SealLine Urban 17-37L Backpack

I've been using this bag since December for just about everything, like moving across state lines, domestic flights, weekend trips, grocery hauls, daily bike commuting, hiking, and all of the other random rigmarole. Needless to say, it's a versatile piece of equipment. The waterproofness is astounding, the back padding is phenomenal, and the shoulder harness is comfortable. The overall volume of the bag is sufficient for day-to-day use, too. Sure, you can't do an Ikea run like you could with the old Chrome Kremlin, but who wants an excessively bulky bag anyhow? But if you tend to transport oddly shaped or pokey things like groceries or shoes from the office, SealLine also included a removable back plate on the inside of the bag. It's little things like this that really put this bag in its own category, let alone that the roll top system is truly world-class.



This isn't to say that there aren't things that I wouldn't change, though. Unlike Chrome bags, where the shoulder harness tends to sag too low for my taste, the SealLine sits a little too high. When riding, everything is ok while on the hoods, but in the drops, the back of the head is right up on the bag when rolled, let alone when it's opened. The front, and only mind you, zipper is also ridiculously difficult to open (something to do with the welded seams), and the volume of the front pocket is small enough to make it near useless for anything but door badge cards or a key or two. I also have found that the securing chest and stomach straps are cut pretty long, but altering these won't be too difficult. As they arrive, though, they're long enough that getting them caught in a wheel when unclipped is a very real threat. A laptop sleeve would also be cool, but not having any Velcro in the mix internally is a tradeoff that I'm willing to make. If you've ever transported kits in a roll top with a Velcro entry way at the top, you know what I mean.



Altogether, it's a solid bag, and if you need something waterproof for more than just riding, nothing better really comes to mind.

I commute 12 miles daily in Seattle so I see some rain. I've had this bag for a couple months now and have nothing bad to say about it. Pretty basic, no frills kind of bag but it gets the job done.

This is a nice piece of equipment; it is semi breathable over time and this partly due to the fabric. The waterproofing is substantial enough to last over a year. The clipping system at the top of the pack is what turns me off about the pack. There is no buckle just a hook that slips into a pocket. This could be undone with a good bump in the road leading to your backpack opening up. For this reason I would not recommend this for bike commuters who want a waterproof backpack for commuting. This is what I got it for and it was just aggravating to deal with.

I used to use a regular backpack to carry my wet swim stuff to and from the pool, but everything would just leak through and drip down my legs and all over my car (bummer in the winter). This backpack is awesome because I just throw all that wet stuff in it and it never leaks. I know it's probably mostly used to keep the things inside dry from rain, but it's also good the other way around. It's really comfortable to wear when I walk to the gym, and it dries out quickly. Small size easily fits a swim pull buoy, towel, shampoo, conditioner, suit, and lotion, with room to spare.

I LOVE THIS BAG! I live in Portland, and it is lightweight and waterproof. The size small is not tiny: I made the ten mile ride home with several textbooks, a laptop and a chihuahua in it. I prefer the closure strap on the SealLine bag to the velcro on the Ortlieb, as it is more secure and stretches to allow you to cram more into the bag.

I took this bag after just receiving it on a flight as a carry-on bag. It had a pair of binos, an emergency set of clothes, some toiletries, a small book, and a pair of headphones packed inside. When carried or picked up by the padded carry handle the straps began to rip almost immediately. By the time I reached my destination they had fully ripped in one section and started to continue to rip in another. Returned it upon arriving back from my trip. If you get it make sure you or anyone else doesn't carry it by the carry handle. The other features of the bag (water resistance, ease of opening) are ok except that the front pocket is pretty much useless for anything other than a folded up piece of paper.

i already bought my second urban backpack, i used the first one for 3 years nearly everyday for commuting.

the first one is still without any damage, the nice green color just got a bit dirty, which is why i bought a new one in grey (style-bitch, me ;)

manfred from vienna (austria)