Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Life with the Chrome Soyuz

I've had my Chrome Soyuz backpack now for a little over a month, and in that time I've ridden with it pretty extensively. Here's an update on how I'm finding the bag.

read my intial impression here

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(I'll put my logo on fucking everything!)

Did you see that photo above? Of course you did, the bag is placed in front of an ice cave to prove to you that I've been using it. Is it working? I hope so, because I want you to believe me when I tell you that this thing has been great. It super slim and low profile which makes it great in public places such as bars and restaurants. (my bag is my purse, and goes everywhere) It rides nicely on the back, and best of all it it keeps my tool pouch and camera case from poking me in the back, which is always an issue when packing a bag.

My only complaint is that it's small size means that when I have to carry things other than clothing I have to switch bags because this thing just doesn't have the capacity. Although I realize that that isn't a very valid complaint since it wasn't designed to haul stuff, it was designed as a sleek laptop backpack. What the small size has been ideal for though are the items that I carry on my daily commute, which were detailed in my post regarding my initial impression of the bag. And for the record it hauls laptops extremely well, although I have only done it exactly twice.

I guess the only other comments I'd make is that the outer front zipper pocket is almost too small to be usable, I'm currently keeping stickers in there but it could fit keys or a wallet but I keep those inside the flap pockets for easier access than pulling them out of this small guy. That and the velcro on the flap pockets doesn't line up great, a larger velcro patch would solve the issue.

Other than those minor things I'm super happy with it. I wanted the smallest possible bag for commuting that I could live with that would also keep my square edged camera case out of my back without having to constanly shift the contents to accommodate it. This does that, it's waterproof, and comfortable. It also fits records in the laptop compartment, which is a bonus.

If you're looking for a laptop bag or general backpack and want something as sleek as possible give this a look.

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