Cotton Shoulder Strap

Got this $25 (3/2026) strap to attach to new Caribou Trail Bike Bag when I want to remove it & carry with me. Including swiveling brass thumb-snap connectors, adjustable strap extends to 49", enabling cross-body carry to hip even on tall drink of water like I. I usually prefer leather straps, but cotton is more compact & foldable & takes up less room stored in bottom of bag I'll not often remove from bike for carry anyway. It's pretty heavy when full, so for comfort I wanted to add a shoulder pad left over from another FR bag I replaced with its premium padded buckskin one. This standard pad is made for a 1" strap, but essentially permanent thumb-snaps securely stitched on strap are just over 1 1/4" at widest, so would not fit thru its 2 slots. Simple solution was to use razor-sharp puukko knife to carefully make neat ~1\8" slits at both ends of slots, then wiggle thumb-snaps thru. Now strap nestles nicely in slots so tightly pad will not slip out of place. All's well that ends well, but FR rep should have known about incompatability when I phoned to ask.

Craftsmanship 5 stars
Materials 5 stars
Design 3 plus
Everything as promised but:
1. Prefer wider shoulder strap
2. Side pouch could be larger for bigger bottles, or ideally have adjustable straps.
3. Could use internal frame to allow it to stand upright on flat surface, using snap technology to allow it to compress while being carried or lying flat.

- When pack is not completely full, it is difficult to insert bottles into side bottle holders as pack folds in on itself, requiring two hands to open side holder mouth. Not convenient for quick insertion.

see above about what I was expecting

I bought this strap as a replacement for the leather strap on my large Field Satchel. Nothing went wrong with the leather, but fixed straps always twist, and I don’t like fiddling to untwist every time I pick up my bag. The swivel clasps on this strap allow me to grab the bag in any position without having to untwist for a more comfortable carry. This is a huge improvement for me. And in case you’re wondering what to do with the leather shoulder pad, I used it to fortify and give structure to the interior bottom of my Field Satchel! Win-win!

I purchased the 1” strap and it pairs perfectly with the Sawbill Trail Bike Bag Turing it into a fanny pack when it’s not mounted on the bike.