Arrowhead Trail Rolltop Daypack

If you're doubting this bag, let me tell you a story. We had a real bad house fire recently, with every item in my room being considered damaged. But in all the rubble and soot, I dig out this rolltop bag. I unroll the top and every item within it is perfectly dry after being sprayed by a fire hose. With a little conditioner and wax, this bag will be like new and will serve me proper well for many decades and likely generations.

Arrowhead Trail Rolltop Daypack

But, boy, this would be near perfect if it had an exterior zip pouch on the instead of the leather squares for straps. Really, this is not a pack for strapping stuff to. I'd rather have quick access to a zip pouch where I could keep phones, keys, passport, charging cables and other incidentals. I've hauled this thing to South Africa, Ireland, England and plenty of other destinations via car and airplane. I've stuffed a lot into it but an exterior pouch would be da bomb for convenience.

It’s interesting that the description begins with a hypothetical cycling scenario, because I don’t recommend this pack for cycling. The v-shaped shoulder straps put a lot of strain on the neck and upper back, particularly if you use drop handlebars. Frost River sells hip belts separately, but won’t attach them to this pack for you — unless you happen to be a canvas worker, you’ll have to pay someone to do this.

That said, it’s extremely well made, the materials are gorgeous, and I expect that with the right care, it will last a lifetime.

I recently swapped out of my isle royal into one of these for a day pack. The arrowhead has plenty of capacity for even a minimal overnight, and the weight savings are substantial over a larger pack. Love it!