BOgear Custom Sindrome-Full Review

I posted my out of the box review of my new BOgear Custom Sindrome bag.  Well I am now moving on to my full on review.  I have had this bag about two-three months now and have used it daily.  Both commuting by scooter and car.  I have not used it on a bike yet, but I can tell right off the bat, the one handed strap adjustment will work great while riding.

I will be reviewing the Sindrome and comparing it to a few other bags.  Such as the Chrome Metropolis bag (the closest in spec to the Sindrome), my R.E. Load Custom Deluxe Pro Messenger bag, my very old, very loved and VERY used Timbuk2 bag and a Mission Workshop The Rummy.  For the record I do not own The Rummy, but I have been over one in person several times, and was close to purchasing one.  Please also reference my review from 2009 comparing my Chrome, R.E. Load and Timbuk2 bags.  

Now, lets get into this.   I have been using my Chrome Metro for years.  This thing is tough, and is still holding up and looking great, but it had been some time sense I purchased a new bag.  And with the bag addiction I have, this dry spell seemed like decades.  So I took on the argues task of looking for a new bag.  I hit up the heavy hitters, Chrome, R.E. Load, Seagull, Bagaboo, P.A.C, Mission Workshop.  I also hit up some lesser known companies, Blicks Bags, Trash Bags, Anchor, Burro... the list goes on and on.  All companies I have either heard of before, or currently own a bag from.  Most of which I either still didn't like, or companies that got bigger and now offer a lot less features and services.  I am looking at you Seagull Bags.  I was hoping to find something new and awesome, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen.  So I had pretty much narrowed it down to Bagaboo (been wanting one for years), Blicks Bags or Mission Workshop.  Seeing as I had my Chrome for years and it has served me well, it came down to a fight between the Bagaboo and Mission Workshop.  

While taking a stroll through some old bike forums I use to frequent, I found a post from a distressed cyclist.  Wanting a bag, but not finding anyone who had what he was looking for.  There was a reply from a guy named Dave from Brisbane Outdoor Gear.  Having never heard of them before, I took to Google, and stumbled upon the BOgear website.  Days of looking turned into over a week of looking.  My mind was almost made up.  But I had questions, and lots of them.  So I sent one email that turned into an email stream that is still going on.

Dave emailed me back later that night (Australia is 14 hours ahead of Eastern US).  Dave answered every one of my questions, and that only led to more questions.  Let me just say, Dave is a great guy. He is a man I never met, that lives halfway around the globe.  Yet he put up with my crazy questions and helped me to build the bag I have been wanting for years.  He took my out of the box feed back, and was very thankful I gave it to him.  It helps his business grow to learn what consumers want.  OK, into the review.

The Strap

BO Gear

The most important part of the bag is the strap.  And Dave's strap design is amazing.  Probably the most well thought out design I have ever used.  NAY, not probably, DEFIANTLY the best, most thought out strap design I have ever used.  Chrome offers a great strap as well.  

Chrome

Super comfortable and fairly adjustable.  But Chrome has nothing on BOgear.  Please take a look at this video, and Dave will explain to you just how adjustable his design is

Now I know what you are saying.  The strap is only held on by two 1-inch pieces of webbing!  Nope, the strap is actually sewn into the back of the bag unlike the Chrome, R.E. Load and Mission Workshop straps that are sewn into the sides of the bag.  If you have ever ridden a bike or motorbike with a messenger style bag, you know how uncomfortable it is when you have a large load.  Dave figured this out and it works amazingly.  

Strap Adjustability

BO Gear

Chrome

For one-handed use both the BOgear Sindrome and the Chrome Metro hold their own.  Both are made with seat belt type webbing, so it is super easy to grab the tailing end and pull tight against your body.  Where BOgear stands out here is the addition of a 1-inch webbing strip sewn onto the main strap webbing.  
 

BO Gear

This strip of added a little bit of rigidity and is also the strips that are used for both the hip and should strap adjusting.   

The BOgear strap also slides a little more easily than the Chrome strap.  I tend to have to walk the Chrome strap a little to get it just right.  But that could also be that my Chrome bag has over 6 years of use and a lot of travel on it.  What do I mean by walking the strap, well watch this other video by Dave.  He not only tells you what walking the strap up is, but he talks about his strap design a little more.

Done watching yet? No.  OK, I'll wait.....  OK, hello again.  So you saw a little more on Dave's strap.  Then we will continue our talk on straps.  Another thing I noticed about is that the BOgear strap loosens much easier.  The D-ring used to loosen the strap works much better than the Chrome buckle set up.  The only thing I have to say bad about the D ring is that it is nylon (or some polymer).  Most others are metal, but seeing as most clips are nylon (or some polymer) these days and hold up for years, I don't really worry about failure.

How the other compare:  

R.E. Load

The R.E. Load strap fails at this terribly.  I know they offer a new strap these days, but when I purchased mine, they only had one.  R.E. Load is a very thick strap that takes two hands to adjust and it is difficult even using two hands.  R.E. Load utilizes two metal D-rings, one to loosen, one to tighten.  

R.E. Load

They do not work.  Even after years of use, mine is still super stiff and drops to the back of the pack here.  As for Timbuk2, they use a quick release plastic buckle that is easy to use, but also requires two hands to adjust.  But still much easier than R.E. Load.  So as far as these two go, there is not one-handed adjust ability and the R.E. Load does not even compare to the BOgear bag. 

For Mission Workshop, they are fairly easy to adjust, but I find the strap to be “flimsy.”  It can be easily removed for either right or left shoulder carry.   This seems like a weak point in the design though, as the strap seems like it can slip out of the metal clips on accident.  My cousin has not had any problems with this happening, but I did not like the design, and that was one of the original things that was pushing me more toward Bagaboo. 

 

Quick release

Chrome

BO Gear

You were wondering if I was going to talk about the Chrome seat belt buckle.  Well I am.  I like it, a lot of people like/love it.  The reason being.... it is a novelty!  Yes I fell for it.  And yes, it is very useful, but a big chunk of metal in the face is not useful at all.  And yes, you will hit yourself in the face with it from time to time.  AND someone will think it is funny to press the seat belt buckle, effectively dropping your bag to the ground.  Hope you didn't have you camera in there.  Good news is, BOgear uses a quick release and it is not a deadly mace flying at your face!  BOgears is a heavy-duty nylon buckle.  It works great, isn't an open invitation for your friends to smash your belongings and I bet won't be nearly as cold to touch with bare hands in the dead of winter!  R.E. Load, Timbuk2 and Mission Workshop all lack quick release on their straps.  I don't use it all the time, but it is very useful to have when your bag is really full, or you are bundled up in several layers trying to keep out the bitter cold. 

Stabilizer Strap

All these bags feature a stabilizer strap.  All work well.  But they are not all the same.

One thing that stands out with both BOgear and Chrome is they have a system in place to hold the stabilizer strap when not in use.  If you are off the bike, motorcycle, scooter, or what ever your mode of transport is and you are walking around that strap can be a hazard if not being used.  Sure you can tuck it under the main strap, tuck it to something on your bag and hope it stays.  Or roll the dice and hope you don't get caught on something.  Go head, take your chances.... it won't be long before you are dangling on something, tearing your bag, pulling something over, or just stuck to something.  But why take that chance!

Both Chrome and BOgear figured this out and also stand out because of it.  But one is far better than the other.  Can you guess who?  You're correct BOgear.   Chrome uses and additional female clip sewn into the bottom front of the bag.  The clip does allow one-handed access to unclip on the go, if you were to say hop back on two wheels and forget to unclip it.  But it can be awkward and really hard to do with gloves on.  Where as BOgear has perfected this by sewing some loop onto the end of the strap.  This allows you to just attach the stabilizer strap to the hook used to hold down the main flap.  You can very easily grab this and pull it free one handed on the go.  No struggling to unclip it, with or without gloves.  

Secondary Strap

The icing on the cake for BOgear strap above all others I own... the duel strap!  Sure a few others make this.  Both Bagaboo and P.A.C. have been doing it for years.  But neither have the features that BOgear offers.  Now normally BOgear just leaves the male end of the second strap unattached on one end.  Dave informed me people just tuck the end under the blinky light loop on the flap.  I had sent him a picture of how Bagaboo uses an additional female clip to secure it to the strap.  Dave said "No problem" and tossed it on the bag FOR FREE!  Remember when I said he was a great guy. 

Because of the secondary strap being secured to the flap, it also allows it to act as a handle.  I use it as such when I take my car to work.  I normally pinch the top of the bag to move it over to my passenger seat.  This works fine when the bag is light or almost empty, but when it is full, the pinch...does not work so well.  The second strap doubling over as a handle is amazing.  And I found this out totally on accident.  I happen to notice I just instinctively grabbed it this way.  I conveyed this to Dave, and he liked the idea. 

 

Padding

This one is quick.  R.E. Load, has some, not enough.  Timbuk2, mine came with none.  Yup none at all.  Both Chrome and BOgear take this category.   BUT the BOgear pad is removable to wash when it gets to that point.  Chrome is not.  So for comfort as far as padding, they defiantly tie.  For over all ingenuity of the way the padding is implemented BOgear wins. 

OK, I think I have really covered the strap.  SO.  How does the strap on my BOgear Sindrome stack up to the big boys.  If it wasn't clear already, it is my favorite.  It blows R.E. Load, Timbuk2 and Mission Workshop out of the water.  By far.  I mean really, they don't stand a chance.  The Chrome Metro comes in close, but still takes second place here.  I mean Dave really thought this out.  The strap is the most important part of the bag.  Really, I'm not joking now.  You can have the best features, pockets, flap design.  But if you don't want to put it on because the strap sucks, it is a fail.  The whole bag is a fail.  So BOgear wins, and they win big.  

As far as grade level goes BOgear A++ (yes they get an extra plus, they deserve it), Chrome B (good design, but can be better), Timbuk2 C.  Mission Workshop is also a C and R.E. Load F (I am not happy with this strap at all).  So yes, BOgear defiantly beats these big boys. 

Shell  and Liner

The over all flap coverage design of each bag is great, excluding my Timbuk2.  They all have over sized flaps to cover and "wrap" over the sides of the bag.  This prevents water from coming into the bag.  My Timbuk2 does not have this.  They hopefully have changes this sense I bought mine around 1999-2000. Moving past how they keep water out and into how they function.

BOgear doesn't offer custom Applique like R.E. Load or Seagull, but I am not sure that isn't something they do if you ask.  I wasn't looking for this anyway, as I am very into patches these days.  And this is where BOgear really works for me.  

The BOgear Sindrome features a three-piece sew in liner.  This is the 1000D shell, recycled billboard material to make the waterproof liner and finally a 300D interior liner.  All of this is sewn together to create a waterproof bag with a fixed liner.  But some people, such as myself like to add custom flair to personalize their bags without going crazy with expensive custom appliqué.  The Sindrome, as well as other BOgear bags, come with a $5 upgrade to add a loop section to the bags flap to allow you to attach patches.  They also offer the service of sewing your patches to the bag, or sewing hook onto your patches if you send them to their HQ.  I like to switch it up, and am more than capable of attaching my own hook so I just added the strip to the flap. 

This is a great feature as it allows you to easily swap out patches as you get new ones.  The one qualm I have is that the blinky light loops are sewn into the hook strip.  I spoke to Dave about this, and did a mock up of the strip being just above the loops.  This will allow more room to attach patches without the loops being in the way.  I am not sure if that is a change he will make, but it was part of my out of the box review. 

As far as colors go, BOgear offers a ton, and a ton of options.  You can customize your exterior color, interior color, webbing and bartack (this is the stitching on the webbing of the bag).  Dave went as far to send me photos of the colors I was thinking about so I could see how they would actually look together.  Not some computer generated model on a web site, he took real photos and sent them to me.  So I could see the actual colors, not the way a computer takes a color code and thinks it should look.  How awesome is that. 

How the others stack up:

R.E. Load also offers an attached liner, but a two-piece design.  Constructed of 1000D exterior shell and a truck tarp liner.  Now as you can see my R.E. Load has a custom Applique on it.  That is because A) I wanted it and B) if I wanted to personalize my bag, this was the only option.  I could have sat there and painstakingly sewn only through the top layer of Corudra, but that would have taken forever and there is always the risk of poking through the waterproof truck tarp.  So unless you want to pony up some big buck, here is another area where BOgear stands out from R.E. Load.   R.E. Load much like BOgear offers custom colors to be added to your bag.  You can make the flap and body different colors for an upcharge.  But this is where the computer-generated model comes in.  So you do get an idea of what it will look like, but not images of the actual fabric.  

Chrome features a two-piece floating liner.  This means the 1000D shell and the truck tarp are only sewn together on the end of the flap.  You can see my Chrome bag has patches sewn onto the flap.  Why?  Because it is possible.  The floating liner allowed me to get behind to the Cordura and sew on patches without going through the waterproof liner.  BUT is not easy to get under with a needle and thread.  It is quite a pain in the behind actually, and it also makes sewing takes forever.  AND I just took all the patches off my Chrome bag and had to re sew them on because I added more and the original layout didn't work anymore.  Now Chrome also offers some custom colors, but way back when they did not.  They always had a ton of colors to chose from, but you had to go to bike shops to find them.  They never offered a lot on their site.  Being in North Eastern PA, there are no bike messengers within 2 hours of me, therefor at the time no one carried Chrome.  So I had no chance to get a cool color bag, unless I traveled.  And I did buy mine in Portland, OR on a trip.  

Timbuk2 features a two-piece system like R.E. Load, but they allow you to customize three shell panel sections.  It’s pretty cool feature.  They did this way back in the day, but offered much less options.  Still this design presents the problem of adding personalized touches.  But it is much cheaper to make the bag yours with out breaking the bank with custom art work. 

Mission Workshop…. Same two layer fixed design.  Offered only in limited colors, and the only personalization is the choice between seven buckle colors.  It does have a unique rolltop/flap design.  That allows the bag to be expandable in size.  But that is not enough to compete with BOgear.   So this drops to the bottom.  

So I will say this is a tie between BOgear and Chrome as far as the flap and liner go.  BOgear is so much easier to put patches on, but I have less space to work with.  Chrome offers me the entire flap to put patches on, but is a pain to sew them on.  You can also use the floating liner as a division between clean and dirty clothing or dry and wet clothing.  

In the end, both BOgear and Chrome get an A+. R.E. Load and Timbuk2 get a B for still being customizable, but only as far as you can get from the company or with a lot of extra money for custom appliqué.  Mission Workshop takes a B-  They have a great shell, and the rolltop/ flap design is great (and that is what kept the grade in the B’s), but other than changing the color of the metal buckle, it is essentially a Chrome bag, that isn’t as functional

The Insides Pockets and Such

The Sindrome features two pockets on the inside front of the bag.  They expand slightly into the bag when you stuff your gear in there.  This is a great feature.  Without the the little bit of give, you would not be able to fit at much stuff, or oddly shaped items in these pockets.  They are great for a tool kit, your breakfast/lunch and cough drops when you’re sick (yes I am sick), etc.  They span the width of the front of the bag and both pockets are the same size.   They lay nice and flat when not in use, allowing you to really use the whole inside dimensions of the bag if needed. 

You can also choose the color of you interior liner.  I went with light grey (don't mind the coffee stains.  I use this bag every day).  I recommend going with a light color or a bright color.  Yes it will get dirty quicker, but it makes it a lot easier to see and find smaller items in the bag.  Especially when it’s a little dark outside.  And who cares if it gets a little dirty, this thing is meant to me used.  Hell BOgear wants you to dirtify your gear!  They have a dirtification guarantee!  So do it!  Dirtify your bag!

How the Others Stack Up

Chrome, no divider pockets or organizers in the main pouch. BUT, there are two sleeves on either side of the bag.  They are technically inside the bag, but are in between the outer Cordura shell and the inner truck tarp.  They work great for a drink, or tool kit.  If the drink were to spill, it would not be inside the waterproof liner so your gear would remain dry.  See what I mean about the light interior.  Can't sere much in the black hole there. 

The R.E.Load has an organization pocket on the inside of the bag. 

This is probably the only area where R.E. Load stands out.  It has the best internal compartments.  BUT, it does lack a zipper pocket.  I like the zipper pocket for those few things you defiantly CAN'T lose. All our other bags feature at lease one zipper pocket to keep those good bits secure.  My R.E. Load bag also features an upgraded rear pocket.  It was an up-charge, and honestly not worth it.  If I had a do-over I would not bother spending the extra coin to get it.  I rarely use it and it isn't useful for much other than some folders or magazines.  Although R.E. Load stands out for their interior organization here, BO Gear Crushes them by having all this and more on the outside! 

Timbuk2 at the time had a large zipper interior pouch.  A few pen slots.  An ID holder.  BUT!  Came with one feature none of the other bags came standard with.  A KEY CLIP!  And I forgot to take a picture of it.  That is all there really is to say about Timbuk2 here.

The Outside Pockets and Such!  

Other than the strap, these features really set these bags apart.  The Sindrome has standard a nice large pocket that opens away from the bag.  This pocket also has it's own flap covering it to secure items inside.  Under this smaller second flap there is also a shallow pocket that allows easy access to smaller items such as wallets, phones, keys, etc.  This pocket is really nice because it is shallow enough to not swallow your belongings, but deep enough to not fear them falling out.  I currently keep a small notebook/journal in there.  Super easy to grab if I need to jot something down, or by chance inspiration hits and the words to my next #1 hit single pop into my head.  On the outside of this pocket, still covers by the flap, are pen slots as well as a small slit pocket.  I personally have some Sharpie's and pens in the slots and I use the smaller pocket to keep my work ID badge in.  This is the perfect place for me to keep it, as it is really accessible, is not much wider than my badge and I can clip my badge in so I don't lose it.  There is also a slot for a D-Lock and webbing to hold the lock in.  For an additional $5 Dave will add a zipper to this slot making it a full on pocket!  I obviously went with the zipper.  This pocket runs the length of the laptop pocket and can still be used to hold a D-Lock if you choose.  There are also two rows of MOLLE webbing on the pocket flap that allows for any number of things!  Right now I have some carabiners and some keys for work attached here.  But the possibilities are endless!  

In addition to the MOLLE webbing on the pocket flap, I also did an upgrade to add MOLLE webbing to the sides of the bag.  This makes this bag almost limitless as to what you can attach to it.  I have a Condor MA16 on one side.  This allows me to further expand what I can carry and how I organize my bag.  Another A+ for BOgear.  

The Sindrome in comparison to the others:  

The Metro has one slit pocket that is not pleated and does not really open away from the bag.  It is great for small flat items such as envelopes, a pocket planner and a check book.  It is just large enough to put in an 8" tablet, but add a cover to the tablet and it might be tight.  The Metro also features a very small zipper pocket, that is not good for much.  I kept a jump drive, my checkbook and some ear buds in it.  Not much else would fit.  The Metro also has a few pen slits and a small slit pocket much like the Sindrome, but these are much smaller and anything other than some stickers and my ID badge would not fit into this slit pocket.  No custom options were available at the time I bought my bag.  Though now you can customize the color options through the website.  I give a B-

The R.E. Load:  At the time I ordered my custom bag, there were plenty of options, just not as many as they have now.  I pretty much was faced with single or double exterior pockets, I chose double for more organizations,  the interior pocket organizer, which we spoke about already and compression straps.  They had things such as strap extenders, and reflective tails, but they didn't have the bottle pocket and rear inside pocket like they do now.  They offered a hook/loop closer rear pocket (and I upgraded to it) but it can be cumbersome and hard to get the hook/loop to close flat again.  As far as pockets and organization go, this bag has minimal.  Yes I bought the "pro messenger series"bag, but none of their bags at the time I good organization to them.  "Pro messenger series" was referring more to the bag size, than the features.  But they do offer better features now.  The internal organizer works OK, but the larger two outside pockets don't offer enough.  They are two large cavities to toss stuff in.  Each had a flap closer. I did find myself really looking through these pockets to find things.  I feel even a pro messenger would not like this set up.  Their jobs are based on time.  And when it takes time to find something they lose money.  There was also not exterior pen slots.  There are some on the inside of the bag, but this is an up charge.  A pro would need to have a pen handy to get a signature.  As far as the pockets and such go for R.E. Load, I give them a C.

Timbuk2....well there isn't much to say.  I honestly didn't know better back then.  Heck most of the companies out there now, where not around when I got this bag.  This is a very minimalist messenger bag.

Customization Options 

With BOgear it seems like your imagination is the limit.  Dave is a whiz at this whole creativity thing.  Sense I received my bag, I have been fallowing BOgear in FaceBook and some amazing things have been flying out their doors.  So really, if you don't see the options you are looking for listed, shoot them an email.  I am sure it can be done.  

Chrome now allows you to select your own color options.  As far as awesome customness, you will have to go to the very close Mission Workshop.  Same guys who started Chrome, just their new company after they sold Chrome.  There isn't much Custom you can do to the bags, but some models they make add on pouches and such.  I beleive these are mostly for the backpack models.  

R.E. Load has the second best options for customization.  And they will also work with you to add a few exra's to your bag.  But is seems very pricy to do such.  Very pricy.

Customer Service

Bar none the best customer service I have experiences from any product or service in my life had come from Dave at BOgear.  He answered everyone of my questions, even when the answered shot more questions his way.  He went above and beyond to add little features to my bag he didn't do.  He took my out of the box review, and picked my brain a little more about my comments to better understand what people want/need out of the awesome products he made.  He offered to make me a custom Love Handle to use as a bottle holder.  He even sent me some stickers and patches after I had already received my bag.  I really can't say enough about the help he gave me in building what is practically the perfect bag.  If you gave any questions at all about a BOgear product, shoot them an email.  Just remember, Australia is 14 hour ahead of the the US (EST). 

How the Others Stack Up

I bought my Chrome bag at a bike shop in Portland around 2008.  But I have bought from their website a few times.  I did return a bag to them once and that was a very easy process, but I never really delt with their customer service.  At the time I got my bag, they did not have custom color options, so I don't know how they are with custom orders.  

R.E. Load was pretty good with customer service as well.  They did call me after I placed my order to confirm the artwork I submitted. Had I not gotten custom applique, I am not sure I would h have gotten a call.  But all in all they were courteous on the phone to me.  I have no complaints about them. 

Timbuk2.  I bought this online 10000 years ago, I honestly cannot remeber what my buying experience was like.  But with just choosing three colors and the order they came on the bag, I don't think there was any need to converse with a person.  

SO BOgear again gets and A++.  Not only for having the best customer service out of each of these bags, but out of every one, in the world, EVER.  I'll give both Chrome and R.E. Load a B.  The guy at the bike shop was nice, and it was easy to return a laptop bag to Chrome.  I will go ahead and give Timbuk2 a Satisfactory. 

In conclusion...

My BOGear Sindrome is by far the best of the bunch. I really love this bag.  From stumbling upon the company, to getting my bag in the mail.  It has been a great experience. I got the bag I wanted, the bag I have wanted for years.  I have tried to make my own bags in the past.  I even made a few test shells I really liked, but I never got the strap right.  And as I have raved about above, Dave nailed it! 

This bag all around beats out the companies that have been around much longer.  If you are like me and wanted more out of your bag, or something different than you see on everyone else, BOgear is your stop on the train.  There are plenty of other bags they make.  Not only messenger style, but backpacks and duffles as well.  Heck I hope to replace my Kelty bag with a BOgear Spare Camel before summer. 

I might not be a bike messenger, but I sure use these bags hard.  And I feel the BOgear Sindrome is up to the task to be used daily over the next few years.  My Sindrome has been tossed around both at home and on the go.  I will be logging some travel miles with it come this spring.  Looks like a plane ride to Nevada, then a car ride to Arizona is in the works.  So some desert air and possibly some camping is in my Sindromes future.  I have NO doubts this bag will preform.  

Bag Specs

Here are the specs (or as close as I can get them).  We will start off with the bag being reviewed, the Sindrome

The Sindrome is made in Australia.  The bag is 32.5L or about 2000cu inches.  IT features an outer 1000D Cordura® shell.   Cordura® is a highly abrasion resistant material, which will hold up to daily use for multiple years.  A middle layer of reclaimed PVC billboard or truck tarp.  And lastly an internal liner of 300D weatherproof polyester, designed to protect the middle layer and stop things from snagging while grabbing on the go.  Specs taken from the BOgear website.  The Sindrome is waterproof, as far as messenger bags go.  And yes,  I tested this out myself. 

Moving on to the Chrome Metro.  MY bag is made in the USA in San Francisco.  This bag is also right around 32L or 2000cu inches.  And features a 1000D Cordura® Brand fabric.  Here is our main constructions difference, the Chrome bag features a floating truck tarp liner as seen above.  The liner is sewn into the bag flap and secured into the body with hook and loop on the front of the bag.  Also waterproof as far as messenger bags go.  This was also tested out on many an occasion by myself with this bag. 

Now the R.E. Load bag.  Also made in the USA, mine was constructed in Philadelphia PA.  It comes in in at a whopping 46.7L or 2850cu inches.  Again featuring a 1000D Cordura® Brand fabric.  The liner is an 18 oz vinyl-coated nylon.  Also waterproof as far as messenger bags go.  An again tested out by yours truly. 

I believe my Timbuk2 is now what they call their Classic Messenger bag in size large.  Mine was made in the USA, but I didn't look through their website enough to see if they are still US made or not.  It comes in at 28L or 1709 cu inches.  My outer layer is denier nylon, but I do not think it is 1000D.  They are currently making their liners with TPU, which is thinner and more pliable.  I believe this is the same liner that my bag sports.  I will say the construction is waterproof, buy my bag is not.  The flap is not over sized, allowing water to get into the bag from the sides.  And with the bag being more pliable (spelling?), the flap tends to fall where gravity pulls it.  Rather than stay firmly in place like all the other bags. 

Onto Mission Workshop.  Also made in the US in San Fran.  The bag I was most interested in, and closest to the Sindrome is the Rummy.  It comes in at 27L or 1650cu inches.  This is a little small for my taste, but the bag features a unique rolltop design in the messenger bag.  This allows it to be expandable.   I am not seeing the specs on their website, but I believe the outer shell to be 1000D and the interior to be truck tarp.  Seeing as these are made by the masterminds behind Chrome, you can see why they are very similar.  Per my cousin, this bag is waterproof.  He commutes via motorcycle to work and has been caught in the rain many times.  His Microsoft Surface has always stayed safe, sound and dry.  I believe the seams are heat sealed, creating an actual water resistance barrier. 

That is all, carry on.

Zombies, and How They Die

So I am a big fan of The Walking Dead.  Both the comics and the TV show.  In addition I have always been interested in horror flicks, specifically zombie flicks.  So after years of watching movies and TV shows reading books and comics we are all experts on not only zombies, but how to kill them and protect yourself.

Whether they are slow moving like many on the hit TV series The Walking Dead, or fast and violent like in 28 Days later (both have a very similar opening hospital scenes), we just need to crush their skull a bit or shoot them in the head and they are done.  Right?  Why?  Some versions of this zombie tale are more detailed on how to kill them like the 2004 remake of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead "Just shoot them in the head! They seem to go down permanently when you shoot them in the head. Then you gotta burn them."  Or more recently the "Double Tap" as mentioned in Zombie land.  But is that all it takes?

One bullet to the brain and a zombie is put down permanently?  Yes the brain is the motor center to the body.  It tells us to eat, sleep, seek shelter, how to walk, talk, stand on one foot.  Destroy that and all that goes out the window.  But that is for people.  Zombies are no longer people.  If all other organs stop working why would the brain continue to work?  In this mythological land of zombies, why can't it be the heart that urges them to eat flesh?  OK OK.  I am don't really think in the event of a zombie apocalypses that their hearts will tell them to eat people.  I do think it will be something to do with the brain.  But what about the brain?

I don't think it would be one .22 round to the brain to stop them.  The brain isn't just one clump of "stuff."  It is sections or areas that operate different areas of the body.  So if you shoot or in anyway harm one area of the brain, who is to say that a zombie will be killed?  What area of the brain moves a zombie?  Do we need to destroy the whole thing, like a few scenes from the past few episodes of The Walking Dead and Z Nation, when a shotgun blast took the whole head off?  Does one stick of a blade in the ear prevent a desist human from turning?  Do you need to burn the bodies?

Hell I think it is a mix.  I don't think one shot, or one stab will do it.  I go with the "Double Tap"  then destroy the brain stem (cause if the brain is still sending messages to the body, it can't do that when the motor way has been shut down), and finally burn them.  If there is nothing left to come after you, then they can't come after you.

I don't even want to get into that, are well all infected area right now!  There is to much to swallow and think about with this whole brain matter (get the pun) at hand.

OK OK, this is all fiction.  We will never know what it takes to actually kill a zombie or reanimated corpse.  It is all for entertainment.....or is it...

That is all, carry on. 

Out of the Box Review of a Custom BOgear Sindrome Messanger Bag

So not to long ago I was on the hunt for a new messenger bag.   If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may have remembered a few years ago I did a review on a few messenger bags I had gotten.  Well I haven't gotten a new bag sense that time (And seeing as I am kind of addicted to bags, I am surprised it's been years sense I got a new one).  My Chrome bag is still in great shape, and I have lugged it all over this country and then some.  But I had a hankering for something new.  I had been looking at Bagaboo Bags from Hungry for years, and was ready to pull the trigger on one (still might one day), but I wanted to do my due diligents first.  I wanted to see if anything new was out there for me sense I hadn't got a new bag in years.  I started by hitting the big boys up, Chrome, R.E. Load, Seagul, Bagaboo, Mission Workshop (Founders of Chrome stared Mission Workshop a few years after they sold Chrome), PAC, Timbuk2... the list goes on and on.  I was pretty disappointed in many of these companies as they don't offer nearly the customization they had in the past. 

Seagull Bags were a particular disappointment for me.  They are from Ohio, and me being from PA I felt some kind of East Coast connection to them.  WHAT ABOUT R.E. LOAD!? You say.  Well, I have a R.E. Load bag already.  It was very expensive and not at all what I thought it would be.  Back to Seagull.  They use to offer plenty of options and would work with you to create something new if you needed it.   Now you can pretty much choose your colors.  If you contact them, they will probably work with you, but there are no upgrades listed on their site like they did in the past. 

My cousin has a Mission Workshop bag and has had it for about a year now.  I checked his bag out a few times, and really liked parts of the bag, and disliked others.  I had it narrowed down to Mission Workshop and Bagaboo, UNTIL!I stumbled upon BOgear!  And I am very glad I did. 

I was making my way through some bike forums and found an old post by Dave from BOgear.   He was telling someone asking about bags that he could make him what he was looking for.  So I went and Googled BOgear and BAM! I liked what I saw.  I checked out their page, scooped out every video BOgear had on YouTube, I began reading their blog and checking out their features. After a few days I had figured out what I wanted from their features and what I wanted myself out of a bag.  Then it began... The emailing back and forth.

So I shot over about 10000 questions and a day later (Australia is 14 hours ahead of me in the East Coast of the US).  A day alter Dave emailed me back and answered every one of my questions.  Which only lead to another 10000 questions.  Dave again replied to me and answered every thing I shot at him.  After about a week and a half of emailing back and forth Dave helped me to get the perfect bag.  Dave added some features to my bag that I was looking for and he didn't offer, and pointed me in the direction of some other features I didn't even think about. 

All in all this was an amazing experience.  Dave has, by far, the best customer service I have ever experienced in a company.  Big or small.  He always replies to my emails, even now that I have bought and received my bag.  I shot him an email after about a week or two of out of the box use.   I am including me email, as well as Dave's response to my email.  I am just copy and pasting, so this will be word for word of our conversation after I got my bag and used it for a short time.


Hey Dave,
I just wanted to give you some out of the box feedback on my bag so far.  I have 4 things to touch on quickly.  First off, and this is my fault and something I always look for in a bag.  I can't believe I forgot to ask you about this.  An attached key ring sewn into the bag.  I have been sewing them into my bags for over 10 years, and I bought one from you, so this is a simple fix for me.  I am including a photo of where I am going to attach mine for reference.  This can be a simple up charge for you, if you were to offer it, and can be sewn in under the bags pipping to hid the seam.  For me is is necessary as I am a corporate videographer and have keys to photo/video studios at two separate buildings.  I don't like to keep the clutter on my key chain, so I always leave my keys hooked into my bag (that I always have with me) so I have them handy when needed and don't forget them at home or need to go searching through my bag to ind them.

 (The photos I attached to the email to demonstrate what I was talking about)

Secondly is the strip of loop for the patches to attach to.  I would attach that on the flap just above the light loops.  As it allow more room for attaching patches.  I have also included two photos to illustrate my point.  I can fit two patches on fully right now (more if I get slim patches to circular patches to add on.  And I do have plenty I am going to sew hook backing onto so I can switch them out).  If you look at a standard 3" flag patch on the end that I used, it over laps the webbing for the light.  Not a big issue, or really an issue at all for me, as I can always cover the webbing up with a larger patch and pull the patch if I need to attach something to the webbing.  It's just something to look into.

 

 

Now the next two are praise!  I promise.  I'll start with the D-Lock zipper I had added in.  I was about to put a bit of paracord on the pull to make it easier to use, then I realized, this is almost invisible!  Which I love!  I generally keep my check book with me, because I usually pay my bills while at work.  And it is perfectly secure and hidden in there!  This is awesome!  Thanks for this pocket!

 

(no photo added because he knew what I was talking about)

And lastly is the second strap.  As it got cold this week I have taken my car a to work the past few days and find myself tossing my bag on my passenger seat.  I normally pinch the top of the bag and put it on the seat.  Yesterday and today I noticed myself grabbing under the second strap as a handle to make it easier to grab the bag.  I have a touch of arthritics in my right fingers and this makes it much easier for me to grab.  I never even thought about the usefulness of a handle on the top of a messenger bag.  Now I love this bag even more.  With the extra clip you added to secure the strap to the flap for me, I feel confident grabbing my bag here without the strap flying up.  I will also include a photo of this for you to see.  

I don't want to sound like I am complaining about any aspects of my bag, especially after only a few days use on it, because I really couldn't be happier.  The key ring (again my fault or not asking about this earlier) and the loop section on the flap comments are merely meant as some things for you too consider in the future to offer and possibly modify.  Sewing in a key ring can net you a few extra bucks as an add on to your bags.  My placement might not be ideal, and you may have a better idea.  But for me this is good spot to keep my keys handy, and I can sew into the bag without going threw any liners.  I am also working on a webbing sleeve for my coffee thermos that will work with the side webbing.  I hope to have that done this weekend (if not tonight).  

Again, I can't thank you enough for your help and patience with my relentless questions.


Daves reply to me (He took about 2 days to reply, but again with the 14 hour time difference it was more like one day.   I will add my responses to his questions in red.)

Jeff,

Apologies for taking so long to get back to you. I've been swamped yet again, which is a nice feeling! Good news is I have just sent you a little care package. Should arrive within the next 7 - 10 business days. Enjoy!

Now, BIG BIG thanks for that feedback. Truly do appreciate it! Feedback is our life blood and keeps us getting better, so thank you for taking the time to be so detailed.

1. Keyring

I know exactly what you mean, and what you are trying to achieve. I think this is something we are going to have to offer standard. Do you feel that a "keyring" alone would be enough, or would a mini-clip work better? Just trying to see what people would use most. Me personally it would be a keyring, but if you need to remove the keys from the bag a clip might be best.

 

I also personally prefer a standard keyring or a D ring.  I don't like the clips because I use small carabiner's on just about all my keys.  As an example, the photo I sent last time are my photo studio keys that are always in my bag.  A carabiner with a clip is very bulky.  Also I find the plastic clips to break over time with a lot of use, and the metal ones seem to eat up a bag over time.  I see how they can be handy though for those not utilizing a carabiner or something similar on their key ring.  You could always offer it as an option for people to choose, or possibly a nominal up charge for use a clip, as they will cost a little more for you to purchase over standard key rings or D rings.  I also think it is really cool you are thinking about making it standard, as most companies charge a ridiculous up charge for it.  And they normally use the plastic clips which I don't like.  Or better yet!  you can do a standard key ring and toss a small carabiner on it.  You can purchase those in bulk for a similar price as plastic clips and I think they will be just as reliable as the plastic clip.  Best of both worlds and adds more options for the end user of the product.  But if that isn't an option, standard keyring is my vote.

2. Velcro

I know exactly what you are talking about. I played around with mounting the velcro higher or lower, but it didn't look right. Once in place I though maybe we shouldn't put the "blinky light webbing" on top (what you attached the karabiners to) but then we do this standard. I considered putting the webbing lower or higher, but again it didn't look right. I am sorry that it isn't enough surface area for you. How would you do it? Remove the two strips of webbing? Love to know your ideas, so I can get it right next time.

I would defiantly keep the blinky light loops.  They not only look cool on the bag, but are super useful.  I haven't used them for anything yet, but I already see them as being invaluable on the bag, not only for their intended purpose but as an attachment point for many other things.  I would jsut move the velcro up 2.5 cm (1 inch) and attache it directly above the loops.  I don't think it will look odd and it leaves both the velco and the loops to be fully utilized. 

3. D-lock zipper

Without paracord it does indeed act like a hidden pocket! I was umming and aahing whether to put that in for you. I thought that by not putting the paracord on the zip might get lost; but on the flip side it makes for a secret pocket. Glad you like it! I was seriously debating long and hard on that one.

Speaking of secret pockets, can't remember if I talked you through it or not, but have you found the secret pocket?? ;)

 

I love it being a hidden pocket!  I even tuck the zipper pull into the flap more so you don't know it is there.  BUT!!!! There is a second hidden pocket!  I searched my bag over this morning and I didn't find anything.  I am sure I will be looking over it several more times today.  And now it is the weekend so I need to wait two days to find out if you are pulling my leg, or if there really is a secret pocket I can't find.

4. Secondary Strap as a Handle

This is genius! I've never put a buckle on the flap before for the secondary strap, so have never had anyone comment about this to me! So good to hear it makes a useful handle! :) Love it!

 

I found this totally by accident.  I normally just pinch the top of my bag and put it on my passenger seat.  I just instinctively grabbed under the strap and as I was setting the bag down on my passenger seat I noticed my hand was grabbing under the strap like a handle.  It works so perfectly, I didn't even know I was doing it. 

Anyway, thank you again for all the kind words, I truly do appreciate it. And taking the time to write your thoughts and feedback, seriously is gold. MUCH MUCH appreciated!

Have a fantastic weekend mate!

Cheers,

Dave

Dave is a great and super helpful guy.  He really went above and beyond to help me get exactly what I wanted out of this bag.  He even went as far as to email me pictures of the color combo I was thinking about before I ordered. 

I highly recoded BOgear for anyone looking to get a new bag.  They do much much more than just messenger bags.  In fact I am very interested in their Spare Camel bag as well.  Maybe after the new year I will be adding one to my bag collections. 

This was just my out of the box review.  I have put some miles on my bag, and will continue to do so for another week or two then I will have a full on review and comparison to my other bags. There will be a lot more photos in the full review!  I will also share my full review with Dave and see what he thinks.

That is all, carry on. 

Friday...

So it's Friday.  You are ready and raring for the weekend to drop.  Watching that clock tick by, waiting for quitting time.  Maybe your not, and you don't care.  As the clock quickly ticks by(or slowly depending on how much you want it to be dash for the door time) you all have your own plans.  To go out and drink to the point where you forget your own name, that weekend project you have been planing and are ready to get dirty into, to do nothing at all.  And well everything in between and outside the boundaries of those three suggestions. 

I am contemplating my own plans for this weekend.  I am actually thinking how this weekend is a spring board into something bigger.  Better?  Nah, not better.  Something that is going to suck a tremendous amount of bad. 

I ran the Steamtown Marathon about 4 weeks ago.  It was my first marathon, and I said it would be my last.  But a friend of mine just ran the NYC marathon this past weekend.  Neither of us were happy with our times.  So we both kind of talked each other into doing Steamtown again next year.  I am not looking forward to that at all.  In fact I hate the idea of doing it again.  But as lazy as I am, I like to set some sort of goal(s) from time to time.  And now I gave two.  I would also like to do a triathlon this summer. 

What does this approaching weekend have to do with any of this you ask.  Well I had a great routine down before I started training to run the marathon.  That all went to hell when I had to cover 40-50 miles a week.   I have been taking it easy the past month getting back into my old routine.  But my old routine isn't going to cut it anymore.  So this weekend I need to start a brand new one.  I figure if I start super early, I will be much more prepared. 

I have a half marathon in April that should be pretty easy, I will do a few halfs throughout the year to keep myself on point.  But I need to do a lot of cross training.  Hence the triathlon.  This will be a big year for me if I stay on track.  I also want to do some mud run's (Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash I am looking at you).  The full marathon sucks, but long mud runs are sun as hell.

I mean, who doesn't want to get electrocuted, fall into ice cold water, crawl under barbwire, jump over fire, get blasted by fire hoses and all sorts of other crazy things the folks who put on those races can come up with.  Got to keep this working out fun somehow. 

So while your planning your next bar, ordering a new shot, chilling on the couch or whatever if you have planned, remember I'll be dreading the next day or the next few hours of my life as I hit a treadmill, bike or at some point a pool.  I aint gearing up for an Iron Man, but I will want to be as ready as I can be for the hell I am going to put myself through between April and October of next year.

That is all, carry on.

Pardon Me

I did not see you standing there.  I do apologize for that.  Yes, I know I said I would keep up with this, but like all new (old?) routines... sometimes they take some work getting into.  But as you can see, I am a little more vigilant than I have been over the past...well years. 

Yesterday I ordered some clips for paracord bracelets and I also did a quick little review of some cord for a site I recently purchased from.  Well that got me to thinking that I have not done a full on review of the two companies I have bought my recent cord and supplies from.  As I sit here not at home, I can not take pictures of the cord I have, but I can dig up some photos I shared on Facebook over the past month or so.  As well as take a photo or two of the bracelet I am wearing right now. 

So to get into this, I recently purchased paracord and clips from Bored?Paracord!  as well as just cord from Paracord Planet (from their eBay store.  I got some really good prices on auctions) .  We will start with Bored?Paracord! first as I got my supplies from them first. 

Until I got this cord in, I had some old O.D. cord left over from years ago working at the Army/Navy and I had picked up some at Dicks, as well as a pre-made bracelet so I could see how they were made.  So my initial comparison was, to old used cord and some cheap stuff.  So I first though this cord is great!  I later learned it is only so-so.  But that is not to say it is terrible.  After I got my cord in from Paracord Planet and saw and felt the difference did I realize, I will not be ordering from Board?Paracord! again.  B?P!'s cord is a lot thinner and softer than PP's cord is.

O.D. Cord from Quints days

I really like the feel of the heavy cord from PP.  Its makes me think it will be much more reliable if I ever need to use it in an actually survival situation.  BUT that being said the softer thinner cord from B?P! is much easier to work with when doing a project with more than three colors.  It is defiantly easier to weave and being softer, it is much easier on the hands when pulling your weaves tight.  I found my first finger on each hand got a bit of "rope burned" after doing a large project with PP's cord, and not nearly as sore after doing a similar project with B?P! cord. 

Also from B?P!, was the color I dig the most.  I got 100' of mint green cord.  I must say, this color is awesome.  It looks great pared with several colors, and seeing as I really dig green, I will be using this color a lot.  I plan on making a dog collar for Oliver with it this weekend (I've put it off for a while now because He is wearing his Halloween color now, but that is going to change after Friday).

Mint and Grey from B?P!

NOW for one of the most important part of making a bracelet, the clip!  Yes, you can make them without a plastic/nylon clip, but I prefer the clip to a loop and ball.  The ball seems to be to thick under my wrist while typing and digging into my pocket for keys, chap stick, etc.  So the only clips I have now are from B?P!  And I must say I am not to happy with them.  Remember me talking about how much I dig that mint green color?  Well the first bracelet I made was with that great color (see above).  The clip was so bad after I made it (and the bracelet came out great by the way) I thought I was going to have to take it apart because the clip "broke" after a day or so.

The male and female ends did not want to line up correctly (and that seems to be the case with most of the clips I have). 

But this one, would get stuck after it was closed.  It would not want to open back up.  So now, I had the bracelet stuck on my wrist.  I actually needed to grab a Leatherman to pry it apart.  So I kept on wearing it and opening it and closing it for a few days.  It finally "wore in" I suppose.  It is made of plastic or nylon (the site did not specify which) so it was only a matter of time before it broke completely or what ever it was getting hung up on wore out.  So I rolled the dice. 

Why not just take it apart and re-make it with a new clip you ask?  Because then it would be shorter and I didn't want to waist any of this great color.  You see you cut and melt the ends to keep it from coming apart after it is made.  Any way, the rest of the buckles I seem to work better than this one.  Lucky for me, I have more buckles on order from PP.  I'll see how they work out.

A little blurry, but the cut melted ends.

One other thing I am noticing as I am trying to take photos of the bracelet I am wearing right now is the bit of fraying.  Both colors on this bracelet are from B?P!  and it seems to not be wearing very well.  I'll do my best to get shot of the little fly away's, but this here iPhone doesn't want to focus in on them.  It is not terrible, but these bracelets are suppose to be practical and usable. and if they are fraying a bit after such little wear, what would this cord look like if it was actually being used in a survival situation?  Not to sure.  Guss I'll be packing PP cord in my hiking bag. 

Moving on.... The cord I purchased from Paracord Planet is great.  It feels much sturdier.  More like military spec cord.  I highly recommend the cord from these guys.  If you want a good deal, hope on over to the Bay and look up Outdoor Bunker.  That is PP's eBay store.  I got some really good deals on cord.  I did bid on it, so you might have to wait a few days for the auction to end.  But I got several 100' bundles of cord for like $3 each and I got a bunch more for no more than $6.

Two examples of two color bracelets made with PP cord.

Not an eBay user?  No worries they have great deals on their website all the time.  And they do giveaways on their Facebook page once a week or more.  I will be doing most of my business with PP from now on.  My only real qualm with them was stated above.  And that was the bit of rope burn pulling some of my weaves tight and the bulkiness when doing 3 or more colors.  Getting use to the burn is as easy as working with cord more.  It will more or less build up calluses on my hands (seeing as this was an activity my hands were not custom to doing).  And to get over the bulkiness, I mix in an accent color from BP to keep the bracelet from being to bulky on my wrist.  The longer sections of cord I try and keep PP in case I ever need to take a bracelet apart and use it in any situation. 

OK, I am sure you are tired of hearing about paracord, but I wanted to get that out of the way. 

That is all, carry on. 

And I Can Take a Breath

So after I talk about how I am going to be more diligent and keep up with this blog, I then failed you all.  In my defense I had almost zero time.  You see it is trade show season!  That probably means nothing to you, and you are lucky it does. So let me elaborate a tad on what that means to me.

Well it means HELL for about a month.  This year was a little easier on me, as I did so much work last year I was able to re-work some sections and use them again.  But normally I start creating graphics and layouts for several video sections from scratch.  Once they are created, I then make countless patches, changes and updates to the various sections.  This means a lot of late nights, stress and screaming vulgarities at my computer. 

BUT.. now I can breath for a few days because the trade show is happening now, and all my work is done.  This does not mean I won't get an irate phone call telling me I need to make something new right away and stay really late to overnight it in the AM for early morning delivery; but it also doesn't mean that that will happen either.  So I can take a slight breath for a few days.  All this before I have to gear up to re-shoot what I spent all summer working on.  But that is a tail for another day.

Now I get to talk about how I am wearing jeans to work for a week and I didn't even have to donate $10!  Yes the one benefit of the trade show is, we get to dress down for a week for "all our hard work."   So hear I sit wearing jeans and my standard western shirt typing away, watching the minutes creep by.

Man this day is dragging on.  It seems it will never end. Hell I don't even feel like it began yet.  I might need more sleep, more coffee or a goo long run to burn off what ever is making my tummy hurt.

I have something planed for tomorrows blog.  I hope I have time to take photos for it tonight.  I really don't have anything else to say today.  My brain is still fried from last week.

That is all, carry on.