Freitag’s latest messenger package is used to trash to the end

I remember the day: A sine bike messenger skillfully knitted through a horn-hung car and stopped at the traffic light in front of me. But instead of falling off, he balanced over the fixed gear pedal for nearly a minute, bulging in the case of internal emergency delivery. It was San Francisco in the 1990s Anyone can take advantage of that liberal Zeitgeist By wearing a permitted bag – only the fool who matches the bag is wearing the backpack.

Switzerland-based Freitag started with Messenger Bags in 1993, and its latest spirit keeps this spirit alive, F685 Henry. It is heavy, waterproof, and very durable as it consists of worn seat belts, recycled plastic bottles and The tarpaulin used acts as a wall on a European truck. This means that in the homogeneous world of mass production, no two Freitag bags are the same.

Ironically, despite being made of garbage, the Freitag bags still last. A Freitag Messenger bag I bought about 20 years ago is still my top pick for errands around town. I expect Henry to have the same lifespan and over the past few weeks I have been testing as a universal gear bag. This makes its $330 price point even more pleasant, its three-year generous Repair warranty Register after purchase.

Freitag’s F685 Henry is a 13-liter Messenger package that can be expanded to 20 liters, making it enough to be a daily carry feature. So that’s how I tested it while walking and cycling to shops, gyms, trains and collaborative workspaces.

Like all Freitag bags, the company leans heavily on Velcro fasteners and buttons to hold all the tarpaulins together. There are many things that open the main compartment to make the stomach loud shhrrrrrrrriiiiiiip This will surely get people’s attention at the conference or get you kicked out of the theater. I hate the Velcro sound, the material of hooks and loops tearing around the clothes, and the pieces scattered with debris over time. However, this brute force closure will certainly be confused with Fritag aesthetics. Close the heavy duty buckle adds percussion to performance.

I like Henry and all the messenger bags are that the stuffed shoulder straps easily make the bag swing around to the front. Folding with hard material Just right – What the exercise brings – A little shoulder sashay lets me easily access two exterior pockets, one of which is zipped and contains a key lanyard. Another zippered side pocket provides quick access to your wallet or phone.

You can also use a three-point strap to secure the bag to your body. This works great, but it is not needed on protected bike trails in Amsterdam where I don’t have to get in and out of the car. The bag comes with reflectors that recycle truck profile markings that contribute to visibility at night.

Here I’ll let Freitag show off the package’s features because it’s undoubtedly the actual marketing is part of the company’s charm.

As a gear bag, Henry works best when it comes to adding his own cameras and pouches to keep things organized. Otherwise, everything will be mixed inside the main pocket. The laptop sleeve provides some filling to prevent bumps, but when I get home, I’m not enough to put the bag down – I put it lightly on the floor.

There are plenty of webbing that can be clipped around the bag or tied around the bag for outsourcing. This includes locking the U-shaped belt on the outer flap or securing it to the yoga mat underneath with an integrated belt. Fortunately, the hanging belts of all bags can be placed inside the outer sleeve at the bottom to make the appearance cleaner.

Henry’s biggest drawbacks are stiffness and weight. Most bags are made from sturdy polyester fabric made from recycled pet bottles. If it’s like my own basic Freitag Messenger, the material will become ductile over time, but the weight will always be there. Henry 45L version of Peak Design’s Outdoor Backpack.

I don’t mind whether the weight lives long and the bag has started to be used regularly. Compared to my own Freitag, this bag is stout and should provide better protection for your expensive gadgets.

Freitag told me that Messenger Bags accounted for only 30% of its current sales, but recently resumed growth. Maybe they are on platform shoes, chokers and Other 90s fashions that have recently returned? Great. Because the Messenger bag is excellent to carry around, the Freitag F685 Henry is a very good Messenger bag…if you’re OK with the Velcro.

Photos by Thomas Ricker / The Verge