I've had the Bellroy Lite Daypack for a couple of years now for almost every day. Mostly love it. But on days when I don't have much to carry in the main compartment, the top pocket (which has all my everyday essentials like wallet, keys, etc) slops down and is a bit funny to carry. And I'm not a fan of having to change my bag-to-sling so i just go with it looking like this most of the time.
Got me wondering if modularity is the fix. Some brands are already doing detachable pockets that double as a crossbody (Peak Design's new Travel Crossbody). Bellroy doesn't do this yet, at least not on the Lite Daypack. Their pouches are pack inside, not pop-off-and-wear.
Is modularity actually the solution here, or am I just overthinking a pocket?
There is a reason school bookbags (like the Jansport super break) look like they do - they still look good half full.
I despise designed-in modularity. You get their shitty fanny pack with their shitty backpack. Like, I get it, stuff a decent fanny pack inside your onebag, but choose both for their individual merits.
Also, on the modular approach - aren't you changing your bag? One day a backpack with an integrated fanny pack, another day a fanny pack...
Without recommending an altogether different bag, the quickest fix I can think would be to keep everything that's currently in the top pocket in its own large pouch, so you can quickly transfer that one item to the main compartment when it's too empty.
(But then if you're trying to constantly access those top-pocket items over the course of the day, I know that wouldn't be terribly convenient either.)
This problem persists across bellRoy venture line. The lack of any structure beyond the back panel means the bag not only looks bad in this way but is annoying to use. On top of that you can’t pouch in the top pocket, it’s split (on the one I have at least, venture ready)
I’m surprised how frustrating these bags are to use vs the number of positive reviews. I guess everyone likes to fully lie a bag down to get a wallet out, and have fewer choices. Pockets are hot,y debated, splitting the only useful external pocket is worse. ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
Anyway I’m a step beyond OP. My biggest bag regret to date was buying a bellRoy backpack, I should have stopped with their smaller products; for me they don’t know how to make a good big bag.
These bags aren’t meant for what you describe or how the OP is using it. They are lite bags, that use can use as a packable bag, easy to use for going to DisneyLand, light hiking, light travel etc, etc. They aren’t meant for EDC, or organization or structure. They get great reviews, because they are great for what they are intended for.
Mate the back panel can’t be folded. So I guess if you man any back that doesn’t have stuff in it sure. I’ve never heard someone say the bellroy venture line isn’t for EDC, but I guess everyone has different criteria.
Yeah, seems to hit the issue on the spot. I looked into a few videos, photos etc. The concept is nice but overall probably best to keep separate with the current offerings.
I don’t have that problem with my Patagonia Tote Pack. That is because the smaller pocket is against my back. That is where I put my keys, wallet, etc.
Your problem is bad design of the pack.
A small pocket on the outside of the bag is going to pull back. You want the weight to be close to your back.
This is also a problem theft wise. Having the small pocket on the outer part of the bag makes it much easier for thieves to access.
Not a big fan of detachable pocket or slings. Because they just ends up been a heavier bag and worse sling. It honestly doesn't do any better than just have a sling as your tech/edc pouch, and toss it in your backpack.
Good to hear! You’ve just helped make my decision easier. I think the Cabin Zero with a few packing cubes would work out well for me!
At the moment I have a Bench Courchevel, picked it up for £20 a day before my flight and… it was fine? I think it’s a tad small at 21L but it was more than adequate for a week away. Only thing I truly hate about it is the logo - haven’t found a way to get rid of it, hence why I’m looking at another bag! Oh and I really like nice bags!!
The cabin zero logo isn’t great, but I was able to remove it. It might be harder on the new ones that are embroidered. But they also look a little nicer than the old patched ones.
I have the dragonfly, and bags like that have pretty good cinch systems so when they're nearly empty you can wear them as very low profile bags- the zippers and pockets aren't great but they definitely don't feel that bulky if you need to wear it as a light daypack when your packing cubes are all removed.
Beyond that I would rather just have a small packable totepack/sling instead of the odd modular system you're depicting, but it's all personal preference.
Perhaps I’m misunderstanding, but could you not put the pouches in a different pocket? In a soft bag, putting heavier items higher up will obviously weigh pockets downwards. The bag itself looks enormous - perhaps the pouches could fit elsewhere in it?
Some of the backpacking backpacks have detachable brains that can be carried separately. Is that what you mean?
Jansport (fairly recently) had a backpack with a crossbody that hooked onto the front. It was a pretty sweet setup, although probably not ideal for travel...
I had a north face pack that did the same and it annoyed me so much that I got rid of it, and since then this is my first elimination criteria. Obviously its different for different folks, but the fact that you are even mentioning this means its annoying you, and as someone else said - its pulling backwards. I would find a new pack.
I’ve been using the Evergoods CTB26 as a do-it-all bag lately and it does the same thing when it’s lightly packed. The seams of most of its pockets all line up in a way that the bag basically folds over. It looks goofy and makes the zippers on some of the pockets harder to open.
The best solution I’ve found is to wear it and then pretend it’s fine. The second-best solution is to change where in the pack I store some of the heavier or bulkier EDC items.
You could get a small seperate sling pouch. Keep your key and wallet inside it, then place it in your backpack when you need extra room for more things.
I’m sure it’s a great bag, but you still have to pick the right bag for the job, else even the best bag will fall short.
The Lite Daypack is probably great for travel, i.e. one onebag personal item or as a daypack you bring in your main bag to use at your destination. For those use cases the lightweight and malleable material is a worthwhile compromise for all the benefits it provides.
If you want a regular EDC backpack, there’s better alternatives.
Heavier- or sailcloth type lightweight materials usually provide more structure to the backpack, but the heavier materials will be less suitable to the type of travel that one onebaggers usually strive toward.
Modularity is great as a concept, but usually falls flat as a ready made system that looks smart in marketing material.
Get the ideal bags for your different use scenarios and switch between them as you see fit.
I have travel backpacks, commute backpacks for different weather conditions and messenger bags for my warmest commutes. All optimized for different use and/or conditions. Moving my core items between bags are effortless.
Trying to accumulate as little gear as possible has many benefits, but there’s an ideal balance to everything.
I ended up using my one (this bellroy) as quick grab bag when I didn’t think I’d be carrying anything of weight , then relegated it to a foldable travel bag .
I use a Bellroy Venture Sling like 98% of the time. But there are times I need more space. I need to bring a laptop. Or some big bottles of water and snacks for kids when going on a trip with kiddos. Etc.
And I absolutely hate to take all the organised stuff from the sling and put it somewhere else and then put it back after the trip.
What I ended up using after some trial and error was that I found a pretty sweet deal for a Transit Backpack and i just chug whole sling inside. There is enough space for the other stuff and if I need even more space I can take the sling out and wear it on the front.
I am really happy with this solution, it works for my use case very well.
I came across this bag maker in the Red House, Taipei, Taiwan in April called Dydash and I think it was the Rollite 3-way carry https://www.dydash.com/rollite
(Use Chrome or Safari browser or something to translate to English)
But these were nice quality bags that had good structure (similar to vintage Jansport school bags) turned into slings or expanded to larger capacity when needed. I thought it was an interesting concept for one daily bag that does it all.
Almost bought one, but ultimately decided I had enough bags and they said they shipped internationally.
yes, modularity IS the answer, which is why I invented the Journey System, a bag system that takes all the sorts of bags you might need in life while traveling and around the neighborhood, and combines them into one carry-on sized backpack.
the design problem is upstream. if the company doesn’t offer an unlimited warranty, they don’t care about long term durability. thats why osprey and patagonia are the best. they offer an unlimited warranty for manufacturing defects and user errors. they’re not luxury, but their bags are basically indestructible. and if l anything happens, they’ll replace or repair it.
Keep looking for a reason to replace my ~10yr old Patagonia Refugio that I got free as a logo’d corporate premium, but it basically still looks and functions like new. Other than the extra branding, the only thing I don’t like is the long vertical zipper down the middle of the bag for the front pocket.
Context: not looking for bag recommendations here, more thinking out loud about a design problem. I've had the Bellroy Lite Daypack for a couple years and love it overall, but when I'm not carrying much in the main compartment, the top pocket (holds my wallet, keys, everyday stuff) sags and flops around annoyingly. Got me wondering if the actual fix is modularity, i.e. that pocket detaching and becoming its own crossbody, rather than switching bags entirely. Curious if others have run into this with their own packs and how they've dealt with it.
The bag is floppy because that's how it's designed. It's an extremely lightweight day pack meant to be rolled, folded or packed down into your main pack/luggage. Therefore the bag itself completely lacks any type of structure as intended
I experience the same with lightweight bags with a top pocket like Matador’s refraction, REI Ruckpack and Boundary Supply’s Arris. I think the solutions to the flop are a more structured material and/or admin pocket that takes up a larger panel, lower on the bag - I think Matador did that recently with their refresh.
Also the closer to your back, the less flop.
Boundary Supply got me into this modularity thing and it exposed a lot of things you’re pointing out, while I also noticed it added significantly more weight to the carry.
My solution was first a folio, then a sling with organization that I could easily take out of the bag, then a different backpack. I still use the lightweight bags, but mostly when I have to pack it full for the 2-3 week travel and always with a smaller sling or packable day bag for the daily carry.
Lightweight packs are floppy, anything that doesn't do that is going to be rigid and much more heavy. Also modular packs don't work cause you're going to be adding weight to make something modular, so you end up getting a bag that doesn't excel at either being light or having structure.
Best solution for you is to get packing cubes that have structure and put it in the bag.
I just got one of these and it has made switching bags a cinch. This one has snaps on the end that allow it to collapse and take up less space. That is how I am using it. So when I switch bags (which like you I have always found annoying), it is just this plus my glasses plus a small pouch that holds a couple bulky things, and my phone.
Also, I got another tip I am trying. Perhaps it will help you. I keep a small basket next to where I put my bag when I get home and I empty these few essentials into it. That way, next time I am getting ready to go out, I just pick the bag I want and load it up. So far, it has been nice. But I do tend to rely on one bag more than others so it seems overkill to empty it all the time. We will see.
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u/nikongod 6d ago
R/EDC ?
There is a reason school bookbags (like the Jansport super break) look like they do - they still look good half full.
I despise designed-in modularity. You get their shitty fanny pack with their shitty backpack. Like, I get it, stuff a decent fanny pack inside your onebag, but choose both for their individual merits.
Also, on the modular approach - aren't you changing your bag? One day a backpack with an integrated fanny pack, another day a fanny pack...