18.12.2019

I use my bag constantly (work commuting, gym, grocery runs (walking or on my bike), carry-on for 30-40 plane trips a year), and have tried several the past few years, and then researched heavily, including wirecutter, and then ordered and tried out several finalists and returned all but one. And man, it was close.I was torn between this and the LL Bean Quad, and alternated them for a few weeks. Broke my heart to return this, because I love so much about it, and for many it would be the right choice, but I decided I loved the Quad more. (Incidentally, wirecutter recommended a similar LL Bean model as best, but I upgraded, for more size and more pockets.)I usually start with pros,but since I returned this product, I'll go right to the reasons why:1. Heavy: At 3.5 pounds, this is the heaviest of my finalists by far, more than a pound heavier than similar bags, including the Quad. (I tried some ultra-light bags 2 pounds less.) I pack a lot, and often have the bag all day, and want to keep as light as possible, and an extra pound starting weight is a big minus.2. Size: this is a hearty size, but about 5 liters less than the 35L Quad. That's about 15% less capacity--not massive, but enough to tip the scale for me.3. No waist strap! This was really the dealbreaker for me, and seems insane. It was the only highly-rated bag I even considered without one. What were they thinking? It DOES have chest strap, which is great in some situations (especially on a bike), but that's nearly always the add-on AFTER the waist strap. This is mostly an issue if you're loading up heavy, and/or for long. The waist strap makes a huge difference in shifting much of the weight from your shoulders to hips. When the shoulder straps start digging into your muscles up there, you will really curse it not being loaded onto your waist.(Also: this bag was about 50% more expensive than the Quad (LL Bean constantly has it reduced from the list price, and then another 20% to join their email list). This was not a huge factor for me, because I decided I've wasted so much on getting inferior bags, and use it so much, I'd pay to get the best solution. It may be a big factor for others.If those are not big concerns, this might be the bag for you.Pros (SO many)1. Spacious (compared to most)2. Great materials, feels solid, and good reviews all around on lasting.3. Soooooo many pockets and great organization! This is a big deal for me, especially on plane travel, where I like to pack all sorts of things that I can get to quickly when I get there, and also which I can pull out quickly while boarding the plane to keep what I need in my seat (book, laptop, water bottle, pen, sometimes notes, snacks, sometimes pills), while stashing the bag in the overhead. This bag actually slightly exceed the Quad. They have a similar number of external zippable compartments (around 10!) but so many I have found it hard to keep track of which is which--(amazing problem to have)--and this one has them in a more systematic layout.4. Great fit, great feel, smart ventilation system, etc. Stands up by itself, at least to start. (Not flopping over makes a big difference in loading it up. Note that many bags stand up at first, but that doesn't last. Some don't stand up day 1.)5. So many extras. There is a hardened small area where you can stash your glasses, sunglasses, phone etc, without them getting crushed or scratched. (Not really necessary for phone--huge for glasses.) The separate laptop zipped area in back is incredible. (This was nearly a deciding factor over the Quad, which also has this feature, but it's has a slightly smaller opening, which doesn't quite fit my 15" Macbook Air. This one zips from above, so it CAN slide in to the same sized space.)I also liked a unique feature: nearly all top bags have water holders on both sides, which is great, because I always need one, but never two, so one is wasted. This bag offers that, but zippable top, so it can easily work as a bottle holder, or another compartment for keys, pills, various small things. Very versatile!In terms of design features, this bag and the Quad were really evenly matched. The Quad has two fleece-lined smallish compartments for phones and whatnot, that are REALLY nice--way nicer than this--but doesn't have the hardened area. There are lots of little design features where this and the Quad rival each other, each a little better on one than the next, but both superb.I would limit the finalists to these 2 bags, and then depending on your priorities, pick one. (Or try both.)

4.9.2016

Around some years ago I had the need to replace my laptop/travel backpack (Samsonite) which actually was quite useful since it was big enough to hold a lot of stuff and had a lot of compartments... however the straps were somehow losing their cushioning so it really was a pain on my shoulders and back.Then in 2013 CES Exhibition at Las Vegas, I ran into this bag at the OGIO stand, and the sales guy told me that the bag was recently released and allowed me to have a try and check the bag around. My first impressions were that it was very well built and with a lot of pockets and features. So after some months of research reviews and comparing with other bags in youtube reviews I decided to purchase it through Amazon.Now I have been almost 3 years with this bag and I am very pleased.I have traveled with it at least 20 times for business mostly. Even when I moved to Mexico for 1 and a half, I was able to fit in almost of all the electronics and gadgets that I needed for my job post there, laptop, hard drives, two iPods, Bose Noise Cancelling QC15 earphones, Bluetooth speaker (UE Boom), notebooks and files, assortment of pens and markers, two sunglasses and reading glasses, water bottle, point and shoot Canon camera (S95), chargers and cables for mobile phones in a dedicated pouch, etc.All in all I can tell you from experience these are the key features of this bag:- 1 dedicated compartment that fits a 15" inch laptop at the back of the bag, and has a suspension at the bottom that allows to cushion the laptop in case you drop it to hard to floor. Also this compartment is placed for easy access when passing through those annoying X-Rays at the airport where in most cases they require to take out you laptop.- It has 3 more separated compartments, being the first one the biggest one that holds larger items like headphones, jacket, books, etc. Then immediately you'll find another compartment which has a built-in "jacket' or sleeve to hold you tablet as big as 10", also you can place other thin items here like folders, medium sized notebooks or magazines, point and shoot camera, etc. Then the front compartment which is the smallest one is quite useful since it has also some mesh zippered pockets to fill in with the items such as business cards, cables, flash drives, keys, cables chargers etc.- Then in the outside at the top there is two pockets, one that is hardened internally so it can hold your glasses or maybe your precious smartphone without the risk of being crushed by weight may be put atop the bag. Just beneath this hardened pocket there is another small pocket also with some mesh divisions inside for you to place more items that you might want to have at hands reach, like business cards, candy bar, lip balm, flash drives, IDs, keys, etc.- Now, still the bag has more places to store your gear... it has 4 more pockets placed at the sides (2 in each side) for storing more stuff like gadgets that you need to grab on the fly... like a point and shoot camera, a battery power bank, iPod, mobile phone, GPS, you name it. In fact one of those pockets can open up to hold also a water bottle.- The zipper are very heavy duty, and the stitching of the bag is the best quality.- The straps are well designed and have an adjustable little belt that connects them in front of your chest for better stabilization of the bag once is worn. The only real complain or observation that I have about the bag, is that the cushioning of the shoulder straps could use some improvement and the straps them selves could be a little wider to grab more space in your body and stabilize the bag more especially when is really really loaded because believe me this bag CAN HOLD STUFF.

17.10.2013

Okay, let me get this out there. I hoard backpacks the way some ladies hoard shoes. I work internationally and travel 6 - 7 months out of the year so I am ALWAYS on the look out for a bigger, better pack. I'll start with the good...:This pack has a TON of room. And I do mean a ton. From the 17" RSS (more on this later) laptop sleeve to the dedicated tablet / e - reader pouch; this bag literally has room for all of my gizmos. I travel with....10. Pelican case for SD cards and SIM cards1. iPod Classic2. Galaxy SIII3. 3 portable HDs4. Bose Soundlink Mini5. Sweatshirt6. Beats by Dr Dre Studio Noise Canceling Headphones7. 15" Dell laptop8. Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 in Otterbox9. Kindle10.Pelican case for SD and SIM cards11. Passport12. ID badges with several lanyards13. Mini Dopp kit14. All the chargers and cables for the above electronics15. Spare t shirt, socks and boxers16. Wet Wipes17. Various doodads and knick knacks (pens, batteries glasses screwdriver, spare change, Burt's Bees, etc...)Does everything fit? Yep. With room to spare. I cannot begin to tell you how much of a relief it is to be able to fit all of this and still have some wiggle room if I see something in the airport I can't live without.Now, what is an RSS you ask? Why it's a Reactive Suspension System... It's a padded laptop sleeve that have some bounce to it but keep your laptop off the bottom of your pack. I have a 15", but can tell by the room left over (enough to fit my charging cable and wireless mouse) that there is more than enough room for a 17". I can't say if this RSS works beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I'm pretty rough with my bag and my laptop remains intact!The kicker and icing on the cake to me at least, is the ridgid sunglasses case on the top of the bag. It doesn't affect my storage capacity and offers enough room for my Oakley Gascans, regular glasses and a nice big microfiber cloth.Now onto the big one star detraction....This bag is heavy empty. Noticeably heavier than any of my other bags. You can imagine the weight when it is full. Not a huge deal, but a bit of a pain in the tush when you're traveling internationally and face some extended layovers and huge airports. The weight in and of itself is not a huge issue, but the straps... Man the straps... They are narrow and don't have a lot of padding. I actually got some tingling in my fingers after about 30 minutes of wearing this. It DOES have a chest strap, but the benefits of the chest strap are overshadowed by the total lack of comfort that these straps provide.As other have mentioned, the adjustment buckles for the straps are the Achilles Heel of this bag. They don't hold the desired position with any weight at all in the bag. I actually just leave them fully extended now.So, if Ogio happens to read this... Thicker straps with more padding and rugged adjustment buckles that are up to the task and you'll have THE Perfect Travel Backpack.Yes, I would buy this again as it is the closest thing to a perfect bag that I have found, but I am still looking....

30.10.2013

First, I'm a private investigator. I carry a laptop, tablet, bluetooth keyboard and mouse, handycam, eReader, a Roxio Game Capture Pro HD for video transfer with time/date stamps, and no less than 20 cables and chargers. In short, I carry a ton of gear at all times. For the most part, the bag is just for travel between my car and hotel or home. I don't often carry it anywhere else, but I like some organization to all my stuff. Previously, I had been using a backpack made by Dell for an Alienware that I had purchased with my daughters laptop. That bag is great, however my kid wanted it back and I figured I should be able to find something more designed around my needs. It came down to this Ogio vs a Pelican unit.The reason I picked the Ogio was that the Pelican weighs a ton (5 pounds empty) vs the Ogio at 1 pound dry weight. I already have to shoulder enough weight with all my great, not to mention that I had spinal fusion surgery less than 18 months ago. Now you know how I use it and why I picked it.As for the functionality of the bag. The sunglasses pocket at the top (that it seems no one uses for sunglasses) is a perfect protected spot for my handycam. It also makes it readily accessible for me since it is right on the top. The 4 side pockets work great for my chargers and video editing hardware. My XPS 12 fits easily in the laptop sleeve and is well protected. My Dell Essentials tablet fits fine in the tablet pocket. I even have a Nook eReader in the front as well. I have two wifi hotspots that fit perfect in the upper pocket with the two mesh pockets holding each one and it's charger. The zippers are good quality, a heavy duty feel for sure.My sole issue is that there is no real good place for USB drives, memory cars and the likes. It has 4 slots for pens/penciles, and two pockets in the front. One pocket zips closed the other is just a tight band upper. I had to put my cards and USB drives in the zippered pockets. It seems to me that they could have easily put a few of those little holders in this bag somewhere. The Dell unit had spaces for 4 cards and 4 thumb drives and they take up no real space.As for those complaining about padding.......really? Would you rather short yourself protection to save like 6 ounces of weight and gain 1/2 inch of space? I find the padding to be well designed, well placed, and very functional. The padding on the back panel that rests against your body is perfect. Just enough to keep it comfortable, not bulky, very functional. If anything, the straps could use a bit more padding. As I said, I don't carry mine a lot. It's more of an organizational tool with transport from car to room and back.For the price, it's a good bag. Add some spaces for cards and USB drives, and better utilization of some of the unused inner spaces and it would be a great bag.

16.7.2015

I delayed submitting a review on this bag until I'd actually used it for a few weeks. I got it primarily as a work bag to hold my laptop, i-pad, various chargers and cables, stationery and work papers/files. I’d been using a messenger bag up till now but it lacked organisation and the flap closure on these is never very secure.So far I'm very happy with my Ogio renegade. There is plenty of storage space that makes it ideal for organising. On the front there is a small front organiser pocket (with a few small compartments within), a larger pocket behind (with a tablet specific compartment at the rear) and a smaller crescent shaped pocket above it with two net pockets inside.

8.6.2013

I had the large predecessor to this bag for several years and the zippers finally gave out. I read the reviews carefully before buying this one. One of things I liked the most about the last bag was that it had 3 top compartments, but this one only has one. The top compartments are extremely handy for glasses, calculators, electronics. I think the reason they cut down to one on the Renegade was to make the bag more compact. The base is not as large at the base and it is easier to get into overhead bins on planes. What they lost in the top compartments they made up for with the side pouches. There are four side pouches that are extremely functional and are padded. I carry a PC power supply,

4.9.2019

This backpack is great, storage and pockets for everything. A few issues, but no product is perfect. I’ll spare you most the details as the other reviews are accurate. But here are a few things I didn’t see in past reviews of this product (I read a bunch before I bought mine).Travel: I bought this bag to fly from WA to CA in the US. I flew Alaska air. The bag fit under the seat, but barely. The bag is about 1-2 inches too tall and 3-4 inches to thick (when fully stuffed). I tried to pack it full (all pockets), but when I did that I noticed the bag started to bow out and there would be no way it would fit. I had to take out all the items from the front of the bag (small pocket side),

26.2.2013

So I saw some reviews start to pop up online for this bag and it certainly peaked my interest.I've never spent more than maybe $50 on a bag, but as I carry a bunch of gear with me constantly, I needed something a little more solid, reliable, and organized than my previous backpack.I carry around a 15" Retina MacBook Pro, hard drives, BluRay Burner, a pouch full of cables, batteries and other various accessories on a daily basis (my portable editing studio!). Other times I need to throw in my Canon 7D, a couple lenses, my Zoom H4n sound recorder, some wireless lav mics, a notebook, bunches of spare batteries and CF cards... and this thing rocks it! I've basically got an independent pocket for everything!

12.6.2016

Yes, this is the one. I walked into the office one day & saw this backpack (in gray) on a couch behind a co-workers desk & it immediately caught my eye. I asked him about it & saw the instant excitement in his eyes. My comment was "this looks like a great backpack" - he couldn't have jumped up to tell me all about it any faster. This guy is in the office a lot but he also travels a ton, flying to cities all over the east coast to Chicago & all around. He told me he had been using an older backpack for a while & for 3 months he started searching for the best one for travel. He said he did a lot of research (this is a very thorough man)

6.9.2014

I have been using this product for nearly 3 weeks now, and my review is for this specific model:OGIO Renegade RSS Day Pack, Large, BlackThis backpack is a must have for any true road warrior - spacious, stealthy, and non-geeky. You can even fit your shoes in the main compartment with space to spare. It has compartments for every piece of gadget that matters to me. It's literally my office in a bag.When the bag is empty, it is very light. When it is full, the foam pads at the back help it to rest some of the weight near the hips. When it is real heavy, be sure to learn how to safely wear heavy backpacks. But most of the time, the backpack looks heavier than it actually is,

13.12.2020

This was bought as a weekend/ overnight bag that would be easier to carry along with my camera case if I wanted to take shots en route. While travelling I wouldn't want to leave a bag in the car, so a backpack was essential. It was a pleasant surprise to discover its padding and crush-proof design is well suited to protecting photographic equipment. I am perfectly confident of keeping an expensive camera and lens in the main or first compartment and have made a leather-covered foam rubber block in which to drop the camera and have quick access to it. It may become my main camera bag. I have cycled around the woods and am reassured by its robustness in the event of me or the camera falling off the bike.

28.6.2016

It's a great bag, but I do have a few minor complaints.- The four side pockets are too small. The storage would have been much more efficient if there were only two pouches that were slightly larger.- Having four side pouches is a bit too much in general. I find myself constantly opening and closing pockets looking for things.- The lower pouch appears to recommend water bottle storage, but there is realistically no way that a bottle will be held comfortably in there. The elastic strand (assuming is there to help hold a bottle) snapped off in a few days. I'm currently looking up sewing in an additional elastic band to make it more functional.- The zipper on one of my side compartments is beginning to show wear after a few months of use.

25.3.2016

Fantastic Product! If I had to describe it using as few words as possible, it would be "Black Hole". This thing seems endless, and easily fits all your daily items + anything else you think you'll be using. I use it for small tech business trips and it easily packs all the gear and clothes I need for the few days i'm gone. The material of the pack is slightly rough, but gives you a reassuring "this is durable" feeling. Not sure if it's built for weatherization, but it has withstood the Alaska rain storms on my walks home, keeping my items dry and safe.Below is about the maximum number of things I had fit in it at once, this was for a weekend lan party (NOTE: it was almost back breakingly heavy).Laptop Pocket:15" Macbook Pro RetinaWacom P&R Medium TabletMiddle /

27.1.2019

I admit that I have an obsession with backpacks. I own over a dozen from Northface to Osprey to Timbuk 2. I use them for different tasks (traveling, work, hiking, pleasure, day-trips, etc). Recently, I've been using a Timbuk 2 messenger bag for my Surface laptop and wanted something that'll hold a little more for work. I also wanted something that would be good for a 2-3 day work trip and this backpack fits the bill.Not only do I love the traditional design (what's up with backpacks today looking like futuristic jetpacks?), but I love the fact that it has the luggage handle passthrough. My last airplane trip consisted of using an Osprey Nebula which was great for storage,

13.1.2016

This is the fourth or fifth computer backpack I've owned. I've had Targus (twice, never again), LowePro, and a couple of others, and none of them were as well-designed or well-made as this one. The LowePro and the last Targus were both very thin material that didn't stand up well unless the bag was full, and the last Targus began to fall apart after only a few months.The Renegade has a ton of storage. I currently have a Dell Latitude E6530 with a 9 cell battery (which *just* fits the compartment), the Dell power adapter, a Bluetooth speaker, numerous chargers and cables, an iPad, and an assortment of pens/pencils and other odds and ends, and there is still room in the bag for my camera equipment (for which I just purchased a Hogo Action Case,

OGIO Renegade Backpack black - Reviews

Info

Analysis

Detail