We’ve always felt that how you carry is just as important as what you carry. One company that really understands this is Bellroy, who you probably recognize for their solid history of making some of the best minimalist leather wallets around. They’ve been taking their considered approach to other forms of carry with solutions for everything from carrying keys to your favorite Field Notes. Now, they’re finally releasing a diverse line of bags to handle everything else you aren’t carrying in your pockets. Of those bags, the Duo Totepack stands out as one of the most versatile, with all-conditions materials, expandable storage, and multiple carry configurations.
As its name implies, the Duo Totepack pulls double duty as both a backpack and a tote bag. This pairing of configurations is especially useful for EDCers in urban environments who find themselves needing to carry varying amounts of gear. The pack configuration gives all-day comfort for longer hauls and larger loadouts, especially when cycling or moving quickly during a commute. Carrying a tote by hand gives quicker access and works best when needing to pick up a few things throughout your day. The Duo easily switches between the two styles thanks to flat aluminum carabiners at the ends of the bag straps, letting you detach them and neatly tuck them away.
In either configuration, the bag stores about 15L worth of gear — a decent capacity for just the day’s essentials. Despite it being on the smaller side, it can still accommodate up to a 15” laptop in its padded compartment as well. You can access the main compartment of the pack via its top-entry, water-resistant YKK Aquaguard zipper. Inside, you’ll find zippered pockets and a tablet sleeve for organization and separation of your gear. A separate compartment on the exterior of the bag features quick access to your frequently used essentials, like your wallet or pens. Another pocket on the opposite side keeps more delicate gear like your smartphone or sunglasses separate and safe.
To do its versatile design’s justice, the bag features high performance materials with hardware to match. Water-resistant fabric makes up the exterior, which helps keep your belongings dry when paired with the Aquaguard main zipper. When expanding the bag for extra storage or compressing it to keep it slim, the Duo ditches messy compression straps for minimal, yet effective magnetic Fidlock snap hardware. Last but not least, leather touchpoints on the tote handles and back panel snap button offer comfortable handling.
Plenty of thoughtful design decisions make this a compelling pack for a discreet, “do-it-all” urban EDC, whether you’re casually out on the town or loading up for adventure. If the Duo Totepack doesn’t quite serve your needs, Bellroy has plenty of other bags that might in their full bag collection. Check it out here, and grab the Duo Totepack at the link below.
