Ever since I became a full time traveler, I have become more and more conscious of how much luggage I carry. This is at the point that most of my trips these days are hand luggage only. On shorter trips, day trips and even just getting around Bali I usually go even smaller. So when I was presented with the opportunity recently to test and review the Grams28 154 City Pack, I jumped at the chance.
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For full disclosure before I begin this review, I was approached by Grams28 and asked if I would be interested in testing their product. As I actually use a similar product already, and in all truth have actually thought about upgrading, the choice was a no brainer. They quickly sent me a free sample, and I have used it extensively over the past couple of weeks traveling in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Here are the results.
Table of Contents
- What is the Grams28 154 City Pack?
- Important Specs
- First impressions
- The Road Test
- How much room is there really?
- How does it look?
- What I liked
- What I didn’t like
- Summary
What is the Grams28 154 City Pack?
Basically a sling bag, the Grams28 154 City Pack is designed to be a stylish addition for everything from daytrips to weekend getaways. Made from the highest quality Italian leather, and finished with style and elegance, I was actually surprised to find that it looks just at home as a casual accessory getting around town, as it would in a business meeting.
Important Specs
Some important specs about the Grams28 154 City Pack.
- Made from Environmental Certified Full Grain Italian Leather
- Maximum Capacity 5L
- Size – 27 W x 21 H x 7 D cm (10.5” W x 8.25” H x2.75″ D )
- 139cm Shoulder Strap (55″)
- 2 Exterior Pockets
- Up to 12 Interior Pockets inside the main compartment
- Price $299 USD
- From – Grams28
First impressions
When it first arrives, the pack comes neatly packed up in a Grams28 box. Upon opening the box, you find a neat black drawstring bag which contains your new Grams28 154 City Pack.
Removing it from the drawstring bag, the first thing I noticed was the beautiful smell of leather. You can just tell from that smell and the first feel under your fingers that you are handling a very, very good authentic product.
The design is beautiful. The lines are aesthetically pleasing, and you KNOW the design is amazing when you have been handling it for hours and you are still finding hidden pockets. How Grams28 has fit so much into the one relatively small product is incredible.
The finish of the product is another thing that first catches your eye. The stitching is delicate and almost unnoticeable, the clasps are made of strong metal, and the zippers have leather pull tabs attached to make them easier to use, but also make it look just a bit more stylish.
The Road Test
I had the Grams28 154 City Pack for a week before I was able to really put it through its paces. This was in the form of a week long trip to Langkawi Island in Malaysia. I was traveling with only hand luggage, and when I travel in that way, every piece of space and gram of weight count.
This was where I first saw the practical benefit of the Grams28 154 City Pack. When traveling, I usually either carry my passport, phone and wallet in my hands, or use a basic sling pack that I also use when scootering around Bali. I’m always limited with what I can actually carry with me, and everything else goes into my backpack/hand luggage.
Bring on the Grams28 154 City Pack and we have an absolute game changer! I found that not only could I comfortably carry my phone, wallet and passport, but I was also able to fit a small book, headphones, and camera! Whilst packing my hand luggage, constantly weighing it to make sure it stayed under 7kg, I realized that the addition of my new sling bag allowed me a lot of leeway as the airline counted it as my “personal item”. Perfect when utilizing those budget airfares!
Airports and Planes
Moving through the airport was a breeze with the Grams28 154 City Pack. My passport tucked really neatly into the outside pocket, making it easy to access whenever I needed it. Instead of carrying my phone around in my hand, it was no longer a hassle to just put it in my sling bag instead. Grams28 really make it easy to get in and out of the main compartment pocket without it seeming like a constant chore.
Going through security was almost enjoyable! I was simply able to put all my loose items into my Grams28 154 City Pack and just put it through the scanner by itself. Life and travel just seemed to be getting easier every minute.
Once again, accessing my passport and then stowing it again at the gate and when boarding was simple. On the plane, the bag is small enough to comfortably nurse in my lap, or stow between my feet. As I’m a really tall guy, stowing bags between my feet has always been an issue for me, and something I avoid whenever I can. With the Grams28 154 City Pack, it just didn’t even seem like a problem anymore.
Day to day use
Once I arrived on Langkawi Island, I put the bag to one side and didn’t really expect to use it too much again. My main focus had been to use it as an addition to my hand luggage when traveling.
How wrong I was!
On my very first day I hired a scooter with the view of getting out and seeing the island and a few beaches. I started putting together a few things to take with me – small towel, sunscreen, Insta360 Camera, sunglasses, wallet, phone, keys, hat – and realized it was going to be a constant hassle opening and closing the underseat storage on the scooter at every stop. That was until my keen eye noticed my trusty Grams28 154 City Pack sitting on the table by the door.
Quickly I loaded it up and voila! I had the perfect day pack for carrying on the scooter!
My trips around the island were a breeze using it as a simple sling bag. I was able to take more than I had originally planned, and when I had to quickly stop and take a photo of a monkey, eagle, or anything else that required quick reflexes, my Grams28 154 City Pack made certain that no opportunity was missed. I have to say that this is one of the best sling style bags that I have tried and tested when riding a scooter – and I ride my scooter every day in Bali. I will certainly be using it on a regular basis back home now too!
Carrying the bag around town whilst exploring was comfortable, and once again convenient. Whilst in a crowd, I was able to opt for safety and slipped my passport into a nicely hidden interior pocket with zip to escape inquisitive hands. The padding on the shoulder strap, while not perfect, was more than acceptable. Also, being a sling bag, I found that at times when I was walking, browsing or sightseeing, I could simply sling it around to my back. Whilst I was in a shop or actually at the counter and needed it, I was able to sling it around to the front. This seems simple, but is SO MUCH better than if I was wearing a backpack, constantly taking it off and putting it back on.
How much room is there really?
The simple answer – a lot!
Well, there are a LOT of pockets. The two exterior pockets are a nice size and sit flat and tight against the pack to stay aesthetically pleasing. These are perfect to stow passports, boarding passes or phones. I also kept my hotel room key and scooter key in them.
The interior has around a dozen pockets. Some are very small mesh pockets that might be good to stow a USB or something of similar size. There are several pockets the right size for a Mobile Phone, which I also used to stow my Insta360 Camera.
The Grams28 154 City Pack has one large back compartment as well that could fit a small iPad, ereader or book. Whilst on the plane I actually used this to put my long travel wallet.
One other feature of the interior is a long pocket that clasps with a magnet, designed to hold your sunglasses. This is a nice addition, and I honestly didn’t realize what it was for at first, but now that I do, I use it all the time!
All in all, the bag can hold a lot of gear. You don’t want to overload it though, as if it gets too bulky then the aesthetic appearance disappears, and the slim design that makes it such a comfortable bag is gone. For day to day use, or using as a travel accessory on a plane, I found it the perfect size.
How does it look?
It looks good!
I admit that at first I was hesitant. The stigma around “man bags” is strong, and I was worried about getting strange looks when using it. I need not have bothered worrying at all.
Yes, I got some looks. But these were mostly in airports, and when I took more notice, I saw that most of the time the guys that were giving me looks has their OWN sling bags. Unfortunately, they were very inferior to my Grams28 154 City Pack, and I began to realize they were more looks of envy.
One thing to note when traveling in South East Asia, is that every second man is carrying a sling bag of some description. This comes from everyone riding scooters, and in South East Asia, everyone knows the benefit of the “man bag”. You will NOT look out of place.
It only took me a short time to become very comfortable with my new look – to the point that when I didn’t actually have my bag with me I felt out of place. Moving through the airport with my backpack on my back and sling bag on my front just felt right, and looked perfectly natural.
One other important note about carrying a “man bag”. They are designed specifically to NOT look like a handbag. Sure, the strap is long, but you shorten the strap and sling it higher up your back, and suddenly it transforms from a “man bag” into a stylish urban messenger bag or sling bag.
What I liked
I fell in love with the practicality of the Grams28 154 City Pack. I couldn’t believe how much it fit into it. Honestly, it fixed a few problems I had been having with other similar sling bags.
For example, my current sling bag that I’ve been using around Bali for the past couple of years really overloads fast. When I need my wallet, I pull it out and 3 other items fall out with it. Not good if one is your camera and you end up juggling it all the way to a (hopefully) soft landing on the ground.
Not so with the City pack. Finding things, taking them out and then safely tucking them away again is a breeze. I don’t ever want to live without it again.
The other thing I loved was traveling with it. Having that easy pocket for my passport is something I have missed without even knowing it. Being able to carry extra hand luggage is also a huge bonus in my book, as well as keeping it neat, tidy and easy to access.
What I didn’t like
There really isn’t anything I didn’t like. It is so well made with such quality products that you feel really guilty saying anything bad about it.
If I was pushed I would say it could be a bit bigger. I would love to be able to stow my Macbook Air into it for example, but then it would become more than just a City Pack sling bag, and it would defeat the purpose.
For what it is and what it is designed to do, the Grams28 154 City Pack is already fairly perfect in my books.
Summary
The Grams28 154 City Pack is a great addition to any traveler, or anyone looking for a small sling bag for getting around on a day to day basis. From a full time traveler’s point of view, I don’t think you would find any better accessory, and I highly recommend it.
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