I didn’t know much about Bowhurst bags until spring of this year, but I was pleasantly surprised when this new London-based adventure brand reached out to me asking if I’d like to be among the first to test out some of their new gear. With a trip to Europe taking shape, I couldn’t possibly say no!
Bags undergo a ton of wear and tear during continual travel, and the one I’d taken with me to Colombia was turning to rags. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
Bowhurst Bags: Designed With Adventurers in Mind
Bowhurst bags were created for the adventurers. Bowhurst products are extremely versatile and capable of withstanding the thrashings travelers will undoubtedly put them through. Their bags are the big-sellers but they’ve also got smaller accessories like wallets and hip bags (fanny packs); they pride themselves on the excellent quality of their hand-crafted products and offer a one-year warranty.
Here’s what happened when I got my hands on two of Bowhurst’s most popular bags, the Casual Carry and the Classic Pack.
The Casual Carry
The first bag from Bowhurst’s collection that I got to try out was the Casual Carry, a small, two-tone, drawstring backpack. Mine came in blue and navy; it’s also available in black and grey or cream and red.
They couldn’t have picked a more perfect name for this bag. The Casual Carry is great for those short outings where I don’t need to carry much with me, but I need something a little big larger than say a purse or a messenger bag.
Features:
- Water resistant
- Concealed inner pocket
- Quick clip handle (to hang the bag or secure it to something)
- Drawstring closure
- 15 liter capacity
- Flat packing design
The Casual Carry came with me primarly on short hikes and day outings. It held things like my camera, a water bottle, my phone (in the inner pocket), extra layers of clothing like light jackets or scarves, or on pool days, a towel. My Casual Carry came with me…
Through the central Washington wilderness.
To the scenic seaside village of Oia, Santorini.
Boating off the coast of Ios.
To a castle overlooking the Bay of Kotor.
Favorite Features
A key feature of the Casual Carry for someone who’s constantly travling is the flat packing design. When not in use, the Casual Carry folded up neatly and was easily tucked into my big suitcase. Having an extra bag on hand for quick outings proved extremely useful. I simply unfolded it, chucked in my belongings, and off I went.
I also loved that the bag was not only functional, but stylish. I love the way the colors pop and the blues complement each other. The clean, simple design is totally my style.
Room for Improvement
There is some room for improvement with this bag, however. Opening and closing the Casual Carry was a challenge at times, due to friction between the rope and the leather slider or the rope and metal rings. After speaking directly with the guys at Bowhurst about this issue, it seems this may have only been a problem for early models of the bag due to an incorrectly sized rope. Personally, I don’t love drawstring closures in the first place, and the fact that it didn’t open smoothly caused me some frustration. Hopefully new bag owners are not having the same problem.
Something else I noticed was that the quick clip handle, when not in use, hangs inside the inner pocket, limiting the size of anything you might be able to carry in the pocket. Since I rarely used the clip handle, it seemed unnecessary.
Having ropes for straps means that putting too much weight into your Casual Carry could cause the ropes to dig into your shoulders, so I wouldn’t recommend carrying anything too heavy. This is why I wouldn’t consider the Casual Carry for any trip longer than a few hours or if I needed to bring several items.
Overall Impression
The Bowhurst Casual Carry is a fantastic bag. It’s sturdy, super useful, and convenient to carry. For someone who travels often, it has certainly earned itself a place in my collection of travel bags.
The Classic Pack
I got my Classic Pack while traveling in Europe over the summer, and it was a welcome change from the shapeless black backpack I’d been carrying around. It also served as more of a weekender bag as the size allowed me to carry more, and more comfortably. Mine came in cream and navy; it’s also available in grey and black.
Features:
- Water resistant
- Padded straps
- 15″ padded laptop sleeve
- Inner pockets of various sizes
- Snap shut magnetic outer pockets
- 20 liter capacity
The Classic Pack replaced my previous backpack as my go-to carry-on bag, meaning it was my sidekick on all my travels and then some. It came with me…
To the hostels of Belgrade.
Sightseeing in Budapest.
Hiking in Koh Tao.
On overnight train rides.
Favorite Features
I was absolutely in love with the laptop sleeve feature of this bag; it was the first I’d ever had. It made for incredibly easy transit through aiprort security, for one, and kept my laptop from getting scratched by other items in the bag. The padded straps were a close second–I can say without hesitation that the Bowhurst Classic Pack is the most comfortable backpack I’ve ever owned.
The magnetic pockets on the side were fabulous. They were big enough to hold a small bottle of water, and I usually also carried small electronics accessories like headphones and chargers there and could access them easily without needing to take the bag off.
Room for Improvement
There is room for improvement with this bag as well, though. The front clasp mechanism didn’t always remain closed; it seemed that when the bag wasn’t full to max capacity, there wasn’t enough tension and the metal would slide out. This caused the upper flap to whack me in the back of the head at the slightest gust of wind (and there always seemed to be one just at the right moment).
Additionally, the bag doesn’t hold it’s shape when there is nothing inside it, meaning it slumps over or lays flat on the ground. Inside, the one pocket that has no zip closure sags open and things have a tendency to fall out. Photos I’d seen of the bag made it appear rigid, so I was a bit disappointed by this.
Aesthetically–and I’m being really picky now–I don’t care for the long black string that hangs out of the bag (see hiking photo, above). Underneath the flap is another drawstring closure similar to the Casual Carry, but instead of rope it closes with black string. And having both a flap to unhook and then a drawstring to loosen was a bit clunky and awkward. I’d prefer a simpler closing mechanism like a zipper.
Overall Impression
The Classic Pack, despite having some awesome features, falls a little short of my needs when it comes to travel. Were it easier to access the main compartment I might feel differently. It’s great for the days when I need to take my laptop with me or perhaps day trips, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it for long-term travel.
Check out other awesome Bowhurst bags and accessories on their website.
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Bowhurst provided me with the Casual Carry and Classic Pack for review purposes; all opinions expressed in this article are my own.
