Wotancraft Scout Review | First Look

We get to look at lots of fun products at Carryology, and we are often privy to exciting releases ahead of time. On rare occasions, this preview happens to come from a brand that you’ve never tested before. In this case, Wotancraft has always escaped my reach, and is a brand whose products have always intrigued me. A seemingly perfect blend of heritage aesthetic with modern guts, they are, to many, a blissful marriage of form and function. Our experienced writers Matt and Piotr have always sung their praises, and finally I have had the opportunity to use Wotancraft’s newest release–The Scout.

The Scout is dubbed as their City Explorer, and over the last ten days I’ve had a blast taking it with me everywhere. It has served me well in a surprising amount of situations, and while some elements of the bag took a little getting used to, I think that the short learning curve is worth it.

Heritage Style – Modern Materials

The first thing that anyone would notice about the Scout, and any of Wotancraft’s bags, are the looks. It’s hard not to swoon over the classic silhouettes, distressed accents, and heritage vibe. Both colours, the Charcoal with black leather that I have been using, and the Olive Green with Brown leather are handsome choices that would suit most tastes. A simple rectangular profile, with ever so slightly rounded edges (adorned with battle distress leather) and an elegant lid that closes with leather Y tabs. All of the hardware is custom, including the Wotancraft logo and name subtly embossed. 

It would be easy at a glance to consider this a waxed canvas bag, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is an older bag that has been well loved and cared for. However, that would betray the innovative materials that hide behind its charming design. You see, the Scout is built from Waxed Cordura® Canvas. It is military grade, and is exactly what you’d choose for a hard wearing everyday bag.

On a rudimentary level this means you are getting the elegant aesthetics of waxed canvas, including the patina that will come from your own use, paired with the lightweight abrasion resistance and weatherproofing of the modern Cordura material. Wotancraft have replaced traditional waxed canvas with their own Waxed Cordura on their bags since 2014. It’s a similar story with their battle distressed leather, where the cowhide has been left rugged and untrimmed at the edges and infused with wax to create its own patina. I love this leather and I do wish they had used some of this delightful leather as zipper pulls.

Medical grade microfiber lining protects any contents from any dings or scratches, and also avoids the dreaded pilling and fuzzing that I often associate with velcro inserts. The bag’s body and the dividers are also padded with a high density EVA foam that adds structure and protection. These choices may not seem hugely significant in writing, but in the flesh they translate to a wonderful tactile experience, and give you great confidence trusting your equipment or daily carry in this bag.

EDC or Camera Carry?

The simple answer is both. While Wotancraft are perhaps better known for their photography carry capabilities, this bag serves dual purpose, and works for a roving photographer or an urban commuter. The removable dividers are equally adept at holding your camera set up or your daily carry. For example, I have often used one divider only in daily carry mode to accommodate a 26oz water bottle and a plethora of bits and pieces such as a jacket, a hat, a book and pair of glasses.

With a 9L volume, this can hold a decent amount of camera equipment. I’ve carried both my full frame set up and a more compact kit. My FF load out is usually a body, two lenses, a spare battery, a pocket rocket, and a strap. While for my smaller APSC kit, I’ve managed to easily carry two cameras, three lenses and supplement that with some extra EDC such as a water bottle or jacket. This was a welcome surprise to me, because although many bags can pitch themselves as a versatile do it all piece of carry, there often feels like a compromise on one end of the spectrum. That in itself isn’t a problem, but I prefer a bag to do one or two things well, rather than four of five things poorly. I’m happy to say the Scout is in the former camp, and genuinely does an excellent job of both.

Access

This was a bit of a learning curve for me, as I’m used to smaller messengers exposing the whole interior in an instant after you unzip or unclip. With the Scout, you have to release the pull-tabs and the covering, then unzip the main compartment. Once you’ve done that, you are presented with a concertina opening, which took me a little getting used to. However, after a couple of days, the 40º entrance is an absolute joy to use. Your contents stay protected at all times thanks to the pleated fabric and your items will not fall out easily, which was my initial concern.

It makes the bag comfortable to use on the go, in fact I found my arm, hand, and wrist entering the bag at this angle feeling far more natural than than the traditional top down method. I didn’t have to hold the bag at any particular angle to access my camera or water bottle, I could just unzip and access with the bag rested against my body. Not only that, it makes the bag great for desk or table use, you can both access and view the contents with ease. The laptop sleeve, which can be accessed from its own separate full length zipper, held my 14” MacBook Pro or my iPad Pro comfortably, and they felt very well protected.

The two front pockets are great for quick access items, I found them to be a natural spot for sunglasses, notebooks, snacks and the like. The closures are excellent designed with a finger loop behind each snap to aid easy use when full, which I find an often overlooked feature when snaps are used. It accelerates use and increases functionality, exactly what one would hope for from an everyday bag. If you are deep into the Wotancraft ecosystem, you can use their modules here to dial in your equipment carry. These pockets are also covered by the top flap when fully closed, providing extra weather protection for anything inside, along with added security.

There is a lightly padded top handle to carry briefcase style, and the shoulder strap is removable. Although, that said, I’m not sure why you would ever remove this strap as it is one of the most comfortable I have ever used. The neoprene padding moves with you on the go, and decreases shoulder fatigue significantly. On the rear of the Scout, you’ll find a luggage passthrough, which sits atop a somewhat hidden pocket that runs the full width of the bag. I found this the perfect place for my wallet, car keys, and phone. It keeps them secure against your body/back, and out of sight.

All-in-all, my first experience with Wotancraft was everything I hoped it would be, and more. As a photographer, I’m always looking for ways to use my gear quickly without shouting from the rooftops that I’m carrying an expensive payload for any would-be thieves. Not only that, I love bags that blend into surroundings, rather than standing out. I love the fusion of classic design and modern materials, complimented by the excellent functionality. I would feel comfortable taking this to either a wedding or the top of a mountain, and everywhere in between. The Scout gives you permission to do exactly that.