I’ve owned my 840d CTB20 for a couple of years now, and despite having quite a few bags in my rotation, this one continues to surprise me. I recently took it on a two-day, one-bag business trip and thought I’d share my experience and loadout.

First, the capacity.

I’m continually impressed by just how much this 20L bag holds. In practical use, I find it carries essentially the same load as my 24L CPL24 and Aer CPP V2. That’s pretty remarkable given its smaller stated capacity. The layout and dimensions just seem to work particularly well with the way I pack.

The loadout:

MacBook and iPad Mini
Keyboard and Roost laptop stand
Evergoods CAP .5 for tech accessories
Evergoods CAP .5 for toiletries
Evergoods CAP2 for my CPAP and nightstand setup
Tom Bihn Ghost Whale pouches in the admin panel
Field Notes notebook in a Paper Republic cover
Clothing in a Peak Design Ultralight Packing Cube
Unbound Merino hoodie
Davek Mini umbrella
Snacks and miscellaneous travel essentials

I’m a big believer in using pouches rather than relying exclusively on a bag’s built-in organization, and the CTB20 works particularly well with that approach.
Everything has its place, and I can move my loadout between bags without much effort.

Comfort is probably the most divisive aspect of this bag.

There’s been plenty of discussion about the Evergoods back panel and shoulder straps, and I understand why some people don’t get along with them. Personally, I find the CTB20 comfortable, even when fully loaded.

I do find myself adjusting the shoulder straps more frequently than I do with some of my other bags. I tend to wear my backpacks high and tight, and I suspect that, along with my body type, plays a role in why my experience differs from some of the criticism I’ve read. Fit is obviously personal, and I wouldn’t dismiss anyone else’s experience.

Durability has been excellent.

I’ve had this CTB20 for a couple of years, and it still looks practically new. The materials, stitching, zippers, and overall construction have held up extremely well.

I travel nearly every week for work and have plenty of opportunities to rotate through different bags. While the CTB20 isn’t always my first choice for every trip, every time I bring it along, I’m reminded of just how capable it is.

For a bag marketed at 20L, it punches well above its weight. Two years in, I’m still impressed.

My local supermarket in Australia. Released this insulated roasted chicken cross body bag. Thought some people here might appreciate the novelty of it. It's called "Woolies bachelor's handbag". It's constantly sold out and hard to buy. Managed to get my hand on one. Will be a fun one to take shopping with my chocolate mud cake shopping bag.

For some background I have been looking for an underseat personal item bag for over a year. I currently carry a messenger bag style Mystery Ranch District Pro. The way I travel is I use one big bag that I check and then the personal item where I put all the things I don’t want them to lose, medication, snacks, electronics, passport etc all that stuff. I’d like to carry a change of clothes as well but the District Pro is stuffed to the brim and I can’t really fit any clothes in it, much less a jacket which is why I’m looking for a slightly bigger bag.

Over the last year I tried Rework Toshi V1, Aer City Pack Pro 2, Evergoods Civic Travel Bag 20L & 26L and Fyro Citta 25L and all of them were returned. The issue I would run into is I have Thoracic outlet syndrome so I am extra sensitive to straps and on all those bags the straps pressed into the area where my neck meets my torso and they were just uncomfortable for me. I’ve gravitated towards messenger bag styles for years because of that but they just don’t handle large volumes well which is why I’ve been looking for a backpack.

I ordered the Almond Oak Travel bag and happened to discover that there was a Toshi V2. I emailed Rework to ask about the straps they told me the straps are narrower and spaced slightly further apart to help with taller and larger individuals which gave me hope so I ordered both a 20L and a 25L.

To my surprise both the AO and the Toshi work with my neck issues so I thought I’d write a review after messing around with the bags over the weekend. To test this I put my normal stuff in each bag and then stuffed as many towels as I could in each.

Water Bottle in picture is Klean Kanteen 27oz Wide mouth with Contigo Lid.

Specs:

Almond Oak
What I like about this bag:

• It’s light weight and has minimal organization.
• It opens like a book.
• The expandable extra 5L is nice if you find yourself coming home with more than you brought with you
• The more square shape really lets you pack more in than the 25L would suggest. I fit 3 towels in this easily, 4 when I unzipped the expander and I could probably pack more.
• The top pocket is easy to access if you are a right hander and super large, I can fit my headphones in it and you might be able to stuff a light shirt or outer layer.
• The carry handle is in the perfect spot to balance a fully loaded bag.

Things I’m not sure about:

• The sternum strap came loose from the factory. The owner of Almond Oak is aware and is shipping out a replacement strap for free but at the time of my review I only have the defective one to use.

Things I didn’t like:

• It feels a little flimsy in some areas - the laptop/tablet sleeves are floppy in a way that doesn’t inspire confidence. (See last pic)
• The top quick access pocket is a little narrow - I wish it was a little wider to make it easier to put things in it.
• I’d like it to have a second interior zippered pocket
• The water bottle sleeves are kind of short. They’d work for a standard 1L/20oz bottle you’d get in a vending machine, medium to large reusable water bottles might not be secure.
• The fabric is kind of shiny which isn’t the aesthetic I prefer.

The Rework Toshi

The 20L &25L have almost identical layout with the only difference in design being that the 25L has an extra pocket on the front panel of the interior of the bag. The 20L straps are about 2.5 inches apart and the 25L are like 3 inches apart. The 20L fit 2 towels but it was tight, the 25L fit 4 towels with some room to spare.

Things I liked:

• Has 2 deep water bottle pockets. I can easily put a reusable water bottle and a bottle of soda or tea I get at the airport.
• Feels very well built, the laptop area feels sturdy, both will self stand a lot of the time. The zippers all feel good.
• When opening the main compartment I don’t know if it’s intentional or accidental but there’s kind of a spot on the zippers where it catches which makes it easy to open only part way and hard to accidentally open all the way.
• I love that the key leash can be moved to the admin pocket or either side of the bottom pocket.
• They designed the admin pouch with a gusset at the bottom so that it doesn’t steal volume from the interior of the bag.

Things I’m not sure about:

• The sternum strap is the slider kind, prefer the kind with discrete placements so it doesn’t accidentally move around on you. Also with both bags I’m nearly at the end of the strap length so if you’re wider than me (42” chest) you might run out of strap.

Things I didn’t Like:

• The top carry handle is awkward to use and needs to be redesigned on V3. It’s too tight to the bag to grab easily and kind of folds awkwardly. They should use a design more like the one on the Fyro Citta bags.
• I don’t like that it flaps open on the bottom instead of the side but this is a personal preference.
• The ambi quick access pocket is kind of useless. It’s too small to fit my headphones, it’s so big that if you put a wallet in there it will slide around. If you fill the bag up you can’t really put anything in the pocket that isn’t thin. I think I would prefer it if they just extended the top admin all the way down like Tortuga did with the Daily Carry Pro front pocket. Or maybe just a bit longer instead.
• I don’t like that the 25L is 19in/48cm tall. Most online underseat sizers say 18x14x8 is max underseat, I think I will be fine most of the time and because I don't carry any other carry on I'll stick it in the overhead if I have to but I still would have preferred if they made it larger in the depth and width instead. It feels much larger than the AO bag despite being the same stated volume and the fact that it fits 4 towels tells me this is maybe larger than stated 25L.
• There is an interior pouch on the back main compartment of the bag doesn’t feel like it’s useful but it’s easily ignored. Might be useful if the bag is mostly empty to keep things from moving about too much.
• There doesn’t seem to be a great place to put my Sony XM6 headphones. The case for these headphones won’t fit in the bottom ambi pocket, it will fit in the admin pocket but only if I don’t put too much else in there. I can stuff it in with the laptop but then the bag feels awkward. I think my best bet is the main compartment on the top. Honestly these headphones are a pain to carry and I might just try to find a different pair that are smaller.

The strap spacing on the 20L Toshi is just a bit too tight for my neck and the capacity of 20L is not much larger than the bag it would replace so it’s right out of the running so I’ve decided after spending the weekend with these 3 bags that I’m going to keep the Rework Toshi 25L. I am overall pretty impressed with the Almond Oak and I really like the front pocket a bit more because it can fit my headphone case easily but it’s just a bit too floppy, I feel like if I don’t pack it out it will carry awkwardly. I understand that’s the trade off for being lighter but 200g / .4 lb the Toshi 25L isn’t that much heavier. The Toshi 25L feels sturdier, has better zippers and feels like it will last longer so even though I’m not sure where to put my headphones the organization overall seems better and I really want the better water bottle pockets for when I fly. 

I used & still use the Aer CPP (x-pac) 24L for work & while that’s a pretty light bag, this new one cordura blue is pretty hefty. I decided to get this as I didn’t want to bring a daily work bag everywhere, wanted to separate them for hygienic reasons.

The padding has been decent with proper heat dissipation in the humidity of south east Asia. Good organisation but I miss the side pocket which is now an extra water bottle slot. Loving the side handles the most, as this was what I really got used to on the Aer travel pack pro.

Going to be using this as my work holiday or short trip bag moving forward. Not sure between this and the sympl if I made the right choice or not, because I wasn’t sure if the back padding was rigid and lacked cushioning as some mentioned on that one. No way of testing at all where I live.

Hopefully the QC issues on the CPP2 don’t crop up, which I never had in my 2 years of using the original CPP. All in all a good bag.

Edit: grammar

Hello all,

I'm on the hunt for my next EDC + weekend trips bag.

I'm currently using a Fjallraven Ulvo 23 which frustrated me because of the top only opening, which forces me to go digging for my stuff.

I saw the TropicFeel first, and was seduced by the clamshell + top openings and modularity options (especially the shoe pouch). But I can't find that many reviews so I'm afraid it's just a gimmick of some sort. Also it might be a tiny bit too big as an EDC, would love some opinions on that.

The CPP2 on the other hand doesn't seem to have that many features, but is acclaimed and ticks many boxes as well.

What should I know to help me decide ? Would you consider other options ?

I'm looking to purchase a sling for Travel but could possibly use for EDC.

Context: I mostly work from home so when I go out, it's mainly for errands or pleasure. I tend to have an issue with making sure I have all my things or bring my huge backpack along everywhere. I go in my car so that I don't forget things.

The needs: Sling where I can wear on long outing days and travel. Doubles up as a tech pouch during travel. I always want to have the option of being able to either take a water bottle or a small tripod with me.

With that I've found myself between the Alpaka Flight Sling Pro and the Rework Toshi 2.5.

I like that the Toshi offers a stabilizing strap for when I travel for added security and stability but the bag itself looks a little bulky (let me know if anyone feels the same). I also dislike the buckle, I know its meant to be nice but I dislike gigantic plastic buckles, makes it feel cheap. Additionally the external carry strap is good for umbrellas but I feel like it wont really hold a water bottle well? I also hate that it only comes in black and the material choice makes it look thick?

I like the flight sling pro, but the strap leaves much to be desired since its thin and feel like it will dig into me if I fully load it out, especially with a water bottle. The water bottle pouch is also better compared to the Toshi since it has that mesh section. Conversely, there isn't much organization, which could be a good thing, but I think I'd like more as I want to also use it as a tech pouch. Looks wise i think its okay, but it keeps that slim profile so slight win for looks.

Disclaimer: I have the Alpaka in my possession so I can visualize it a bit better than Toshi. Since Toshi doesnt sell on Amazon and returns are not as easy I'm looking to the community for some help before I purchased. Guidance from the folks that have had both or either would be greatly appreciated!

TIA

I feel like folks here would have a higher chance of recommending a bag with my seemingly unicorn requirements.

I recently came across a good deal for a used Nikon D5 and did not consider how I'd be bringing it around. I prefer slings or shoulder bags for quick access.

I'm using the Think Tank Signature 10 for the time being. It holds lots, but if I want to hold a D5 with a lens attached, it could only hold smaller AF-D primes like the 50mm. I would like to store the D5 with maybe an 85mm F1.4D or a Sigma 35mm ART attached.

I would also prefer if it were not black, or dark grey, or dark blue... y'know, the usual "photography bag colours". I also hope it doesn't cost too much. I consider Billingham bags too much, although I'll gladly buy used.

Any suggestions?

I travel a lot for work and visit customer sites, and the context changes a lot. Some days I'm meeting with technical folks and dressing low-key (tech pants, a tee, white sneakers), sometimes crawling around hooking up AV gear. Other days I'm meeting executives in a sportcoat or full suit and want my bag to match. Travel varies too: carry-on flights, quick drives to local customers, and week long travel usually with extra gear.

My current rotation:

• Aer TP3
• Aer CP2
• Alpaka Elements Tech Brief
• WaterField Cargo messenger
• A couple of others

Two questions:

1. Organization. The bags have great built-in organization, but it feels wasted if everything lives in a tech pouch. If I pull stuff out of the pouch and use the built-in pockets, I have to move everything whenever I switch bags. What I usually carry: 14" MBP, iPad, chargers, tech pouch (cables, dongles), headphones, Steam Deck and sometimes extra gear.
2. Matching the bag to the room. Do you carry one bag that works from crawling around a server room to executive meetings or switch bags by context? If one bag, what's working for you?

What I'm considering:

• Pouches by function (tech, headphones/Deck, toiletries) with the bags as interchangeable shells
• Duplicating cheap stuff (second charger and cable) in the meeting bag
• A base kit that always moves together, plus trip-specific add-ons

How do you handle this?

Thanks!

Anyone have experience with Oono bags? Haven't heard of them before.

I got my 25L Rework Toshi V2 in XPAC last week and I had a chance to use it on my commute this week. It's damn near perfect, an excellent size for my needs, comfortable to wear, and really useful organization. It looks good both packed out and with a light load -- I like how it compresses naturally when it's not full. (My big complaint with the Sympl Commuter 24L is that it's always a box on my back no matter how full or empty it is.) The XPAC material is just enough of a step up from the nylon I'm familiar with on the Outbound and sling and I love the interior color.

It's just missing two things that would make it perfect perfect:

• Side handle(s): I use side handles to grab bags all the time, while commuting or traveling. I wish Rework just stuck the Outbound side handles on it.
• Magnetic sternum strap: The plastic clip strap is _fine_ but I can't close it one-handed like I can with the magnetic ones I have on other bags. I wish it was easy to swap but I've yet to find a ready-made magnetic strap that mounts to the rail system.

Eh while I'm nitpicking, it would be great to have a zippered hidden compartment in the back for wallet/passport and a pouch in the laptop compartment for accessories (like the Outbound has) but those are far from major issues for my needs.

I'm thinking on replacing these wheels with braking ones.

Theory: remove the 2 wheels from this current shaft, replace the entire vertical assembly from a brakable wheel and reinstall these 2 wheels to the new assembly's shaft.

But for this, I'd first have to make sure these 2 silentrun wheels can be removed without damage.

Anyone did this before?

Hi, I’m currently on an AER CPP2 and looking for a refresh. The AON Evade 1.0 (21L) keeps pulling me in, and I’m close to pulling the trigger.

The problem is that I can’t find any YouTube reviews, and there are very few Reddit posts about it. That makes it hard to judge how it holds up in real life.

If anyone here actually owns one, I’d love to hear your honest thoughts, especially the nitpicks.

TIA!

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Hey all, I want to get a good size sling for day outings on my travels and looking at the Pacsafe Vibe 325. At 10L is it big enough that it’s likely to be an issue at different sites?
Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I currently use a Mission Workshop Rhake (old version 3.1 lbs) as my EDC to work, but I’ve been thinking about downsizing to something smaller and lighter.

I’m looking at the following options which are lighter than 3.1lbs and physically smaller:

• Aer City Pack X-Pac
• Aer City Pack Pro X-Pac 20L
• Able Carry Daily Plus

My typical EDC loadout is:

• 14-inch MacBook
• Agar keyboard in a 60% KBDFans hard case
• 800ml Klean Kanteen bottle
• Bellroy Compact Tech Pouch
• AirPods Pro
• A few tiny miscellaneous bits

I mainly carry this setup to and from work, so I don’t need a huge amount of extra capacity. I’d ideally like something that feels less smaller and is lighter than the Rhake. And would the slight weight make much difference?

Thanks!

Edit: Sorry, can’t edit the title.

Has anyone experienced if Tomtoc T27 can fit a camera inside? Like a DSLR or Mirrorless?

I’m planning to just put a camera insert and use it as a camera bag from time to time. On top of that, I really like the design that’s why it’s on my radar for weeks.

Help me find my next EDC bag (20–27L)

I’ve been researching EDC bags for about a month and could use some fresh recommendations. I currently carry a Vertx Ready Pack X, which is nearly perfect in size. I previously used a Mystery Ranch 2 Day Assault Pack, but it had more internal space than I really needed. Around 24L is ideal, with a little room to spare.

I’m looking for something different from the usual all-black backpack. I like the Vertx’s minimalist tactical aesthetic and patch panel, but I’d also prefer an external water bottle pocket.

I’m open to tactical, outdoor, and urban EDC bags, especially options with some personality or interesting colorways.

What would you recommend? Throw all your suggestions at me! I’m ready to explore options I might have overlooked.

The Toshi Sling V2 2.5L disappointed me compared to my Aer Day Sling 4 (2.5L)

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad sling at all. It’s actually very good, but honestly, it just wasn’t anything special to me.

I feel like it has less usable space compared to my DS4. Mine is the X-Pac version, but I don’t think the Nylon version would make much of a difference in terms of capacity either.

The different configurations didn’t impress me that much, and now that I have the sling in front of me, I don’t really see them as necessary.

The front pocket has a flap that gets in the way when opening and closing it. Inside, the liner is somewhat floppy. I also find the front pocket a bit disorganized, although that might be because I’m used to the divider in the Day Sling 4, which helps keep everything organized.

The buckle feels like it opens a little too easily. Depending on how you look at it, that could be either a good or a bad thing. The Aer buckle, on the other hand, requires a little more pressure to unbuckle, which I guess provides a bit more security in case someone tries to unbuckle it.

On top of that, the sling looks somewhat floppy, even in X-Pac, which is supposed to be stiffer, and even when it’s somewhat full.

It’s a good sling, but ultimately, it just wasn’t for me. I’d give it a 10/10 as a sling in general because, as I said, it’s good. Maybe I would’ve liked the Nylon version a little more, but I think X-Pac has shown me enough at this point.
It stays flat and is lightweight, which I appreciate. However, for my personal use, I’d rate it a 4/10 or 5/10.

My Aer feels a bit roomier, and I was even able to fit a pack of wipes inside. Honestly, I prefer its organization and overall appearance, although both are good slings.

I’ve been waiting to get my hands on one, the bag’s build is just perfection in my opinion- main compartment, sub-main compartment with some admin and utilizing the full length of the bag, the laptop compartment and quick access pockets- I found nothing better than that for me.
But, they don’t ship to my country unfortunately, so I have to look elsewhere. I thought about tomtoc but I feel like those just have pockets that aren’t really usable, somewhat like the reason I don’t consider the CPP2 an option, since the admin compartment is very shallow and the dump pocket is basically useless if the main compartment is full. For the same reason the Toshi is also not my favorite, and neither is the sympl. So after counting out all the major alternatives, I came to you wise baggers. Help me 😄

I bought this bag in 2021 from Amazon and I love it but I blew out the zipper and I can’t find a replacement now.

Its cordura or nylon, has the flip top that clips shut and covers the main compartment zippers and the side pockets are zippers instead of open with elastic.

I’m scratching my brain trying to remember or find another version of this sort of upper-lower double zip. I feel like muji or Uniqlo made something just like this at 1/3 the price, but at the time it wasn’t available in the UK.

I like the idea (which I don’t think is unique to evergoods), but I don’t need £30 worth of build quality for the way I’d use about three of these. <— not a knock , i am sure it’s really well built, I just don’t need that build. I do want the upper lower double zip config though.

Any thoughts?

I am interested in the ULA Dragonfly in ultra, which has PU coated (or Aquaguard) Zippers in the versions available in Europe. No custom order possible unfortunately, since it would be too expensive with shipping and taxes.

After reading so many horror stories about Aer, Bellroy etc. peeled Aquaguard PU zippers, but basically none about ULA Dragonfly: Do they just use higher quality Aquaguard zippers?

How have they held up over the years for long-term users who use their bags often?

My big High Sierra bag finally bit the dust after 15+ years of regular service. It is proving surprisingly difficult to find a bag similar to it. The back pack straps hid behind a simple zip panel, it had a huge main compartment, a smaller second compartment, and 2 more small sections. It also had wheels and a telescoping handle for pulling it. Lugging a full one up or down stairs was so much easier with the straps.

Any recommendations? I won't say money is no object, but I can afford to spend on a bag that will last me a while.

Traveling with my new bag set.