Road Tests :: Incase Nylon Backpack | Part 2

Road Test: Incase Nylon Backpack (Pt 2)

Earlier this year Incase released an update for it’s popular Nylon Backpack. Given how well my previous Nylon held up I thought it might be an idea to Road Test this new shape (you can check the intro post back HERE ). Read on below for my observations on the new pack!

Highlights: It’s compact. It’s light and easy to throw around. It has some organising pockets. The laptop storage area is padded with faux fur (feels nice) and there is a little slip in front of the laptop area that will fit your iPad or other notes you might be carrying and don’t want crushed. A real highlight is the ventilation they have added to the sides of this laptop area, helping if your Mac is still packing some heat.

Lowlights: Hmmm, I’m not sure how to say this, but I like the old pack better than the new pack. If you’ve never held the original, you can ignore much of this. For those that do know it, here goes… the padding is thinner and the internal pocketing has been simplified (losing functionality and those glorious internal mesh pockets). The hip belt has been removed, as has the chest strap, leaving the thinned down shoulder straps feeling unloved. Unfortunately it seems a lot of things have been cut away from this model – guess that might be the rising costs of labour and materials in China.

Best suited to: School kids or Uni students who need a little organisation in their bags and something light to carry.
Not suited for you if you are highly organised & love a place for everything, if you enjoy the outdoors, are highly active, or need something that expands…

Any niggles? It’s like reading the book before watching the movie… you’re bound to be disappointed. If you’ve played with the first generations of this pack, you’ll feel constantly let down. If however you started with the movie, then you’ll probably be pretty satisfied and remain blissfully unaware of what you’ve missed.

And breakages/issues? Nope, the bag still holds up really well in this regard. I threw it around, international traveled it, and even groveled thru Bali with it, without incident. A commendable note is how well the nylon fabric has stayed clean and presentable.

Any envy for a similar bag? Yes, it’s predecessor, the earlier generation Nylon Back Pack.

Overall vibe? This bag is still pretty good. Where it falls down is in comparing it to the previous Nylon backpack. I’ve had the original for close to two years – in which time it completely changed the way I carry and organise a pack. Overall, it’s a solid bag for anyone at Uni/College or School – which given Incase’s recent marketing efforts, seems to be a perfect product position.