Posts filed under Bag Review

Sun-Star Delde Tote Backpack Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

If I must leave the house, and unfortunately I often must, I take comfort in knowing I can bring a bit of my desk with me. I think that's why I like bags so much, and why I like experimenting with clever bag designs. Bags like the Sun-Star Delde Tote Backpack intrigue me with their engineering and versatility, so I'm always excited to take a closer look at how they function.

Bags with convertible carry methods always catch my eye because sometimes I want a tote! And sometimes I need a backpack! Get you a bag that can do both, right? This bag does do both, though not as well as I might like.

We'll start with the positives, though. The bag is made of a nice polyester canvas material that has some water resistance. The hardware is gold-toned, which looks great with the black. The zippers are metal and smooth. The interior fabric is a silky brown fabric that is well secured inside the bag, so it isn't floppy.

There are many glorious pockets! There is one zipper pocket on the front for quick-grab items, and while it shares some space with the interior, the front piece of fabric allows a surprising amount of space for storage. Either side of the bag has a water bottle/umbrella pocket, though these are quite narrow and won't fit larger water bottles. There is a hidden zip, with black hardware instead of gold so it blends in, on the left back side that allows quick access to the main interior of the bag. Inside the main compartment, there are two slip pockets and one small zipper pocket made of the lining material.

This is a great pocket layout, with all the essentials accounted for. The main compartment is quite large. It claims it can fit up to a 14" laptop, but my 14.5" did not fit at all, and it looked like it would need more than an extra .5" to be practical. For smaller laptops or tablets, though, there is some padding in the back panel and bottom of the bag that would help keep it safe. It may not be big enough for a commuter bag or a student, but for an afternoon outing, it's perfect. It would also be great as a diaper bag.

The bag looks good, and it's classy enough to go from the board room to the park and look like it belongs. The design is well thought-out and the materials feel like they'll last.

There are a few negatives to consider, however. The most critical negative is that the straps are not adjustable. To use the bag as a tote, you pull the full length of the strap fabric through the metal slots at the top of the bag, which retracts the backpack straps all the way. The drop on the handles is not very deep (about 7"), so if the bag is fully loaded and at its full width, there's barely enough room to fit an arm through the tote loops. It can be carried by hand, but not easily over the shoulder, unless you like your bag all up in your armpit.

The same issue applies when the bag is in backpack mode. To activate backpack mode, pull the straps at both the top and bottom to retract both handles, then slide the strap cushions to the top. The mechanics are clever, but without an adjustable strap, you get what you get as far as length goes. You can't make them shorter, as they'll just pull through the hardware to full length either way, and you can't make them longer. It fits okay for me, though I'd adjust it if I could. My spouse can't wear the bag at all in either mode. If you have a larger frame, this bag may not work for you, and that actually makes me a little mad. One shouldn't have to worry about size inclusivity when buying bags, of all things.

So that is my main criticism of this bag. The other issue is a nitpick--the top zipper is one of those that insists on going straight across instead of following the curve of the bag, so you get floppy zipper antennas on either side, along with a fairly large gap where water can get in and items can fall out. It does allow for the bag to be fully opened, but it's a design feature I personally dislike.

In the end, my final impression is that this is almost a great bag. If it had adjustable straps, it would be a very good bag. With its limitations, it's still very useful, but not for everyone, and that's a shame.

It is priced well at $64.75 at JetPens, where it's available in several colors. For the materials and features, I would have expected a higher cost.

And there's some bonus wisdom from Delde right on the front of the bag: "It's important to be yourself, how it looks and handy." It leaves us with much to consider.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on April 6, 2023 by Sarah Read and filed under Delde, Backpack, Bag Review.

Fringe Supply Co. Rambler Satchel Review

I know there are a lot of knitters in the pen world, and across the whole world knitters are turning their heads at the new bag released from Fringe Supply Co. It's called the Rambler, and it answers the call for a heavyweight canvas knitting bag with a shoulder strap. But the design takes things to the next level, and the bag will no doubt have appeal for pen addicts and bag addicts as well.

Minimalist canvas bags are everywhere at the moment, and Fringe was one of those that set the trend back in 2012 when they released their Field Bag. Knitters went crazy for them. Since then, Fringe Supply Co. has grown, diversified their offerings, and become one of those businesses that does good things for their community. So, when I saw the Rambler on Instagram, I got major heart eyes. And when I looked more closely at their promo pictures, I couldn't help but notice that Palomino Blackwing pencil poking out of one of the tool slots. Well. Here again we see the reach of our extended family of makers, creators--those who use tools and the cases they need to carry those tools.

The folks at Fringe were kind enough to send a bag for me to try, and it hasn't left my side in the two weeks since it arrived. If the bag looks a bit scruffy in my pictures, that's because I put it right to work, and it's not an easy life being my bag. I work six days a week, and three of those days are 12-hour days, across several towns. I'm hauling everything I need to get through those days, from books to tools, to meals, to extra clothes. I need a bag that can keep up.

The Rambler is meeting my demands in a way that few bags have. It fits all my stuff, it's comfortable to carry, and it's not perfect. As I've said before, in my search for the perfect bag, the worst thing that could ever happen is that I would find it, thus ending the search. Because the search is the fun part, and bags like this are what makes it fun.

One of the best things about it are its dimensions. It's 13.5" tall, 12" across, and 7" deep. I could fit 12+ hardback books in that kind of real estate, friends. Or, three books plus all the other stuff I need to get through the day. Because it's tall instead of wide, I don't find it hanging awkwardly in a way that shifts my balance and causes back and shoulder pain, like many messenger bags do. The adjustable strap lets me place it where it's most comfortable. It hasn't caused me any pain, even when I overburden it the way that I so often do.

Another dreamy feature of the bag is POCKETS. So many pockets. The front has a wide gusseted pouch with a snap closure, and inside that are one slotted pocket and three pen/tool slots. On the back of the bag is a large slot pocket with a snap closure. Inside there's one medium slot on one side, and one small slot and three pen/tool slots on the other side. Between those two, the spacious bucket of the bag body awaits your larger items. The main compartment snaps closed with a single snap, but I usually let it stay open. My only issue with the pockets is that the three tool slots inside the front pocket and the three tool slots inside the main compartment share a back wall--so if you put a larger tool or pen in one, you can't easily fit something in its counterpart slot on the other side. You couldn't put a regular-sized pen in each of those slots. So while it may at first look like it could carry six pens, it really only carries three. Of course, this wasn't made to be a pen bag. And you can easily carry three pens plus knitting needles and crochet hooks in some of those slots. So this isn't a design flaw so much as a use-case situation.

The adjustable shoulder strap goes from 30" to 54" to fit a variety of heights and preferences. It's a comfortable 1.5" wide, so it doesn't dig into your shoulder. It's made of soft but sturdy 100% cotton woven webbing and has the perfect balance of stiffness and flexibility. The same material lines the outside top rim of the bag, except for at the center of the front and back, where it separates to form two handles. I love this bit of design genius. These hidden handles are my favorite feature on the bag.

Everything is made of 100% cotton, all made in the USA. The hardware is antiqued brass. The color it comes in currently is called "toffee" and it's a beautiful honey color. If the past is any indication, other colors will likely follow down the line. The canvas does pick up dirt easily, and Fringe recommends spot cleaning it with their canvas cleaner and a toothbrush.

All these fabulous features aside, the bag is also cute. Which means in the two weeks I've carried it, I've had friends comment on it and ask me where I got it. And that's when I have to break the bad news to them--this bag costs $178. That is really a lot for a canvas bag, even a great canvas bag. Justifying a price like that takes a bit of work. If this were simply a cute, trendy bag being sold in an overpriced high street boutique, I'd laugh at that price. But that's not what this is. There's a bit more going on behind the scenes in the life of these bags. You can read more about Fringe Supply Co.'s ethical business practices on their about page, but the bottom line is that when you support their business, you're supporting fair wages for an ecosystem of workers. It's a story that resonates with a lot of other small businesses in the extended family of the pen and stationery world. I had to correct my first impression that this bag is overpriced. It's not--it's fairly priced. Cheaper bags are often cheaper because somewhere along the line, workers are being exploited.

Of course, that price tag is still an obstacle. It's inaccessible for many, and would have been for me, if they hadn't been so kind as to send me one. You can find a good canvas bag for a quarter of this price. But it likely won't be made by well-employed sewers in a comfortable facility for a fair wage by an employer who is environmentally and socially conscious. If you've got $175 to spend on a good bag, spend it on a good bag that does good in return, and I highly recommend this one.

(Fringe Supply Co. provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Sarah Read and filed under Fringe Supply Co., Bag Review.

Nomadic NW-03 Backpack Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

You can never have enough pens, paper, ink, and other stationery supplies, right? There's so much diversity and new things that may meet that specific need or itch that you are trying to remedy. In some cases, you aren't even aware that you need something until you see it and you instantly envision how perfectly it will fit in to a specific workflow or task in your routine. We can all relate to this unquenchable thirst, right? If so, we can also agree that it likely doesn't stop at stationery.

Bags! The things to hold all our other things. For every situation and occasion, there's a perfect bag or a specific product that will fit a niche use case. The struggle is real, and we all do our best to maintain a sane number of possessions and possession holders. That said, bags are extremely useful and having more than one is incredibly useful. There are bags for carrying small things, bags for traveling, bags for computers, bags for groceries, and on and on. For a long time, I've wanted a bag that was large enough to hold a computer and a few other supplies (like water, a jacket, and plenty of computer and stationery peripherals) without being bulky or heavy. My favorite laptop bag is a Tom Bihn Daylight Briefcase, but it stays small on purpose. For something a little larger that still manages to stay quite compact, I've been using the Nomadic NW-03 backpack. This is a small 13 liter daypack that excels at commuting and coffee outing trips.

The exterior of the bag is made of durable 1300D ripstop nylon that has an attractive diamond-pattern. Being nylon, it's easy to clean and repels water and stains. It's not the toughest grade of nylon, but this is also a fairly light-duty pack. At 13 liters, it's perfect for a water bottle, a jacket or outer layer, some other smaller accessories like headphones or books, a small laptop or tablet, and then lots of smaller gadgets and snacks on the front pockets.

The interior of the bag is lined with a bright red and white pinstripe fabric that is made of 70D ripstop nylon. The bright fabric makes it easy to see what's inside the bag when you're trying to fish out that tiny charger block that found its way to the bottom of the bag.

The straps don't look like anything special, but they're incredibly comfortable. They're made of the same 1300D ripstop nylon but with some additional foam padding to distribute the weight of the pack. The back panel is also lined with the same foam/mesh lining as the straps, and it does a great job of keeping air moving between it and your back while also staying comfortable.

The layout of this bag strikes a really great balance for my use. I typically lean toward bags that have very little internal organization so that I can make my own choices and use other kit bags to organize my stuff across different bags. In this sense, the Nomadic does have several pockets, but it's just enough to be useful without being overwhelming. The thing I hate about bags with lots of pockets and cubbies is that I always forget which pocket I've stowed something in. With the Nomadic, it's only in one of the 3 main areas.

The main compartment has a lot of space for larger items like clothing, books, tablets, and other bulky things. There's no other pockets in the main compartment, but there is a flat mesh liner on the inner front of the lid that works well for small laptops and tablets. On the JetPens page for this bag they specify that this bag will fit up to a 13.3" laptop, and they really aren't kidding. This bag barely fits my naked 13" MacBook Pro and the 14" ThinkPad I have just can't make the squeeze. Even the 12.9" iPad Pro is a tight fit in this sleeve. Anything smaller will have no problem fitting, but just remember that this is a thin mesh pocket that offers no protection from the other objects in the main compartment.

Moving to the outside, the bag has two pockets on the front. On the bottom side, there's a medium pocket with plenty of dimension and space for storing larger gadgets. For me, this is the perfect spot for my charging brick, some cables, a small A6 notebook, a pen or two, and some gum. There's also a middle divider that has a hidden mesh pocket that works great for small items like change, mints, receipts, or anything else you don't want rattling around in the main pocket. On the back side of the divider, there are a couple more flat mesh pockets, and then there are a couple of nylon slash pockets on the back wall of the pocket for more organization. These little pockets work great for storing cables, USB drives, a small mouse, pocket notebooks, or anything else of that size.

The top front pocket is my favorite pocket for quick access items. It's smaller than the bottom pocket, but it has a couple of unique features. For one, it's at the top of the bag and is easy to get into. And, it has a couple of padded slash pockets for storing more delicate items like a phone. When my phone is in one of these padded slash pockets, the other objects in the main pocket can't scratch my phone screen. The slash pockets are also fairly stretchy, so you can store larger items as well.

The other two pockets on the outside of the bag don't really count in my book, but there are identical side pockets that work perfectly for holding a typical 1 liter water bottle or a travel umbrella. These pockets both have a top layer that hide the pocket when not in use.

Another nice touch on the strap system is that Nomadic included two strap stays on the webbing. This means that you can adjust the straps to a comfortable length, and then you can fold up the excess webbing and secure it in the strap stay to keep them from flopping around and getting hung on random things as you move around. I wish all bags came with default strap webbing stays!

The grab handle on the top of the bag is strong enough for anything you care to throw in this bag, and I also appreciate how the strap is constructed in a way that makes it stay upright. This makes it easy to grab since I don't have to fumble around trying to find a loose strap that may have folded down to either the front or rear of the pack.

In my short time with this bag, I've taken it on errands in the city, out to coffee shops for brief stints of work, and I've even taken it out of town on a business trip. I've been really happy with it on all occasions. It's small enough to stay out of my way and feel like I'm hardly carrying anything at all, but it's big enough to easily carry my essentials plus a few extra nice-to-have items.

On my business trip, I actually packed this bag inside my main bag so that I could use the nimble and convenient Nomadic pack at the office instead of my travel bag. The fact that this bag is small enough to easily fit into a larger 30L pack or a small carry on case is ideal for my use cases. And when it is packed into another bag, it easily compresses down to almost nothing at all.

If I were to change one thing on this bag, I'd either opt for a full-fledged laptop sleeve or have no sleeve in the main compartment at all. In most cases, I just throw my laptop or tablet into a separate sleeve and throw that into the main compartment along with everything else. The size of the mesh pocket just feels weird to me.

Aside from that, this bag is so comfortable and manages to fit a lot of stuff without looking bulky or overpacked. It lays close to my back and allows me to be nimble in crowds without hitting other people with it, and it does this while also fitting everything I need for the day.

Aside from the black version featured here, you can also choose a classy Navy color. At $95, I think this bag can be a hard sell. It's small, the materials are somewhat thin, and it doesn't look like much from the outside. The real hero of this bag is the slim form factor combined with the impressive amount of capacity for such a small bag. On top of that, the materials, design, and construction really send this bag over the top that makes the price seem like a good value. Sure, you can spend a lot less on a bag that is larger, just as comfortable, and checks all the basic boxes. But the sleek form and "just enough" organization that this bag offers is great. For errands and using as an on-location work bag, the Nomadic NW-03 is one of my new favorites.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!