfect sense for ultralight hiking bags.
ECOPAK
Aer City Pack Pro 2 in Ecopack (image from Aer's website)
It's another fabric series from Challenge Outdoor. Same laminate technology but instead of UHMWPE it's 100% recycled polyester. The EPX variants come as four-layer laminates with a 70D ripstop polyester backing. Direct competitor to X-Pac variants usually used in EDC and travel bags.
X-Pac, DCF, ECOPAK and Ultra Comparison
Before jumping into the specs table, note a few things:
If you missed how tear resistance, abrasion resistance, and "waterproofness" of the fabric are measured, jump to my X-Pac deep-dive for a moment.
Numbers of 2 bars and 13.8 bars might seem extremely different, but in reality they mean that DCF is waterproof for over 20 meters of water depth, while X-Pac and Ultra can handle over 138 meters. Both are far beyond what any bag would experience in real use.
DCF Hybrid tear strength is reported as a single value. Abrasion data isn't available for these specific variants, but given the thin woven face (50–70D), it’s safe to assume significantly lower numbers compared to either Ultra or X-Pac.
Fabric
Face
Weight
Tear Strength (warp/fill)
Abrasion
Waterproof
DCF Hybrid 3.2
50D Woven Polyester
108 g/m²
~187 N
—
2+ bar
DCF Hybrid 5.0
70D Nylon
170 g/m²
~271 N
—
2+ bar
ECOPAK EPX200
200D Recycled Polyester
200 g/m²
119 / 110 N
500 cycles
13.8+ bar
X-Pac VX21
210D Nylon
210 g/m²
109 / 77 N
500 cycles
13.8+ bar
X-Pac VX42
420D Nylon
297 g/m²
238 / 169 N
1,700 cycles
13.8+ bar
Ultra 200X
200D UHMWPE/Polyester
132 g/m²
459 / 592 N
4,400 cycles
13.8+ bar
Ultra 400X
400D UHMWPE/Polyester
178 g/m²
835 / 717 N
8,800 cycles
13.8+ bar
Fabrics structure comparision
What stands out:
DCF Hybrids are the lightest. DCF Hybrid 3.2 at 108 g/m² is the weight champion. Even DCF 5.0 at 170 g/m² undercuts X-Pac VX21 (210 g/m²) and Ultra 400X (178 g/m²).
Ultra has dramatically higher tear strength. The UHMWPE-blended face makes a massive difference. Ultra 400X (835 / 717 N) outperforms much heavier VX42 (238 / 169 N).
Ultra dominates on abrasion resistance. Ultra 200X scores 4400 Taber cycles vs. VX21's 500 cycles—nearly nine times higher. Ultra 400X hits 8800 cycles vs. VX42's 1700—over five times higher.
All three are waterproof for any practical bag use. The bar rating does not mean much beyond the fact that all fabrics are indeed waterproof.
Screenshot from Miyagi's video
With those specs for tear strength and abrasion resistance, it looks like Ultra can take a beating — and it can. Miyagi has put the Waymark backpack that uses 200D Ultra (with 400D on the bottom) through extreme testing:
Frozen in a block of ice for 12 hours and then dropped from 15 meters (50 feet) onto a pile of bricks.
Dragged through a forest trail for 3 km (2 miles).
Run through a washing machine cycle at the highest temp and most aggressive spin setting (155 minutes total), then put through 100 minutes in the dryer.
Screenshot from Miyagi's video
The bag took everything like a champ. True testament to Ultra's durability and confirmation of these impressive specs. Oh, and go watch the full video by 'Miyagi on the Trail' after you finish reading this post — it's legendary.
Delamination
Since Ultra is a laminate that uses adhesive to bond layers together, there is still the same risk of delamination that I’ve mentioned in the X-Pac post. It’s not likely that you’ll ever encounter delamination on your bag, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
Graflyte
One notable mention before we wrap up. Graflyte (made by ALUULA Composites) is a newer UHMWPE-based fabric that's entering the ultralight pack market. Here's what distinguishes it:
100% UHMWPE face fabric. Unlike Ultra (which blends UHMWPE with polyester) or DCF Hybrids (which use polyester or nylon faces), Graflyte uses pure UHMWPE in the woven face.
Two-layer construction. Face fabric + film (no separate cross-ply layer visible), which reduces weight.
Molecular fusion bonding. Instead of using adhesive to laminate layers, ALUULA uses a proprietary fusion process that bonds the UHMWPE face directly to a polyethylene film at the molecular level. No glue, no delamination.
Lighter than Ultra. Graflyte V-98 weighs 98 g/m² vs Ultra 100X at 112 g/m².
This fabric is still only making its way into the ultralight world, so it might be a while before we see it used on EDC and travel packs.
When to consider Ultra
You want the strongest, most abrasion-resistant fabric available and you're okay paying for it. Ultra can take a beating. From daily commute to overhead bins to mountain trails, Ultra delivers the peace of mind that your bag will be fine no matter what.
Conclusion
That concludes my fabric series for now. Thank you for reading till the end. As always, feel free to leave comments sharing your thoughts and experiences.
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For the heck of it, I took the Tomtoc Navigator 9l as my travel bag for an overnight work trip MUC-DUB, about two hours outside Dublin with travel by bus and train in country. With a good and warm weather forecast I didn‘t have to worry about rain gear which would have killed this setup.
Focus is obviously on work, with the neo for office stuff and the ipad pro 11“ and controller for the Unreal applications we program. This is actually the main use for the tomtoc, moving with the neo and ipad between home and office. For that, it is a really good sling ( I ditched the aer travel sling) for short uses. Continuous use is not so great with the lopsided strain on shoulders and back.
The tech pouches by Tasmanian Tiger are a continuous optimization process. Not a fan of big pouches, two smaller ones make for optimizes packing. For this trip, I left out the larger powerbank as well as the combined apple watch / magsafe charger. Getting there.
For clothes, a small bellroy pouch will take a branded work polo, extra base layer t-shirt (just in case it does get fresh) and extra briefs. No packing cubes. As this might have to come out of the bag at the meeting. Mid/top layer is a Patagonia long sleeve. The dopp kit is barebones, using a plastic Lufthansa giveaway. Note the home made mini deodorant 😊
Ancilliary stuff includes an umbrella (because Ireland), glasses, Manta Sleeping mask, emergency pouch ( meds, surgical gloves, whistle etc), and a few more items.
The tomtoc works well (especially after blacking out the logo) and makes onebagging even more fun. Would be nice if it had a bottle holder.
Bag itself is packed quite tight with a book and long sleeve. This will likely be a one off, but I think it has taught me I can go down to 16-18l for a 2-4 night trip, for which my CPP2 24l is too large. Looking at the 18l Fyro Citta.
My Visvim 20L I bought secondhand back in 2016 is still going strong. Glad I didn’t pay retail, but it’s definitely worth it (back then, not sure about their quality now). It’s also the first time I’ve actually used it in Japan outside of the airport lol.
Hey, anyone have hands on experience with the two of these (specifically the new tomtoc), and which can actually carry more or if they are the same? I know the Bellroy is less than 2.5 Litres, but in real world experience, is there genuinely less space in the tomtoc or are they equal? Does the bellroy expand at all over time?
Has been a long time coming since I posted up my first couple of weeks with the Able Carry Max EDC, but I thought I'd give a more complete (video) review up on the new channel - feel free to give it a watch (bonus points for subscribing!) and as always welcome any feedback as I try to shape up the format and content :)
I’m going to confess something-I’m a many bagger, there’s no cure. I have more bags than my wife likes, but I travel a bit for business and like rotating them around.
Col Littleton Saddlebag Briefcase
Col Littleton No 1 Grip
Goruck GR1 21L
Goruck GR2 34L
Redoxx Skytrain
Redoxx Miniboss
Eddie Bauer I think 28L backpack gifted to me
Eddie Bauer Duffel (too large for carry on) also gifted to me
And finally a Tom Bihn Synapse 25L I purchased in late 2017 which I’ll write about today.
I’m planning on writing about all the others over time, but today I was using United Airlines Basic Fare ticket to take a casual business trip running a total of 5 days and wanted to share some photos and thoughts.
Today’s flights were on a United A320 back in steerage and despite being larger than United’s personal size of 17”x10”x7” the 25L Synapse fit just fine.
In the Synapse was packed:
2xRedoxx Kingfisher Packing Cubes one for clean clothes and the other for dirty clothes
4 Polo Shirts
4 Socks
4 Underwear
1 Tumi (Delta Amenity Kit Bag) for razor. Hair Brush, Toothbrush and Nail Clippers
1 Ziplock (large I know, ran out of quart sized) with the usual toiletries
2 Black cases for cables and chargers plus an iPhone/watch/headphones recharging stand
1 set of Wireless Ear Buds (small black case)
1 Round donut phone stand my mom gifted me and has come in handy for Teams/Zoom type meetings
1 Corksicle Water Bottle
Being this trip is one the most casual, I didn’t bring any tech other than an iPhone/watch and didn’t bring my usual analog composition sized notebook.
Traveling this light has turned out to be easier than I expected. I loved just taking my time, getting on the two flights to my destination and putting the bag under the seat in front of me. No scoping out overhead space. Now if I need to bring laptop with me in the future, the game will be different.
I may have too many bags and looking to reduce my collection. But most of mine are very used and worn but still usable. Some I bought used and some I just wore a ton.
So I don't think there will be much of a market for them. What do you all do? Do I try and sell them for pennies on the dollar or throw them away?
I'm currently using a Day Owl Backpack Pro for work travel. My main goal with it was to be compact enough to fit under the seat next to my size 15 shoes, and it does that well. This isn't an EDC bag and is mainly for airport to rental car to office to hotel. Rinse and repeat.
I don't like that it doesn't have an external bottle pocket (the internal pocket doesn't feel practical for something like my 20oz yeti rambler full of coffee), its internal organization isn't well done, and the material attracts every bit of lint and hair within the nearest two counties. I don't care for the mini side pocket.
I carry a 14" laptop, 14" external screen, Remarkable2, a tech pouch, small battery pack and a travel mouse. Add a book and it's pretty full, but I tend to have a carry on as well and don't really need this pack to hold a lot more. If I need a bump up in space and don't want to take a carry on, I'll grab either my Mountain Hardwear Camp 28 or Deuter Act Trail 30.
I want something with better organization, an external bottle pocket, free standing, and still small. A horizontal luggage strap is an absolute must, which tends to rule out a lot of backpacks. I've tried messenger style bags and don't care for them.
I'll be in London in a few weeks and am planning to stop by the AER studio, but I'm curious of other recommendations. Thanks!
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.
I'm trying to find a solution that will let me carry a laptop/tablet as well as a karate gi, shinpads, groin guard, and 4oz MMA gloves. I really like waxed canvas bags, so ive been looking at the evergoods cpl24 as well as the knkg core 25l. Are there any other options I should consider? I want something that will last. I'm also not particularly interested in anything covered in molle webbing (just got out of the military and I'm trying to demiliterize my life).
What's up squad! I'll be doing a semi-permanent "digital nomad" stint but for longer periods of time in one place. For example, I will be living in Manhattan for 3 months, starting next month, and going into our office 3-4 days a week. I'll also be getting a gym membership for before work workouts.
I'm looking for a good system that:
Allows me to be flexible / travel with enough clothes and tech to last me 2 - 3 months at a time.
For this first leg, a single bag (tall ask) that looks professional that I can take to the gym in the AM and right to the office afterwards - but also works for travel in the future.
I currently have 2 Away bags, in different sizes. One I was planning on bringing as my checked bag, the other as a carry on. I may need less than that. Open to replacements.
I'm ideally looking for that daily driver / travel bag that looks professional but is functional. I really like the FTL bags, however, I've heard they are a bit cumbersome and do not fit a ton of clothes with room for a laptop, and other gear.
What up guys? I just got in the new WPT (Weather Proof Travel) bags. The shoulder tote is 20L and the duffle is 35L.
Right now, I am using the shoulder tote for all of my camera and video equipment. It fits pretty damn good and it’s actually more comfortable than using a larger backpack.
The duffle will of course be used for travel, but my son recently started catching in baseball so I put all the catching gear in there last night and it fits with plenty of room to spare.
What I really love about Black Ember is the Embertex material. If you ready or watch any of my stuff, you know I love this stuff. I posted a quick video and I will be reviewing both of these guys after I get a chance to use the sh!t out of them. Let me know your thoughts on Black Ember as a brand and products you like or dislike. Thanks for reading as always. Carry on!
This bag is based on a rough sketch from a sub member who only wanted a 1L Sling capacity while being fully able to use the 18L backpack.
I could have reduced the size of the 4L Sling to 1L but I personally didn’t like that direction, hence I made this version which is even better owing to how flexible and practical it’s become.
Instead of 3 modes, you get a combined 5 modes.
1- 1L Sling
2- 4L Sling
3- 18L Backpack
4- 5L Sling (1L + 4L attached together)
5- 19L Backpack (1L + 18L attached together)
There are some minor cosmetic adjustments, I’ll be making in the next pc as per the sub member’s instructions.
As for now I just wanted to show this build here.
I usually take carry-on (TP3 or the Away Carry On roller) but picked up an Away Medium for longer trips (10+ days).
I figured that it's a good time to replace my mediocre Amazon packing cubes.
The compression (non-zip) side of the Away bag is about 23"x17"x5.5"h
So, I'm thinking of the best configuration to use there. I don't need to fill that whole side with cubes - but probably would use a couple there.
The popular choice is Peak Design, of course. I'm wondering whether 2 of the SMedium might be a good choice - side by side vertically they could probably squeeze (17.8"w x 11.8" tall). Or just a large, which is basically the same size as 2 SMedium. And could add a Small on top of either of those setups.
Or, are there better options to align to the Away Medium configuration? Any benefits to using one Large vs two SMedium?
for context - clothing-wise, it's generally more casual - think Western Rise pants, polos or t-shirts, socks and underwear. If I add a dress shirt or two, I'd likely pack those separately in an Eagle Creek folder or similar. So, everything else can basically be rolled up inside the cubes.
I’ve had the Uniqlo Multi Pocket Shoulder Bag for a while and just got the new Utility Shoulder Bag and I think I prefer it overall.
The internal organisation is more or less the same, with the new bag a touch smaller. Both fit my 14 inch MBP. The two internal slip pockets are still there.
I really like Multi Pocket bag, but a common complaint is the overall construction. It’s very thin and soft, which makes it quite comfortable, but also results in it collapsing in on itself when worn. Especially if not very full. It makes fishing out belongings while on the go a two-hand job.
The new bag has a stiffer, slightly thicker material. Something a little bit like Bellroy’s signature fabric (but not as premium). It largely prevents it from collapsing when worn. People have said it’s more padded, but I think that’s an illusion of the stiffer material. Load your laptop at your own peril. Still no false bottom.
The front pockets are the biggest change. The Porter-ish twin pouches are replaced with to slip pockets with vertical zips. These are noticeably thinner, but the construction makes access easier when it’s on your shoulder. One handed opening for these and the main compartment is less fiddly now. They’re still separate compartments, but they overlap a significantly in the middle. It seems like a way for you to load up the side that faces your front more, as unlike the previous bag, that one is now much more accessible.
There’s a new key clip in one of the slip pockets, but it feels quite flimsy.
The strap and zip hardware are identical.
Colour options are the same this one too. I would have liked a navy or grey version.
The zippered bottle compartment is now just a button snap like the second one on the original bag. This is a downgrade.
I believe the original bag has been discontinued now and this is a direct replacement. Luckily there’s not much separating them. It’s still a bargain. I prefer the easier access on the new one, though I like the look of the older bag more, because I’m a Porter tragic.
Note: I'm comparing the original Multi Pocket Shoulder bag here. I wasn't aware of this, but it seems like it got updated fabric at some point? Maybe even something like the fabric of this new bag. In which case, there's even less separating these two bags.
I got my hands on one of the new T33 ripstop bags in olive green so wanted to make this quick video showcasing the differences between the original, the X-pac version as well as this new version. There's two new colors (olive and navy) which are both 400D ripstop nylon (improvement over the 70D of the original), plus a new light gray material that I think a LOT of people will prefer over the bright orange. They also have a newly designed Duraflex buckle that is now co-branded that helps eliminate the "buckle rattle" that many complained about (never bothered me, personally).
The 3.5L version of this bag has been one of my most used bags, in between reviewing others for Youtube, I often go back to the T33 because the squared off shape just make it super easy to carry a bunch of different gear. I really like the new colors, particularly the gray interior - as I've grown a little tired of bright orange interiors on bags lately.
If you have any questions about the new one or want me to test anything else that's not in the video, please let me know!
There are tons of water bottle pockets out there. Which ones do you like? Which ones do you not like?
I included some photos of some of the most popular backpacks out there. Which ones do you like? Which ones drive you crazy? What are some others that kick @ss?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Photo line up from left to right: Black Ember Citadel H2, CTactical CT21+, Fyro Citta 25L, ULA Cicada Bespoke, Evergoods CTB26, Mystery Ranch Front 2.0, and Aer CPP2. (Not pictured: any Go Ruck bag ever!) 😜
Holidaying in Japan and I was browsing Montbell when I came across this gem. The pack is designed for cycling and I bike to work. It’s super lightweight and has a metal frame that helps put the weight on the hip belt. Double chest straps and compression straps. I love the mesh ventilation. I’m super sweaty and this lets my back breathe. I was walking around Kyoto this afternoon in 37-38 Celsius.
2 mesh water bottle holders. The backpack strap lets me put a portable fan on one side and a smart water bottle on the other. Front quick pocket. A small mesh pocket inside the main compartment and a reservoir section. Loops to strap your helmet and a loop for your rear light. A pack rain cover is included. The logo is reflective too.
Selling for 15,500 yen which I think is a pretty good deal.
I am coming around to wanting an every day bag to hold my phone, AirPods, kindle, wallet, meds, etc.
Don’t know if I love or fit the sling up-on-the-chest look as someone born in the 1900s (though willing to be convinced) and my wife hates totes, the obvious alternative. I think a cross body that wears on the hip / back makes the most sense.
Bags I don’t like:
- Slings worn up on the chest
- Helmet bags
- Techy looking bags. Ex Arcteryx mantis.
- Aether aesthetic / most urban looking cross bodies
I just got an Able Carry Max - this is a heavy duty bag! Loving all the pockets and you can tell it's a solid build. I know there is a foam pad in the back that can be removed. Does anyone do this? Is it difficult to reinsert it? I rarely would use this bag with a laptop so I'm not too concerned about the extra protection.
