Seal Line Urban Shoulder Bag

Best weatherproof messenger bag?
January 27, 2012

I research pretty thoroughly before spending my money, and the Seal Line Urban Shoulder Bag is the ideal combination of simplicity, function, and sweet design. • The shoulder strap is wide and comfortable. The adjustable locking mechanism works great one handed. The additional belt for bike riding seems well thought out and is removable for those of us who separate our riding from our lugging. • No noisy Velcro ripping sound when opening these bags: they have a proprietary hook system that works well. • A skinny rubber-covered handle on the top so it can be carried like a briefcase. • Mesh-covered padding on the back for summer aeration. • An outer pocket in the front with a nifty high tech waterproofish-looking zipper. • A big wall-to-wall interior pocket on the back panel. • A modest, though perfectly useful, front interior pocket with one 6" square zippered compartment, two 5" square open compartments, four pen slots, and two water bottle compartments that fold out of the way. • The rest of the interior is one cavernous, multi-layered plastic separation from the rest of the world. • The best part, to me, is that this is a beautiful product: the exterior is all heat sealed, and that process causes materials to be cut and joined is particular ways. It has an unusual look. And I don't see these bags often, so they have great charm. • In short, brilliantly functional, lightweight, handsome, and very well made. • The large, which is the one I own, is seriously big. A bag is too big if it can hold more than you are able to lift. The Seal Line Large might be right up against that threshold. If you ever need to stuff this bag, you probably need a backpack. • PS: My only “Con” is figuring out what to do with the excess length of shoulder strap at the buckle. Cyclists may need so much, but walkers don’t.