Review: FARA Messenger Bags

Living in a place like Bozeman involves playing as hard as you work. This means afterwork trails, events, and outings, complemented with commuting on foot, by bike, or even with roller-skates. This all sounds great until you realize you’re hauling your entire day with you. For me, that usually ends in a Mary Poppins infinite hole of crumpled papers, leaking pens, and somehow a lingering coffee stain tying it all together.

Thank goodness for FARA's RAVEN 16L Messenger Bag, keeping me sane and compartmentalized to take on the days ahead. The bag combines a tough exterior with a practical catalogued inside. There are more compartments than you think you’ll need, laid out in a way that doesn’t feel overdesigned. I can find what I’m looking for without digging, which is new territory.

Bozeman weather does its thing, too: a sunny ride flipping to hail in minutes. I'm ashamed to say I've lost a camera to this, but the RAVEN's StormShield lid wraps over the bag and keeps everything inside dry. This comes in handy during a weekend trip when all your belongings are protected and you don’t have to be that "clothes-borrowing friend" again.

The best feature of this bag is simple: the Fidlock magnetic clasp cutting out the fight with buckles every time you need something. The time saved adds up and after a few weeks, you realize just how annoyed you’d be without it.

All in all, between the aforementioned features, the extreme durability, and the premium carbonate nylon all around, this bag was built to last the test of time.

Available in four colors at farafeather.com; $229.

Oh, and say hello to the RAVEN’s little friend: the VALR 3L Sling Bag. Keep it in the same color or mix it up; either way, the sling brings corresponding durability while keeping your smaller valuables confined in one place. It’s more than a small wallet, but rather a day bag within the weekend bag. Both are essential on a trip, as the sling gives that extra space so you don’t have to carry every layer and energy drink packed with you on the spontaneous pull-off trail. It’s also a more feasible carry in a crowd, featuring the same magnetic flap and Fidlock for easy in-and-out access to your belongings. Available in four colors at farafeather.com; $116.