Gossamer Gear Vagabond Jet

I bought this to replace my old Patagonia Black Hole 25 to use as both a work bag and for day hiking. It's been great for both so far. The laptop pocket is huge and I can fit both my 13" MacBook and a slim book into it, and then fit an iPad and a thick A5 journal into the tablet pocket. The internal zippered pocket fits a power bank and cables, but not much more. A clever detail - the laptop sleeve is slightly raised from the bottom of the back panel which means it doesn't hit the ground when you put the bag down. Water bottle pockets are easy to access without taking the bag off, shoulder strap pockets fit my phone and sunglasses easily. The format of the top zip opening is a weird choice, and makes it a little hard to see into the bag, but it's fine.

I only have two issues with this bag and they're both minor. The mesh front pocket is a bit less stretchy than I'm used to on bags (I couldn't fit my trail runners in it, for example) and they have included a plastic edge that runs the full length of the shoulder straps for sternum adjustment, which makes the straps dig in a bit. I'm hoping the stiffness will loosen a bit over time.

Overall, I think an improvement on my old Black Hole and I would highly recommend this bag.

This bag is absolutely fantastic and fulfills all of my requirements perfectly. Its utility is unparalleled compared to other bags I've tested that are the same size. I can't help but be impressed by its exceptional features. I only deducted one star from my rating due to a minor concern with the internals of the main zipper. Unfortunately, the fabric is fraying as it hasn't been stitched to prevent this issue. Considering the overall outstanding quality and price of the bag, I believe this small flaw should be taken into account and addressed in future revisions.