Everyday Carry

Staff Picks: 5 EDC Bags We Want in 2018

Authored by:
Everyday Carry
Reviewed by:
Bernard Capulong
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
14+ Years Reviewing EDC Products
Staff Picks: 5 EDC Bags We Want in 2018

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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.

View on Amazon


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.

Check It Out


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.

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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...

Check It Out


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.

View on Amazon


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!

Bernard Capulong

Founder and Editor-in-Chief


About the Reviewer
Bernard Capulong is an everyday carry (EDC) gear expert, entrepreneur, all-around nerd, and the founder and editor-in-chief of EverydayCarry.com—the largest online community for EDC gear enthusiasts. Since founding Everyday Carry in 2009, he’s built over a decade of experience in the industry, reviewing and highlighting brands and products, including pocket knives, flashlights, wallets, watches, bags, pens, and much more.

Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social media.

In addition to being the editor-in-chief and main social media personality for EverydayCarry.com, Bernard is an avid gearhead and collector in general. His personal collections span technical bags, fountain pens, digital cameras, retro gaming hardware, personal hi-fi audio gear, and mechanical wristwatches, to name a few. Bernard Capulong is a prominent figure and trusted authority in the everyday carry industry with a career dedicated to helping people discover this hobby and stay prepared with quality gear.

Discussion (12 total)

devilok ·
How is an external frame pack even remotely EDC?
Bryan ·
I use a 120l ospreys backpack duffel and think that this would be a much better system for my day to day use.
Lane Martin ·
The fact that there are no load lifters on this e-frame pack says even medium loads are going to kill your shoulders. Alps really should rethink the design.
1 more comments
Andi Gordon ·
I’ve using the 10l Peak Design sling for the last year, and love it. Originally bought it as a camera bag, but quickly removed the dividers and used it more as laptop / edc catch all bag. Great as a personal bad for flying.
Tom Budde ·
ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag: Nice bag... possibly. Out of place for EDC... definitely.
Britt ·
Agreed, looks like a very nice, tough pack, if I was still able to climb/hike, I’d have it, but for edc, uh, no. Definitely no.
Henry ·
The dpark new group series sling bag I got from Amazon has quickly become my favorite edc bag. It's only $30 and comes in a few different colors.
Franklion ·
Bellroy Classic Plus, another 12hr Battalion from Recycled Firefighter, Peak Design 10L sling, Vertex Gamut, Arktype Dashpack, 511 Rapid Origin, and a Helinox Terg Daypack.
Jeff Z ·
I love Frost River from Duluth MN. I know they ain’t a new brand or no styles came out this year but I got their “Vintage” pack and I carry it everyday with my EDC which is rather large. I also carry a lot of art supplies most days. I tattoo for a living and I generally carry my tool roll (also Frost River) and a couple pouches of art crap.
Luca Stocchi ·
Borsello espandibile Piquadro per l'EDC in Città
1 more comments