@@Nomads.Nation lol it works. That bag has so many creative,secure and hidden pockets. If I need backpack straps I’ll take a backpack. Can fit a full size water bottle if that’s your thing or several energy drinks once straps are out and doesn’t compromise the interior storage. Plus the grey interior. Chefs kiss. (But their shipping still sucks)
YES! Loving this! When that Bag Reviewer of the year award came up, I immediately thought of Klint and I was right! I also have to agree about Bellroy’s Baida ripstop nylon as I find myself just randomly “caressing” my sling/transit workpack at times 😅
agree on alpaka this year, they've just been giving people what they want based on feedback and doing it quickly, seems that's all it takes. Hot take: all orange liner needs to GO.
Good call out to The Perfect Bag!!! His reviews actually inspired me to buy a cheap $50 bag from High Sierra (Endeavor Backpack), which I really enjoyed using. I ultimately gave it away to a friend because it didn't have 2 water bottle pockets (only one), but it was still a great backpack! Most channels review a lot of expensive bags, so it was refreshing to find a reviewer that found more normal, cheaper alternatives. Apparently, he didn't even get compensated for it when I used his link to purchase the bag... hopefully, he'll gain more traction & get some compensation for his hard work in the future!
Great vid Aaron, I'm a big fan of your content but I've not commented before, which seems wrong, so keep up the great work and I hope the launch of your own back pack is a huge success you deserve it. All the best, JG.
Alpaka is making some unique products and pushing innovation boundaries which is what it's all about! For me I did some travel with the tomtoc Explorer-T21 and the Aer Flight Pack 3, both had their individual uses. I picked up the vertex pouch and now waiting for my mark ryden pack for it to live inside of. Thanks for taking me down the bag rabbit hole!
Yeah Alpaka getting the love it deserves. Cheers to you and your team for all the awesome work you've done to help us spend wisely. Happy new year! 💜💜💜
This video gets the best “best of the year” of the year award from me 🏆. Fun, informative, I really liked your shoutout to ThePerfectBag and totally agree on Alpaka
Lol Klint got an award! He introduced me to the greenroom quickdraw and that dyneema defy insidious. So I don't know if should thank him. My wallet doesn't. I also bought a lot of slings this year and I agree the Venture Ready 2.5 is the best small sling I have, with a runner up going to the many colors of the blank canvas daypack sling.
Love the 2023 video. Love how you mixed it up, and best of all made it fun. Def has your personality all over it. I have to agree I've taken a notice to Alpaka lately and even made two recent purchases; the Metro backpack and their zip pouch. Not too shabby.
Love the video!! That needs to become a yearly event. Great job you and your team have accomplished this....next year will be even bigger. Happy New Year!! 🥳
Hey Aaron great video. 1.As Usual suggestion for us broke lads. A budget category award for all the Sling, backpack etc. Would be nice, maybe limit the budget to 100 usd for backpacks and 40-50 usd for Sling. 2. Also did I miss it? Or was there no wallet section? 3. Maybe do a small giveaway of the bag of the favourite comment of the year(ask the winner what he would like from you collection, obviously this depends if you want to do it or can afford do it :) )
great suggestions! No wallet or budget section this year - both were on the table but I didn't want this video to be 20 minutes, so I tried to keep it shorter. Maybe next year we'll go balls to the wall with 30+ categories and cover everything
Best Travel or EDC could have been the Mous Extreme Commuter. The price point and weight is definitely a pain point, but the build quality, sleek design, and functionality are so good. I'm not a promoter or anything, I just tested it out for a couple of months and feel like it's future proofed in many ways. For a Business or IT professional, it offers the best combination of day-to-day functionality, luxury, and protection. Mous definitely needs more color options and configurations, but overall this bag is awesome. Great review Aaron!! Looking forward to purchasing your new bag as a back-up lol. Best of luck! 🤓
Mine best 2023 purchases (some of those were released before 2023) Sling - Bellroy Venture Ready sling Tech Pouch - Aer Slim Pouch / Evergoods CAP1 Backpack - Black Ember Citadel R3 / Alpaka Backpack Pro Messenger Bag - Bellroy System Messenger Bag
Great video team! Love it. How about a top three and then pick the winner? Would be nice to see who else is at the top of your list. It must be hard to pick a winner as there is so much good gear out there. Loving my Bellroy Ventura 2.5l sling, my Alpaka Backpack pro and Alpaka tech pouch (well it’s their toiletry bag that’s a great tech pouch as it’s quite small).
Agree on ALPAKA. They killed it this year. I scooped up most of their offerings w the element messenger bag being my fav. Their shipping is still atrocious but I’m sure that’ll improve.
@@Nomads.Nation I hope to see the 18L mous backpack review first though. Been waiting a while for that. That's 18L without the lid I've always wanted a perfect backpack that fits my 14 inch macbook though. So far the tomtoc sling is doing its job, but I need something bigger, a backpack, but a backpack that keeps its minimalism. But it has to perfectly fit a 13/14 macbook pro maximum. This sling bag says it fits all 13 inch laptops, but it just about fits the 14 inch. So I'd love a backpack that's made for 13 inch laptops so that my 14 inch macbook would perfectly just about fit in it. I actually hope you make a backpack like this one day that's under 100 quid
After watching all of Aaron's and the crew's videos this year I've been jonesing for some Alpaka gear, specifically the Bravo Tote, Metro Sling and Ark Card Wallet. But being from Canada I just have to decide if I'm willing to give the government more of my money in duties to make the purchase(s) happen or if I go with a brand that has Canadian retail channels for an easier, and less costly, buying experience. That said, this was a great rundown of what really grabbed Aaron's attention this year. I also totally agree with him about Bellroy's fabric choice. My Venture Ready backpack gets used more often than the rest of my (small) collection because I love the way it feels and looks inside and out. Here's to seeing what tops the list for Nomads Nation in 2024 🤙🏻
I just got an Alpaka for an EDC for going to client offices, hopefully it works out. Would love to see a WTF award for the most confusing choices/poorest design type thing(s), just for a laugh.
Hey Aaron. Thank you for putting up this video to let us know the best travel gear of the year. To be honest, I anticipated to see some AER gear among the best. However, I completely agree with you about the Alpaka as a travel gear company doing its best at the moment and perfectly balancing the products tailored to both an average and power traveller needs. I recently bought their vertical sling as a gift, and my friend absolutely loved its material and design. Thank you again and keep up the great work!
I just got the Wotancraft 3.5L sling pouch (upgrade) as an update for my point-n-shoot camera (Sony RX-100) carry. My old Eagle Creek waist pouch could fit not much else beyond the camera and a mini tripod. The Wotancraft sling pouch allows me to also carry my sunglasses, a small water bottle and even a compressible jacket in addition to the small camera gear. This well-built pouch can be wore either as a sling or a waist bag. I believe Wotancraft is mostly a camera bag brand and it's not well covered on TH-cam.
Agreed on Alpaka. I love the stuff they make. Just got an Elements Backpack Pro and I'm in love with it. Though I do agree with the comments warning about their packaging. Making premium products and then shipping them in that state is not a clever choice IMO. Hope they improve in that regard because that will eventually cause problems (both to them and to clients)
I bought an Alpaka mini tech pouch this year (in the Eco RX30 fabric) and really love it. It doesn’t seem quite as big as the Aer slim pouch (still my fav small tech kit), but I LOVE the fabric feel and waterproof zips. I am excited to get some more Alpaka gear.
Bought the Nomatic 20-30L travel pack after watching over 50 over your review videos and thoroughly vetting them all. Sadly, i overlooked that it fits up to a 15’ laptop🤦🏻♂️. It fits my 16 inch super snug, but after watching this i think you just solved my problem with the new laptop sleeve! Thanks for all you do! Love your content and can’t wait to see what you do with your pack!
I don't need more bags (I have hundreds! Sure, unfortunately I will buy more ... ), so what am I doing here? Amazing show! Happy new year and thank you.
Aaron, love hearing that you respond to every comment! Made me want to comment immediately. 😅 Have you considered reviewing Trakke bags? I love them, esp. the Bannoch and Arkaig, both were renewed recently.
love to try out the bellroy venture ready sling. but currently i'm loving Alpaka's Travel Sling. very close to venture ready sling in terms of capacity, I believe, but it's so thin, it's great to travel with as well as use as EDC
I feel like a regular waxed canvas version may be coming from evergoods. Like with the CTB26, they test the waters with the special edition before they release a regular version so they can keep the regular version price as high as possible
Alpaka is by far one of the most underrated brands that peaked my interest more than some of the other bigger named brands. Aer is ok and bellroy is a bit meh for my taste, but Alpaka just hit the sweet spot.
Hey fun vid! I am looking to buy the black Evergood griffin duffel. Is the interior bright enough to ruin the bag?? I LOVE the materials, but I can't decide if the orange really matches.. It is bright enough that no camera seems to be able to handle it lmao
Darn. I think I didn't get any new release carry gear this year... But if I had to pick the closest ones... *Carry* Tom Bihn Addax for EDC/OBT... I think it released late 2022. Boundary Supply Rennen Shoulder Bag for Messenger (I've really gotten into messengers this year) Must be a fairly recent release... Tom Bihn Side Kick for dual action Organizer Pouch / Pocket Reliever sling... Could be 100 years old for all I know... *Tech* Lenovo Yogabook 9i (two beautiful integrated OLED displays) for Windows Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 *OR* Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (Specifically the 13 inch) for (ironically) Linux... Just make sure to get an actual SSD, and not eMMC memory, and disable Bitlocker before you install (can be accomplished in Power Shell). Mac... Sorry, no recs from me... Mac just isn't my thing Shokz for audio... they're open ear, quite comfortable and secure, integrate well into any ecosystem, and easy just to leave them on your ears all day... Unfortunately, sound cancelling isn't an option, but they're great at what they do.
It's super nice that you acknowledged a peer in the same circle. I wished you also acknowledged Chuyen Tactical for shaking up the bagmakers industry. Award should've been called Rad-ical-liffe award 😂
@@Nomads.Nation CT brought affordability of tactical packs to people like me. They focused on one design and started improving it with their limited edition runs in place of custom designs. I'm super loving their CT21 so far. You might wanna get one to review too. I know your review will do it justice :)
I agree on Alpaka being a company that has it together. I have generally grabbed enough of their products, usually on special, this year, to the point where I may have too many slings and too many tech pouches. Is that possible? I sort of wish I had grabbed one of their backpacks. At this point, I am holding out to see what happens with the Fyro. Because I think I also have too many backpacks too!
No idea when the evergoods cap2 was released but I like it a lot. My aer sling is in my car to carry a kit but the evergoods is the one I take when I purposely carry one. Over my bellroy, heimplanet, and aer.
Here's my personal picks for the big 4 (not sure which of these are actually 2023 releases tho ...): > Pouch: Bellroy Desk Caddy. Although I just got my Vertex in the mail today so that might change pretty soon. ;-) > Sling: I usually go with the 6L or 9L venture sling, but I also just got my Alpaka Bravo Sling Max 3 that I haven't tried out yet so .... > EDC: Probably the Venture Ready Pack since I used it a LOT this year. But if my Bravo Sling Max does its thing, I might just combine sling + EDC. > Travel: Bellroy Transit 28L is my go-to, but I also like the Aer Travel Pack 3, which I picked up this year. Minaal 3 is also a favorite. And, although you didn't do this category, I would say the Nomadic spinner is still my favorite wheeled carry-on case, even though I got the new Mono Carry On Pro (with laptop compartment) bag this year, which is pretty sweet. But, that Nomadic takes a beating and is a real trooper. Thanks for the video!
really curious to see if the Vertex replaces your Desk Caddy. If I didn't have my large headphones, I might go with CAP2 or the Desk Caddy, but alas, the headphones need some love!
I really JUST realized that the Bellroy Venture Sling 2.5L has a 3rd back/secret zipped pocket. Now, WHY aren't they doing that for their larger sized 6L Venture Sling?! Mayghad XD Also, been watching The Perfect Bag too and that duffel really is something XD
Haha, switched job and am getting married soon, so I've been quite busy. At times I actually think I should ask you out for a coffee, but not sure how often you stay in HK! @@Nomads.Nation Btw, this year I agree Alpaka catches my eye the most, especially given the price point. I slightly regret getting both the CPL24 and Phoenix 2 from Evergoods, as the new CTB26 is best of both worlds, I actually tried to swap bags with a Suburban customer but I probably looked too scammy. The duffel I'm still considering...but haven't pulled the trigger yet. You probably could do a video along the line of which products disappoint you the most, if you could do so without losing all your sponsors🤣Would be interesting to see which ones clearly do not meet the brief, have hilarious flaws in real life, or is simply a poor bargain compared to competitors. Would also be interesting to have a video that talks about fabrics and their uses, especially what's on the pipeline, so that we know whether to wait for a new wave of products or just buy now.
best edc bag : bellroy transit workpack. best travel : Air travel pack 3 best gym/sport event/travel : Pakt v2 btw talk about Alpaka. I'm disappointed for alpaka air sling v2. sling adjust strap move so easy and dangle also annoying to me. not feel comfortable to use at all.
@@Nomads.Nation I got this sling about year ago. try to use daily, oversea travel, domestic travel but still feel the same. maybe it's not just suit me 😅. but at least a compartment is good and well design.
you mean new release? I don't have one yet. If you want my best bag recommendations though, check out this video that we published 2 weeks ago -> th-cam.com/video/Ttgy27gUKHY/w-d-xo.html
Hate that we can't get some of the most comfortable bags (Aer and Tortuga) in the EU. I mean we can, but with crazy shipping costs/times and customs fees. There is no retailer, 1st or 3rd party, selling them here, like for other major brands (PD, Bellroy, Nomatic).
I was looking into Aer backpacks and it seems they opened a store in the UK and they are shipping from there as well. If I try to order a backpack from Aer's website to the Netherlands I just have to pay €15 shipping and it will take 4 to 5 business days to arrive. At the checkout section they also state ''The total amount you pay includes all applicable customs duties & taxes. We guarantee no additional charges on delivery''.
@@C4LCH3X4SS hell yea! this new UK store could be a game changer for their European market. I assumed the import fees would be higher - please keep us posted how it goes!
You need to make trophies like MKBHD does for his phone awards, just in case bag companies start asking you for them so they can display them in their offices.
@@Nomads.Nation I lived in Taipei for 20 years. Used to visit HK regularly. If there’s one thing I miss, it’s the food. Especially the Ma La Guo - spicy hotpot….
Thanks for your comment, and I agree that there are certainly some similarities between the two duffels. Having said that, what strikes me most about the Evergoods Duffel is its structure - something that no duffels I’ve reviewed (including the peak design duffel) really have
What's your favorite gear of 2023? 👇
ALPAKA Elements Messenger Bag with the backpack straps cut out.
@@bhdoyle1117 Alpaka Macgyvered
@@Nomads.Nation lol it works. That bag has so many creative,secure and hidden pockets. If I need backpack straps I’ll take a backpack. Can fit a full size water bottle if that’s your thing or several energy drinks once straps are out and doesn’t compromise the interior storage. Plus the grey interior. Chefs kiss. (But their shipping still sucks)
@@bhdoyle1117 💯
Evergoods CPL24 griffin I’m a sl*t for waxed canvas
YES! Loving this!
When that Bag Reviewer of the year award came up, I immediately thought of Klint and I was right! I also have to agree about Bellroy’s Baida ripstop nylon as I find myself just randomly “caressing” my sling/transit workpack at times 😅
I find myself caressing Klint all the time as well… wait… well, you get what I mean ;)
agree on alpaka this year, they've just been giving people what they want based on feedback and doing it quickly, seems that's all it takes. Hot take: all orange liner needs to GO.
that is a very brave/hot take lol
Orange is awful
@@bhdoyle1117 to some, others are obsessed with it tho. I'm in the middle.
Finally someone said it. It hought it's just me. 😂 I'm someone who prioritize the interior of the bags.
@@hamdidaud5552 to each their own!
Good call out to The Perfect Bag!!! His reviews actually inspired me to buy a cheap $50 bag from High Sierra (Endeavor Backpack), which I really enjoyed using. I ultimately gave it away to a friend because it didn't have 2 water bottle pockets (only one), but it was still a great backpack! Most channels review a lot of expensive bags, so it was refreshing to find a reviewer that found more normal, cheaper alternatives. Apparently, he didn't even get compensated for it when I used his link to purchase the bag... hopefully, he'll gain more traction & get some compensation for his hard work in the future!
Hell yea, Klint’s killing it
Great vid Aaron, I'm a big fan of your content but I've not commented before, which seems wrong, so keep up the great work and I hope the launch of your own back pack is a huge success you deserve it. All the best, JG.
Really appreciate the kind words Jonathan, and love your channel!!
Alpaka is making some unique products and pushing innovation boundaries which is what it's all about! For me I did some travel with the tomtoc Explorer-T21 and the Aer Flight Pack 3, both had their individual uses. I picked up the vertex pouch and now waiting for my mark ryden pack for it to live inside of. Thanks for taking me down the bag rabbit hole!
Glad you are enjoying the journey! Be sure to let us know what you think of the Vertex pouch after testing for a few weeks 🙏🏽
Yeah Alpaka getting the love it deserves. Cheers to you and your team for all the awesome work you've done to help us spend wisely. Happy new year! 💜💜💜
Thanks and same to you!
I appreciate this light hearted take on these “_____ of the year” videos. I’ll be looking for episode 2, December 2024👍🏼👍🏼
thanks so much!
This video gets the best “best of the year” of the year award from me 🏆. Fun, informative, I really liked your shoutout to ThePerfectBag and totally agree on Alpaka
Really appreciate that! We really enjoyed making this one so I’m glad it’s doing so well :)
Lol Klint got an award! He introduced me to the greenroom quickdraw and that dyneema defy insidious. So I don't know if should thank him. My wallet doesn't.
I also bought a lot of slings this year and I agree the Venture Ready 2.5 is the best small sling I have, with a runner up going to the many colors of the blank canvas daypack sling.
gotta love what Klint is doing! And I've never heard of Black Canvas before but just checked them out and they look great
Alpaka definitely made moves this year. Picked up a few items from them in 23.
So many moves
Great video, Aaron! I’m SO excited about Gear for the Girls. Thank you, Thank you!!
You’re welcome welcome! 😉
Agree with Klint at the perfect bag being a great channel.
Like yourself he is authentic and himself and nothing beats that ! BOOOM🤣
Love that dude
Love the 2023 video. Love how you mixed it up, and best of all made it fun. Def has your personality all over it. I have to agree I've taken a notice to Alpaka lately and even made two recent purchases; the Metro backpack and their zip pouch. Not too shabby.
thanks my dude! it was a fun video to make :)
Dayfarer backpack is the best thing I've ever bought lol. So satisfying to use.
Totally agree - highly underrated bag
The award categories 🤣 Awesome wrap up! Thanks for another great year!
glad you like haha!
I wanted a small sling, but at the time the Venture Ready Sling was out of stock so I bought the Alpaka Go Sling Nano and love it!
Love that sling
Love the video!! That needs to become a yearly event. Great job you and your team have accomplished this....next year will be even bigger. Happy New Year!! 🥳
Thanks Dawn - and given the response so far I think it’s gonna definitely be a recurring series 🎉
Yeah, you'll have to do this every year. 🙂
Love Alpaka.
Happy New Year, Mr. Radcliffe and to NN!
It's a tradition now for sure - happy NY!
Thank you for keeping this short and sweet, and under 10 minutes long
that was the goal!
Hey Aaron great video.
1.As Usual suggestion for us broke lads.
A budget category award for all the Sling, backpack etc. Would be nice, maybe limit the budget to 100 usd for backpacks and 40-50 usd for Sling.
2. Also did I miss it? Or was there no wallet section?
3. Maybe do a small giveaway of the bag of the favourite comment of the year(ask the winner what he would like from you collection, obviously this depends if you want to do it or can afford do it :) )
great suggestions! No wallet or budget section this year - both were on the table but I didn't want this video to be 20 minutes, so I tried to keep it shorter. Maybe next year we'll go balls to the wall with 30+ categories and cover everything
@@Nomads.Nation thanks! Excited for your next video
@@mokisan cheers!
I can already imagine that budget section being dominated by Tomtoc lol
@@arondyte318 yeah they are really making a name for themselves
Best Travel or EDC could have been the Mous Extreme Commuter. The price point and weight is definitely a pain point, but the build quality, sleek design, and functionality are so good. I'm not a promoter or anything, I just tested it out for a couple of months and feel like it's future proofed in many ways. For a Business or IT professional, it offers the best combination of day-to-day functionality, luxury, and protection. Mous definitely needs more color options and configurations, but overall this bag is awesome. Great review Aaron!! Looking forward to purchasing your new bag as a back-up lol. Best of luck! 🤓
Thanks dude! Good call on Mous - not my favorite but definitely very functional
Mine best 2023 purchases (some of those were released before 2023)
Sling - Bellroy Venture Ready sling
Tech Pouch - Aer Slim Pouch / Evergoods CAP1
Backpack - Black Ember Citadel R3 / Alpaka Backpack Pro
Messenger Bag - Bellroy System Messenger Bag
I just reviewed the Black Ember R3, really liked it, review should be live in a week or two
Great video team! Love it. How about a top three and then pick the winner? Would be nice to see who else is at the top of your list. It must be hard to pick a winner as there is so much good gear out there. Loving my Bellroy Ventura 2.5l sling, my Alpaka Backpack pro and Alpaka tech pouch (well it’s their toiletry bag that’s a great tech pouch as it’s quite small).
Great suggestion!
Best travel backpack is from Pakt!! The 45L bag they dropped this year is the best thing that’s happened to travel. Peace!
Love the Pakt but it’s a bit too complex for my travel style, and I find the Tortuga to be more comfortable (my #1 priority)
Another great video - looking forward to the “best off all time” soon!
Power Rankings 2024 coming next month!
Agree on ALPAKA. They killed it this year. I scooped up most of their offerings w the element messenger bag being my fav. Their shipping is still atrocious but I’m sure that’ll improve.
i've heard their shipping isn't great, but their products def make up for it
Tomtoc sling bag 7L that's about £50 is what I currently use for my 14 inch macbook. Holds it perfectly
I’ve got a few Tomtoc reviews lined up, I’m really excited to check them out
@@Nomads.Nation I hope to see the 18L mous backpack review first though. Been waiting a while for that. That's 18L without the lid
I've always wanted a perfect backpack that fits my 14 inch macbook though. So far the tomtoc sling is doing its job, but I need something bigger, a backpack, but a backpack that keeps its minimalism. But it has to perfectly fit a 13/14 macbook pro maximum. This sling bag says it fits all 13 inch laptops, but it just about fits the 14 inch. So I'd love a backpack that's made for 13 inch laptops so that my 14 inch macbook would perfectly just about fit in it. I actually hope you make a backpack like this one day that's under 100 quid
I don’t even have the Mous 18L in my possession yet so it’s gonna take some time. Thanks for your patience
@@Nomads.Nation I figured you'd have ordered one by now
@@mohammedfaiisal nope! But if you order one for me and the review will get live a lot faster ;)
After watching all of Aaron's and the crew's videos this year I've been jonesing for some Alpaka gear, specifically the Bravo Tote, Metro Sling and Ark Card Wallet. But being from Canada I just have to decide if I'm willing to give the government more of my money in duties to make the purchase(s) happen or if I go with a brand that has Canadian retail channels for an easier, and less costly, buying experience.
That said, this was a great rundown of what really grabbed Aaron's attention this year. I also totally agree with him about Bellroy's fabric choice. My Venture Ready backpack gets used more often than the rest of my (small) collection because I love the way it feels and looks inside and out.
Here's to seeing what tops the list for Nomads Nation in 2024 🤙🏻
Thanks dude, hope you can end up getting some Alpaka gear!
Thanks for all the awesome videos year,, wishing you all the best for 2024🎉
Same to you!
So happy to see you did a FOMO/Collab category! And totally agree on Evergoods/Carryology Griffin.
couldn't leave it out lol
Yes Power Rankings! Like Top Gear :D
Coming soon!
Awesome. Thanks Aaron! Chester
Thanks Chester!
Finally, an award show im interested in 👍😂
me too 😂
I just got an Alpaka for an EDC for going to client offices, hopefully it works out. Would love to see a WTF award for the most confusing choices/poorest design type thing(s), just for a laugh.
good idea - maybe next year!
I really liked this episode, and I wonder if it’d be worth your time to go back and do the same for 2022 - just to build a history of excellence.
Great idea
Really interesting idea - I’ll chat with the team about it 💪🏻
@@Nomads.Nation thanks-might be good content if there’s a gap in release cycle of all the major brands.
Thanks 🎉love your channel - appreciate the honor!
Love your content dude!
Hey Aaron. Thank you for putting up this video to let us know the best travel gear of the year. To be honest, I anticipated to see some AER gear among the best. However, I completely agree with you about the Alpaka as a travel gear company doing its best at the moment and perfectly balancing the products tailored to both an average and power traveller needs. I recently bought their vertical sling as a gift, and my friend absolutely loved its material and design.
Thank you again and keep up the great work!
thanks dude and glad to hear your friend liked the sling 💪
Awesome roundup by my favorite youtube channel of the year!
that's amazing to hear, thanks so much!
I just got the Wotancraft 3.5L sling pouch (upgrade) as an update for my point-n-shoot camera (Sony RX-100) carry. My old Eagle Creek waist pouch could fit not much else beyond the camera and a mini tripod. The Wotancraft sling pouch allows me to also carry my sunglasses, a small water bottle and even a compressible jacket in addition to the small camera gear. This well-built pouch can be wore either as a sling or a waist bag. I believe Wotancraft is mostly a camera bag brand and it's not well covered on TH-cam.
I'm trying lol! Respond to my damn emails Wotancraft
Agreed on Alpaka. I love the stuff they make. Just got an Elements Backpack Pro and I'm in love with it. Though I do agree with the comments warning about their packaging. Making premium products and then shipping them in that state is not a clever choice IMO. Hope they improve in that regard because that will eventually cause problems (both to them and to clients)
💯
Awesome reviews as always Aaron!! Love all the insights you provide and have a great year ahead buddy!
Thanks so much and you too!
I bought an Alpaka mini tech pouch this year (in the Eco RX30 fabric) and really love it. It doesn’t seem quite as big as the Aer slim pouch (still my fav small tech kit), but I LOVE the fabric feel and waterproof zips. I am excited to get some more Alpaka gear.
me too!
Bought the Nomatic 20-30L travel pack after watching over 50 over your review videos and thoroughly vetting them all. Sadly, i overlooked that it fits up to a 15’ laptop🤦🏻♂️. It fits my 16 inch super snug, but after watching this i think you just solved my problem with the new laptop sleeve! Thanks for all you do! Love your content and can’t wait to see what you do with your pack!
Glad the reviews helped dude. For what it's worth, the Fyro bag can fit a 16inch laptop perfectly ;)
@@Nomads.Nation oh hell yea! Maybe i’ll be making an upgrade next holiday season! 🤞🏼🤞🏼
@@Dmassimini7 🫶
You are the man Aaron. Love your vids. You know your packs. Happy New Year.
Thanks! You too!
Aer city sling 2! Best sling of the year/previous years.
one of the best!
Great video. Agree 100% on BE and Alpaka.
R3 review going live soon, stoked to hear your thoughts on it
I don't need more bags (I have hundreds! Sure, unfortunately I will buy more ... ), so what am I doing here? Amazing show! Happy new year and thank you.
Thanks so much and happy new year 💪🏻
I love the Bellroy ripstock. The Venture sling is great.
💯
Aaron, love hearing that you respond to every comment! Made me want to comment immediately. 😅 Have you considered reviewing Trakke bags? I love them, esp. the Bannoch and Arkaig, both were renewed recently.
Thanks for the comment! I have admired Trakke from afar for too long, really hoping to review one of their bags this year 🏴
love to try out the bellroy venture ready sling. but currently i'm loving Alpaka's Travel Sling. very close to venture ready sling in terms of capacity, I believe, but it's so thin, it's great to travel with as well as use as EDC
I haven't reviewed the Travel Sling yet, hoping to soon!
I've got my eye on upgrading from my Tortuga Setout 35L to the Tortuga Travel Backpack 40L for my 2024 trips.
if you seek comfort, seek no more, cuz it's an amazing carry
Love the review. Looking forward to 2024
Thanks so much!
I love my Bellroy venture ready sling! :)
its a beast
Yo shoutout Klint for introducing me to the ULA Dragonfly! Love this 2023 awards!
thanks dude! I can't wait to review the Dragonfly, hoping to get one in a month or two
I feel like a regular waxed canvas version may be coming from evergoods. Like with the CTB26, they test the waters with the special edition before they release a regular version so they can keep the regular version price as high as possible
so you think they are going to add waxed canvas versions of all their bags? that would be cool
I'm so glad you like Klint too!
He da man
Alpaka is by far one of the most underrated brands that peaked my interest more than some of the other bigger named brands. Aer is ok and bellroy is a bit meh for my taste, but Alpaka just hit the sweet spot.
Love Alpaka as well
I own the Modern Dayfarer V2 and, yes, it’s a very nice backpack.
glad you like it!
Which backpack would you recommend, has the shoulder straps and overall comfort, when the bag is full
Anything by Aer
Hey fun vid! I am looking to buy the black Evergood griffin duffel. Is the interior bright enough to ruin the bag?? I LOVE the materials, but I can't decide if the orange really matches.. It is bright enough that no camera seems to be able to handle it lmao
don't have a Griffin Duffel so can't say for sure, but the reviews should capture the essence of it, so if you like orange it should all be groovy
Darn. I think I didn't get any new release carry gear this year... But if I had to pick the closest ones...
*Carry*
Tom Bihn Addax for EDC/OBT... I think it released late 2022.
Boundary Supply Rennen Shoulder Bag for Messenger (I've really gotten into messengers this year) Must be a fairly recent release...
Tom Bihn Side Kick for dual action Organizer Pouch / Pocket Reliever sling... Could be 100 years old for all I know...
*Tech*
Lenovo Yogabook 9i (two beautiful integrated OLED displays) for Windows
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 *OR* Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (Specifically the 13 inch) for (ironically) Linux... Just make sure to get an actual SSD, and not eMMC memory, and disable Bitlocker before you install (can be accomplished in Power Shell).
Mac... Sorry, no recs from me... Mac just isn't my thing
Shokz for audio... they're open ear, quite comfortable and secure, integrate well into any ecosystem, and easy just to leave them on your ears all day... Unfortunately, sound cancelling isn't an option, but they're great at what they do.
I've got some homework to do!
It's super nice that you acknowledged a peer in the same circle.
I wished you also acknowledged Chuyen Tactical for shaking up the bagmakers industry. Award should've been called Rad-ical-liffe award 😂
I don't know much about Chuyen - how are they shaking up the bagmakers industry? (Also, love the Rad-ical-liffe idea!)
@@Nomads.Nation CT brought affordability of tactical packs to people like me. They focused on one design and started improving it with their limited edition runs in place of custom designs. I'm super loving their CT21 so far. You might wanna get one to review too. I know your review will do it justice :)
@@NPofficer you should be a sales person for them haha, I def will check them out
Human of the year = Aaron
Early runner up for 2024
thanks so much dude - hoping you and your family are having an amazing holidays!
I agree on Alpaka being a company that has it together. I have generally grabbed enough of their products, usually on special, this year, to the point where I may have too many slings and too many tech pouches. Is that possible? I sort of wish I had grabbed one of their backpacks. At this point, I am holding out to see what happens with the Fyro. Because I think I also have too many backpacks too!
no such thing ;)
Been waiting for this!
hope you liked the format! we are open to any new ideas to make next year's version better 💪
Oh man this is great!
cheers!
No idea when the evergoods cap2 was released but I like it a lot.
My aer sling is in my car to carry a kit but the evergoods is the one I take when I purposely carry one. Over my bellroy, heimplanet, and aer.
CAP2 came out 2-3 years ago I think
@@Nomads.Nation or is the sling the cas2 ?
@@DaemonViews yes, the CAP2 is the tech pouch, the CAS2 is a sling
@@Nomads.Nation it's the sling that I meant.
This naming convention is logical but it's late over here.
More vids like this bro!
Keep it up
Thanks dude!
Here's my personal picks for the big 4 (not sure which of these are actually 2023 releases tho ...):
> Pouch: Bellroy Desk Caddy. Although I just got my Vertex in the mail today so that might change pretty soon. ;-)
> Sling: I usually go with the 6L or 9L venture sling, but I also just got my Alpaka Bravo Sling Max 3 that I haven't tried out yet so ....
> EDC: Probably the Venture Ready Pack since I used it a LOT this year. But if my Bravo Sling Max does its thing, I might just combine sling + EDC.
> Travel: Bellroy Transit 28L is my go-to, but I also like the Aer Travel Pack 3, which I picked up this year. Minaal 3 is also a favorite.
And, although you didn't do this category, I would say the Nomadic spinner is still my favorite wheeled carry-on case, even though I got the new Mono Carry On Pro (with laptop compartment) bag this year, which is pretty sweet. But, that Nomadic takes a beating and is a real trooper.
Thanks for the video!
really curious to see if the Vertex replaces your Desk Caddy. If I didn't have my large headphones, I might go with CAP2 or the Desk Caddy, but alas, the headphones need some love!
Did you get your hands on the Ripstop Bullet Double Compartment bags from GoRuck. Excellent new fabric. Great EDC and under the seat bag.
I have not but the fabric does look quite nice
I really JUST realized that the Bellroy Venture Sling 2.5L has a 3rd back/secret zipped pocket. Now, WHY aren't they doing that for their larger sized 6L Venture Sling?! Mayghad XD Also, been watching The Perfect Bag too and that duffel really is something XD
Mayghad is right!
Love the video, your channel has come a long way!
Haven’t heard from you in a while dude! Thanks for the love and hope you have a great 2024
Haha, switched job and am getting married soon, so I've been quite busy. At times I actually think I should ask you out for a coffee, but not sure how often you stay in HK! @@Nomads.Nation
Btw, this year I agree Alpaka catches my eye the most, especially given the price point. I slightly regret getting both the CPL24 and Phoenix 2 from Evergoods, as the new CTB26 is best of both worlds, I actually tried to swap bags with a Suburban customer but I probably looked too scammy. The duffel I'm still considering...but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
You probably could do a video along the line of which products disappoint you the most, if you could do so without losing all your sponsors🤣Would be interesting to see which ones clearly do not meet the brief, have hilarious flaws in real life, or is simply a poor bargain compared to competitors.
Would also be interesting to have a video that talks about fabrics and their uses, especially what's on the pipeline, so that we know whether to wait for a new wave of products or just buy now.
solid suggestions, and congrats on getting married soon!
Great video, thanks
Glad you liked it!
where's the packable bag yo?? yo...
I’ll add next year!
When can we expect the review of the Black Ember Citadel R3 18?
1-2 weeks
best edc bag : bellroy transit workpack.
best travel : Air travel pack 3
best gym/sport event/travel : Pakt v2
btw talk about Alpaka. I'm disappointed for alpaka air sling v2. sling adjust strap move so easy and dangle also annoying to me. not feel comfortable to use at all.
sorry to hear, I haven’t reviewed that one yet
@@Nomads.Nation I got this sling about year ago. try to use daily, oversea travel, domestic travel but still feel the same. maybe it's not just suit me 😅.
but at least a compartment is good and well design.
@@sor3321good to hear!
props to the non-traditional award categories 😂😂😂
Glad you liked them! 😂
Which Backpack is the best for 2024 in your opinion?
you mean new release? I don't have one yet. If you want my best bag recommendations though, check out this video that we published 2 weeks ago -> th-cam.com/video/Ttgy27gUKHY/w-d-xo.html
Hate that we can't get some of the most comfortable bags (Aer and Tortuga) in the EU. I mean we can, but with crazy shipping costs/times and customs fees. There is no retailer, 1st or 3rd party, selling them here, like for other major brands (PD, Bellroy, Nomatic).
Tortuga is small so it makes sense, but crazy that Aer hasn’t figured that out yet
I was looking into Aer backpacks and it seems they opened a store in the UK and they are shipping from there as well. If I try to order a backpack from Aer's website to the Netherlands I just have to pay €15 shipping and it will take 4 to 5 business days to arrive. At the checkout section they also state ''The total amount you pay includes all applicable customs duties & taxes. We guarantee no additional charges on delivery''.
@@C4LCH3X4SS hell yea! this new UK store could be a game changer for their European market. I assumed the import fees would be higher - please keep us posted how it goes!
I love Klints’ channel too.
he's the man
Limitless best backpack new release
Just shot our review for it yesterday. I wasn’t very impressed, but it has some interesting features for sure
When are you dropping your review ?
@@feeb2634 3-4 weeks hopefully
You need to make trophies like MKBHD does for his phone awards, just in case bag companies start asking you for them so they can display them in their offices.
Hell yea, very cool idea
a great EDC backpack would be the HyperPack Pro
I wanna check that one out, looks interesting
I got it on Indiegogo, very impressive! @@Nomads.Nation
Ayyyyyy you cut your hair short _🫨_
and thank god lol
Yo shout out klint!
he deserves it 👏
Wait. The Bellroy sling is missing at the end there
really?🤦🏻
Alright but what’s 2023’s best underseat travel backpack?! 😅
First bag I think of is the Aer Pro Pack - amazing under-the-seat access
What's your fav tote bag of the year bro?
Alpaka Bravo Tote fo sho
The orange color of the carryology collabs is obnoxious, unfortunately. So much so that I have to wear my sunglasses to watch the videos. 😂
The pain is real 😎 😂
Please review my EDC nail clippers.
love this
@@Nomads.Nation I lived in Taipei for 20 years. Used to visit HK regularly. If there’s one thing I miss, it’s the food. Especially the Ma La Guo - spicy hotpot….
@@syanhc if you swing through bring the clippers and I'll treat you to some spicy hot pot ;)
Will do! Tks Aaron! You are the best!
@@syanhc 🫶
with all due respect evergoods just copied peak design for that duffel. Like almost cntrl+C and cntrl+D.
Thanks for your comment, and I agree that there are certainly some similarities between the two duffels. Having said that, what strikes me most about the Evergoods Duffel is its structure - something that no duffels I’ve reviewed (including the peak design duffel) really have
Ugly bags all. I love my ONA and Mullholland Brothers leather bags. Bad weather? I turn to my Domke Bags with Tenba inserts.
thanks for your feedback. I just looked at the bags you mentioned - seems you definitely have a type for that… “antique” aesthetic.
@@Nomads.Nation "Classic with character" is the better phrase. Classic never goes out of style. Contemporary always does. Remember that.
@@linjicakonikon7666 eh, debatable, but one pro I WILL give you is bags like these always pair well with a cowboy hat. Giddyup!
Hard bottom 😢😅
Loved the vid tho!!
Hard bottom? 🤔
Fake award show 😂😂😂💀💀💀💀
ITS REAL 😠 😂 😂
Love this format!! It was cool to predict what you would choose. Looking forward to the power rankings video!
So glad you like it!