Chrome Mazer Vigil Pack

The Chrome Mazer Vigil Pack is an excellent choice for commuting, with a large capacity, a design that sits well on the back, and a huge number of storage options so you can organise your stuff. It looks good too, though it is pretty expensive.

• Pros: Loads of storage, looks good, comfortable
• Cons: Fairly expensive, laptop sleeve can be difficult to do up when bag is heavily laden

The Vigil's carrying capacity is listed as 26 litres, but its innovative use of space means you might be able to fit more in than you think.

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First off, it has a large main compartment with a robust zip that comes down very low, letting you open up the bag much more than some and making it easier to get things in and out.

Inside the main compartment there are two large pockets that are perfect for things like keys, phones, iPads, spare lights, repair kits and so on. When you have somewhere dedicated to keep this kind of kit, it makes it so much easier to find anything on the go – so particularly useful for commuting.

Across the bag there are several very useful pockets, with a large sleeve at the back large enough to fit a 15-inch laptop comfortably, a small pocket at the top of the bag and another small pocket midway down, so you can be really organised with where your kit goes.

The only slight downside I found with these pockets was that when the bag was particularly heavily laden the laptop sleeve became difficult to do up. On the sides of the pack are more pockets you can use for bottles, a lock and other smaller objects.

The bag is claimed to be water resistant rather than waterproof, but in reality the only place a little bit of water came through was at the zip, and even then it was during a particularly heavy downpour. This water resistance is down to the material choice of nylon and tarpaulin, with the area that would get the most rain – the top and bottom – made from the more durable tarp, the rest being the not-quite-as-water-resistant nylon.

The front of the pack has dozens of reflective attachment loops cleverly hidden behind folds in the fabric, giving the bag a cleaner look while maintaining that safety element that is essential for city riding.

When worn, the backpack is very comfortable thanks to the adjustable straps and EVA back panel. The straps have a decent amount of padding without making your shoulders too insulated while riding, with webbing on the inside of the straps to help dissipate any excess heat. They are easily adjustable, even when wearing thick winter gloves, which allows them to be quickly changed based on the load. The adjustable chest strap in the centre has a magnetic clip, which can be fastened or unfastened quickly, even in winter gloves.

The back panel isn't as well ventilated as some packs I have used, but certainly stands up to scrutiny, and with the thick EVA pads air can flow fairly well, so even if it's not as good as something like the Osprey Escapist, for example, it's still pretty good.

Value

At £160 it isn't the cheapest bag, but given the quality of the build and the elements included it's about what I would expect.

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The Shimano Tokyo 23 urban daypack, for example, is around £30 cheaper and offers some of the same elements, but it doesn't look as good, in my opinion, or offer the huge range of pockets.

Conclusion

Overall, I was very impressed by the Mazer Vigil Pack. It looks great, lets you organise your kit brilliantly, and keeps it safe from the elements. There is no doubt that it's expensive and it's a little bit difficult to do up the laptop sleeve when it's very full, but these are the only small issues I could find in what is otherwise a great bag.

Verdict

Great commuting bag that offers tons of storage, looks good, and sits nicely on the back