This Bag!

At Mount Royal Park

 This Bag!

I’d been looking for a long time for a one-stop bag for my travel, sport, work, social and leisure outdoor activities: camping in Balochistan; walking at Seaview; cycling around Phase 8; eating out at a dhaba on Burns Road; shopping for antiques at Itwar Bazaar; hiking up mud volcanoes; driving down to the beach; hanging out with friends for coffee; going on assignment for an interview; meeting a client or supplier at a site; and generally going out and about town. Something that could take me places, from jogging in Hilal Park to shopping at Dolmen Mall, and also look good.   

And then I found this bag! It’s by Roots of Canada, and the team or person that designed this bag either lives my kind of life, or has some link to inside my mind. Because it has exactly everything that I had wanted in a bag; an all-in-one bag that is durable, comfortable, functional and aesthetical. It’s got all the ticks on my checklist:  

• A neutral and versatile colour and style that can go with most outfits and occasions, from sporty to street-style-casual-daytime.  The vibrant blue is neutral and yet not dull or boring.  
• Looks good hanging by my side in photos (because tired of bleh bags photobombing my travel pics)
• Water, stain and various gunk-proof material for roughing it out. I can wipe clean anything that does stick to it and not have to worry about treating it with kid gloves like branded bag babies.  The bag takes care of my needs and not vice versa.
• Metal feet for gunk protection
• A wide, comfortable, flexible crossbody strap that adjusts itself to movement and turning and twisting, an important mechanism when I am in the middle of something like cycling or climbing up a mountain and can’t use my hands to adjust the bag.
• Carrying handles in case I want to remove or not use the adjustable shoulder strap.
• 3 inner and 3 outer pockets for lots of storage, easy organization and quick access for those things that get lost in my bag when I need them urgently, such as lip-gloss, sunblock, cellphone, notebook, wallet, coins, keys, trail mix, wet wipes, medicine, and sunglasses.
• Zippers for all the outside pockets and the main body so things don’t fall out when I’m rushing at the airport or pick-pocketed when I’m pre-occupied in bargaining at a flea-market.
• Hooks on the sides for hanging any extra items like sun cap, keychain etc.
• Big enough to hold all essential gear and accessories like cap, sunglasses, and water bottle, and small enough to not become bulky weight.

 Now when I go to Keamari for fried fish with friends, I can carry all my essentials, not have to worry about the bag and its contents if I get my fingers messy with masala or it starts raining, and still look good. This bag has got me covered.

A big Thanks to the designers at Roots! I give it a 10/10. 

Hiking at Mount Royal Park