So, I hate to write this review, but… I bought the Bellroy Apex a few weeks ago buying what I thought was my new EDC backpack for New York City.
I was wrong.
I never even used it.
Either on the way from the store to my apartment, or putting it on the ground in my apartment the bag got scratched. Nothing was obviously sharp near it, and the premium Baida Nylon material is supposed to have “extra resistance to wear.” The scratches aren’t big, but they’re there.
When I saw the scratches, I was pretty shocked and thought if it’s scratched like this from… nothing, what will it look like on Day 100, Day 300, and Day 1000 after I’ve really put it to work. So I decided to return it to Bellroy… they would not take it.
I was so excited to have this bag after researching it for weeks on this sub, watching reviews, etc. It takes a lot to justify a purchase like this, for $450, and man was I let down by Bellroy in a spectacular fashion. …
MEI, Mountain Equipment Inc, despite pioneering travel packs in the ‘70s maintains, by intent or indifference, a minimal presence in the sector. The only outlets to market seem to be its California workshop and a website whose brief summaries and spare photos can leave one with more questions than answers. It’s a tiny outfit and its products don’t move through mainstream bricks and mortar channels so trying before buying is not realistic for most.
This aims to bridge the knowledge gap; It is not a review so much as an overview. That is, a detailed breakdown of the pack’s design, construction, measurements and price, geared toward providing a sense of what to expect–and not expect–when considering the Voyageur Small (VS).
MEI offers customisation of its packs so ostensibly design features missing or unsatisfactory can be rectified before buying. I bought my VS bought second hand and so can’t comment on this process.
Price Considerations (for non-American …
Joan Didion, an eminent and inspirational US journalist, sadly passed today, aged 87.
I have Joan’s packing list (from an essay in 1977) stored close to my template. I love that it sums up the adventure of travel as well as getting to the core of what you actually need for the sort of traveling you are going to undertake. The packing list is highlighted in bold in her prose below.
“This is a list which was taped inside my closet door in Hollywood during those years when I was reporting more or less steadily. The list enabled me to pack, without thinking, for any piece I was likely to do. Notice the deliberate anonymity of costume: in a skirt, a leotard and stockings, I could pass on either side of the culture. Notice the mohair throw for trunk-line flights (i.e. no blankets) and for the motel room in which the air conditioning could not be turned off. Notice the bourbon for the same motel room. Notice the typewriter for the airport, coming home: the idea was to turn in …
My mother, who never wants anything, all of a sudden wants a Wii for the fitness related games, so in my bag sits a Wii that a whole city trek to find at a decent price because it’s an old-ass console and the refurb prices online are insane. Also sitting in my bag are a PS4 and a PS3 I’m giving to my cousins because I’m downsizing. I didn’t want to take any kind of bag that, on the way back, wouldn’t be the kind of bag I’d be using anyways, so they’re all inside a Jansport.
My dumb ass wishes I just used my work hard case on wheels.
Hi all,
I just wanted to warn people about an interesting experience I just had with Osprey. I had ordered the Osprey Daylite Travel Tote Pack because it appeared to be just the right size. The specs on the website put it at 16.93H X 14.96W X 8.27D IN. This seemed pretty perfect for me, and the weight seemed right for the size.
Except there was a problem. When I received the bag it was only 16 H X 10 W X 8 D IN. It was “missing” almost 5 inches off the width! In fact, it was smaller than my old Patagonia Ultralight Travel Tote Pack! I called customer service to see what was going on.
According to customer service, the width of the bag was measured when the bag was smashed flat. This included part of the side panels. I kid you not. Worse, they did not use the depth of the bag when smashed flat (about 1-1⁄2 in). Instead they used the depth of the bag when the bag was filled. In short, they used the side panels for both the width and the depth of the bag. They mixed and …
My toiletry kit is optimized for low volume, low initial cost, and low recurring costs. All the consumables can be refilled from larger containers so I don’t have to keep paying the premium for travel-size toiletries. But it is a complete kit that does not rely on the hotel to provide anything but the plumbing, not even toilet paper.
Yes, I carry toilet paper! It lets me go fearlessly into port-a-potties, latrines, and bus or train toilets that may not stock it. Plus, sometimes my nose runs.
I change my rolls at home a little early and keep what’s left in a long, narrow bag like what’s used for newspapers and Subway sandwiches. The bag is so much longer than the roll that I can fold it over to create a second compartment for temporary storage of used tissues.
Links are for illustration, not specific product or vendor recommendations.
A cornerstone is having some discipline to set rules that lead to a higher quality of life/travel. Whether that’s being meticulous in weighing everything, finding BIFL or reusable items, or simply making your bag small enough to fit airline restrictions and seeing what you have to give up. Often, this results in developing rules for yourself to make sure you don’t overpack, and/or are continually moving towards a lighter bag and freer travel experience.
For me, one rule is that if I find myself not using an item for X months, I look to replace it, donate it, or sell it. It suited me well when i had a small studio apartment, again when I was downsizing to move out and start traveling again, (Selling and donating things that I wasn’t putting in storage) and now as I revise my ~25L of stuff in a 40L bag as an end-of-year self assessment before my forthcoming “What’s in my bag” video is published. Perhaps some of you have one bag travel related …
There was this nutty French guy, Georges Perec, who made films, documentaries, novels, essays. His whole thing was trying to think outside the box, and he said something I like to think of when choosing what to pack:
What we need to question is bricks, concrete, glass, our table manners, our utensils, our tools, the way we spend our time, our rhythms. To question that which seems to have ceased forever to astonish us.
We live, true, we breathe, true; we walk, we open doors, we go down staircases, we sit at a table in order to eat, we lie down on a bed in order to sleep. How? Why? Where? When? Why? Make an inventory of your pockets, of your bag. Ask yourself about the provenance, the use, what will become of each of the objects you take out.
Question your teaspoons.
just a note for u/abe1x and the team.
i’ve bought and returned many outlier items this year and years previous. thank you guys for your impeccable support both here and through the site.
what you guys are doing is inspirational. being an outlier customer has helped me think better about how i design a wardrobe, not just how i dress. how you continue to engage with a community like this that is growing (and often unreasonable) is awesome. the experiments, staples, return policy, engagement and support you guys provide are unequaled.
it’s weird to write this, but i really am grateful for what you guys do and how you create and innovate. thank you for all you do, thank you for bringing us along for the journey.
TL;DR: Nylistic merino is wonderful. Abe, Tyler, Willie have said that the fabric is still trying to find the form that it wants to be. If the traveler and high darts are some of its early identities, then this is an auspicious start with a bright future.
-——–
Disclaimer
I have purchased both the nylistic traveler and high darts from the mother site or second-hand so these thoughts are completely my own and in no way influenced by Outlier.
Introduction
I’m writing a dual review of two of my latest kops from Outlier, the Exp 290 Nylistic Traveler and the Exp 291 Nylistic Highdarts. I wanted to pair both the reviews as an overarching review of Nylistic Merino in general. There’s a lot to cover, but please take a look at some notable quotes from the burgeoning school of nylisism.
“Everything in the world displeases me: but, above all, my displeasure in everything displeases me…except for the intimate blend of 70% 18.5 micron top-capped merino and 30% nylon staple …
Dreamweight Raw Cut Turtleneck
A raw cut turtleneck that feels almost like nothing at all, only softer. 16.5 micron merino is intimately blended with nylon to create a superlight fabric with dreamlike qualities and a whole lot of texture. UPF 25 for sun protection. Raw cut hem, cuffs and collar naturally rolls into a self finish. Pick up three for $295.
I wonder if any plans to do another blazer like the below? Anyone ever get their hands on it and care to comment?
Matching trousers would be sick.
Back in late 2016, Outlier released a cold-weather statement piece that became an eponymous symbol of the cozily-lined, weather-resistant material from which it was constructed, The Purling.
This piece looks super fun and simultaneously divisive (especially considering this was/is the second-most expensive experiment Outlier has ever released, clocking in at just under a rack-and-a-half). Although the overall look, color, and vibe of the fabric seems somewhat military-esque, something about the way the design and detailing come together draws it away from that connotation into more of a playful and festive kind of vibe. I could see sauntering into a holiday party in this thing or walking around doing some winter erranding.
The merino/cotton lining in this looks pretty damn cozy. It’s not hard to buy into the way it’s described in the copy as “deliriously soft and warm.”
Abe had this to say on how the weather-resistant exterior fares:
The fabric is pretty water resistant but it is …
Not sure if this is allowed but would love to hear other brands you all are fond of…
Maybe brands that at least have some items that are less than $200, since most I buy from Outlier don’t exceed that mark
Thanks!