I watched this in its entirety in one sitting. Nobody else mentions the negatives like you do. They just rave about the Ultra and the weight. I’ve gone back and forth with this bag for a long time but now I know I’m gonna stick with the CTB26 for now. I wish Evergoods could somehow get the weight down to around 2lbs or less and make the laptop compartment less bulky.
I have this bag and I agree with everything you said. Great review. Overall, it’s a perfect bag for lightweight travel/carry on bag for a casual or outdoor weekend. The side water bottle pockets are super stretchy and even with the bag fully packed out, I can still get large water bottles or other quick access items down into them. I do wish there was a side access pocket where you could swing the bag onto one shoulder and reach into a small pocket for keys/headphones/phone, etc (you can’t access anything in the bag unless you take it off). Also, like you say, there’s minimal organization inside, so if you like having a pocket or dedicated space for every little item, this won’t be the bag for you (I stuck on Velcro backed zippered pouches in places that I wanted extra organization inside the bag). Lastly, your comments on the straps are super accurate. A fully packed out bag with a laptop in the back sleeve makes for a pretty hard touch point against your back and the thinner shoulder straps start to press on the front of your collarbones (probably would be ok without a laptop in the back). Overall, I love this bag when traveling as a carryon companion under the seat in front, but I have another smaller bag with plenty of organization for EDC.
I have this one and it’s my favorite travel bag. Lightweight is the first quality for me and the quality of the various components is good as I can see after several travels in tropical countries. It’s made in USA not like other companies ( Evergoods for ex.) who have not the same manufacturing costs but good sales margins. Every choice is a compromise but definitely it’s not a day bag for people who want a pocket for everything !!!
Great review!!! This is the only pack I've sold and then bought again, which is saying something. A few things. First, I swear earlier versions of this pack had a thin frame sheet, but perhaps I'm wrong. I always carry a laptop, so I wouldn't have noticed anyway. Second, various folks have done a "true" volume test for the main compartment and it's closer to 25L than 21.8L, as ULA says. (The laptop compartment can also hold my 16" MBP with a hard shell, though it's tight.) Third, if those S-shaped straps contour to your body, the pack can be super comfortable--plus, there's the optional hip belt if you really need to carry more than 30lbs. (I do feel like the straps have gotten narrower with time, but ULA denies that.) Fourth, my second Dragonfly is Ultra 800TX, and that has TONS of structure with zero flopping. I actually like it a decent amount more than my first DF, which was Ultra 400TX. Finally, rain resistance, especially for people considering this pack for outdoor recreation. . . . I originally bought this pack because I thought the material, etc., would provide some of the best rain resistance out there. Did a test of the 400TX and water got in, which caused me to go for a pack with a seamless welded liner for a main compartment. But after dealing with the hassles of a pack like that (a rolltop), I decided that a pack cover would be just as good. The ULA owner originally told me I might not even need a pack cover for this bag, but if the rain is heavy enough, the thing will get soaked through and through--all three compartments. Check out this test I did recently in a Texas downpour: ua-cam.com/video/QqT-3_ES6fQ/v-deo.html. This pack failed to keep the contents dry, as did the other packs I tested (a GR1 Dyneema 26L and a Tortuga Travel Pack Pro 30L). I was actually surprised how BADLY they failed, but the rain was super intense. Good thing about the DF is that it was the first pack to dry, a feature not to be overlooked. Anyway, keep the great reviews coming!!!
I have the grey xpak version and prefer it to the Ultra. I also added a frame sheet that increases the comfort of the back panel. I’ve used it for a weeklong one bag travel, but found it got a bit uncomfortable and would like to see them beef up the shoulder straps on this pack. My main use now is as an outdoor pack or a dad bag when I need to carry extra layersfor the kids and don’t need a lot of organization.
Great tips - I was thinking about maybe modding the frame sheet so after seeing your comment I'm definitely going to try. I agree that if they would slightly beef up the shoulder straps/load carriage overall this would be an even more killer bag!
i think the lack of #10 zipper on the main compartment is a common complaint and you illustrated well how much it snags... given the inferior quality of the small parts (buckles and zips), do you still think its worth splurging for the ultra? it seems inconsistent...
I tend to use my ipad+folio keyboard combo as well but I think it's actually heavier than my MacBook air The harness system on the evergoods will fail below 7kg... My cpl straps quickly became uncomfortable at that weight. Damn I'm super curious about the six moon design ADC. I'm in the US soon and wanted to pick one up. The ADC just seems much closer to a 30l bag than the dragon. I think the dragon is too small for me.
Regarding iPad - so this is something I've spent some time measuring out as computing devices represent one of the "Big Three" weight sources for me in my one bag travel setups (the other two are the bag itself and a camera). The new 11" M4 iPad Pro with the newest version of the Magic Keyboard is lighter than all currently available MacBooks including the 13" MBAs, though the difference is small (and may or may not be worth the trade off of the full functionality of a MacBook vs. the limitations of iPad OS). Some combos of older 11" iPad Pros + keyboard covers and all 12" versions + type covers are heaver than 13" MBAs. Depending on how far you want to dial down the weight whilst still retaining a larger screen and theoretically better functionality than just a phone, the lightest combo I found that maintained an acceptable (to me) level of performance was an iPad mini with an external folding 3rd party BT keyboard. This can get both very small and very light but enables much higher productivity for certain tasks than a phone alone or phone + bt keyboard (the latter limiting factor being that many apps on iOS on phone do not always have an optimized landscape view whereas virtually all iPad apps do, and also that iPad OS supports keyboard things like CMD+Tab switching which iOS does not - a small thing that greatly enhances productivity for certain common tasks etc.) For the Evergoods - very curious to hear about your experience. To I noticed you mentioned the CPL but just to be clear the bag I showed in the video is the CTB26, which in my experience for the types of loads I carry is reliable well above 7kg - I've travel (literally) around the world with this bag for months at a time and it's been a very reliable and supportive load carriage system for me. (I also found it to be more supportive than the CPL24). But I do think it could be very much load dependent as well. That said, I know there is a small but notable group of people for whom the back panels of the EG bags tend not to fit well - do you have any issues with the load carriage/fit (especially in the lower back area) with your CPL even when under the 7kg ish mark? What are you finding is failing on you first - is it the shoulder straps (that's what was the issue for me when the weight got too high) or the frame sheet etc? Re the ADC - it's an interesting bag. It is much taller than I was expecting and the main compartment (which opens up briefcase style) is shallower than I was expecting but as I mentioned in the video I haven't really put it through its paces yet as I have a specific set of trips in mind for it. I got the 30L and it does seem to have more capacity than the Dragonfly though it's oriented/structured in a very different way. I'm curious to see how it will work out once I start using it. If you have a chance I definitely recommend seeing if you can get your hands on one (I assume they probably offer free returns so maybe you can time it so you can get it, check it out and then return it if you don't like it whilst you're in the US?) - the other thing that might be a bit polarizing is the harness system - I personally wish they had an option for a simpler less outdoorsy/trek-like shoulder strap system since I think that would enhance the bags usability in urban scenarios, but then again they've been very clear they make outdoor "adventure travel" style bags so I gotta respect that clarify to vision and purpose! If you end up getting one let me know what you think!!
@ thank you for the elaborate response! I have both an older m1 ipad and MBA and noticed there that my ipad combo felt heavy compared to the MBA. But they are both older devices. Haven't felt the need to upgrade from M1. I'm indeed referring to the CPL24. I haven't experienced the CTB myself and hadn't heard it had a different carry system. So I just assumed it would be the same. The CPL24 can sit comfortable on my back it can also dig into my lower back. It's difficult to get it right every time (more often wrong than good, especially when I kept good posture). But it was mainly the shoulder straps that would dig in with load. For this reason I used the aer CPP more. Those shoulder straps were comfortable. The mpl22 is comfortable on my back. No digging there. But I hear that digging is around the same between CPL and CTB and less with MPL. The base weight of the CTB35 keeps me away from it as well. I already have a heimplanet 28l when I just use one bag but generally I have a really small bag (trakke bannoch or bairn, water field bag) with heavy tech stuff (typically work laptop and ipad) that they won't weigh and can use to take into the office/conference/... And then have a trolley or 35-40l carry-on bag. So a CTB26 is a bit awkward sizing for me and those small ones only work when I'm only using dress shoes. I did a full circle and am looking into a goruck gr2 34l robic again as well. The aer travel pack has too much room and weight spent on the laptop area, which won't be in there for me anyway. The smd ADC looks nice but I fully agree on the shoulder straps. It really screams adventure. That and the extremely body shape is what keep me away from it a bit. But it is still highest on the list because it seems the most useful when I would travel private and only have one bag. Maybe some straps could keep the carry system look cleaner. The dragonfly 36l looks really nice but just a tad too small with that they count the mesh pockets as volume. I do need the bag to look a bit professional while loaded when I run into people while arriving or leaving. Can't have my shoes in mesh stuff pockets xd. The 30l looks awesome for personal item travel. But I can get away with my heimplanet for that. Tortuga travel lite is still on the list as well. Brrr returning stuff in the US often means having to use US postal office. Most unpleasant experience from around the world for me xd.
Hello again! Thanks for the super detailed reply! Re the CPL24/MPL/CTB26 and Aer CPP - gotcha! Yes, the Aer CPP is a solid bag (The Ultra CPP is back in my EDC rotation a lot these days) whilst I personally prefer the EG load carriage system, I definitely find the AER CPP straps and back panel very comfy. The main down side, as you alluded to later in your comment, is that Aer spends a lot of weight and material (at the expense of carrying capacity) on structure, padding and multiple compartments (like laptop area etc.). Re MPL not digging - I feel you - in my experience it has a somewhat different carry experience than their civic bags because it has an integrated metal stay (the 35L) which can make for a much more supportive and firm carry style versus the CPL/CTB26 which tend to be more flexy/contouring. Re CTB26 being a bit of an awkward sizing - I hear you! While it works for me, I also feel like that's the delicate balance: often a goldilocks bag (perfect "do it all bag") is just the reverse side of "jack of all trades, master of none" and it can easily fall on one side or the other depending on a specific use case/needs. You mentioned the need for a bag that works well in the carry/travel domain but still looks a bit professional/wouldn't be totally out of place in a business context. I think the Nylon 6 (i.e. mainline, not the carryology or other special editions) version of the CTB26 in black can sometimes fit that niche, but another bag that I think works really great in this context is the Bellroy Transit Travel Bag 28 (there's also a Transit Travel Plus 38L and they just released two new versions - the Transit Workpack v2 20L and Transit Workpack Pro 22L/28L). For me, the original Bellroy Transit Travel Bag 28L is one of the G.O.A.T. one bag travel/edc type goldilocks bags that actually can probably work pretty well in most casual business/professional environments (within reason - if you work in an investment bank or white shoe law firm, perhaps not haha). I have talked a lot about it on my channel but have never actually done a proper review of it, but I highly recommend checking it out if you get a chance - in black I think it would work well in most casual business environments. The carry experience is very different from Evergoods but I found it quite comfortable and have actually traveled a few weeks in Europe with it as my single bag. The only downside I would mention is that the shoulder straps (on the 28L version) can be a bit narrow but with a reasonable load it performs very well. They just released the 28L Transit Workpack pro which may also be worth checking out - though ostensibly aimed more at EDC it actually is a hybridization of their original Transit Workpack (EDC focused) and Transit Travel Pack (Travel focused) and has a much improved and robust load carriage system, and a pretty solid set of features. (I have mixed feelings on the 22L which is the next review I am releasing but I think the overall feature set and design works better in the 28L size) and again, I think this could work well in a business environment. Re: Returns and avoiding the US post office. As someone who also doesn't live in the US (and conversely lives in a country with extremely functional (albeit bureaucratic) public services), I absolutely feel you. Anytime I can get into a post office in the US and get out without (1) spending more than an hour of my life standing in line and (b) not getting stabbed/shot/robbed is a win for me. The trick I found is (assuming you have the time and suitable transport) is to go to small post offices in the bougie (richest) suburbs - there are usually few people there, often clerks are at least polite (it might be too much to ask for them to be cheery but at least they don't act like you're an idiot because you don't know the random intricate details of US postal labels or whatever) and it's safe. 😂. Oh and I take extra copies of the various forms etc. that I ned whenever I go, so in case I need to return something in the future I can fill out the stuff in advance in the safety of my hotel rather than have to do it whilst hanging out awkwardly at the edge of the counter in the post office.
@@TheMountainborn The bellroy bags are really interesting but their shoulder straps have kept me away from them and also their approach to warranty feels a bit stingy. The workpacks have been their most interesting bags indeed. Their updates to them have me in dubio. It feels like a downgrade and a price hike. The 28l workpacks would be a nice competitor to my heimplanet. The Tortuga bags seem to have a nice esthetic as well. The lite really interests me. And is a ton cheaper than the bellroy one. That was going to be the one until the ADC popped up. That is a good approach to the post office. I'll keep that in mind. On most trips the hotel accepts packages and sometimes even sends out packages. Which was really nice.
Appreciate the deep dive, however I don't really understand the comment on the your perception of the hardware of being low quality. Zippers are all nice YKK (definitely firm, but i found the pulls to feel very nice and it's easy simple to replace if not liked) The cordlock bungie adjuster is duraflex and so are the sternum hooks. The sternup strap buckle (if you don't buy fidlock) is the winhigh "fox" buckle which is relatively unknown but honestly feels just as nice as the duraflex and woojin ones I have bought. Compression webbing adjusters are also from winhigh and have a similar textured finish to duraflex. Out of curiousity -- What kind of adjusters would feel premium to you?
Hey there! Great comment. So in the video I think I generally tried to use the word "feels more commodity" as opposed to "feels low quality" because I don't think they are low quality per say (actually I don't know since I have only used the bag a few months which is not long enough in my opinion to form an opinion on long term component durability). I might have said "feels cheaper" in a few spots since that's the vernacular but pretty sure I corrected myself to say "more commodity" after that. That slight disclaimer aside, I get what you're asking. From my perspective, the various hardware choices are not necessarily bad or worse, but maybe more of a mixed bag relative to what we are usually accustomed to seeing in terms of a component matchup for bags at this price point featuring these type of fabric choices. I.e. at this price point I think we're more accustomed to seeing YKK zippers (check) Duraflex/Woojin/Fidlock hardware (mixed bag here), better air mesh solution (this bag uses pretty bare bones off the shelf stuff) and better small details on the zipper pulls (provides solution is basically string), compressions straps (basic nylon strapping used here), etc. However, the reason I don't outright call it low quality is because of several factors, one of which I briefly expounded upon in the section where I was musing on the use of a third party carabiner for the key leash instead of a "properly designed" key leash. 1. Firstly ULA gear doesn't have the economies of scale (I assume) that larger manufacturers do, so their per unit costs (again I'm assuming here since I have zero insight into their finances or operations) are likely much higher than many more mainstream competitors. This means to reach equivalent end consumer price points they need to go with cheaper alternatives on some components, or else find some other way to lower production cost. There are places where they can do this without affecting the end suitability of the bag too much - more on this in a second. But first, speaking of production costs.... 2. They manufacture in the USA which drives up production costs in order to support (what I assume is) a suitable wage for workers. For many this is a laudable goal, but again implies cost reduction needs to be taken somewhere to produce the bag at a high but still competitive price point. 3. As I mused about briefly when talking about the key chain carabiner - sometimes this whole EDC bag/review game can tend to fall into hype beast mode where gear and components etc. are fetishized for the sake of brand name or UA-cam review zeitgeist opinion on what are "good" components and what are not. (A clear example for me is the irrational fawning over heavy metal AustriAlpin COBRA buckles). There is definitely truth to it - some components/manufacturers have a reputation of good quality and high reliability and that is important. But often times we as reviewers - and consumers - lose sight of sometimes "good enough being good enough" (which is a phrase I used in the video I think). So while it might be a great ideal to have all the very best brand name components on all aspects of all hardware and the very most cutting edge high tech sexy HMWPE fabrics etc. for every bag, in reality, often times we never come anywhere close to maximizing our usage of all of these individuals components and more commodity solutions will do (almost) as well (for almost all) people and only slightly impact perceptions of quality and experience of usage. That's kind of where I was with the Dragonfly - I understand (I think) the context of this bag's manufacturer and have some passing familiarity with the economic realities that drive physical good production and consequently impact consumer price points and the trade offs that need to come with that. Given the constraints that I believe (though again, have no direct knowledge of) probably apply to ULA equipment and the Dragonfly bag's production, I am guessing they went with slightly less expensive components and materials in some areas in order to satisfy these constraints while hitting their price point for a well-made bag featuring some pretty expensive body fabric. While I am not familiar with Winhigh hardware, what I can share - from the perspective of someone who has bought, owns and handles literally hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of bags and EDC slings - is that to my hand and eyes, I can feel a difference in the makeup/feeling etc. of the hardware versus many other bags in this price point. (as a slightly more concrete data point, there are objective differences in the plastic composition and thickness of the strap adjusters for example - is this inherent to the hardware manufacturer or just to the particular buckle they chose here, I don't know). Objectively, the zipper pulls are cheaper than the zipper pulls used on many other bags. Objectively the air mesh is rougher, and more commodity than solutions found on other bags at this price point. Etc. But at the same time, they get the job done and at only a small hit to use experience. Good enough is good enough. (at least until I get a concrete data point on the long term quality of these solutions) Again, I do not think all these things are necessarily bad - everything is a trade off and I think that for the most part these are pretty acceptable trade offs given the constraints. And in my review, as you saw, I was very favorable to this bag, ranking it in the #2-#3 spot for my current top one bag travel/goldilock style bags. But I also wanted to call out these small points to people because the feeling *is* perceptible and I think that for a lot of people $300 USD+ is a lot of money to spend on a bag and if they go in with a certain set of expectations (i.e. with the association that at this price point you're going to get the full component set and non-commodity solutions you'd normally get from larger scale manufacturers and/or with the youtube-conditioned idea that anything that is not Duraflex/Fidlock etc. or any zipper pull that isn't custom laser cut hypalon etc. is not high quality etc) then they may be set up for a rather large disappointment when they start handling this bag. So when I mention that some of the hardware on the dragonfly feels more "commodity", it's largely to set expectations so people come into this bag with both eyes open and hopefully also come to the realization that this doesn't necessarily mean worse quality but is just the inevitable product of compromise to meet a certain price point given a set of constraints. There's obviously a lot of subtly here that I didn't get into in the video and I fully admit that the latter part - "hey just because it's not the very cutting edge brand name everything doesn't meant it's low quality and is sometimes necessary given economic complexities" could perhaps have been more clearly expounded upon rather than getting distilled down to about 30 seconds of pontification that "sometimes good enough is good enough" but it was already a struggle to get this under 1 hour and I don't have an editor to help me with my ramblings haha.... Anyway I hope this helps clarify some of my thinking on this area! Super appreciate this comment!!
@@TheMountainborn This is one hell of a reply! I shouldn't be surprised given the thoroughness of your videos but you've done a great job elaborating here. Thank you for your perspective.
This is a deceptively simple question that probably warrants a long and complicated answer but the tl;dr is "It very much depends on your loadout and body size but I would say the 30L is probably the best choice for most people in most situations when it come to one bag travel and carry comfort" A few additional clarifying bullet points * If you have a longer torso or bigger frame, the 36L will probably fit you better; conversely shorter torsos and smaller frames will do better with the 30L * If you are an experienced one bag traveler and/or have a tightly dialed kit, then the 30L should probably work. * If you have a lot of stuff to carry (or bulky stuff, i.e. for winter travel) then the 36L will be a better fit but be very careful not to overload the load carriage limits as 36L is enough space that you could accidentally pack too much weight for what this pack can comfortably support and you'll probably be better off with a heavier pack with better load carriage. * Both bags are carry on compatible for most airlines, but the 30L will fit more easily under a seat in front of you even if it's fully packed out, wheres the 36L will probably stick out a bit and/or require some jamming in especially when fully loaded out I hope this helps!
Hey there! No worries at all, I totally understand! I make a certain type of video for a certain type of audience that I think is underserved by what's available on UA-cam to date, without worrying much about the algorithm. There are other much shorter, flashier (and generally less in-depth) videos for people who want to get the gist and see inside bags right away. If that's your style, you might want to check out channels like Pack Hacker/Danny Packs/etc. as they tend to make shorter videos that show you the goods much sooner. Otherwise, I also have chapter markers on all of my videos so you can skip directly to the part that interests you (shoulder straps/main compartment/front organizer pocket etc.). A common combo I hear from folks is they will watch the short overview videos from some other channels then come here and just jump to the section they are most interested in to get the in-depth details on just that section. This might be something to consider as well! Finally, on some of my shorter videos I have an "overview" section early in the first 5 mins or so where I give a sneak peek into all the crooks/crannies etc. of the bag including the inside. I actually film this on all the videos but I sometimes have to cut it out (such as on this video) on bags where I have a lot to say and I need to cram it down to fit under an hour. I'm trying to get this more consistently into all my videos but the fact that this is just something I do for fun in my non-existent spare time means that there's a limit to how much time I can devote to heavily planning and editing each video. If I ever get more time I might do some "quick hits"/"quick overview" style videos in the future which just have the gist of each bag and get into it right away, but ahhh, I guess I will need more hours in the day first 😂 Anyway thanks for stopping by!
The delivery of “as the name suggests” was perfect.
I watched this in its entirety in one sitting. Nobody else mentions the negatives like you do. They just rave about the Ultra and the weight. I’ve gone back and forth with this bag for a long time but now I know I’m gonna stick with the CTB26 for now. I wish Evergoods could somehow get the weight down to around 2lbs or less and make the laptop compartment less bulky.
I have this bag and I agree with everything you said. Great review. Overall, it’s a perfect bag for lightweight travel/carry on bag for a casual or outdoor weekend. The side water bottle pockets are super stretchy and even with the bag fully packed out, I can still get large water bottles or other quick access items down into them. I do wish there was a side access pocket where you could swing the bag onto one shoulder and reach into a small pocket for keys/headphones/phone, etc (you can’t access anything in the bag unless you take it off). Also, like you say, there’s minimal organization inside, so if you like having a pocket or dedicated space for every little item, this won’t be the bag for you (I stuck on Velcro backed zippered pouches in places that I wanted extra organization inside the bag). Lastly, your comments on the straps are super accurate. A fully packed out bag with a laptop in the back sleeve makes for a pretty hard touch point against your back and the thinner shoulder straps start to press on the front of your collarbones (probably would be ok without a laptop in the back). Overall, I love this bag when traveling as a carryon companion under the seat in front, but I have another smaller bag with plenty of organization for EDC.
I have this one and it’s my favorite travel bag. Lightweight is the first quality for me and the quality of the various components is good as I can see after several travels in tropical countries.
It’s made in USA not like other companies ( Evergoods for ex.) who have not the same manufacturing costs but good sales margins.
Every choice is a compromise but definitely it’s not a day bag for people who want a pocket for everything !!!
Absolutely!! It's a wonderful bag!
Great review!!! This is the only pack I've sold and then bought again, which is saying something. A few things. First, I swear earlier versions of this pack had a thin frame sheet, but perhaps I'm wrong. I always carry a laptop, so I wouldn't have noticed anyway. Second, various folks have done a "true" volume test for the main compartment and it's closer to 25L than 21.8L, as ULA says. (The laptop compartment can also hold my 16" MBP with a hard shell, though it's tight.) Third, if those S-shaped straps contour to your body, the pack can be super comfortable--plus, there's the optional hip belt if you really need to carry more than 30lbs. (I do feel like the straps have gotten narrower with time, but ULA denies that.) Fourth, my second Dragonfly is Ultra 800TX, and that has TONS of structure with zero flopping. I actually like it a decent amount more than my first DF, which was Ultra 400TX. Finally, rain resistance, especially for people considering this pack for outdoor recreation. . . . I originally bought this pack because I thought the material, etc., would provide some of the best rain resistance out there. Did a test of the 400TX and water got in, which caused me to go for a pack with a seamless welded liner for a main compartment. But after dealing with the hassles of a pack like that (a rolltop), I decided that a pack cover would be just as good. The ULA owner originally told me I might not even need a pack cover for this bag, but if the rain is heavy enough, the thing will get soaked through and through--all three compartments. Check out this test I did recently in a Texas downpour: ua-cam.com/video/QqT-3_ES6fQ/v-deo.html. This pack failed to keep the contents dry, as did the other packs I tested (a GR1 Dyneema 26L and a Tortuga Travel Pack Pro 30L). I was actually surprised how BADLY they failed, but the rain was super intense. Good thing about the DF is that it was the first pack to dry, a feature not to be overlooked. Anyway, keep the great reviews coming!!!
This design is really functional! Really like this bag.
This is a really great review. Well done!
Thank you so much for the kind words!!! ☺️
Instant click. You’re the goat Mountain
Awww thank you so much my friend!!! ❤️
I have the grey xpak version and prefer it to the Ultra. I also added a frame sheet that increases the comfort of the back panel. I’ve used it for a weeklong one bag travel, but found it got a bit uncomfortable and would like to see them beef up the shoulder straps on this pack. My main use now is as an outdoor pack or a dad bag when I need to carry extra layersfor the kids and don’t need a lot of organization.
Great tips - I was thinking about maybe modding the frame sheet so after seeing your comment I'm definitely going to try. I agree that if they would slightly beef up the shoulder straps/load carriage overall this would be an even more killer bag!
Great review. This bag is one of the GOATs!
i think the lack of #10 zipper on the main compartment is a common complaint and you illustrated well how much it snags... given the inferior quality of the small parts (buckles and zips), do you still think its worth splurging for the ultra? it seems inconsistent...
I tend to use my ipad+folio keyboard combo as well but I think it's actually heavier than my MacBook air
The harness system on the evergoods will fail below 7kg... My cpl straps quickly became uncomfortable at that weight.
Damn I'm super curious about the six moon design ADC. I'm in the US soon and wanted to pick one up.
The ADC just seems much closer to a 30l bag than the dragon. I think the dragon is too small for me.
Regarding iPad - so this is something I've spent some time measuring out as computing devices represent one of the "Big Three" weight sources for me in my one bag travel setups (the other two are the bag itself and a camera).
The new 11" M4 iPad Pro with the newest version of the Magic Keyboard is lighter than all currently available MacBooks including the 13" MBAs, though the difference is small (and may or may not be worth the trade off of the full functionality of a MacBook vs. the limitations of iPad OS).
Some combos of older 11" iPad Pros + keyboard covers and all 12" versions + type covers are heaver than 13" MBAs.
Depending on how far you want to dial down the weight whilst still retaining a larger screen and theoretically better functionality than just a phone, the lightest combo I found that maintained an acceptable (to me) level of performance was an iPad mini with an external folding 3rd party BT keyboard. This can get both very small and very light but enables much higher productivity for certain tasks than a phone alone or phone + bt keyboard (the latter limiting factor being that many apps on iOS on phone do not always have an optimized landscape view whereas virtually all iPad apps do, and also that iPad OS supports keyboard things like CMD+Tab switching which iOS does not - a small thing that greatly enhances productivity for certain common tasks etc.)
For the Evergoods - very curious to hear about your experience. To I noticed you mentioned the CPL but just to be clear the bag I showed in the video is the CTB26, which in my experience for the types of loads I carry is reliable well above 7kg - I've travel (literally) around the world with this bag for months at a time and it's been a very reliable and supportive load carriage system for me. (I also found it to be more supportive than the CPL24). But I do think it could be very much load dependent as well.
That said, I know there is a small but notable group of people for whom the back panels of the EG bags tend not to fit well - do you have any issues with the load carriage/fit (especially in the lower back area) with your CPL even when under the 7kg ish mark? What are you finding is failing on you first - is it the shoulder straps (that's what was the issue for me when the weight got too high) or the frame sheet etc?
Re the ADC - it's an interesting bag. It is much taller than I was expecting and the main compartment (which opens up briefcase style) is shallower than I was expecting but as I mentioned in the video I haven't really put it through its paces yet as I have a specific set of trips in mind for it. I got the 30L and it does seem to have more capacity than the Dragonfly though it's oriented/structured in a very different way. I'm curious to see how it will work out once I start using it. If you have a chance I definitely recommend seeing if you can get your hands on one (I assume they probably offer free returns so maybe you can time it so you can get it, check it out and then return it if you don't like it whilst you're in the US?) - the other thing that might be a bit polarizing is the harness system - I personally wish they had an option for a simpler less outdoorsy/trek-like shoulder strap system since I think that would enhance the bags usability in urban scenarios, but then again they've been very clear they make outdoor "adventure travel" style bags so I gotta respect that clarify to vision and purpose!
If you end up getting one let me know what you think!!
@ thank you for the elaborate response!
I have both an older m1 ipad and MBA and noticed there that my ipad combo felt heavy compared to the MBA. But they are both older devices. Haven't felt the need to upgrade from M1.
I'm indeed referring to the CPL24. I haven't experienced the CTB myself and hadn't heard it had a different carry system. So I just assumed it would be the same.
The CPL24 can sit comfortable on my back it can also dig into my lower back. It's difficult to get it right every time (more often wrong than good, especially when I kept good posture). But it was mainly the shoulder straps that would dig in with load. For this reason I used the aer CPP more. Those shoulder straps were comfortable.
The mpl22 is comfortable on my back. No digging there.
But I hear that digging is around the same between CPL and CTB and less with MPL.
The base weight of the CTB35 keeps me away from it as well.
I already have a heimplanet 28l when I just use one bag but generally I have a really small bag (trakke bannoch or bairn, water field bag) with heavy tech stuff (typically work laptop and ipad) that they won't weigh and can use to take into the office/conference/... And then have a trolley or 35-40l carry-on bag.
So a CTB26 is a bit awkward sizing for me and those small ones only work when I'm only using dress shoes.
I did a full circle and am looking into a goruck gr2 34l robic again as well.
The aer travel pack has too much room and weight spent on the laptop area, which won't be in there for me anyway.
The smd ADC looks nice but I fully agree on the shoulder straps. It really screams adventure. That and the extremely body shape is what keep me away from it a bit.
But it is still highest on the list because it seems the most useful when I would travel private and only have one bag.
Maybe some straps could keep the carry system look cleaner.
The dragonfly 36l looks really nice but just a tad too small with that they count the mesh pockets as volume. I do need the bag to look a bit professional while loaded when I run into people while arriving or leaving. Can't have my shoes in mesh stuff pockets xd.
The 30l looks awesome for personal item travel. But I can get away with my heimplanet for that.
Tortuga travel lite is still on the list as well.
Brrr returning stuff in the US often means having to use US postal office. Most unpleasant experience from around the world for me xd.
Hello again! Thanks for the super detailed reply!
Re the CPL24/MPL/CTB26 and Aer CPP - gotcha! Yes, the Aer CPP is a solid bag (The Ultra CPP is back in my EDC rotation a lot these days) whilst I personally prefer the EG load carriage system, I definitely find the AER CPP straps and back panel very comfy. The main down side, as you alluded to later in your comment, is that Aer spends a lot of weight and material (at the expense of carrying capacity) on structure, padding and multiple compartments (like laptop area etc.).
Re MPL not digging - I feel you - in my experience it has a somewhat different carry experience than their civic bags because it has an integrated metal stay (the 35L) which can make for a much more supportive and firm carry style versus the CPL/CTB26 which tend to be more flexy/contouring.
Re CTB26 being a bit of an awkward sizing - I hear you! While it works for me, I also feel like that's the delicate balance: often a goldilocks bag (perfect "do it all bag") is just the reverse side of "jack of all trades, master of none" and it can easily fall on one side or the other depending on a specific use case/needs.
You mentioned the need for a bag that works well in the carry/travel domain but still looks a bit professional/wouldn't be totally out of place in a business context. I think the Nylon 6 (i.e. mainline, not the carryology or other special editions) version of the CTB26 in black can sometimes fit that niche, but another bag that I think works really great in this context is the Bellroy Transit Travel Bag 28 (there's also a Transit Travel Plus 38L and they just released two new versions - the Transit Workpack v2 20L and Transit Workpack Pro 22L/28L). For me, the original Bellroy Transit Travel Bag 28L is one of the G.O.A.T. one bag travel/edc type goldilocks bags that actually can probably work pretty well in most casual business/professional environments (within reason - if you work in an investment bank or white shoe law firm, perhaps not haha). I have talked a lot about it on my channel but have never actually done a proper review of it, but I highly recommend checking it out if you get a chance - in black I think it would work well in most casual business environments. The carry experience is very different from Evergoods but I found it quite comfortable and have actually traveled a few weeks in Europe with it as my single bag. The only downside I would mention is that the shoulder straps (on the 28L version) can be a bit narrow but with a reasonable load it performs very well.
They just released the 28L Transit Workpack pro which may also be worth checking out - though ostensibly aimed more at EDC it actually is a hybridization of their original Transit Workpack (EDC focused) and Transit Travel Pack (Travel focused) and has a much improved and robust load carriage system, and a pretty solid set of features. (I have mixed feelings on the 22L which is the next review I am releasing but I think the overall feature set and design works better in the 28L size) and again, I think this could work well in a business environment.
Re: Returns and avoiding the US post office. As someone who also doesn't live in the US (and conversely lives in a country with extremely functional (albeit bureaucratic) public services), I absolutely feel you. Anytime I can get into a post office in the US and get out without (1) spending more than an hour of my life standing in line and (b) not getting stabbed/shot/robbed is a win for me. The trick I found is (assuming you have the time and suitable transport) is to go to small post offices in the bougie (richest) suburbs - there are usually few people there, often clerks are at least polite (it might be too much to ask for them to be cheery but at least they don't act like you're an idiot because you don't know the random intricate details of US postal labels or whatever) and it's safe. 😂. Oh and I take extra copies of the various forms etc. that I ned whenever I go, so in case I need to return something in the future I can fill out the stuff in advance in the safety of my hotel rather than have to do it whilst hanging out awkwardly at the edge of the counter in the post office.
@@TheMountainborn The bellroy bags are really interesting but their shoulder straps have kept me away from them and also their approach to warranty feels a bit stingy.
The workpacks have been their most interesting bags indeed. Their updates to them have me in dubio. It feels like a downgrade and a price hike.
The 28l workpacks would be a nice competitor to my heimplanet.
The Tortuga bags seem to have a nice esthetic as well. The lite really interests me. And is a ton cheaper than the bellroy one. That was going to be the one until the ADC popped up.
That is a good approach to the post office. I'll keep that in mind.
On most trips the hotel accepts packages and sometimes even sends out packages. Which was really nice.
Appreciate the deep dive, however I don't really understand the comment on the your perception of the hardware of being low quality.
Zippers are all nice YKK (definitely firm, but i found the pulls to feel very nice and it's easy simple to replace if not liked)
The cordlock bungie adjuster is duraflex and so are the sternum hooks.
The sternup strap buckle (if you don't buy fidlock) is the winhigh "fox" buckle which is relatively unknown but honestly feels just as nice as the duraflex and woojin ones I have bought.
Compression webbing adjusters are also from winhigh and have a similar textured finish to duraflex. Out of curiousity -- What kind of adjusters would feel premium to you?
Hey there! Great comment. So in the video I think I generally tried to use the word "feels more commodity" as opposed to "feels low quality" because I don't think they are low quality per say (actually I don't know since I have only used the bag a few months which is not long enough in my opinion to form an opinion on long term component durability). I might have said "feels cheaper" in a few spots since that's the vernacular but pretty sure I corrected myself to say "more commodity" after that.
That slight disclaimer aside, I get what you're asking. From my perspective, the various hardware choices are not necessarily bad or worse, but maybe more of a mixed bag relative to what we are usually accustomed to seeing in terms of a component matchup for bags at this price point featuring these type of fabric choices. I.e. at this price point I think we're more accustomed to seeing YKK zippers (check) Duraflex/Woojin/Fidlock hardware (mixed bag here), better air mesh solution (this bag uses pretty bare bones off the shelf stuff) and better small details on the zipper pulls (provides solution is basically string), compressions straps (basic nylon strapping used here), etc.
However, the reason I don't outright call it low quality is because of several factors, one of which I briefly expounded upon in the section where I was musing on the use of a third party carabiner for the key leash instead of a "properly designed" key leash.
1. Firstly ULA gear doesn't have the economies of scale (I assume) that larger manufacturers do, so their per unit costs (again I'm assuming here since I have zero insight into their finances or operations) are likely much higher than many more mainstream competitors. This means to reach equivalent end consumer price points they need to go with cheaper alternatives on some components, or else find some other way to lower production cost. There are places where they can do this without affecting the end suitability of the bag too much - more on this in a second. But first, speaking of production costs....
2. They manufacture in the USA which drives up production costs in order to support (what I assume is) a suitable wage for workers. For many this is a laudable goal, but again implies cost reduction needs to be taken somewhere to produce the bag at a high but still competitive price point.
3. As I mused about briefly when talking about the key chain carabiner - sometimes this whole EDC bag/review game can tend to fall into hype beast mode where gear and components etc. are fetishized for the sake of brand name or UA-cam review zeitgeist opinion on what are "good" components and what are not. (A clear example for me is the irrational fawning over heavy metal AustriAlpin COBRA buckles). There is definitely truth to it - some components/manufacturers have a reputation of good quality and high reliability and that is important. But often times we as reviewers - and consumers - lose sight of sometimes "good enough being good enough" (which is a phrase I used in the video I think). So while it might be a great ideal to have all the very best brand name components on all aspects of all hardware and the very most cutting edge high tech sexy HMWPE fabrics etc. for every bag, in reality, often times we never come anywhere close to maximizing our usage of all of these individuals components and more commodity solutions will do (almost) as well (for almost all) people and only slightly impact perceptions of quality and experience of usage.
That's kind of where I was with the Dragonfly - I understand (I think) the context of this bag's manufacturer and have some passing familiarity with the economic realities that drive physical good production and consequently impact consumer price points and the trade offs that need to come with that. Given the constraints that I believe (though again, have no direct knowledge of) probably apply to ULA equipment and the Dragonfly bag's production, I am guessing they went with slightly less expensive components and materials in some areas in order to satisfy these constraints while hitting their price point for a well-made bag featuring some pretty expensive body fabric.
While I am not familiar with Winhigh hardware, what I can share - from the perspective of someone who has bought, owns and handles literally hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of bags and EDC slings - is that to my hand and eyes, I can feel a difference in the makeup/feeling etc. of the hardware versus many other bags in this price point. (as a slightly more concrete data point, there are objective differences in the plastic composition and thickness of the strap adjusters for example - is this inherent to the hardware manufacturer or just to the particular buckle they chose here, I don't know). Objectively, the zipper pulls are cheaper than the zipper pulls used on many other bags. Objectively the air mesh is rougher, and more commodity than solutions found on other bags at this price point. Etc. But at the same time, they get the job done and at only a small hit to use experience. Good enough is good enough. (at least until I get a concrete data point on the long term quality of these solutions)
Again, I do not think all these things are necessarily bad - everything is a trade off and I think that for the most part these are pretty acceptable trade offs given the constraints. And in my review, as you saw, I was very favorable to this bag, ranking it in the #2-#3 spot for my current top one bag travel/goldilock style bags. But I also wanted to call out these small points to people because the feeling *is* perceptible and I think that for a lot of people $300 USD+ is a lot of money to spend on a bag and if they go in with a certain set of expectations (i.e. with the association that at this price point you're going to get the full component set and non-commodity solutions you'd normally get from larger scale manufacturers and/or with the youtube-conditioned idea that anything that is not Duraflex/Fidlock etc. or any zipper pull that isn't custom laser cut hypalon etc. is not high quality etc) then they may be set up for a rather large disappointment when they start handling this bag. So when I mention that some of the hardware on the dragonfly feels more "commodity", it's largely to set expectations so people come into this bag with both eyes open and hopefully also come to the realization that this doesn't necessarily mean worse quality but is just the inevitable product of compromise to meet a certain price point given a set of constraints.
There's obviously a lot of subtly here that I didn't get into in the video and I fully admit that the latter part - "hey just because it's not the very cutting edge brand name everything doesn't meant it's low quality and is sometimes necessary given economic complexities" could perhaps have been more clearly expounded upon rather than getting distilled down to about 30 seconds of pontification that "sometimes good enough is good enough" but it was already a struggle to get this under 1 hour and I don't have an editor to help me with my ramblings haha....
Anyway I hope this helps clarify some of my thinking on this area! Super appreciate this comment!!
@@TheMountainborn This is one hell of a reply! I shouldn't be surprised given the thoroughness of your videos but you've done a great job elaborating here. Thank you for your perspective.
Hi! For the purpose of one bag travel and its carry comfort, would you prefer the 30L or the 36L dragonfly?
This is a deceptively simple question that probably warrants a long and complicated answer but the tl;dr is
"It very much depends on your loadout and body size but I would say the 30L is probably the best choice for most people in most situations when it come to one bag travel and carry comfort"
A few additional clarifying bullet points
* If you have a longer torso or bigger frame, the 36L will probably fit you better; conversely shorter torsos and smaller frames will do better with the 30L
* If you are an experienced one bag traveler and/or have a tightly dialed kit, then the 30L should probably work.
* If you have a lot of stuff to carry (or bulky stuff, i.e. for winter travel) then the 36L will be a better fit but be very careful not to overload the load carriage limits as 36L is enough space that you could accidentally pack too much weight for what this pack can comfortably support and you'll probably be better off with a heavier pack with better load carriage.
* Both bags are carry on compatible for most airlines, but the 30L will fit more easily under a seat in front of you even if it's fully packed out, wheres the 36L will probably stick out a bit and/or require some jamming in especially when fully loaded out
I hope this helps!
@TheMountainborn thank you the detailed insight! As a shorter guy myself, looks like the 30L is the one for me!
No problem at all - happy carrying!! Let me know how you like it if you end up getting it!
Your videos are the Master Class of bag reviews! Please review the Tortuga Expandable (27-32.5 L) Backpack.
I can't..I just can't spend next to an hour watching...and we haven't opened rhe bag after several minutes..I'm out..gotta go.
Hey there! No worries at all, I totally understand! I make a certain type of video for a certain type of audience that I think is underserved by what's available on UA-cam to date, without worrying much about the algorithm. There are other much shorter, flashier (and generally less in-depth) videos for people who want to get the gist and see inside bags right away. If that's your style, you might want to check out channels like Pack Hacker/Danny Packs/etc. as they tend to make shorter videos that show you the goods much sooner.
Otherwise, I also have chapter markers on all of my videos so you can skip directly to the part that interests you (shoulder straps/main compartment/front organizer pocket etc.). A common combo I hear from folks is they will watch the short overview videos from some other channels then come here and just jump to the section they are most interested in to get the in-depth details on just that section. This might be something to consider as well!
Finally, on some of my shorter videos I have an "overview" section early in the first 5 mins or so where I give a sneak peek into all the crooks/crannies etc. of the bag including the inside. I actually film this on all the videos but I sometimes have to cut it out (such as on this video) on bags where I have a lot to say and I need to cram it down to fit under an hour. I'm trying to get this more consistently into all my videos but the fact that this is just something I do for fun in my non-existent spare time means that there's a limit to how much time I can devote to heavily planning and editing each video. If I ever get more time I might do some "quick hits"/"quick overview" style videos in the future which just have the gist of each bag and get into it right away, but ahhh, I guess I will need more hours in the day first 😂
Anyway thanks for stopping by!