Believe it or not, the end of the year is almost here. We’ve seen plenty of exciting new releases over the course of 2018 that we can’t help but think would make great upgrades to our own kit. In this series, our writers chime in with what gear we’ve been eyeing this year. We hope it’ll serve as a good reminder of what came out this year and put you onto new gear you may have missed. Today we’re rounding up EDC bags we’ve been geeking out over. Our shortlist has something for everyone, with bags suited for hiking, school and work, urban commutes, and much more.
5 Bags We Want Right Now
Peak Design Everyday Sling 5L
Ed Jelley: As a new(ish) dad, I’m always looking for a small bag that can carry a camera and some baby essentials without looking like a purse. It has to be small enough to stay out of the way and it needs to be easily accessible while juggling a one year old. The Peak Design Everyday Sling is a small (5L capacity) bag that does just that. Peak Design is known for their insanely popular Kickstarter camera bags, and the Everyday Sling is part of that family of bags. I particularly like the minimal design, single strap carry, and ample internal organization inside the bag. Each element of the bag is thoughtfully designed, from the strap adjustment buckle down to the origami-inspired internal divider. They even made the interior a bright sandy tan color so you can easily spot gear inside. You can snag one of these awesome little bags (Oh boy, I just added it to my cart) at Amazon for just under a hundred bucks.
Ablecarry Active 20L Backpack
Bernard Capulong: My preference for bags skews towards the minimalist, ultralight end with an urban aesthetic. It makes the most sense for someone like me who travels often and tries to pack light. Usually, these types of bags are super expensive because of the lightweight materials used, or styled mainly for hiking and camping. Luckily for me, I’ve noticed a trend in up-and-coming bag companies focused on the urban EDCer, foregoing heavy ballistic nylon in favor of sleek, light, and water resistant materials. Ablecarry’s Active backpack looks to be a great example of what I want in a bag at a reasonable price. It’s sized right for EDC at 20L with a unique “A frame” design that keeps its shape whether empty or loaded. The bag also only weighs just under 2 pounds thanks to its XPAC VX21 construction, which also adds enough weather resistance for those wet commutes. It has decent organization that caters more towards the minimalist EDCer, but the result is one sleek looking bag. It might not replace my favorite EDC bags, but I’m excited to see a new contender in the same category at a much more accessible price.
Osprey Arcane 20L Backpack
Adam Molina: I recently decided to go back to school, and quickly realized that my current EDC bag is no longer the best tool for the job. I’m not going to name names, but it’s too big and heavy to be practical for my current commute. That’s why the Osprey Arcane day pack caught my eye. I’ve been looking for something that won’t take up too much space but can still hold my laptop and a few books, and at 20L, this bag does just that. It has a 13″ laptop sleeve in the main compartment along with enough internal organization to meet my fairly minimal requirements (just two backup pens, a flashlight, and an external battery). The Arcane is a simple backpack with a few practical, low-key features that I can’t get out of my head. Like the stretch mesh on the right strap that’s perfect for holding my bus pass, or the quick release security hook that lets me attach the shoulder strap to the table of whatever coffee shop I’m working out of. Am I just finding excuses to pick up another bag? Maybe, but at under $100 the Osprey Arcane is one of the least expensive bags I’ve ever drooled over. That makes it an easy sell for me.
Aer x Oshman’s City Sling
Mikey Bautista: It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Aer’s bags—something about their design language really drew me to the brand. I use their Day Sling nearly every day, so when they announced a new Japan exclusive sling in collaboration with Oshman’s Japan, I immediately started looking for ways to pick one up. The 2.4L Oshman’s City Sling comes in Aer’s signature (and my preferred) 1680D ballistic nylon, adjustable straps, heavy-duty YKK zippers, and Duraflex hardware. Its hi-vis orange interior is based on Oshman’s brand colors, and celebrates the 20th year anniversary of their Shinjuku store in Tokyo. It’s a compact sling for packing minimum essentials, making it a solid pick as a city commuting, everyday bag. Now to figure out how much shipping from Japan is…
ALPS OutdoorZ Commander
Jonathan Tayag: I’ve taken up going outdoors more than I ever have in the past year, and while my current pack is serviceable, I am looking to upgrade. The ALPS OutdoorZ Commander features a lightweight external frame that helps with carrying heavy loads across long distances. But unlike most external frame packs, it’s not too bulky that it becomes cumbersome and unwieldy in the field. The bag detaches from the frame for a low profile carry option, and the frame itself can be used to carry big gear outside of a bag. To further save on weight, the pack itself is made of thin yet durable nylon ripstop fabric, with 5250 cubic inches of storage and organizational space available.
What new bag is on your EDC wishlist?
Now that you’ve seen what we want, we’d love to hear about what bags you want that came out the past year. Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll feature your picks in a follow-up article!
