It seems like a strange time for a company to launch its first line of travel bags, given the current shift to remote working and distance learning. But Marc Barros doesn’t see it that way.
Barros, the co-founder of camera gear company Moment, and his team developed new backpacks, a tote, tech organizers and a camera insert that he feels are right for right now. “We’ve always been a remote company and have wanted bags that fit that new kind of work,” Barros said. “We found bags were either built for the outdoors that were poor at carrying tech, bags for office work — super techie — or travel, which were built for more than tech.”
The MTW Backpack has a clean design that walks the line between casual and professional.
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Moment is debuting the line on Kickstarter, where it has taken its largest product launches over the years. Bags have always been the top requested product from its customers, so more than two years ago Moment jumped into the market. “We started with our fanny sling to build up our design capabilities and supply chain. Then we introduced our Rugged Camera Sling, which is a much more technical daily camera bag.”
The Moment Travelwear, or MTW, line is designed to look good and carry your tech, but without looking like a tech bag. Barros said they’re seeing a lot more people doing local trips or road trips and that’s what these bags are best for.
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I had a chance to check out preproduction versions of the 21-liter MTW Backpack (a 17-liter version is also available) and the tech organizers. After years of testing dozens of backpacks, I can tell you the MTW manages to pull off a rare combination of clean design and utility.
The front pocket is like having a mini messenger bag on the front of a backpack.
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The backpack ($149 at launch; $180 afterward) is made from recycled Kodra fabric with a double-layer waterproof coating and water-resistant zippers. A vertical pocket runs nearly the entire front of the bag but, when you unzip it, there are several drop pockets and a large zippered mesh pocket as well as a key leash. It’s more organized than I’m used to seeing in a front pocket like this. Plus, the top pocket is even deep enough to hold a massive Anker PowerCore Plus battery that’s perfect for charging on the go.
The main compartment is wide open, though there is one zippered mesh pocket at the top of the front flap. There’s plenty of room for a change of clothes, lunch or a jacket, and that’s even if you add in the optional camera insert.
The bag’s main compartment zipper is designed to give you easy access to your camera gear if you use the optional insert.
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The insert has two toggles that slip into loops on the inside of the bag to keep it in place. With it secured in the bag, you can sling the left strap over your shoulder, slide the bag to your front and unzip the side of the bag to get access to your gear. And for those who are constantly swapping out batteries on their gear, Moment made a battery organizer that has separate zippered pockets that are designated for fresh and dead batteries so you never mix them up again.
At the back of the bag is a separate laptop compartment with a weather-sealed zipper. It’s large enough to hold a 16-inch MacBook Pro. There are also organizational pockets for a mouse, power supply and pens or a stylus. That said, you could also invest in one of the company’s tech accessory organizers ($49 for the Kickstarter; $70 afterward) that are also part of the Kickstarter.
The main tech organizer comes with a mini organizer for smaller items, or just your essentials.
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If you have a desk drawer filled with miscellaneous cables, adapters, batteries, chargers, flash drives and memory cards, these organizers will get all that clutter in order and let you take it with you. It even comes with a mini removable organizer for those times when you need to just take your essentials with you.
To top it all off, the bag is relatively lightweight at just over 2 pounds (975 grams) and the straps are designed to be comfortable for both men and women and, going by my and my wife’s experiences wearing it, this is true. Though, if you prefer a tote, Moment has one of those as part of the Kickstarter, too.
The Moment MTW Kickstarter runs until Sept. 22 and products are expected to start shipping in November.
