For a commuter living in a rainy environment, SealLine’s Urban Backpack could be a great solution for transporting stuff and keeping it dry.
The carrier is made of seamless, polyurethane-coated polyester (read: completely waterproof) with an ergonomic strap system attached.
The pack itself is super simple – perhaps too much so. The bag is just that – one big plastic sack with a roll-down top.
If you need to cram clothes or other non-delicate materials in without any sort of stabilization or organization, it works fine. But if you want to keep a camera or laptop secure and separate from other items, forget about it.
Besides the main pouch, there's a single, very small pocket on the outside. The roll-down top has a heavy securing clamp, so water isn’t getting in even if you blast the Urban with a hose.
In contrast to the simplicity of the pack’s cargo system, the padding, strapping and securing for the carrier is detailed and well thought-out. The yoke features ample adjustment options at the waist, sternum and tops and bottoms of the shoulders, so you can balance and secure the load.
There's a large, perforated piece of foam at the center of the pack, on the outside, and thinner, ventilated foam along the full lengths of the shoulder straps.
If you often ride in the rain without a computer or other more vulnerable items, the Urban Backpack is a good bag to try. If you need organization options or a laptop sleeve, look elsewhere.
The bag comes in five colors (gray, red, orange, green and blue) and two sizes – large (tested here) and small (£79.99 / US$109.95).
