Putting the Mission Workshop Vandal to the Test
 

I have had my MW Vandal for about 6 months now, and really I can't think of any other backpack I would rather have. I figured I would give an example of the type of load I have carried with it.
Attached to Bag:
Stroller
Infant Car Seat
Bike Lock
In bag:
Car Seat Base
Text Book
15" MacBook
Tupperware Container for Sandwich

Here I am ready to leave work and venture out into the rain.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_...109_141344.jpg

Here I am wet and tired. Riding up hills was a PITA.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7.../HeavyLoad.jpg
My wife didn't turn on the flash and there was no way I was waiting for a second photo.

That's impressive. I rode home about 3 miles with about 80 lbs of potting soil on my back and felt like a mule, nothing like a stroller and carseat though.

Oh my god.

my thought exactly. what...can't even comprehend...

I had to ride up a 7% grade, that almost killed me. I was worried that I might not be able to peddle anymore. It was only 1/4 a mile though. With this load you can't just speed up before a hill, unless you want to fall over. lol

potting soil?

wait, where did you put the kid then?

seriously though, that is impressive.

did you pull an unintentional wheelie the entire time?

Lifting my leg to get on the bike almost made me fall over.

I'll have to find it, but my wife took a video after I came home from getting groceries this weekend. If I recall, I had a $198.00 bill which included:
4 boxes of cereal, 2 6 pack bottles of Guinness, 2 4 packs of monster, cheese, wine, bread, crackers, a bag of oranges and apples, and a plethora of steam veggie bags, vegetarian frozen meals for work, yogurt, butter, milk, pudding, raisins, pretzels. The bag looked like I had someone in it the cops said when my son and I rode up to the light where they were. They weren't sure I was "riding safely" with that big of a load on my back.

I had a week of laundry for my wife and myself once. I was riding up this hill and passed a guy in full kit. He said to me, "are you really going to pass me with all that on your back?" I said to him, "don't worry, you will catch me- I am riding fixed." He didn't catch me.

And how would that help me with the task at hand? My wife needs a car seat and a stroller not a bike trailer. I had to get said stroller and car seat home. I hate cars, therefore Mission Workshop bag is the answer. Also, the stroller and care seat were giving to me for free.

^he's saying if you have that much to carry, don't carry it on your back. use a trailer attached to your bike.
which i'm not too sure is bad advice. your bag may be designed to carry that much weight that far away from your spine, but your back isn't.

but your body and health be damned: that's ****ing awesome.
read this if you like humor:
http://rollick.com.au/2011/rambler/

OP, I do have a question about that bag though - I'm a 5'1" woman (granted with a proportionally long torso)... do you think it would be too big for me? I.e., the bottom of the bag hit below my waist and be uncomfortable, or the straps too wide apart? I have a hookup and can get Mission bags for a steal but I'm afraid the vandal is just too large. The rambler is frankly only a little smaller but might be the better buy for me...

I am 5'7" and the length of the bag is a bit too long. It bothered me before I road, but while riding it doesn't bother me at all. The Rambler didn't seem any shorter. Eventually, I got use to the length and I don't think it is a problem. This is something you will only discover by using the bag.

Can you hook me up too?? :(

I have a friend that works there and I couldn't get hooked up. lol

Rad, thanks. The rambler is 2" shorter according to the website specs. The place I can get the bag from for cheap requires I order it so I can't try it on first, which is a little disconcerting.

Alas no, my friend has to order it in her name and pay with her credit card, she can only do that for her bestest friends. Like me. :)

Hmmm, the rambler seems the same length to me, but whatever.

they are the ferrari of cycling bags. you can't get a deal on a ferrari because you 'know a guy' (or in this case, a misskaz)

which is why it's good not to brag online about your friend who's doing you a solid! don't stick her neck out!

these bags are worth full retail.


and 2" is noticeable, but not at a glance. you'd think they were just made from the same parts but they're not.

His excuse was that they are hand made in the US and people are paid a living wage, so no discounts.

I LOVE my Vandal backpack. I use it on my commute to work in all types of weather. I use it to run errands. I take it with me when I go out to drilling rigs for work (it's done quite a bit of international travel as a carry-on also). I generally beat the snot out of it and it's held up remarkably well.

The quick-loosening cams on the expansion buckles don't seem to last very long. I've broken 2 already, warrantied without question both times. The straps and buckles work just fine even when the cam is broken, so it's just a minor inconvenience waiting for the replacement in the mail. I'll probably replace them with normal-style industrial strength buckles soon though.

Getting the bag with employee-pricing discount was an added bonus (at the time I got the bag, I was part-timing at a bike shop).

I asked for extras, so that I could make a strap that goes around things and they just sent me some for free.

Oh yeah, I wasn't really complaining. I just wish I didn't have to throw down $300 to get a bag.

you don't have to.

you can buy a lower quality bag for less and have a fraction of the product. less longevity, less enjoyment, less practicality, less ability.

you can though... in fact anyone living in america who uses a cycling backpack daily should be able to budget a mission workshop bag if they work hard enough.

300 ain't that much money if you don't have car payments, debt, or bad habits. a lot of us do, and that's okay too.

just don't complain about spending 300 on a bag that is worth it. these are worth it. not so much for some other bags, regardless of where they are made or if the workers making them are treated fairly.

Got mine for a steal at like $150 (city grounds sale).

Kaz, a rambler will be huge, and the straps are spaced to far apart for me - and I'm 5'10". If you get one, I'd recommend the waist stabilizer and constant use of the chest strap.