Absurd Singularity

I've always liked the buckles that Waterfield uses on their Cargo bags since they're not something you expect to see on a bag. This time around I went with their new para-gliding buckle which is much smaller, lighter and easier to use than the previous aircraft buckle. This new buckle is easier to operate one-handed, opening is a cinch, closing takes a little bit more work.

The front flap has the zippered pocket that I love so well and it opens/closes in the direction that I like. Once the flap is open, the view is relatively non-descript with two pockets located underneath.

The first pocket is slightly shorter than the height of the bag itself and is reached via a zippered half-circular opening. Inside is orange-lined and there is also another hanging flat pocket attached to the back wall. The Waterfield logo is also stitched to the front of this pocket. Behind this first pocket is a velcro'd second pocket that is also orange-lined. This particular pocket layout seems to have changed although I'm not sure if it's a difference between the medium and large sizes or Waterfield changed it for all the sizes. Basically, in my old medium this second pocket was divided in two vertically. In this new large bag, this pocket is now just one big continuous pocket. Not entirely sure which layout is better yet. The old style was nice because each divided section was just wide enough to fit one of their Gear Pouches in vertically. I guess now without the division you're able to put more items of varying sizes in this pocket.

The top of the bag has 2 leather-wrapped handles for easy carrying. The zipper that opens to the main compartment is not lined with that same wacky water-resistant material that the BBP has but I have no concerns about the water-resistant nature of this bag.

Unlike the BBP Biz, the Cargo bag has just one main compartment where you'll put your laptop into along with whatever else it is you feel like cramming in there. However, the front of this compartment also has a large and wide hanging section that contains 3 flat sections, a pocket for business cards, and another smaller flat section. You can pretty much hang pens off of any area here.

The back of this compartment has also been separated into a section for your laptop that's secured by a velcro flap. This section is NOT padded though so you'll need a sleeve case for your laptop for impact protection. Their 15" Sleevecase just fits in this area. I doubt a 17" sleeved laptop would be able to fit in there.

There's also a small plastic D-ring in here for keys. I never use stuff like that so not much to say about it. Besides that the rest of this compartment is pretty large and orange-lined.

Last but not least is the magazine/newspaper pocket on the back that is kept closed by a short velco strip. Also orange-lined, I tend to use this pocket a lot, stuffing a magazine or three or a novel or something in here. Quite easy to get to.

The shoulder strap comes with a non-slip pad that is possibly the best I've ever used. Only problem (minor) with it is that the non-slip lining deteriorates after 4 or 5 years so you need to buy a new one. Not a big deal since you can find them easily on Waterfield's site. There's also only one side pocket (for water bottles, cell phones, etc.) on this bag due to the way the shoulder strap is sewn onto the sides. The side pocket has also changed a little with the addition of a top flap that covers the opening a bit. Helps keep things in but makes it a bit more difficult to get longer items within the pocket. The shoulder strap itself is easy to adjust.

So overall I have high expectations for this bag. I have no worries about its longevity and while some minor details have been changed compared to the medium bag I bought 6 years ago, the usability remains for the most part. In part 3 of 3 of this series, I'll give some brief final thoughts comparing the BBP and Waterfield bags.