#bootstrap genesis

So a few weeks ago, Greenroom136 sent me one of their backpacks to review - the Bootstrap Genesis. I've covered Greenroom136 before, and after going in-depth on their product offering, I was pretty pumped to get the chance to review one of their bags myself.

The Bootstrap Genesis is a pretty interesting flaptop backpack. The outer is 1000D Cordura, with a 420D ripstop interior. 24 liters of capacity puts this bag in the "large everyday" category for me. Not so big that you'll lose your stuff in it, but pretty big.

The front's got two buckles for keeping the flap down (and Velcro as well), which was nice. When the bag was COMPLETELY full, the straps didn't reach the buckles, but I emailed Patrick about this and he said he's going to lengthen them so that they'll hold the flap down even when the bag is stuffed to the brim. I also complained in that email that the strap pulls were way too short (we're talking half an inch, nothing to grab), and he said that he would change the design to make them more grab-able, as well. Gotta love a responsive designer.

The bag is definitely waterproof. And snowproof, actually - soon after I received the bag, there was snow in Philadelphia and I rode home in it. Not a drop on the inside. The inside liner extends past the mouth of the bag:

This is cool because when you close the bag, the liner gets folded down with the flap for extra protection. When the bag was at capacity I DID have to pinch the sides of the liner (push them inwards) to prevent a gap, but that happened rarely and overall the bag definitely stayed waterproof. I DO wish the outside flap had a biking light loop, but that's a pretty minor quibble.

Each side of the bag has a small pocket, perfect for a mini u-lock or a water bottle:

Above this pocket is a side-compression strap, for cinching the bag smaller when it's not stuffed to capacity. These straps are also awesome for holding stuff like tripods, yoga mats, etc. (I didn't test this myself, but from experience I can say that compression straps are ALWAYS good for this).

I used the side pockets for my travel mug and my u-lock, and both fit perfectly and always felt secure. Bonus points because the u-lock was really easy to pull out and put back by swinging the bag around on one shoulder strap to grab it.

On one side of the bag, there's a side-zipper and a huge pocket. This was easily accessible and fit my 11" Macbook Air very well (you can see the pocket unzipped in the u-lock picture above). It was even accessible with the flap down and buckled, which was also great. The pocket's so big that smaller things can get lost in it, but if you keep bigger stuff in it (think Kindle in its sleeve), it's really great.

Under the flap on the sides, there are gigantic deep pockets between the ripstop liner and the outer of the bag. These pockets were actually a surprise to me! I didn't catch them until a bit later. Oddly enough, the first thing that came to mind is that they would make a great pocket for a machete or something similar. They're quite thin and somewhat narrow, but very deep. I didn't really use them much (except to store a pouch or two on occasion), but they were a nice addition and I think would be great, depending on what you want to throw in them!

The straps of the bag were wide and comfortable, not overly padded, and included a chest strap and accessory loops.

Same problem with the pull tab on the chest strap - it just was too small to conveniently adjust on the go. Apart from this, however, the chest strap did what it said on the tin and worked great to make the bag feel more secure, stable, and comfortable when hauling massive loads (like 40 lbs of groceries).

The padding on the back was comfortable, including mesh and foam. The foam was very comfortable, and I never felt like anything was poking me (it's extra nice if you don't put anything between the integrated backpack sleeve and the back of the bag, since you get even more padding if you do that). The padding on the straps was a little on the light side, but the bag was always comfortable and the straps were so wide that I never felt like they were cutting into me.

Above the straps is a grab strap that goes most of the width of the bag. This is a departure from the typical top grab handle, which is usually just the width of a large hand. The grab strap is just a strap of nylon webbing, but its width meant it was easy to grab and use. I typically use my grab straps to pick up my backpack, put it behind me, and slip into it, and I was definitely able to do this with the Bootstrap Genesis. It's not padded or anything, though, so be warned if you are used to carrying bags by their grab straps for extended periods of time.

Under the flap there are two rows of velcro and a set of pockets. The pockets appear to be designed for a smartphone and pens and pencils:

But be warned - these pockets are pretty deep. Pens and pencils that aren't clipped to the mouth of the pocket will disappear inside the pocket and take some fumbling to get to.

7 inches deep.

I used these pockets for my phone, some pens and markers, a comb, a mini ruler, and my Japanese fan. They did a great job and felt very secure when the flap was down.

Behind the three outer pockets, there's a deeper inner pocket before you get to the main compartment. This pocket is very large, and could also fit a laptop if you so wanted.

The main compartment is behind this and has three sections - the main section, for all your cargo; a laptop sleeve that is huge, plush, and also acts as a divider, and a small pocket that sits between the laptop sleeve and the back wall of the bag.

I found the bag's capacity to be great for the day to day. This past Thanksgiving I was also out of town for five days and brought with me:

5 days of clothes

running shoes

my laptop

a dopp kit

a hoodie

misc. chargers, cables, pens, pencils, etc.

The bag was full but not over capacity, and was a great size for a trip like that. Occasionally I did have to crush things a little to make sure the bag stayed closed, but overall it did the job admirably.

The inner compartments don't have much in the way of organization, but the laptop sleeve was awesome. Lined in soft corduroy, nicely padded, and large enough for a 15" laptop (I believe), it swallowed my Macbook and kept it nice and safe on the bike and off.

The laptop is also secured in the sleeve with a strap:

Great protection.

So here's a few pictures of me wearing it. I'm 5'6":

This bag was a pleasure to use and review. I was always pleasantly surprised by its performance, quality, and design. I also love that it's manufactured and designed by one guy in Malaysia. Say what you will about outsourcing and cheap foreign goods and blah, blah blah - Patrick has proven that there are still people designing and making cool stuff on their own in other countries, and that "overseas" is NOT synonymous with "cheap" or "outsourced."

One last niggle? The buckles were very grabby towards all the straps on the bag, making them difficult to adjust on occasion. Once in a while I even had to take the bag off to pull the straps. I think this will get easier as the straps are worn in, but beware of that.

I would definitely recommend this bag to anyone who wants a larger capacity daily backpack. This will fit your work/school stuff with plenty or room to spare. It's resistant to the elements, comfortable, and extremely well made. If you're going to order one, I'd make sure to mention that you want longer flap straps and pull-tabs for the straps, just to make sure that you don't deal with some of the trouble I had.

So there you have it - the Bootstrap Genesis by Greenroom136. You can pick one up here, and see the rest of Patrick's work here. Thanks for sending me a bag, Patrick! Here's a few more shots: