I appreciate the review! Channels like Pack Hacker seem to be normalizing bags that cost twice as much as this, and you don’t have to look long before they review bags at 3x the price. I’m glad you showed what you put inside and used. It’s fun to watch a Mary Poppins bag review where the presenter just pulls out more and more things from the bag. We get excited about limitless possibilities and that somehow a bag purchase will change our lives! I think that’s why we tend to get bigger bags and overpack. But you kept it grounded in reality and practicality: I liked that you describe this bag as just a “pocket dump” not a toolbox. I liked that you showed it with just bare essentials, I think that suits the lightweight, unobtrusive design goal. What you did not cover, but I wish you had, was any concerns about the contents getting beat up. Lightweight is good, but it looks like there isn’t even one padded panel in there. With smartphones having two glass sides now and the mesh zippered pocket especially likely to carry odd shaped metal objects (like your pocket knife, or cables and adapters), and keys in the front outer pocket, I kinda feel like your one packet of tissues is necessary to put somewhere facing your smartphone screen. I think Peak Design got me addicted to bags, but I haven’t been satisfied with any of them. They look cool and are “packed” with as many features as a Swiss Army knife, but so much is overkill, unnecessary, and adding discomfort in flat surfaces and hard corners or sheer weight. The 1.5L especially is not a camera bag, and I think that’s a good thing. The bag can flex around your body’s surface, and I guess I’d rather have no padding so I could make the bag as light and spacious as possible, with the option to add my own padding in the middle (like you did with the tissues, separating the phone screen from keys or battery bank). Looking forward to new reviews from you!
@@evshrug Hey! Thanks for the kind words and constructive criticism, exactly what I need to help improve my reviews. I’ve only been doing this 5 months, I went from zero experience to UA-cam and learning on the fly 🤣. You’re totally right, sometimes more expensive isn’t always better. This sling is still my most used edc item and it’s on sale for Black Friday. I have a review coming in a few weeks on the ALPAKA flight sling that addresses some of your concerns about an electronic device inside, I’ll be sure to point that out, appreciate you highlighting that.
I just did two weeks in Germany & France with this sling (the 1.5L version). Absolutely amazing. I kept 4 passports in the interior zipper. Hotel keys and little items in the middle as well. Daily tickets for trains and attractions went in the interior non zippered flap. Euros fit perfectly in the back chest facing pocket with the side with the denomination facing in in the middle at the top of the bill, big bills in back, little in front - perfect. I kept the euro coins in the front pocket. I loved it so much that I was just able to order the 2.5L version for EDC but honestly for travel, the 1.5L is just perfect.
@@tjharlow sheeeshhh if this isn’t a testimonial to how good this thing is, I don’t know what is! Still my absolute favorite, it’s the perfect size and layout for EDC and travel 🤝
Great review! I'm so excited for this bag. I'm tired of all the other manufacturers adding so much extra padding/structure, and I also get tired of how stiff XPac is. Also, side note, I'm glad someone called out the RFID blocking for being gimmicky.
@@thedukeparty Hey! 👋🏽 thanks for the kind words and checking out the review! Let me know your thoughts on it after you get some time with it. I really do use this sling daily, it’s the perfect pocket dump for me when I walk the dogs everyday. Hope you enjoy yours, wish I had a discount code or something to offer the viewers but maybe as my channel grows that might be a possibility.
@@UnPackD so far, the 3.5L is a bit big for me. I also wish it was more tall and less wide, but that’s just visual. I LOVE the 1.5L. I can’t wait until they make the 2.5L more available in my area
@@thedukeparty I’ve had such a hard time trying to find the 2.5L, I hope tomtoc didn’t discontinue it. I’m really loving this ripstop fabric a lot of bag makers are using. Yes it’s a bit floppy and doesn’t have structure like xpac but being softer, easier to clean works for me.
I have this in 1.5L. Great budget friendly sling. It's a great size for essentials -phone/wallet/keys/earbuds. I love the three separate compartments and internal organization in the main pocket. For my personal use it fits what I carry much better than the Aer Go Sling Mini (which this will replace). If I could change one thing on it, it would be to have removable straps and double as a tech pouch.
Glad to see you enjoy yours too! This thing is literally with me 90% of the time because it carries everything I need daily perfectly. It’s with me on every dog walk as well since can clip the poopy bags right on the gear loop.
I watched this video like 5 times and I just pulled the trigger and bought it. I have a looooot of slings but I wanted exactly something like this. I have both Aer City Sling 2 and Day Sling 3 and for some situations those are just a little bit bigger than I need. This thing seems just the exact size for the EDC use case you're describing here. Sometimes you just need 3 items and that's it. I'll come back once it arrives and give actual feedback. Great review.
@@laeonflux thanks for checking the video out! I Still use this everyday, to carry my phone, wallet and keys every time I walk my dogs or run some errands. The good thing to is that Amazon has free returns so if you don’t end of liking it, you could easily return it. Please do let me know your thoughts after you get it!
@@UnPackD Ok, now that I've used this bag for a while I can say that it was exactly what I was looking for. Sometimes I just need my 3 basic items with me and this fits them so snuggly. When I have a bigger sling with just a few things my OCD snaps because I wanna use the compartments so I overpack. This helps me not think about it too much and just go, I might throw a packable tote in case I need but that's it, perhaps some tissue or some small fidget toy but the magic of this bag is that it just works. It's casual, it's comfortable, it's well made and it's not that expensive for what you get and I got it on sale so nothing to complain about. I really enjoy it, it's become part of my rotation so fast. Great little EDC companion.
@@andystandys hard case or soft case? I could check I actually have all 3. Soft cleaning cloth type, medium eyeglasses hard shell and larger Oakley hard shell
@@UnPackD I'd be looking to put a hard shell in it. Probably what you'd call medium. (The one that came with my glasses.) Definitely not the big half circle Oakley.
@ it will fit but admittedly will take up most of the main compartment but it’s not tight. You’ll have room for slimmer items. Tomoc recently restocked the 2.5L but only in the black color.
I just bought the gray 3.5L… I hope it can fit a Nintendo Switch Lite like the TomToc Explorer I used to have. I have the Explorer to my mom because she was hit by a car and broke her collarbone on one side a few months ago, still can’t wear her backpack. I wish the mesh zippered pocket shared the lining “wall” with the front pocket, so irregularly shaped small items were placed away from my body (and easier to see into the mesh while wearing the chest bag), but I guess I’ll wait and see how I configure things when I get the bag in my hands.
@@nizamialickolli8603 sadly I don’t have the Bellroy 1.5 but I’ve heard that the venture series runs small. I have the Alpaka 1L coming. Need to get me some Bellroy slings.
@@RSN1748 oh no! Glad you were able to find a solution! What’s your thoughts on the xpac material? I’m using a backpack right now full xpac and I’m kinda wish washy on it lol
@@UnPackD dude im a dumbass. turns out the extension strap doesnt work for the xpac models! dumb!! I'll have to return everything. I actually like the xpac material and it's crunchiness. what are your thoughts on xpac?
@ ahhh that sucks! I like xpac but not real enthusiastic about how it ages. It starts to dimple (vx21) and the material loses structure over time, especially if you have moving pieces like a roll top
I'm one of those who prefer the 1-inch straps, especially for bags 2L or smaller. It's the most comfortable size for a petite female bag nerd. Even with my bigger capacity slings, I find myself wishing the straps were thinner - at 1.5 inches max. Anyway, for a 1.5L sling - a 2-inch strap will probably look ridiculous and unbalanced. On that note, strap preferences will really depend on the body type.
You’re absolutely right, it all depends on body size, shape and personal preference. I think a 1” strap for this size would’ve been fine, I found that the larger ones like my Packolab samurai, fully loaded the 1” dug into my shoulder. Seemed to have better weight distribution with the 1.5”. Im glad tomtoc chose to use the nice seatbelt style nylon though, makes it easy to swing the bag from front to back style of carry.
I’m a tall guy at 6’ 2”, on the slimmer end of a medium build, and I actually have a similar experience. I got into those Peak Design bags and straps… their top-of-the-line Summit strap is like 2” wide and I’ve always felt like it was disproportionately wide for my mirrorless cameras or even the Peak Design Field Pouch. I got the 1” (or maybe it’s 0.75”?) later, and that feels like the right size for a minimalist sling bag (though it slides around on me while riding a bike, driving me crazy). I think a 2” strap might make sense if you’re carrying the weight of a metal 1L water bottle. But I’m pretty much resigned to giving up a hand to hold water these days (ideas are welcome!).
@ might be to big but check out the Rework Toshi sling, I did a review on it too. Basically it can compress flat when not carrying a lot and it can hold a water bottle. Very versatile sling
Was 3 but I found 2 stray puppies about 3 months ago 🤦🏽♂️ got attached to them before I could get them adopted. They’re all under 20lbs but it’s still a lot lol.
Interesting, what doesn’t work for you? What would you change? I like hearing people’s opinion about gear, especially if they’ve had a different experience. I learn a lot that why, how people use their gear differently.
@@UnPackD for the moment nothing y want change..y like when the remaining strap don't hang around ( like him ) . y have this small sling when y go alone..and y take another if y go with children and wife. Y like the 3 compartiments.and the textile. y thing Buy the 3.5l if in the big pocket they put more storage.. Sorry for my english
I appreciate the review!
Channels like Pack Hacker seem to be normalizing bags that cost twice as much as this, and you don’t have to look long before they review bags at 3x the price.
I’m glad you showed what you put inside and used. It’s fun to watch a Mary Poppins bag review where the presenter just pulls out more and more things from the bag. We get excited about limitless possibilities and that somehow a bag purchase will change our lives! I think that’s why we tend to get bigger bags and overpack. But you kept it grounded in reality and practicality: I liked that you describe this bag as just a “pocket dump” not a toolbox. I liked that you showed it with just bare essentials, I think that suits the lightweight, unobtrusive design goal.
What you did not cover, but I wish you had, was any concerns about the contents getting beat up. Lightweight is good, but it looks like there isn’t even one padded panel in there. With smartphones having two glass sides now and the mesh zippered pocket especially likely to carry odd shaped metal objects (like your pocket knife, or cables and adapters), and keys in the front outer pocket, I kinda feel like your one packet of tissues is necessary to put somewhere facing your smartphone screen.
I think Peak Design got me addicted to bags, but I haven’t been satisfied with any of them. They look cool and are “packed” with as many features as a Swiss Army knife, but so much is overkill, unnecessary, and adding discomfort in flat surfaces and hard corners or sheer weight. The 1.5L especially is not a camera bag, and I think that’s a good thing. The bag can flex around your body’s surface, and I guess I’d rather have no padding so I could make the bag as light and spacious as possible, with the option to add my own padding in the middle (like you did with the tissues, separating the phone screen from keys or battery bank).
Looking forward to new reviews from you!
@@evshrug Hey! Thanks for the kind words and constructive criticism, exactly what I need to help improve my reviews. I’ve only been doing this 5 months, I went from zero experience to UA-cam and learning on the fly 🤣.
You’re totally right, sometimes more expensive isn’t always better. This sling is still my most used edc item and it’s on sale for Black Friday.
I have a review coming in a few weeks on the ALPAKA flight sling that addresses some of your concerns about an electronic device inside, I’ll be sure to point that out, appreciate you highlighting that.
I just did two weeks in Germany & France with this sling (the 1.5L version). Absolutely amazing. I kept 4 passports in the interior zipper. Hotel keys and little items in the middle as well. Daily tickets for trains and attractions went in the interior non zippered flap. Euros fit perfectly in the back chest facing pocket with the side with the denomination facing in in the middle at the top of the bill, big bills in back, little in front - perfect. I kept the euro coins in the front pocket. I loved it so much that I was just able to order the 2.5L version for EDC but honestly for travel, the 1.5L is just perfect.
@@tjharlow sheeeshhh if this isn’t a testimonial to how good this thing is, I don’t know what is! Still my absolute favorite, it’s the perfect size and layout for EDC and travel 🤝
Great review! I'm so excited for this bag. I'm tired of all the other manufacturers adding so much extra padding/structure, and I also get tired of how stiff XPac is.
Also, side note, I'm glad someone called out the RFID blocking for being gimmicky.
@@thedukeparty Hey! 👋🏽 thanks for the kind words and checking out the review! Let me know your thoughts on it after you get some time with it. I really do use this sling daily, it’s the perfect pocket dump for me when I walk the dogs everyday. Hope you enjoy yours, wish I had a discount code or something to offer the viewers but maybe as my channel grows that might be a possibility.
@@UnPackD so far, the 3.5L is a bit big for me. I also wish it was more tall and less wide, but that’s just visual. I LOVE the 1.5L. I can’t wait until they make the 2.5L more available in my area
@@thedukeparty I’ve had such a hard time trying to find the 2.5L, I hope tomtoc didn’t discontinue it. I’m really loving this ripstop fabric a lot of bag makers are using. Yes it’s a bit floppy and doesn’t have structure like xpac but being softer, easier to clean works for me.
thank you for sharing your experience with the passport situation, exactly what I was looking for :) thanks, and cheers!
No problem, thanks for watching! The passport fits but it’s snug lol. Definitely fits in the main compartment no problem.
I have this in 1.5L. Great budget friendly sling. It's a great size for essentials -phone/wallet/keys/earbuds. I love the three separate compartments and internal organization in the main pocket. For my personal use it fits what I carry much better than the Aer Go Sling Mini (which this will replace). If I could change one thing on it, it would be to have removable straps and double as a tech pouch.
Glad to see you enjoy yours too! This thing is literally with me 90% of the time because it carries everything I need daily perfectly. It’s with me on every dog walk as well since can clip the poopy bags right on the gear loop.
I watched this video like 5 times and I just pulled the trigger and bought it. I have a looooot of slings but I wanted exactly something like this. I have both Aer City Sling 2 and Day Sling 3 and for some situations those are just a little bit bigger than I need. This thing seems just the exact size for the EDC use case you're describing here. Sometimes you just need 3 items and that's it. I'll come back once it arrives and give actual feedback. Great review.
@@laeonflux thanks for checking the video out! I Still use this everyday, to carry my phone, wallet and keys every time I walk my dogs or run some errands. The good thing to is that Amazon has free returns so if you don’t end of liking it, you could easily return it.
Please do let me know your thoughts after you get it!
@@UnPackD Ok, now that I've used this bag for a while I can say that it was exactly what I was looking for. Sometimes I just need my 3 basic items with me and this fits them so snuggly. When I have a bigger sling with just a few things my OCD snaps because I wanna use the compartments so I overpack. This helps me not think about it too much and just go, I might throw a packable tote in case I need but that's it, perhaps some tissue or some small fidget toy but the magic of this bag is that it just works. It's casual, it's comfortable, it's well made and it's not that expensive for what you get and I got it on sale so nothing to complain about. I really enjoy it, it's become part of my rotation so fast. Great little EDC companion.
@@laeonflux 🎯🎯🎯 your summed it up perfectly, all of this is exactly why it’s my most used EDC item!
I just pulled the trigger on the grey version of this. I'm hoping it's big enough to hold an eyeglasses case.
@@andystandys hard case or soft case? I could check I actually have all 3. Soft cleaning cloth type, medium eyeglasses hard shell and larger Oakley hard shell
@@UnPackD I'd be looking to put a hard shell in it. Probably what you'd call medium. (The one that came with my glasses.) Definitely not the big half circle Oakley.
@ it will fit but admittedly will take up most of the main compartment but it’s not tight. You’ll have room for slimmer items. Tomoc recently restocked the 2.5L but only in the black color.
@@UnPackD Okay, good to know - thanks. I'll try it out, and if it's not big enough for me I'll just return it. Gotta love Amazon.
I just bought the gray 3.5L… I hope it can fit a Nintendo Switch Lite like the TomToc Explorer I used to have. I have the Explorer to my mom because she was hit by a car and broke her collarbone on one side a few months ago, still can’t wear her backpack.
I wish the mesh zippered pocket shared the lining “wall” with the front pocket, so irregularly shaped small items were placed away from my body (and easier to see into the mesh while wearing the chest bag), but I guess I’ll wait and see how I configure things when I get the bag in my hands.
Great review, how would it compare with bellroy venture ready sling 1.5 litres
@@nizamialickolli8603 sadly I don’t have the Bellroy 1.5 but I’ve heard that the venture series runs small. I have the Alpaka 1L coming. Need to get me some Bellroy slings.
Nice review Chief
@@kennethwu115 thanks for checking it out! 🫡
They need to bring way more 2.5L on their NA sites/Amazon.
@@effies671 they did a small restock last week or so but only in black. But yeah definitely agree, we need more 2.5L options!
duuuuuude just picked up the T21 in xpac... impressed so far but guess what? im too big for this bag! had to pick up the extension strap >.
@@RSN1748 oh no! Glad you were able to find a solution! What’s your thoughts on the xpac material? I’m using a backpack right now full xpac and I’m kinda wish washy on it lol
@@UnPackD dude im a dumbass. turns out the extension strap doesnt work for the xpac models! dumb!! I'll have to return everything.
I actually like the xpac material and it's crunchiness. what are your thoughts on xpac?
@ ahhh that sucks! I like xpac but not real enthusiastic about how it ages. It starts to dimple (vx21) and the material loses structure over time, especially if you have moving pieces like a roll top
I'm one of those who prefer the 1-inch straps, especially for bags 2L or smaller. It's the most comfortable size for a petite female bag nerd. Even with my bigger capacity slings, I find myself wishing the straps were thinner - at 1.5 inches max. Anyway, for a 1.5L sling - a 2-inch strap will probably look ridiculous and unbalanced. On that note, strap preferences will really depend on the body type.
You’re absolutely right, it all depends on body size, shape and personal preference. I think a 1” strap for this size would’ve been fine, I found that the larger ones like my Packolab samurai, fully loaded the 1” dug into my shoulder. Seemed to have better weight distribution with the 1.5”.
Im glad tomtoc chose to use the nice seatbelt style nylon though, makes it easy to swing the bag from front to back style of carry.
I’m a tall guy at 6’ 2”, on the slimmer end of a medium build, and I actually have a similar experience.
I got into those Peak Design bags and straps… their top-of-the-line Summit strap is like 2” wide and I’ve always felt like it was disproportionately wide for my mirrorless cameras or even the Peak Design Field Pouch. I got the 1” (or maybe it’s 0.75”?) later, and that feels like the right size for a minimalist sling bag (though it slides around on me while riding a bike, driving me crazy).
I think a 2” strap might make sense if you’re carrying the weight of a metal 1L water bottle. But I’m pretty much resigned to giving up a hand to hold water these days (ideas are welcome!).
@ might be to big but check out the Rework Toshi sling, I did a review on it too. Basically it can compress flat when not carrying a lot and it can hold a water bottle. Very versatile sling
five dogs!! 😮
Was 3 but I found 2 stray puppies about 3 months ago 🤦🏽♂️ got attached to them before I could get them adopted. They’re all under 20lbs but it’s still a lot lol.
J en ai un en gris..il est terrible
Interesting, what doesn’t work for you? What would you change? I like hearing people’s opinion about gear, especially if they’ve had a different experience. I learn a lot that why, how people use their gear differently.
@@UnPackD for the moment nothing y want change..y like when the remaining strap don't hang around ( like him ) . y have this small sling when y go alone..and y take another if y go with children and wife.
Y like the 3 compartiments.and the textile. y thing Buy the 3.5l if in the big pocket they put more storage..
Sorry for my english
@@domdragons5943 ah yes same with me. Perfect for me when alone but it’s is small. I use my Samurai Sling when I. Wed more space, it’s close to 4L.
@@UnPackD yes for this y look for a sling bag 3.5l for put a bottle..or a sling like 5.11 lv8 for put a rain jacket..or some foods when y visit a city
@@domdragons5943 I have a video coming in a couple of weeks for a 5L sling. Really cool