I had a ton of fun doing this project. I have to say, working with X-Pac X10 was harder than I expected. The 360g/sqm fabric is extremely stiff, but the look and feel of that fabric is totally worth the effort. I wouldn’t try to do anything too complicated with it though.
X10 is heavy, stiff and dense, but boy is it beautiful….
The design itself worked great, and I am very pleased with the result. The only flaw I have found so far is that the the lowest compression strap has a tendency to slip below the bulky content I stuff in the secondary compartment, which – in itself – is not a problem, but weakens the overall strength of the secondary compartment held mostly by Velcro. I was hoping that using the front flap’s daisy chains to weave the strap through would help, but I think the strap is just to low on the pack. If I was to do it again, that would be the only thing I change: move the lowest compression strap above the shoulder straps’ attachment.
The lower red webbing with he quick-release should have been higher.
This pack feels like a tank with proper reinforcements where abrasion often takes place and layers above layers of Cordura on top of the natural stiffness of the main compartment. This combination makes for an extremely sturdy pack, and I don’t feel like having to be kind to it anytime soon.
After the more classical Ballast and Skinny packs, I really wanted to try something new, and different, while still keeping the overall look and feel of the series! This November I present to you: the Monarch! I do not mean the head of state guy, but rather the butterfly, and if you read on, you’ll understand where the name comes from!
The Monarch started as a concept a long time ago, and went through quite a few iterations before I started actively working on it. I was looking for a commuter bag that not only has the looks but also the brawn. As I walk or ride a bike to pretty much everywhere, I sometimes need a simple laptop bag, other times I want to be carrying heavy supplies from the hardware store, and often I have the need for a bigger size backpack than what I have with me at the time.
And that’s where it all started: the need for a small but extensible backpack. Now some of you will just tell me that I can use compression straps and shock cords to “expend” a packs size, but really, all you do is to compress a big pack. The Monarch is a tad different, and without any more words, the following pictures will tell you why.
As you can see, the Monarch is part waterproof bag for the main body, part duffel bag in a loose sense for the extensible secondary compartment that can be used to carry quite a few things.
The main compartment is made out of X-Pac X10 with a roll top closure and designed to be very water resistant (not yet seam sealed, but that’s planned for later) and contains a laptop sleeve (not padded) and a small pocket.
The flaps on the other hand are made out of a 350D double layer uncoated Cordura, and designed in such a way that they can be folded back with adjustable overlaps in order to extend the secondary compartment’s volume. The closed flaps are secured with two compression straps with quick release buckles for easier access.
In the pictures below, I “wrap” around one of my sturdy camera cases. The whole point of this design is to allow you to pack more only when you need it, but not have to fiddle around with you pack when you don’t.
Now to the juicy part, here are the specs of this particular build.
X-Pac X10 (Cotton outer fabrics, and PES layer for waterproof-ness) 350D Cordura
Closure
Roll-top Quick Release + Velcro Flaps
Back Padding
8mm Closed Cell Foam pad (80% surface covered) 4mm 3D mesh
Strap Padding
3D Mesh without CCF padding
Hip Belt
Not Applicable
Pockets
– Laptop sleeve inside the main compartment – Small key/phone pocket inside the main compartment – Extensible 5-25 liters flaps – Optional zipper pouch secured with Velcro
Attachements
– Daisy chain for accessory on the front of main compartment – Small gear loops inside the secondary compartment – Velcro on the left flap to add gear pouch/accessories – Horizontal front compression straps (x2) – Front flap daisy chains (mostly for securing the flaps with the lowest compression strap)
Stay tuned for behind the scene pictures, and some more commentary!
