I was looking for a personal carry bag for weekend travel and spent months narrowing down possible options. I wanted a bag that I could carry either as a backpack or briefcase and fit under an airline seat.
I've had the bag for a few weeks and am happy with my decision. The bag measures 11” x 16.5” x 6” with a zip out section that adds approximately four inches (5 liters) of extra room and fits standard packing cubes for overnight/weekend travel.
Love the satisfying "click" of the metal clasp on the front flap. It’s easy to use and holds the front flap securely. The bag has three small pockets to hold my computer related products and two mesh and zippered compartments to secure small/valuable items within the bag. There is another medium pocket that is sized for a tablet and I also found two "hidden" areas within the bag to stash small items such as a rainfly or similar sized items.
While this is a great bag, I did find a couple of areas that were an issue (and no, it's not the shoulder strap) The first is the material in the construction of the bag. It’s heavy duty 500 Cordura nylon, is well made and should hold up well. It is, however, a bit of a lint magnet and I find myself wiping down the exterior on a regular basis. The bag holds a 15" notebook, but just barely; another half/one inch width would have been preferable.
My decision to choose the Mystery Ranch 18 over others I reviewed lies with the fact that many are backpack oriented bags with the ability to use as a shoulder/briefcase. I preferred a briefcase with the option to sometimes carry as a backpack.
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