A couple of weeks ago, the good guys behind Banjo Brothers, a small bag company located in Minnesota, sent me a large Commuter Backpack to check out. So let’s just jump into this and see what this bag is all about.
Function/Use
As I said before, this is the large commuter backpack and for a backpack it certainly is big. The main storage compartment is rated to fit up to 2000 cubic inches of stuff — towels, gear, clothes, tools, whatever the hell you want. What’s great about this bag is that it’s made for all-weather riding. It features a ballistic nylon exterior shell with a vinyl lining in the smaller pockets and main pocket.
On top of the vinyl lining which is already pretty water-resistant (this is what most messenger bag companies stop at), the large commuter bag comes with an extra removable see-through interior liner (shown above — attached) that will ensure that your stuff stays dry and protected. The great thing about this is that it is removable just in case you need the water protection but not necessarily the whole bag. Oh, and it’s replaceable should you ever break it (from my tests, it’s durable enough that you probably won’t need to ever replace it).
As for pockets, there really aren’t too many. There’s a zippered small pocket on the outside that can store maybe a couple of electronics for easy access, but I wouldn’t trust it in heavy rain because the zipper is not weather-sealed. Right underneath that is an even smaller velcro pocket that’s also not really sealed off from the rain coming in sideways (trust me, this happens). And then next to that pocket are a few slim sleeves for maybe a small pump or a few pens/pencils (I really didn’t find a use for this though).
But of course, despite those pockets not being weather proof, the entire bag is covered by the overlay flap that does serve as a form of primary defense against the elements. But if you’re looking for the most fail-proof way to keep the stuff you’re carrying dry, the main compartment is where you’ll want to put it all.
Comfort
I filled this bag up with lots of junk. Because the bag is taller than traditional backpacks, there was room for me to stack things inside the bag without having to worry about them protruding out of the top. While riding, the bag feels pretty good as the weight of its contents seems pretty evenly distributed. Walking with the bag is comfortable as well and the padded straps are necessary if you’re going to be carrying dead-weights. Generally speaking, no complaints in terms of how the bag felt on my back. It wasn’t anything extraordinary but it also wasn’t uncomfortable.
Appearance
As functional as this bag is, it sort of falls into the same trap that the Seal Line Urban Backpack does in that it’s not the most attractive looking bag on the market. It’s a bit unfortunate really because I feel like this bag is so useful but because of the way it looks, I’d always prefer another bag over (I know, it sounds terrible, but honestly, who’s not just a bit superficial in this sense huh?).
But don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’ll be throwing this bag away or giving it away. It’s wonderful for what it does well — protecting my stuff and taking a good beating. It definitely holds its own weight next to the bigger companies out there making similar bags. And the best part about it? You get the same quality for much less of a price. The Large Commuter Bag shown here costs $90. You should pick one up.
As a bicycle rider/commuter, photographer, and general outdoor junkie I’ve been scouring the web for a do it all bag.
Messenger bags would be a good mix for cycling and photography, but they aren’t exactly the most supportive and not the most stable either. Can’t really go for a 10 mile hike with a messenger bag.
School backpacks or hiking daybacks offer all day support, and some come with waterproof pullover covers. Downsides are all the zippers. Zippers fail (like on my last two backpacks) and sometimes you get lost in all those pockets. Would work well for all of my needs except using on the bicycle due to blindspots.
Camera bags are great for carrying…well…cameras. Often times they don’t combine many features. I’d want something small, low profile, two carry my DSLR and, flash, and a backup lense. Nothing huge. I’d also want space for gear, like a sweater, laptop, or any other urban day trip or mountain hike. Some are way too expensive for a college student, like those from Crumpler ($230), and others like Kata’s DR-466 Ruckstack aren’t known for quality construction. Zipper failures come to mind once again.
“Commuter Backpacks” like the Banjo Brothers have the simplicity of the messenger bag, waterproofing, good construction, lots of space, but I’m unsure of how they’ll work as a hiking/camera bag. People complain that these “simple” bags often have sweaty back issues.
Any insight into this?
I’d say as far as this bag goes, the design is such that the cargo space is an open cavern and that would suit itself to carry a variety of loads. If you are the least bit creative you might be able to fashion a protective insert for you camera equipment and store the clothes below. We do offer a low-cost laptop sleeve on our site and sites like e-bag sell some nice low-cost neoprene sleeves that would fit nicely in the bag. With the rollover design you can rest-assured that the bag is waterproof.
Will it be too hot? I don’t think our pack is any hotter than other backpack. We design it with some padding to try and get airflow between the pack and the body.