In the big box of gear that I got from Orca as my first shipment of sponsorship product, I got something that I was not expecting, but that ultimately turned out to be one of the most exciting items I received. It was a high-capacity, single-compartment, waterproof, roll-top bag! A lot of hyphenation, but it is what it is!
I was going to make my first Orca gear post about my Alpha wetsuit, but I've gotten so many compliments and questions about the bag, that I decided that it definitely warranted a post of it's own. It seems that many triathletes like the sleek styling, but bike-messenger/utilitarian feel of the bag, as demonstrated by the massive amount of bag-lust it's causing. So! On to the good stuff. Aside from it's sexy lines, why is it so awesome?
I can seriously put everything I need for a full day of training in the bag, and I don't have to take time to evenly disperse things through 5 different compartments, which ultimately become black holes, swallowing up different pieces of apparel throughout the week. With this bag, I can stuff everything I need for my long ride in the bottom, then on top of that, put the stuff for my run, and then my swim, or any variation on that order depending on the order of my workouts for the day.
Cycling shoes base layer heavy gloves running shorts wallet
leg warmers arm warmers light gloves tech-T shirt gels
bibs jersey warm shoe covers water bottles shot bloks
knickers vest rain shoe covers swim brief odwalla bar
socks rain shell cycling cap drag suit Helmet (on outside)
All of this gear used to be spread out through 2-3 other bags which made walking anywhere an extreme pain, and I was always bumping in to people and dropping the various bags at inopportune moments.
The nice thing about the bag, is it doesn't appear obscenely large, as many transition bags do, especially when measuring side-to-side. This makes it great for wearing while cycling, and it has a waist strap to keep it in place and distribute some of the load to your hips. The roll top also makes the bag considerably smaller when you don't have it completely chock full, so it's almost like getting two bags in one. The water-proof nature of the PVC is definitely a plus as well for outdoor carrying in Portland.
Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with the bag, it's nice and simple, but incredibly functional. Perfect for the time crunched, but style conscious athlete. If you want one, talk to Scott or myself at the Lounge, maybe we can order some up :)
