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5 days 5 bags - day 3: ARC'TERYX Blade 30

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Mar 4th 2009 at 1:00PM

Welcome to day 3 of our "5 days 5 bags" luggage lineup. The Arc'teryx Blade 30 (cool name!) is a travel backpack designed as part overnight bag/part laptop bag.

The Blade 30 features 2 main compartments - one portion is designed for your clothes and other items, and has an integrated fold-out suiter, the other has a laptop sling designed for most 15" machines.

On the front of the bag are 2 expandable pockets, one for small items like your mobile phone and MP3 player, and another for slightly larger items like a water bottle or toiletries.

The bag has an integrated hard plastic shell in the back, and molded foam padding to reduce the load when you carry your stuff around.

The inside of the main portion with the folding clothes bag, perfect for keeping pants and shirts from getting (too) wrinkled.

On the back of the bag is a hidden pocket, which is perfect for tickets and other valuables. On the top of the bag is an oversized carrying strap, which you'll also find on the side.

This side handle is very well designed, as it is built around a hard plastic frame, which means you can carry it using the handle, without the bag sagging.

I really like the concept of a rugged and well designed bag suitable for a day trip. I packed the bag with the kind of stuff I'd normally drag along on an overnight trip, and even when I placed a 15" laptop in its side loading compartment, everything fit very nicely. The thick padded straps and molded foam back plate made it quite comfortable to carry.

I was especially impressed by the hard plastic protection inside the back of the bag, which helps add a little extra protection when you store a laptop inside it. My only (very minor) complaint with the Blade 30 is the color of the inside portion - I'm convinced that bright green is a color just asking to get grimy after a couple of trips.

Dimensions (W*H*D): 14*21*4
Weight: 3.51lb
Colors available: Black, raisin
Warranty: Lifetime
Price: $199.95
Product page: Arc'teryx

Filed under: Gadling Gear Review