Style 43

Generally, when we here at Style43 are lucky enough to be sent items to review by companies, we’ll use them for a short period of time and put up a review giving our thoughts and feedback. With my Airtime backpack, I decided to go a different way. Backpacks get put through a lot - this particular model’s easily covered over a thousand miles of riding, train tracks, A-roads and motorways and just walking, whether it’s on my back, stuffed in a boot, crammed into an overhead storage compartment, or being lugged around by it’s top strap - so why not do a longer test, to really see how good a product is?

The downside of this is that you run the risk of the product in question being phased out as a new line comes out. That was the case with this Airtime bag, but the key thing to take from this review is the overall quality of Eastpak’s work.

Prior to getting my Airtime, I used to use some old Eurohike rucksack that was pretty good in that it could hold a hell of a lot of stuff, but the zips tended to be pretty poor quality, there wasn’t much external storage on it, and - shameful though it is to admit it - it kinda looked rubbish.

I’d heard a lot about Eastpak’s reputation for high quality products, and who could’ve failed to notice their quite frankly weird ads in Ride magazine (To name but one mag they’ve featured in - all over domination seems to be Eastpak’s goal…) which of course informs you of their amazing warranty scheme, so I expected a lot from this bag.

The bag appeared in my grubby little hands the day before going on the Hot-Wheels Livid in London (And Corby) trip. A 5-day roadtrip - a pretty good way to find out how good a bag is. I was amazed at just how easily the bag swallowed 5 days-worth of clothes, tools, tubes, magazines, camera and battery chargers, a towel, toothbrush, my Protec helmet in the neat little external mesh holder - everything I needed. Having been carried on my back whilst being almost full to capacity (where I reckon some other bags I’ve used might have started bursting at the seams, or the zippers falling apart) as I rode to and from the train station, getting thrown in a luggage rack on a train, then getting mercilessly thrown onto the Pile Of Death (bikes, bags, tools - carnage) in the back of the Hot-Wheels minivan, it was a rough start for this little bag, but it took it all in it’s stride.

That’s been the key thing I’ve noticed about this bag - for all the mistreatment I’ve given it to see if it can take it or not, it’s just kept on working. Chunky teeth on the zippers mean even the most ham-fisted, over-packing bag-killers out there would struggle to mess them up. Reinforced stitching means that the body and straps aren’t going to pop apart any time soon. Hardened, chunky plastic buckles on the chest and waist straps hold nice and secure. All the little external items like the mobile phone holder and the helmet carrier worked perfectly. The amply padded shoulder straps and well shaped and ventilated back-section meant that even when my bag appeared to weigh more than my own body-weight, it felt light as a feather once it was on my back. The whole setup, in short, was spot-on, and has remained so for the punishing 4 months I’ve had it.

I’m also a fan of good design work, and the Airtime more than fits the bill there. Nothing is left to chance - all the zips on the main part of the bag have little pockets they zip snugly into, keeping water away from that crucial access point, stopping them jangling about, and stopping the zipper from getting snagged on anything and getting pulled open (It also has the added bonus of making it harder for someone to sneak into your bag without you knowing about it, such as in airports or on trains); the easy-access pockets on the waist strap really are all easy-access, so when you need to quickly grab your phone/documents you can just grab them out of the relevant cubby-holes; the little loop at the top that allows it to be hung from virtually any rack in any hotel room around the world. The hours that the Eastpak R&D team have spent working on this bag show, as does Eastpak’s strong heritage in the bag market.

“But Mark”, I hear you cry, “That bag’s not available any more?” While that’s true, Eastpak have replaced the Airtime with a similar, upgraded model, and the aim of this little piece was not just to put off doing some uni coursework - Eastpak’s quality is amazingly high throughout their range, whether it’s a studded belt, a simple wallet, a messenger bag, a man-bag or a full on rolling luggage case. If you need some kind of luggage solution, Eastpak have you covered. Their prices are reasonable, the warranty is outstanding, and their products simply work. I can’t really recommend them highly enough. Head over to Eastpak-Europe to check out the UK-available lines, find your local stockists, and feel the quality for yourself.

Word & Photos: Mark Westlake

Back to News, BMX, Skate, Music...