Review on OGIO Renegade Large Black Pindot by Jon Manning

I use my bag all the time (work, gym, grocery shopping (walk or bike), carry on 30-40 plane flights a year) and have tried and then carefully researched several over the past few years including wire cutters and then ordered and tried several finalists and returned all but one. And damn, it was close. I was torn between this and LL Bean Quad and alternated between them for a few weeks. My heart was broken to return this because I love it so much and would be the right choice for many but I decided I liked the quad better. (By the way, Wirecutter recommended a similar LL Bean as the best, but I've updated it for a larger size and more pockets.) I usually start with the positives, but since I returned this product I'll move to the reasons why : 1. Heavy: It's the heaviest of my finalists at 3.5 pounds, over a pound heavier than similar bags including the Quad. (I've tried some ultra-light bags that are 2 pounds lighter.) I pack a lot and often carry a bag all day and want to keep it as light as possible, and the extra one pound starting weight is a big minus. 2. Size: This is a solid size, but about 5 liters smaller than the 35-liter quad. That's about 15% less capacity - not too much, but enough to tip the scales for me.3. No waist belt! That was really a deal breaker for me and seems crazy. It was the only highly rated bag I even considered without it. What were they thinking? It has a chest strap, which is great in some situations (especially on a bike), but it's almost always an addition AFTER the waist strap. This is mostly a problem when loading heavily and/or for a long time. The hip belt is essential to shift most of the weight from the shoulders to the hips. When the shoulder straps start digging into your muscles at the top, you'll really curse them if they don't load onto your waist. (Also: This bag was about 50% more expensive than the Quad (LL Bean kept dropping it off list price and then another 20% to join their email list.) It wasn't a huge factor for me because I thought i wasted so much getting low quality bags and using so many of them i would pay to get a better solution this might be an important consideration for others if there are no major issues , this might be the bag for you Pros (A LOT) 1. Roomy (compared to most) 2. Great materials, solid feel and good reviews all 3. Sooooo many pockets and great organization This is very important to me, especially when traveling by air, where I like to pack all sorts of things that I can reach quickly when I get there, and also pull out quickly when boarding the plane to put the necessities on the spot (book, laptop, water bottle che, pen, sometimes notes, zaku ski, sometimes it tablets) to hide the pocket on top. This bag is actually slightly superior to the quad. They have the same number of external zipped compartments (about 10!) but so many that it was difficult for me to keep track of which was which (surprising problem) - and in that they are arranged in a more systematic way. 4. Great fit, great wearing comfort, smart ventilation system, etc. Stands on its own, at least in the beginning. (Not flipping makes a big difference when loading. Note that many bags open first, but not for long. Some don't open on day one.) 5. So many extras. There is a reinforced small area to hide your glasses, sunglasses, phone, etc. without crushing or scratching them. (It's not really necessary for a phone -- it's just huge for a pair of glasses.) The dedicated zippered laptop compartment on the back is incredible. (This was almost a deciding factor compared to the Quad, which also has this feature but has a slightly smaller opening that doesn't quite fit my 15-inch Macbook Air. This one zips up the top so it zips into the same one Size can slide a lot of space.) I also liked the unique feature that almost all top pockets have water holders on either side which is great because I always need one but never two so one is wasted. , so it can easily be used as a bottle holder or as an additional compartment for keys, pills, small items. Very diverse! The design features of this bag and the quad are truly aligned. The quad has two small sizes on a fleece lining. Phone cases and the like that are REALLY good - way better than this - but don't have a hardened area further, but both are excellent. I would narrow the finalists down to these 2 bags and then it's up to your priorities, pick one. (Or try both.)