Week In Review ~ 25 August

Welcome to this Week In Review, where you can check out a great bag for carrying your Coke (not that kind of coke), a hardwearing messenger that’s leading the charge in recycled military-spec materials and a pack that’s doing its bit for the planet. Plus there’s luggage designed for a basketball player that definitely scores points in the style department, as well as a handy guide to choosing messengers that won’t look out of place at work whilst fulfilling your carry needs.

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The chances are high (seeing as you read Carryology!) that you either own, have seen or have read about bags that boast a range of military spec components. Well Defy’s new Shelter messenger can quite happily serve as a General leading this invasion of military spec bags. The bag is handmade out of vintage WWII canvas duck tent material and vintage M35 military canvas/vinyl truck tarps. The Shelter features AustriAlpin quick release Cobra buckles and has a pocket that can accommodate a 15-inch laptop, with two front pockets for smaller items. You can also check out the Defy Recon road test for excellent background info on the brand and its choice of materials.

Klättermusen is a Swedish brand that focuses on producing products with minimal impact to the environment. Over 70% of the material used to construct the Ratatosk backpack is recycled. This roll-top pack has a 30-liter capacity, an adjustable chest strap, an adjustable and removable hip belt, as well as an opening and internal pocket to accommodate a hydration system. Plus the company donates 1% of its annual turnover to environmental initiatives and has also set up their own eco-friendly projects. Sure, 1% may not sound like a lot but we’re pretty sure the projects that receive the money aren’t complaining!

Who knew Coke bottles were such versatile creatures. Not content with carrying liquids, some bottles find a new lease of life in a new form of carry – the EOps x Michael Young x Coca-Cola Outercover backpack. This pack is constructed out of a waterproof canvas that contains 28 recycled rPET plastic bottles within the fabric’s composition. There’s some padded internal dividers for the likes of a laptop and iPad, as well as two external pockets.

Ghurka (luxury leather bags and accessories) and Armstrong & Wilson (pocket squares for the fashion forward) have teamed up to create luggage for LeBron James (a top NBA basketball player). Maybe you can’t play basketball like a pro but you can at least carry like one (if you’re quick enough that is – a limited number of bags are on sale from September).

So how do you get the practicality of a messenger with looks that are suitable for the office? Simple – you get a work messenger. So which one do you go for? Well it just so happens we have a handy buyer’s guide for work messengers which will hopefully aid the decision-making process.