Haven & Florin Rollpack Review: Drive By

For a new entrant into the carry space, Haven & Florin seems to have nailed it. Like an incredible debut album, the Rollpack is a fantastic EDC bag to go around town. The shape, profile and details give the category a fresh new take at a price point ($169) that won’t break the wallet. We can sum that up in one word: winning!

Who It Suits

The urbanite who wants a bag perfectly tuned to life in the big city.

Who It Doesn’t

The minimalist who carries just enough to get to and fro.

The Good

Let’s start first with the shape and size. With 22L of capacity, it’s definitely not small for an everyday daypack. The profile is more in line with a GORUCK GR1, but that might be the front Velcro pouch and MOLLE-compatible daisy chains talking. I packed it for weekend trips, EDC and other life-related activities and never had to once rethink what I was bringing. The volume and multiple access points are without a doubt one of its best features.

Take the 100% clamshell zipper on the back which was my main access point to the bag. Like DSPTCH’s rucksack, the closure (in this case the rolltop) is more for stowage than access. When unzipped, you not only have access to the entire bag, but the first thing you see is the “Made in USA” flag along with a laptop sleeve and top zippered pocket. The reason this design works so well is because unlike other bags, the entire back panel (including the straps) are affixed to the clamshell that unzips. This approach does have one or two pitfalls but let’s stick with the praise first.

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“The volume and multiple access points are without a doubt one of its best features.”

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Before we move on, we gotta talk pockets and the insane amount of wiggle room you have with them. The Rollpack has seven pockets which is insane for a bag that looks this streamlined. (Note: I’m including the water bottle holders as part of the pocket count). You have two inside on the back panel, one at the bottom of the bag and two on the exterior. Here’s the thing: it took me forever to realize that the exterior pocket went the length of the bag and not just the quick-access pocket on the outside. This gives you so much extra space you won’t even know what to do with it.

The rolltop is rather straightforward, with 10″ of additional space or about 5 rolls to properly close. The buckles are responsive yet firm. As with all the components on the Rollpack, you won’t find yourself fighting the components in any way. The shoulder straps are super comfortable and have webbing for you to affix pockets/pouches as you’d like. We know they are in the works in case you don’t have any lying around.

Now we can get to one of my favorite features, the easy-access pocket slyly placed at the bottom of the bag. The triangular pocket is patterned out, so regardless of what’s inside it always retains its shape. At first blush, I wasn’t sure nor convinced that anything would stay in the pocket given how gravity works. The reason for my concern isn’t all that unreasonable. The zipper is, after all, on the bottom seam. And yet it works flawlessly, especially with one hand with the pack still on. It reminded me a lot of the flashlight cave found on Triple Aught Design’s EDC pack.

One of my biggest pet peeves about bags is the gap between what they’ve been designed for and how they are actually used. Take water bottle pockets for example. They look great, sound great and yet often never actually amount to anything other than wasted space. The reason being that most of the time, the pocket isn’t designed to work with the bag full. Again, what blew me away about the bag was the incredible attention to detail. It worked with the bag full or not, due to some smart engineering which amounted to added fabric on the side of the holder to ensure there’s always extra room for it. Simple, smart and quite effective.

“One of my favorite features is the easy-access pocket slyly placed at the bottom of the bag.”

Last but not least, let’s talk materials and construction. The 1000D Cordura fabric is designed to take a beating. Despite taking it to the snow, hiking, and around town, you really wouldn’t know. The bag ages as gracefully as a Tom Bihn bag, and that’s saying something! The other benefit to this fabric and choice is that it’s water resistant so a little sprinkle or snow won’t hurt anything inside. Not only is the bag made in the USA, but it’s made with 100% USA materials/components too.

The Not So Good

There are however a few things that did drive us a little crazy. For one, the clamshell is a fantastic design but the zipper was a bit loose on the trigger. Here’s what I mean. I lived in a constant state of panic that the clamshell was open and the entire bag was spilling out as I walked down the street. My fear developed over time given how finicky the back panel zipper was. If they weren’t at the top (and touching), then there was a real chance one would get forced open (by pressure placed on the bag from the contents inside combined with walking, gravity or who knows what else). Either way, it’s one of my biggest gripes. I will be the first to admit that this is likely due to me being me/user error. However I wouldn’t say no to a heavier duty zipper or something that makes the process feel more secure, as walking around with the straps affixed to the back panel and not anchored to the bag makes it constantly feel like it’s open.

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“I carry the bag high and tight and with few things inside it would fold on itself, making it uncomfortable against my back.”

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My other pet peeve was the shape of the bag when it’s not full. This bag excelled when maxed out. It was impressive. But when running on the bare essentials, it struggled mightily. I carry the bag high and tight and with few things inside it would fold on itself, making it uncomfortable against my back. This was more of a nuisance than anything else. And while I love the bag enough to keep it in the regular rotation, I will definitely take note as to how I’m using it to see if it makes sense on that given day.

Lastly, I was bummed to see that compression straps were an accessory to purchase and not included with the bag. They are $8 and essential when the bag is full because that’s how you’ll want it given the preceding paragraph. Add it to the cost, no one will care!

Others to Consider

Given the everyday nature of the bag and its profile, a few bags definitely come to mind. Obviously there’s the GORUCK GR1 as mentioned before or Triple Aught Design’s FAST Pack Litespeed given the clamshell design. Other bags on the list include Topo Designs’ Mountain Rolltop, YNOT’s Magnetica and DSPTCH’s Ruckpack.

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“Walking around with the straps affixed to the back panel and not anchored to the bag makes it constantly feel like it’s open.”

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Verdict

In short, this bag packs a punch that brings incredible bang for your buck. I am eager to see what James and team come up with. Just looking at the unboxing experience, with this beautifully wrapped bag with string and the card perfectly nestled inside (with pins to boot). There is so much potential with this bag and it’s for this reason I think it stole part of my heart. Hell it’s made me think twice about using my DSPTCH Ruckpack as my regular EDC bag which is no small feat! Keep your eye on the guys from Haven & Florin. I think they are definitely onto something.