Chunky Toad…thread closed
I think that the Mission backpacks are great for cycling but not so great for day-to-day use.
The expansion part of the bag is very high and unless you pack it properly with heavy items low and against your back it isn’t very ergo.
Okay, going back to messenger bags. Who has what and what do they like… hate about them?
my left trapezius muscle is noticeably larger than my right from carrying a heavyish messenger bag everyday for 8 months or so (i know you guys have been doing this for wayyy longer). My mum thought that i was standing with one shoulder lifted higher than the other for a while before i realised. They’ve started to even out since i started using a backpack for heavier loads
I have a Chrome Metropolis. I use it pretty much everyday - even took it to the Easter Show this year.
Pros:
Big - clothes/tools/lock/swimming gear daily + case of beer or bike frame/parts/family’s beach gear, weekly shopping etc on occasion.
Waterproof
Comfy even when loaded up
Lots of compartments (5)
Looks good
Cons:
No light loop (I sewed my own)
Can take some juggling to get comfy/no back pad.
Sometimes the top corner of my bag catches on the back of my helmet when fully loaded.
I love this bag and recommend it highly.
I have a Chrome Metro and a SÄG small messenger bag. I commuted with the Chrome for about three years and it’s still going strong. Managed to carry a frame and wheels with it (at separate times). It’s still working fine and I use it when I don’t have to carry heaps, but still need a bag. I use the SÄG one for when I’m going to the shops for small things or to carry a jacket and cable lock.
EDIT: my Chrome bag has a light loop, unlike Rcoh’s.
I’ve had/have:
Chrome Soyuz
Onikatsu Messenger
BO CHOAD
BO Babycandy
I now only have the two BO bags.
The Chrome was great aesthetically, and very practical for small loads but i live on my bike most days here so have to carry computer/shopping, clothes etc. So the BO Gear was a small sacrifice on aesthetics for a metric fuckload of functionality. The workmanship on the chrome bag was flawless, i bought it second hand and sold it for the same amount to its third owner. It is also more waterproof than the BO. Though you could as them to put tarp liner in (which i am tempted to do)
On the other hand however, it is very large when empty, even when the compression straps are tightened. I bought the babycandy for smaller trips, and i am still getting used to its ‘man-bagness’, to avoid lookuing either like the picture below or like i live in bacramatta and wear adidas and cappa tracksuits.
It is however the perfect size for keys, bottle, jumper, phone/wallet, books and pens.
I prefer a backpack for larger loads because of the balance and waist strap.
All in all id recommend giving your money to a top bloke putting out sweet gear. BO is functional and pretty nice (in a minimal way), and I’d take function over form anyday for my pack.
From BOGear Facebook:
Guess who is now trying to justify the need for a backpack…!
Well the curious cat in me bought the Mission Workshop Rambler. I can see how good the build quality in this thing is. It is TOIGHT! But short story… it isn’t the bag for me. It took me purchasing the bag to find out what kind of bag I don’t want.
I love the fact that with messenger bags, you open the main flap and you can see the contents all at once, where as the way that the Rambler is made and how I have been using it is that you have to really stick your arm in to find where stuff is. This is all well and good for my daily commute, but the other reason I need this bag is for hiking + a day bag in cities. I walked around a bit and tried to access the bag contents on the fly and it wasn’t working for me.
I also have a chunky toad with me at the moment and I love it, it solves the problem I have with the Rambler but the size of the chunky toad is well above what I need. I will be doing more research and talking to Dave a bit more, hopefully we can come up with something… maybe a new bag called the “picky bastard”
So you will see the bag for sale soon. Hit me up, its a rad bag… just not for me.
To me the Mission Workshop ones look waaaaay too over-designed (over-engineered? I dunno). The face of that rambler looks way too cluttered and confusing. I love my BOGears as they’re about as plain as it gets. My DUB has a reflective strip on the flap, and one on the base, and that’s all it needs. And the Elephantitus is just a humongous grey canvas, which looks awesome! And doesn’t get dirty, especially with a black liner! Oh I miss it so much… Dave? 
ahem…
I can’t remember what you came up with!? Was this it or was it something else? The fussy prick? I don’t know.
I think you’ll find it was the picky bastard!! haha 
your face is too cluttered and confusing!!!
^ This is meant to be in caps.
Anyway, I don’t actually think they are over designed… it is actually pretty minimal with not many straps hanging off of it and when you use it in the different configurations (expanded/not expanded) everything has it’s place. So in my eyes I find it clever.
One big minus for me for the Rambler is the lack of small pockets. It fits any two of these, but not all three wallet/phone/keys
10 pages but one one mention DEUTER yet? I have had nike, adidas and CK laptop bags (CK, i know…) and they just couldn’t hold up with the load I put in. With deuter, you can put a 10 tonnes truck in it and it will still hold up.
my complete seed does the job, full change of clothes/shoes laptop/ head[phones has loops for lights and is generaly rad have straped frames/wheels/beer/12 bottles of wine/weeks worth of clothes, pulls in tight and sits steady on hills, also has the word ‘METAL’ in ironmaiden font on the front and a big reflective bit on bottom.
Aldi have bags on sale this week.
Just sayin’.
Thats it. I am hitting up Aldi!
Here is the for sale link btw: Hit me up if you are keen and we can talk turkey.
http://www.fixed.org.au/forums/f6/mission-workshop-rambler-black-22880/
final order put through to dave at BOgear for the chunky toad.
i’ll post a pic once i get my hands on it, but it’s gonna be sweet 
You should just totally buy my bag Rolly.
But yes, I am looking forward to working with Dave to develop the fussy prick.