I was standing at a stoplight the last time I saw my friend. He rolled up fast, locking his breaks, and almost mowing me down as he skid his bike into the crosswalk. As was the custom of bike messengers in those days (and likely now), he paid no attention to me or any of the other dozen people having to skirt his bike to get by. He just scanned the traffic, watching for an opening to exploit. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t have anything to say. We’d known each other for years, but hadn’t spoken much lately. By day he was a bike messenger, darting around the Chicago Loop, by night an artist living in carefully calculated squalor. On the other hand, I had found my path, and met a the girl, and into them I poured so much of my time and attention that little was left for our old friendship. We had grown apart. When the light changed, he pumped a pedal with his tattooed calf, barked “twenty fo’ ready fo’mo’!” into his radio and disappeared between a taxi and a bus. The last I ever saw of him was the huge, floppy messenger bag that was ubiquitously strapped across his back. It was 1996.
Messenger bags have come a long way since then. No longer the exclusive realm of actual bike messengers, they are more often to be found hanging from the shoulders of those finding themselves too old to ride a skateboard, but too rock-n-roll to carry a briefcase. Less likely to be stuffed with documents that have to get across town now!, and more likely to carry the laptops that email those documents now. The Overland Napa Messenger Bag fits squarely into this space. Smart enough to look professional without being too tweedy.
The exterior of the Napa is waxed cotton* with a sewn leather bottom, the interior is nylon. It has a nice selection of organizational pockets inside and out, including one fleece lined gadget pocket, and a padded snapped one that holds up to a 15 inch laptop (although very tightly). The zippered portion has nice, easy to grab fobs, and the main compartment has snaps and a folding strap system that I must admit to not being crazy about. Opening the top requires loosening a buckle on either side in order to unfold the flap, and then pop the two snaps. While closing the bag was quick and satisfying, opening it was fussy and awkward. Maybe it gets easier with time and the straps soften, but after about a month of daily use, they still resist more than I’d like. Other than that, my only complaint is the location of the grab handle. Because it is sewn just off of the centerline, the bag hangs at an odd angle while carrying it.
But for it’s couple of little quirks, I really liked this bag. It’s sturdy, and well made and just the right thing for my daily carry.
The Good:
Waxed cotton shell with leather details
Smart looks
Good size
Slot for a luggage handle on the back
Sturdy hardware, snaps and zippers
Roll top straps and buckles (when closing)
No velcro
The Bad:
Roll top straps and buckles (when opening)
Location of the grab handle
Laptop strap is tight and just barely snaps over my 15” Macbook (might just be the sewing on mine)
The number of times I misspelt messanger messenger as I typed this
The Overland Equipment Napa Messenger Bag – $100 via Amazon
*The More You Know – Waxed cotton can be traced back to the 15th century, when sailors noticed that their sails worked better when the sailcloth was wet, but because water made them too heavy, they impregnated the fabric with fish oil and grease instead. The modern equivalent, cotton impregnated with paraffin, dates only to the 1920’s.
boring: Overland provided me with a review sample of this bag, it in no way effected my opinion or review.
All images via: overlandequipment.com