- Welcome to Review Radar (upbeat music)
where we cover gear that deserves to be on your radar.
In this video, we're gonna be taking a look
at a new backpack from Tortuga. We're gonna be taking a look
at a key organizer we've been testing for over six months,
and a small laptop charger that can save a lot of space
in your pack, plus much more.
I'm Tom, the founder of Pack Hacker,
your guide to smarter travel. If you're new to the channel,
consider subscribing and ringing that bell icon
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All the ten products we're gonna be featuring
in this video,
have full reviews over at the website
so make sure to check all the links
in the description below that include buying options
that'll help support the channel
at no additional cost to you.
Let's jump in.
We've already dropped our big roundup video
of all the new Peak Design Everyday V2 products,
and we've done full reviews
on the 30 liter Everyday Backpack and 20 liter Zip
And now I'm excited to say
that we reviewed every single one of the slings,
and especially use the three liter version quite a bit
since it fits our camera gear very well.
All of the slings here
received an eight and higher in rating,
which in short means that they're great,
and we'll cover a little bit more now.
First and foremost,
it's important to note that they are all designed
for carrying cameras.
Now, they're really great for cameras,
they're nice and structured.
However, if you're carrying smaller EDC items,
just stuff out of your pockets,
it may not be the best sling for you
since they are a little bit on the larger side.
Something we really like about these slings
is the ability to quickly swing them
from your back to your front
with help of the swivel strap.
It just makes it really easy to swing around
and get your camera out quickly to grab that shot.
We also like that you can customize the organization
and side using the flex fold dividers,
but we were disappointed to see that they got chewed up
and had some durability issues
a little bit quicker than we expected.
Mark, our video editor and camera guy,
has been using the Peak Design three liter Sling
quite a bit while we've been out shooting.
If you're looking to hold more,
the six liter can hold a tablet of up to 11 inches
and the 10 liter can hold a laptop up to 13 inches.
And of course, the size that you go with,
if you decide on grabbing one of these,
is also gonna depend on how much camera gear
that you need to carry around with you.
We've been testing the key organizer from Jibbon,
an Australian company for about the last six months
and it's one of our favorite key organizers to date.
We're big fans of the premium looking feel,
which is largely due to the Italian leather.
It just feels great in the hand which is awesome,
considering we use this thing a lot in everyday life.
We also like how easy the Jibbon Key Organizer is to use.
Simply place your keys on the interior screw post,
tighten down, and snap the other side on top
when you're finished.
There's also a fixed D-ring on the end of the organizer
that is unlike others on the market.
It's a small detail,
but we really like that it stays in place
and of course it's great for attaching things
like your car keys or larger fobs.
This thing can hold up to five keys
or nine with the extender post.
Something that we have noticed though,
is that it starts to look a little bit awkward
when you have this thing filled up with keys.
It kinda gets a weird triangular shape
and it's not a deal breaker,
but just something to note
if you plan on carrying around a lot of keys
within this organizer.
The Tortuga Outbreaker Travel Backpack
is one of the highest rated travel backpacks on our site,
and when we heard Tortuga was coming out
with a 27 liter Outbreaker laptop backpack
we were excited to get our hands on it.
This new pack keeps the same aesthetic,
materials and hardware as the larger bag
with the main difference being the intended use case.
At 27 liters, this bag is ideal for minimal travel,
weekend trips and even daily use as a tech daypack.
Taking a look inside the pack,
there's not one but two quick grab pockets on the front.
The top pocket doesn't have much depth
so it's best for small items.
Where as the bottom pocket has slightly more room
for your traditional quick grab items.
The front compartment of this big
has a ton of organization which can come in handy,
and the main compartment just behind
opens up fully clamshell
and is great for packing cubes and pouches.
Finally, the tech compartment on the back
is large enough to fit the new MacBook Pro 16 inch
and there is space for it, cables and chargers as well.
After two weeks of testing this bag,
as well as comparing it to other similar Tortuga products
in the line,
we can comfortably say that this is a great addition
to the Tortuga ecosystem.
If you'd like to know more about this bag,
make sure to check out our full detailed review.
Link in the description below.
The Bellroy Classic Pouch is a versatile organizer
with a premium looking feel.
We've mainly been using this pouch
to organize tech accessories,
but it can be used for a bunch of different things as well.
Whether it's toiletries, cosmetics, stationary
or just another area where you want to keep
other random bits and bobs together.
But if you're primary use case is toiletries,
make sure to check out the Bellroy Dopp Kit
over on our website as well for more information.
The bottom line is this pouch
has a nice amount of internal organization
that's not too much and not overkill,
but it's enough to organize your stuff.
We especially like the two stretchy mesh pockets
that can fit a MacBook power brick
and USB-C cable almost perfectly.
And there's a liner pocket on the other side
which is a great place to put a small notebook
like field notes.
Now this pocket does close with a magnet at the top
which is a nice idea,
but we found it doesn't stick as well as we have liked
in our testing.
It's slightly disappointing,
but not a huge issue.
Overall, the Bellroy Classic Pouch
is a solid sophisticated pouch
that should serve you well,
both in your everyday life and while you're traveling.
YETI makes a ton of different size Ramblers,
and this video we're gonna be focused
on the 12 ounce Rambler with the HotShot Lid.
Like all bottles in the line,
this thing will keep a hot drink hot
and a cool drink cold for hours.
You can use this size and cap combination
for water, tea, lemonade,
or any other non-carbonated liquid.
But this bottle really shines
as a portable coffee mug.
Not only is 12 ounces a great size for coffee,
the 360 degree lid allows you to sip
from any side without creating a vacuum of suction
inside of the Yeti Rambler.
It screws onto the bottle like normal,
but once secured, you can give the middle a half turn
and sip your drink without searching for the opening.
These details may sound small,
but it did take a little bit of convincing
to pull this away from our tester
that was using it for two weeks
and move them onto the next bottle.
You can also unscrew the middle all the way
if you like to take a big gulp of something
or to cool off your piping hot coffee
to an appropriate drinking temperature.
The stainless steel makes this thing extremely durable,
however, it does come in pretty heavy.
Together this thing clocks in at one pound
or 16 ounces when empty.
That's all right if you'll be taking this thing
to and from work or to and from coffee shops,
however, if you are one bag traveling
where every ounce counts,
it could present to be a bit of a problem.
If you're looking to take your belt game to the next level,
Arcade should be on your radar.
We've been testing their Midnighter Adventure Belt
almost daily for six months in Detroit Michigan,
and we've taken it on trips to Belize,
Oregon and Arizona too.
This lightweight and low-profile belt
is 90% nylon and 10% rubber,
which makes it very stretchy
and it kind of feels like a resistance band.
This is a little strange at first
as belts aren't typically stretchy,
but the tension helps it stay in place nicely
and it's easy to buckle.
The belt is also adjustable.
You tuck the excess band
into a small elastic loop on the inside.
This design makes everything look clean and tidy,
but the doubled up fabric can get a little bulky.
This belt is great for travel
because there are no metal parts
and this means that you can leave it on
when you go through airport security,
and it won't set off the metal detector.
We've tested this on domestic and international flights
without any problems, but that being said,
if a TSA agent does see you wearing a belt
there more than likely gonna have you take it off
and of course this always depends
on the individual TSA agent.
To date, it's been holding up pretty well,
except for some peeling that's happening
on the back of the belt.
Note that this may not happen
with belts of other material, like leather.
If you like a simple and minimal aesthetic
and want some stretch in your belt,
the Arcade Midnighter Adventure Belt
could be a solid option for you.
The recently updated 2020 model
of the Triple Aught Design Axiom 24
is a pleasure to use
and one of the most comfortable carries
we've used to date.
There's a ton going on with this bag
so feel free to go check out the full review
over on the website.
However, we'll try to share the highlights in one minute.
Although crinkly, the VX-21 Ripstop material on this pack
pairs well with the weather resistant YKK zippers
to create a bag with great weather resistance.
We've tested this while walking around Portland
in drizzly December, and no water got inside of the bag.
Externally this is a sleek and streamlined pack,
and 64% of our audience
over at Pack Hacker on Instagram agree with us.
If you want to be involved in future aesthetic polls,
make sure to follow us @packhacker on Instagram.
Moving on, the incredible harness system
is comfortable to use while wearing the bag
even for hours at a time while it's fully loaded.
Plus there's some solid organization inside of the pack too.
We're big fans of the inverted water bottle pockets
on the inside.
It does eat up some interior space when not in use,
but it's a clever way to implement a water bottle pocket
without affecting the streamlined look on the exterior.
We're also digging the useful quick grab pocket at the top
and the fact that the main compartment
opens up fully clamshell.
This pack does have a steeper price tag
due to the high-quality materials,
and the fact that it's made right here in the USA.
It is expensive,
but it could be an option worth investing in.
A bulky laptop charger is usually a necessity
when traveling with a laptop,
however the RAVPower 61 watt Wall Charger
is here to change that.
This thing works for MacBooks, tablets,
Nintendo Switches and more.
It weights in at a mere 3.7 ounces
and it's nearly a quarter of the size
of the 15 or 16 inch MacBook Pro power brick.
61 watts is plenty for most tablets
and laptops of 13 inches.
It's important to note though,
that it's slightly underpowered
for the larger MacBook Pro's.
We've been using ours with a 15 inch MacBook Pro,
and while it's not necessarily recommended,
the downside we've encountered
is that it takes longer to charge
and the brick can get quite hot while in use.
But we don't mind the slower charge in this thing,
because the size and weight is a game changer for travel.
Other then it's size,
we're digging the foldable prongs
that keep it compact while not in use,
as well as the LED indicator that tells us
whether or not something's charging.
The RAVPower 61 watt does not come with a USB-C cable,
so you'll need to pick one up if you don't have one.
We're big fans of Anker
and we recommend grabbing the longest one you possibly can.
We link to a couple in the review of this thing
over on the website,
so make sure to check that out.
Perfecting your travel wardrobe can take years,
so when you find a really great item
that you can just slot right in,
it is a great feeling.
And that's the exact case that I personally had
with the Wool & Prince Heavy Crew Neck Long Sleeve Sweater.
We've been testing this thing
for over a year,
and it's even made it into our Digital Nomad Packing List.
Merino wool is great for travel
thanks to its odor, stain and wrinkle resistance
as well as temperature regulation.
And that's not all with this crew neck.
This specific blend of 78% merino and 22% nylon
Wool & Prince uses,
is less likely to peel, has higher durability
and it's more likely to hold its shape.
When it comes to the look,
it is a simple and minimalistic design
that is quite versatile.
Throw it over a button up and you'll be ready for a meeting
or wear it on its own, roll up the sleeves
and you're ready to explore the city.
The stitching is nearly perfect
and the craftsmanship is top notch, expect for the tag.
We know it's a nitpick,
but the heat press tags
in all of the Wool & Prince items we've tested
have washed out.
So, we just have to bring that up.
That being said, if you take care of the sweater,
it will likely be in your travel wardrobe
for years to come.
We're still wearing the Lems Boulder Boot
we tested previously,
and when we learned they were coming out
with a waterproof version,
we were excited to get our hands on them.
The slushy and wet Detroit winter
proved to be the perfect testing ground for these boots.
We're happy to confirm that after a solid testing,
including jumping into a bunch of puddles and snow banks,
these boots are indeed waterproof.
The leather is super soft, we're digging the style,
and AJ, our managing editor that's been testing them,
has received a ton of compliments on them too.
Along with the addition of being waterproof,
these boots have the same features
that the original Lems Boulder Boot's have as well.
They're lightweight, compressible
and feature a wide toe box
and zero drop design.
If you don't need your boots to be waterproof,
we recommend picking up the original version.
However, there are plenty of situations
where that extra weather resistance can come in handy.
So there you have it,
our first episode of Review Radar.
We'd love to hear what you think of this new format
in the comments below,
and of course head over to packhacker.com
if you want to learn more information
and see the full reviews
of any of the products mentioned in this video.
Thanks for keeping it here at Pack Hacker,
your guide to smarter travel.
We'll see you in the next video.