Carryology » Bellroy

Test your carry knowledge

Leather — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 13:00:48 +0000

Test your carry knowledge

So you think you know a bit about the world of carry eh…?

We thought we’d throw a few lesser known carry products up, and see how crew go identifying them. Between our Twitter, Facebook and the blog, we’ve covered all of these before. But we’ll be surprised if anyone can get more than a couple…

What’s the carrot?

If anyone can get them all (while holding their hand on their heart and swearing they didn’t use an image recognition search engine), then the kind folks at Bellroy have said they’ll send you a Slim Sleeve wallet on the house.

Does that sound worth a try? Send your answers to iwin@carryology.com, including the line “I promise I did not use an image recognition search engine”, and we’ll award it to the first all correct set of answers.

Happy hunting!

Update: We have a winner! To be announced right after I have a quick sleep…

Update 2: We actually have four winners, as we were overcome with awesomeness and so asked Bellroy to find a few more wallets for our radical readers. We’ll write a new post with the answers so as not to spoil this for anyone that still wants to try for their own satisfaction.

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Choosing a Carry Quiver

Leather — Fri, 20 May 2011 01:47:34 +0000

Choosing a Carry Quiver

At Carryology, we spend much of our lives searching for better ways to carry. We figure that when you have your tools and toys close at hand, you’re more likely to explore the world with confidence and curiosity, and that sounds like a key ingredient to a happy life.

As frequent customers of Rushfaster, we worked with them on creating a guest post for their blog based around picking out a carry quiver from their range. You can peek the article over on their blog HERE. We assumed that this quiver would be for a working person who may need to carry a laptop, a few digital toys, travels a bit, and mixes work and play.

With that in mind, here goes…

Main Backpack

This is a go to pack that will work on a bike, train or plane. It can carry gear for work and an after hours activity, and then double for an overnight trip with the basics.

Chrome is a San Fran brand built with bikes in mind. This means you get great water-resistance, an ability to swallow larger loads, and a bit of street cred in the mix. Their Ivan Roll-top is a larger pack, with the smaller option called the Pawn. Did you see our review on the Ivan?

Peek the Chrome Ivan at Rushfaster.

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With Laptop Sleeve

Because the Chrome Ivan was originally designed with bike couriers in mind, you need a padded sleeve if you’re going to haul a laptop around. The front zip pocket works a treat to slip a sleeve into though, so it’s pretty easy.

Incase is another Californian brand, with close ties to Apple. While we’d normally pick a portrait oriented sleeve for a backpack (easier access for a pack’s vertical format), we settled for the landscape Coated Canvas sleeve that feels deluxe and will work well in messenger bags. (not ideal for a backpack being in landscape format, but we like the mud!)

Peek the Incase Laptop Sleeve at Rushfaster

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Small Satchel (It’s European!)

There’s times when a big pack just feels unwieldy. If you’re carrying an iPad, a bit of food and a document or book, there’s nothing like a small satchel to stay discreet.

All The Kings Men is a tiny brand with a long history of making really neat shoulder bags. Based in Melbourne, their iconic messenger bags/satchels were one of the front runners of the return to urban bags. These age really well, and are just large enough to cover a work day’s worth of stuff.

Peek the ATKM Satchel at Rushfaster

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Weekender/Duffel

Weekender bags are really tricky to do well. A good weekender should let you escape for a few nights without looking like it’s a work trip. We think wheeled cabin bags belong in airports, and if you’re going leather, you generally need to spend a bomb for something that looks good. This is where duffel or utility based bags can work well; they give you that relaxed feel, without spending a fortune.

The North Face Base Camp Duffels are a classic, having been hauled up countless big walls and through plenty of deep swamps. They’ll last you years, and become more credible with the more abuse they receive.

Peek The North Face duffle at Rushfaster

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Wallet

Big wallets are really not cool. They bulge and skew your trousers, throw your back out, and announce to the world that you are totally unorganised. In wallets, small is the only way to go.

When it comes to wallet brands, we have to admit we are a little biased, as some of our contributors also work and design for Bellroy. But if you’re after a small wallet that can still carry up to 15 or so cards, some cash, and show you appreciate a little craft, then we love the Slim Sleeve.

Peek the Slim Sleeve wallet at Rushfaster

Of course we have MANY more bags, wallets and travel pieces than the above. But as a starting point, we think you’d be pretty stoked with these.

Carryology says hi to Bellroy

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:49:28 +0000

The growth and support that has been happening around Carryology is amazing. We feel really fortunate to be a part of the carry community finding a voice.

The initial idea and seeding for the blog came from a few of our contributors, who have also been working on another project. That project is called Bellroy, which has just launched a series of really interesting wallets…

For the regular readers of this blog (which is a LOT of you), you’ll notice some of the themes that get frequent discussion space – slim wallets, more efficient storage, dividing cards between frequently accessed and infrequently accessed… the sorts of themes that are too rarely addressed in the wallet world.

So these guys are now trying to improve the way we carry, using responsibly sourced, vegetable tanned hides that feel pretty amazing in the hand. The formats are diverse, and both male and females are catered to (but sorry, no Costanzas).

Check it out if you have time, ping some feedback to the guys either in the comments here or via the Bellroy site, and have an awesome weekend.

The Department of Goods

Leather — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:10:13 +0000

Some really cheap (but really good) bags

Backcountry.com is a pretty neat online retailer for all sorts of outdoor gear. They’ve had an outlet concept for awhile, which has recently jumped back to our attention with a fancy rebranding to The Department Of Goods.

After spending an embarrassing amount of time drooling through it, we’ve picked out a few of the gems…

Note: This site is best for USA based viewers, but these guys do deliver internationally as well.

Snow packs
We can’t even imagine how many of these packs exist in the world… the Heli Pro is a neat allrounder for hiking some turns or beating around town remembering those turns. Price: $53.97

Ortovox are one of the best respected brands in avalanche gear, having earned their reputation through decades of dependable product. This is a women specific snowpack. Price: $77.97

Work bags
The Metro is one of our all time favorites for affordable work packs. Great organising, slim profile, but with surprising room for expansion. Price: $31.98

A bit of a Jack of all trades, the Blade works well for a travelling business person looking for a versatile carry-all. Price: $104.97

And if you would prefer a messenger, there’s a great value Timbuk2. We’ve been abusing one of these for a year now, and it’s still kicking along strong. Price: $83.97

Quinze & Milan x Eastpak | WEIRD

Leather — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:53:29 +0000

Ummm, can’t say I’m too sure about which category this fits into – Carry vs Weird. But hey, whatever tickles your fancy right?

Anyway, Eastpak, makers of bags and other assorted carry items have teamed up with Quinze and Milan, makers of fine furnitue, to produce the ‘Built To Resist’ Collection. Now if you’re like me you will need some to catch you breath from laughing before having a good look at the piece above…

Upon further inspection this def seems like a piece that is function over fashion. It’s got all the bells and whistles in term of storage and comfort – I mean look how much fun those people are having, it’s gotta be good right?

The ‘Built To Resist’ collection combines quinze & milan shapes with authentic eastpak product characteristics, including bags, zippers, handles, colorful strong fabrics and popular prints.

Check out more over at DesignBoom

Furoshiki – The simple wrapping square

ando — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:56:58 +0000

Simple is kinda nice…

For all our love of feature rich bags, there’s times when the Ikea bag or a simple wrap forms the perfect carry aid.

So here’s a little look in to the timeless art of Furoshiki – that beautiful Japanese way to carry things using a simple fabric square.

After the jump…

The Japanese Ministry for the Environment launched Mottainai Furoshiki in 2006 as an initiative to reduce waste. This Furoshiki was the key message piece.

Furoshiki for many Japanese are like skate decks for many street artists – an amazing canvas to get creative on.

And then there’s the Furoshiki inspired products:

Seto's Furoshiki laptop wrap

Sorry for teasing – unfortunately this is no longer available

And a PSP cover from WaSaBi

Yeah, that’s probably enough for now…

If you want to explore more, furoshiki.com has a number of good resources, YouTube is gold as always, and Kirai has a few good basics.

We’d love to know if you guys have any favourite tricks with Furoshiki inspiration?

To kick it off, the top photo is of my better half, carrying our BYO wine with a head scarf. When finished carrying, the scarf goes back around her hair.

Our favourite versatile backpacks

ando — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:35:53 +0000

If you want large version of the image above click [HERE]

There’s some great backpacks around, but there’s also a lot that suck really badly. We thought we’d pull together a spread of packs that we rate – they work well, they look appropriate for their intended use, and they should help you get out and enjoy new experiences.

We wanted to narrow this list down a little, so we’ve chosen our favourite versatile packs. A great all-rounder is not easy to do, so there will still be some compromises. We’ve arranged them from more of a work focus, to more of an activity focus. Just pick where you best fit.

Quality = Fitness for purpose

These backpacks should all:

Work well enough from the office to the outdoors: They’ll carry a mix of items, and look appropriate across a variety of environments (unless you are in full suit city).
Carry your tech: They have pockets for all those modern devices, generally including a laptop (we let you know if they need an additional sleeve).
Deal well with travel: Travel requires a pack that can expand for a jacket or contract for an overhead bin. You need to stash food without squashing it and digital toys without scratching them. The best travel packs can open wide on their backs for packing on a hotel bed.

More discussion on the backpacks after the jump…

So, starting from the most work suitable, and building towards the most active suitable:

Incase Nylon backpack

Positives: Loads of great tech pockets, a geometric silhouette that looks great in urban environments (and yet still OK in the outdoors), efficient spaces for square work items, and a nice compromise on price vs quality.
Negatives: The harness and straight body shape are only OK for more rigorous activities, there’s not much expansion ability, and there’s better packs if you want to free your spirit (take it climbing, surfing, boarding, etc).

Gravis Metro

Positives: A really affordable pack that sits quite flat, yet seems to keep growing while you need it to. There’s convenient pockets, sensible sections, and loads of colourway options from crazy all-over prints to stealth black.

Negatives: The laptop pocket is a side opening, which means if you ever forget to do the section zip up, your laptop might meet the floor in a hurry. There’s not much structure or padding, so fragile items (like sunglasses) can feel a little exposed – but that’s not too big an issue for most.

Chrome Ivan Roll-top

Positives: A really different looking pack that gets loads of curious looks. Weather protection is great, with a relatively water-tight hanging pocket that we use for our 17″ MacBooks. While the Ivan is our favourite size roll-top (mid), there’s also the Pawn (small) or the Sultan (large).

Negatives: This is classic courier style, with big pockets and sections that take everything. You need to be creative to find good nests for all your tech, otherwise it just swirls around with everything else. The velcro can be loud when opening the main section, and it’s a pretty wide pack (not great for power walkers).

Rip Curl Escape

Positives: This pack was built for travel, and it shows. A huge main compartment can take a weekend’s clothes, there’s a wide waste harness, and we love all the features like wet sack, insulated pocket (that fits big Bose), and more.

Negatives: It could do with a couple more internal pockets, and it doesn’t compress well, meaning you need to keep it on the full side or your stuff can get jiggy in it.

Da Kine Heli Pro

Positives: A snow industry foundation piece, it looks epic, works for skis or snowboards, has a load of colourway options, and fits the body well for freedom of movement. Various sizes available, with our preference for the 20L.
Negatives: This is the least well suited to a workplace, needing a laptop sleeve and some creativity to make it work well. We also wish it was more water-tight.

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So that’s our take. We’d love to hear if there’s some amazing bags we’ve missed (just ping us a comment).

Incognito laptop cases

ando — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:19:39 +0000

Ideas to keep your laptop hidden from dodgy scoundrels

Camera bags used to be very obviously camera bags. That was fine for shooting weddings, but it was a pretty loud request to be mugged anywhere else. The best selling bags now look like pretty normal bags. That’s a good thing.

The same philosophy of hiding your valuables has hit laptop cases and bags in a big way, with some pretty creative expressions. We thought we’d find a few of the more fun ways to keep your laptop your laptop, rather than funding for someone elses drug habit.

Recycled Coffee Sack in Burlap from Etsy

Rainer Spehl wooden laptop case with leather lining & magnetic closure

Gas Case from Ivorilla

More incognito cases after the jump…

If you have a 17", perhaps look at the Atlas section

Laptop case for Macbook Pro against crime

OK, we’re kind of getting bored with these by now. We’ll leave you with an idea for what we’d really like to see…

Does anyone want to convert one of these classics to carry our 17″ MBP’s?

The Olivetti classic by Ettore Sottsass

Welcome to Carryology

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:34:30 +0000

Somewhere in Portugal by @ando_f

Hello. We’re Bellroy.

We’re a small group looking to improve the way we carry things.

We are starting the old fashioned way – with a community. We are hoping that this blog will bring together people that share an interest in carrying better, inspired by ideas that help us roam more freely, carrying and accessing our things from wherever we end up.