Bellroy Venture Sling - large 9L cross body EDC sling with great capacity and lots of organization 

Hi Mauno! Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad you found the video useful!!

Hey Greg! Yay!!! I love seeing comments like this - I am so glad that this worked out well for you - and hope that other med students out there can find your comment useful as well!

Same here! It's definitely a bag that really grew on me once I started using it.

Exactly the same experience here!

hahahhaha my kind of person 😂

Thanks for the heads up!!

Thank you so much kalyan3!! Yeah real life kind of swamped me for a while but hopefully back consistently from now!!! (^^) Thank you for sticking around!!

Welcome back! HNY! What kind of watch is that? Very nice

Thank you Jed! And yes, I am a big fan of the lite sling actually - far more than I was expecting. Seeing the lite series (including the duffle) helped me understand more about where Bellroy might be heading - the choices seemed a little out of place when I first saw them on the Venture sling but now they're starting to make more sense. And yes, CTB35 (+CAP 1) order placed!! Fingers crossed the whole supply chain jam doesn't delay the ship date too much. This is the rare bag where I honestly and truly don't know if I'm going to love it or not before I get my hands on it! Probably Love: * Huge Evergoods fanboy, execution will be top notch * Clamshell type form factor but with some organisation * Top external front dump pocket (awesome) but retaining all the other pockets (Yoke, front slash, laptop, etc.) - even more awesome * Separate laptop pocket * Waterbottle pockets! * Theoretical size - love that it's smaller than 40L Worried about: * The empty weight is insane.... * Wish the hip belt was removable - even well executed hideaways add bulk and weight when stowed * Not crazy about the built in aluminum stay - I understand why they put it in there (given the size, potential weight if you load this thing fully out and the integrated hip belts) but I am fairly certain I am going to dislike it for a travel oriented bag - I want a bit of flex in my framesheet which you lose with a framestay. * Rated at 35L but worried about how its distributed across the various compartments - wish the front and laptop compartments had less volume and more of it was allocated to the main compartment * Rated at 35L but it looks huge for 35 to be honest. (randomly: I wish they'd taken the CPL 28L as the base, kept the physical dimensions, bumped it up by like 2L to 30L at most and just redistributed the allocation of volume to put most of it in the main compartment - that would have been better IMO) * This is a weird in between size where it's honestly too big to be used as a destination day bag once you arrive (regardless of what Kevin/Dee say on their video haha) but it's also small enough that if you pack any kind of decent additional packable daybag it takes up a non-trivial amount of space. Of course, I won't know for sure how all these things come together in the final package/experience until I get it in hand - very much looking forward to it!!

@@TheMountainborn that just about echoes my thoughts on it. Size and weight pretty much immediately disqualify it from my consideration, but I'm still keen to hear your thoughts as it seems to have attempted to remedy many common complaints about other EG bags (though not the front pocket orientation haha!)

Would you recommend the sling lite, venture 9L or the new venture 6L version?

Hi Paul - second all those opinions. The Centure line has really grown on me and the smaller 6L Venture is now officially my single most-used go-to EDC/travel sling of all time. (it's actually sitting next to me on a trip overseas right now). Great stuff!

Hello there my friend! I am so glad to hear that you found this video helpful! Hope you have a wonderful day!!

My pleasure! I'm glad it was useful for you!

My pleasure! I'm glad you liked it!!

Hi Kang - thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so glad you found this video helpful! :)

Hi Nedumgottil - glad I could help! The Venture Slings are great - you might also want to consider the slightly smaller 6L Venture sling which retains all the amazing features of the larger 9L but just in a slightly smaller package that works even better for most use cases in my experience. (It's actually my number one go-to all-time favourite EDC/travel use sling these days).

@@TheMountainborn I haven’t pulled the trigger yet but my EDC consists of an iPad Mini and a 35mm rangefinder camera. I was thinking of going with the 9L just so things won’t be too cramped

Ah gotcha - yeah makes sense, would definitely recommend the 9L in that case. 👍 (One heads upon the off chance that you're tempted by the 10L Venture Camera sling version. Theoretically it'd be awesome as it's specifically made for camera carry but actually due to the way the dividers are sewn there's no good way to carry an iPad inside of the 10L version. (Such a terrible missed opportunity in my opinion!))

Thanks Skydaze!!! Let me know when you get one!!! Fingers crossed for you (and hoping the supply chain issues get resolved soon!)

Awww thank you so much for the kind words!!! And yes, it took me a lot of saving and scrimping to be able to get it, which I have to remind myself every time I look at it and feel it's too heavy and gigantic to bring out on a shoot LOL 😅

Thanks Stimson! I'm so glad it was useful for you!

Peter, thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad the reviews are useful for you!

Thanks S Foss! I really liked this sling and wanted to make sure I covered it as comprehensively as possible to help others decide if it's right for them or not. I'm glad you found this review useful!

So helpful that I asked for it for Christmas 😂

Hi Furtherproof! Thank you for the kind words and I totally agree on all points. It's like a magical physics-defying sling that somehow manages to swallow so many things but at the same time doesn't look physically huge when worn. (I'm soon going to release a review of the Greenroom 316 Metromonger which is a much larger looking sling bag but still rated at the same 9L as the Venture) Also +1 on the non-stretch internal back pockets - such a puzzling choice. I wonder if they did it for better wear resistance imagining that internal contents in the main compartment might rub up more against stretch pockets on the back inner face? But it really does notably decrease the usefulfulness of these pockets for me, I still don't really have many good things to put in them. Ah well. (Fun fact - the Venture Camera Sling completely removes all organization in the back wall (including the zip pocket) which reduces usability even more - although in the camera sling case, I think the case for removing them at least sort of makes sense even if I don't personally like it)

@@TheMountainborn Speaking of the 10L Camera Sling, do you have plans to review that? Love how in-depth both your reviews and comment replies are by the way. Thanks for your hard work!

Thank you Yiorkis!!

Hi Afaiz! Well that is a tough choice and I'd say it partially depends on your use case, intended carry items and personal preference size. But as one data point - I own both of these bags and for myself personally I find that the Venture Sling is a much better EDC sling for me. The only time I reach for the Bravo x Sling is when I want to carry an iPad Pro with the type cover because that (as noted in this video) sadly doesn't fit in the Bellroy Venture sling but in all other cases, I find the Bellroy the much better bag. I hope this helps!

Hi Erick - first of all, thank you for the awesome comment! Some thoughts in no particular order: - Interesting thought regarding the straps potentially wearing out if I keep adjusting like that over time. Definitely something I'll keep an eye on - A yeah, their micropen - forgot about that. I don't particularly like their micropen (I don't like that the pen tip is held in the extended form just by friction - I found mine slips closed as I write) but I think that similarly sized smaller pens (the James Brand Stillwell for example) worked okay in this pocket. But as you mentioned, even though it fits, it still juts out awkwardly (my main beef is those rear flat pockets don't have any stretch) - Agreed on the shiny zips - I didn't mind it as much in the all black everything (when it's all black, it helps add some visual interest) but I found the contrast much more evident on some of the other colours. I didn't explicitly mention it in this video but this (along with the braided heat shrunk paracord zip pulls and zipper overhang design) that I found to be part of a novel, but somewhat unresolved (in my opinion) shift in design asthetic for bellroy. - Great point about the mixed materials in the other colour ways! > Would have loved to hear more about your thoughts on the lite sling, esp around materials and how it carries given its thinner material and reduced padding. Definitely - am thinking to do a review of the Lite lineup in a bit. I actually found the Lite sling to be very very useful and usable (as long as the loadout is kept within reason)- that and the Lite duffle are my two favourites from the Lite series overall. I'll let you know when I release that review!

@@TheMountainborn Yeah if only all the rear flat pockets were made of that stretchy mesh material! It feels like such a tease to only get a few of those pockets when I just want it everywhere. Looking forward to more of your in depth bag reviews!

@@erickchang8791 So I had the Venture Sling in Ranger Green and had to sell it because it was super hard to accessorize and dress around the sling. It's just too bright a green, and it was really hard to wear it without, IMO, looking stupid. Unlike Mountain, I don't think the bag is unattractive in its profile or silhouette, but combined with a color that doesn't go well with anything (especially since I wear a lot of earth tones), it stood out in a bad way. I'm currently waiting for a restock for the Midnight so I can get that. That being said, I wanted to mention the material differences between the midnight / "baida weave ripstop" (whatever that means) and the baida nylon in the Green / Bronze (the Grey Basalt isn't in Baida Nylon, it's in their looma weave). Watching Mountains review, I think the midnight / full ripstop version might be the superior fabric choice to the ranger green and bronze's mix, because the sort of front panel / lip, when made out of the nylon, is really very stiff. While that gives the bag a pretty definite shape, it makes that front pocket actually somewhat tight, which in turn made it cut into the main compartment more. While I agree that a full ripstop doesn't look or feel as premium, watching this review, it seems like a better choice. As an aside, I think Bellroy is moving away from leather overall because of how damaging the material is on the environment and on leather workers, which explains the paracord.

@@praxis-cat870 Thanks for the insight! Sorry to hear the Baida Nylon isn't working all that well with the front pocket. I've personally been wrestling with that front pocket more and more myself. The way the zipper is set up doesn't make it easy to close fully (there's no room to pull it shut, making me use my fingers on the slider directly at the end), and the roughness of the zipper pull fabric (also some kind of nylon or maybe poly?) does not feel good in the hands compared to the paracord of the main compartment. Every day I debate whether to cut the zipper pull off and use some leftover Tom Bihn zipper pulls instead. I may just treat the front pocket for 'emergency carry' items that I don't frequently access and primarily work out of the main compartment.

Thanks for pointing this out from your own experience. I have been looking at this bag in reviews and struggling with why the midnight black looks so much worse then the green. Now I see why, it does turn me off buying it but unfortunately that means no other colours will do for my style.

Yes sorry finally back!! I swear I'm going to be more consistent with my posting from now on! 😂 And yes, I definitely have some thoughts on this watch although I'm not a proper "watch reviewer" persay so I'm a little anxious about putting my thoughts out there. (Watch collectors can be an opinionated bunch! LOL) But tl;dr - this is probably my favourite TJB collaboration to date and I really, really like it. It's also one of the best looking (if not the best) field watches I have ever seen, and I love wearing it. I think it's a great value (slick design, titanium all over, glass back which was very unexpected) for the surprisingly affordable price. I felt the power reserve was slightly shorter than I was expecting (although now that I'm looking at the spec sheet I think it's rated at ≈40 hours which is actually quite reasonable) but still very usable for normal EDC use (and just stick it on a winder when not wearing for extended periods). All in all - a wonderful watch and collaboration in my opinion. Will come back and ping you on this comment when I make a full review!

The green colour looks great - I was super tempted!

The trick is to get all your bags in the same color; your partner won’t know the difference :) (ie hides your spending-habit :) )

Thank you so much for the kind words @theospras! Did you end up deciding yet? If you haven't, I think another option to consider might be the Venture 6L sling which is a little closer in size to the Lite Sling 7L, but still maintains all the pocketing and organization strengths of the larger 9L Venture but just in a slightly smaller package. I really like both the Venture (6L/9L) and the Lite Sling (7L - there's also a smaller version of the Lite available). In the end I think it generally comes down to your preferred carry style and amount - if you prefer more organization, carry many small things or heavier things, definitely go for the Venture Sling. If you have less stuff or only carry a few main things (wallet, keys, phone, maybe pair of earbuds) then go for the Lite Sling if you prefer a more minimalist, lighter-weight approach. I hope this helps!

Me or the bag? 😂

Hello there! First of, I'm so happy to hear that this video was useful for you! How have you liked the Venture sling so far? So regarding the Lite Sling - I am definitely planning to do a video on that soon. But to answer your question - the Lite Sling will work for smaller mirrorless M4/3 or APS-C type bodies with reasonably-sized lenses attached - the thing to keep in mind is that the Lite sling has notable less room than the venture sling, especially in the "depth" dimension so the bigger the camera setup you stow inside of it, the less room you will have for other things A couple of examples of cameras+ lens combos that fit: * Leica CL + Vario-Elmar-T 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH (pretty small APS-C setup overall) * Sony α6600 + 16-55mm f/2.8 G (on the larger side of a reasonable APS-C setup) For the two combos above there was still enough space left over in the sling to allow it to be reasonably usable for a minimal EDC carry at the same time, meaning I could still carry my slim wallet, keys, earbuds and small notebook + pen alongside the cameras. The biggest problem was actually the phone - because there isn't a ton of padding inside of the sling and it's not nearly as "deep" in the depth dimension as the venture sling, what I found is that if I wasn't careful the camera bodies could exert a lot of pressure on the phone (especially for larger phones like an iPhone Max or Sony Xperia 1 III etc.) as the sling was worn slung on my back. I solved this by carefully arranging the contents as I loaded the bag, using a strong case and facing the screen away from the camera (and towards my back). If you have a smaller phone (iPhone Mini or even a regular iPhone) this will likely be less of an issue. Additionally, depending on how big of a lens you're using, you might have space to fit in a second lens alongside the lens mounted on the body - but this really starts to stretch the limits of the sling's usability and load carriage system in my opinion. Doable in a pinch, especially if you're using a reasonable EDC zoom and a reasonably small prime as the second lens. Regarding larger APS-C (i.e. Nikon Z with its faux pentaprism bump) or M4/3 bodies (think Panasonic G9) in the sling lite - you probably could do it but you will probably want to carry the lens + body unmounted from each other - the issue here again becomes the "depth" of the sling relative to the "height" of these larger bodies. So unmounting the lens + body and carrying them "sideways" next to each other will let them fit in the longer horizontal dimension of the sling without overwhelming the relatively narrower depth dimension - and still leaving the pockets of the sling somewhat usable. The annoying part here is of course you need to mount the lens when you want to shoot (hence reducing usability for "run and gun" style shooting) and also you need to find some way to keep the items from rubbing up against each other in the sling - I just use a thin piece of foam divider from a random camera cube, held in place by friction. Now regarding FF carry (or random bizarro giant M4/3 cameras like the Olympus OMD-EM-1X) in the lite - I wouldn't really do it. Not only are the bodies much larger and heavier, the lenses get significantly larger and heavier and really overwhelm the sling lite (especially its carriage system). Maybe the only reasonable exceptions would be the relatively svelte (for a FF system) Sony A7C paired with a relatively slow mid-range zoom (i.e. FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6) or *possibly* FF bodies with integrated lens as the Leica Q2 or Sony RX1m2 - although keep in mind that these latter two are significantly larger in height (which equates to the "depth" dimension of the Lite Sling when you carry them since you need to put them in "sideways" than just about everything else I've mentioned above - plus since the lenses are integrated you don't even have the option of unmounting them to save space. (I did try the Leica Q2 in the lite and it sorta-worked but I found it left the rest of the sling not very usable - and also the Q2 is quite heavy). Finally the last thing to mention is the Lite has significantly less padding and pocketing than the Venture sling, especially on the bottom part of the bag. So you need to be more careful when carrying a camera in it - I find it works best for lighter, smaller cameras like the ones I mentioned at the outset of this comment. But for those, I think it is a good solution for casual one-body-one-lens EDC camera carry, certainly better than the frustrating Peak Design Everyday slings. I hope this helps!

@@TheMountainborn Wow thanks for the very detailed comment really appreciate the time you've taken to reply. Its funny I also tried the Peak Design 5L sling and it was bulky heavy and really not very good for carrying my (sony a7c ) or other stuff lol. Sounds like the venture sling is still the best option for what I'll be using it for. The venture sling is also lighter and bigger than the peak design ones funnily enough. I still think I might like the lite sling for when I'm not carrying my camera from the sound of it. My current camera and sling is the Tenba BYOB 7 packlite bag which has a removable camera insert and thats handy for packing for travel and the like. its a kind of packable sling very thin nylon bag that holds the insert and It seems to be sized somewhat between the two bags but its a bit more square so it sticks out more when packed with the insert. Anyway thanks again for the comment and I'll be looking forward to seeing the lite sling video

Hi Alvin - I think something small like the Tenba BYOB7 (note: I have *not* tried this myself directly so can't confirm for certain) might work. However, I usually just drop my camera in there directly as I have shown in this video - the bottom of the bag is padded enough that as long as you're not wildly flinging the bag around everything should be fine ;) If you want to carry an extra lens (in addition to the one mounted on the body) you'll need some way to keep the lens from scratching/rubbing up against the camera. What I do is just take a small little foam divider (like you can get from a random generic camera cube) and drop it in there between the lens and the body, held in place by friction and it works great. An alternative would be to get a small generic neoprene lens pouch from amazon and drop the lens in there then put it in the bag. I do this sometimes, it works even better than the foam divider, but just a little slower to swap lenses. I hope this helps!

I know right? As a fan of the ipad-pro-with-keyboard-cover I am disappointed at how few sling small-bag options there really are to effectively carry that combo plus a few small EDC items - the few that are out there are mainly made by Alpaka gear (which is nice, but also has a certain asthetic and mixed degree of material/execution that makes them not my overall favourite solutions). Had really high hopes for the Venture Sling in this regard and was very sad that at 9L it wasn't just a smidgen taller to comfortably accommodate that - especially as you pointed out, smaller slings can swing things. Alas. (Still a great sling overall, just a missed opportunity IMO)

@@TheMountainborn which sling/bag would you recommend for carrying the iPad pro 11 inch with the magic keyboard?

@@GeorgeIordanou I’m using the 9L venture and comfortably carrying a 11 inch iPad Pro in a Mofi case and magic keyboard. Works well

@@markcameron1266 yeah I have suspicion that he is reviewing the 6 liter without knowing

Hi Kyle! Sorry for the late reply. The padding on the Venture is definitely superior to the Lite sling. However, I think the more significant challenge is that while the Lite sling (which to be clear is an awesome sling in its own right and one that I also really like - full review of that coming soon) is nominally "only" 2 liters smaller than the Venture sling, in practice I have found it to be notably smaller. So this will greatly limit the types of cameras you can carry within it. The Leica SL for example, will not fit in the Lite sling. I have carried my Leica CL in the Lite sling however (with a reasonably sized lens such as the Vario Elmar T 18-56mm) and that worked fine, however that is an APS-C body and I noted you're interested in carrying FF. It is possible something like the Leica Q2 will fit but I need to go double check when I get home. I imagine the same would be true for an M-series body but I don't own any of those (yet haha). Thus if you're looking at the Bellroy slings for camera carry, honestly I would suggest the Venture is probably the best choice since it still does get fairly small and flat when the body is not in it, and gives you enough capacity to comfortably carry a single FF body (non-gripped) with a mounted lens and one extra lens. One thing I *didn't* mention in the video - if you carry your camera body with a mounted lens *and* another lens in the venture sling, you need some solution to keep the extra lens/body from scratching against each other as you move. I just dropped the extra lens (usually a Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art) in a neoprene or foam lens pouch (just search "lens pouch" in amazon and find the smallest, form fitting one you can) and that solved the problem handily. Another solution I have done when I wanted the fastest speed was just take a left over foam divider from any of the random generic camera cubes I own and stick that between the extra lens and the camera body and that solved the scratching problem (it's held in place by friction/size since there is no hook/loop in the venture sling but that worked just fine for me). > Also, do you have an ideal sling or backpack that you love the most for when you are carrying a full frame camera with your edc setup? Venture, Lite, or something else? So when carrying a camera with a single mounted lens in my EDC (where EDC/work/travel etc. is the primary goal and photography secondary), my usual go-to solution is whatever my favourite backpack is at the moment (usually a clamshell style backpack as those tend to carry these types of loads better) and putting the camera with the mounted lens in some sort of form-fitting neoprene pouch. There's a bunch of generic ones available if you search - here is an example: amzn.to/3yEehsc - (Amazon Japan but you can find others in the US Amazon /B&H photo etc. if you search, and they come in a variety of sizes depending on your camera/lens combo). That has always been the best solution for me in that it protects the camera well and keeps it reasonably accessible whilst still prioritising EDC usability. In certain cases - i.e. usually when I don't need to carry a bunch of stuff for EDC use but still want to carry the basics plus a camera, I will lean to a sling such as the Bellroy Venture sling. I also will often switch to a smaller APS-C body (such as the Leica CL) when I don't need all the FF goodness - that greatly expands the types of slings/small bags that will work well. Conversely, when photography is the main objective and EDC is the secondary objective, then as problematic as I find many aspects of the Peak Design bags, I usually suck it up and just go with one of the Peak Design everyday slings. Again, there's a ton of compromises with them (often for no apparent reason - if they'd put just a little more thought into some of them they'd work so much better for EDC plus camera; as it is they're either nonfunctional (3L) to just barely functional for EDC (6/10L) while doing decently for camera work). They're probably the best solution I've found for dedicated camera bags that I can tolerate (I really don't like the box-taped-to-your-back-with-primitive-shoulder straps look of most camera bags, I also don't usually carry 6 different lenses and two different bodies and strobes and stuff with my anymore - my back aches just remembering those days). Even for my heaviest regular setups (something like my birding setup of a Sony A7RIV, 70-200 f/2.8 GM and 200-600 f/5.6-6.3 G with a tripod and a gimbal ) I manage to get those into the Peak Design everyday backpack (the secret is I use the wimberly arca sidekick gimbal which clamps into a regular ballhead and easily comes apart for easier transport). It's not the most comfortable for long distances but for moderate distances it works probably better than most of the other big fussy giant boxy photo backpacks out there (in my experience). So yeah, probably not the most exciting answer out there but I guess that's the sum total of where we are in the world of innovative camera carry despite hundreds and hundreds of carry-related kickstarters over the years promising a better solution 😂

@@TheMountainborn wow, thanks. Yea, Ive used the 15L Peak Design Zip, and the main thing I don’t like is the box design (feels like I’m carrying a jet pack) so I was sort of thinking about just grabbing a regular non camera backpack that’s actually comfortable and more useful for edc and putting my camera in something for protection. As for the sling, I have a Canon R6 so yea, it sounds like the Lite sling might not work for me. Thanks again!

Hi Grumpy! I have not actually! What size did you use for your travels throughout Europe and Asia?

Hi Jeffrey - I'm glad you enjoyed the review - and I'm sure you're gonna love the sling!! In this video I'm wearing the James Brand x Timex Expedition North: shop.thejamesbrand.com/products/the-tjb-x-timex-watch It's a special edition automatic field watch in titanium - I'm running it with the stock fabric nato strap that it comes with. It's unfortunately sold out but there are a few default models in the standard Timex Expedition North lineup that come fairly close in design (albeit in steel rather than titanium and with some differences in the face/hand design): Timex Expedition North Collection: www.timex.com/browse/collections/expedition-north/expedition-north-shop-all/ Specific Example: www.timex.com/expedition-north-field-post-solar-41mm-recycled-fabric-strap-watch/Expedition-North-Field-Post-Solar-41mm-Recycled-Fabric-Strap-Watch.html I hope this helps!

Thank you so much Jeypee - much appreciated! And thanks for the suggestion about the Sandqvist x Polaroid - that's a funky cool looking bag I hadn't heard about before! Will definitely consider picking it up in the future!

Thank you!! ❤️

Hi @ArnauViaM - sorry for the late reply. Great question and I have a simple answer for you - get the Bellroy Venture 6L sling. It is currently my favorite Bellroy sling (I own all of them) as well as one of my favorite slings of all time. While the rated literage is nominally 1 L less than the classic 7L, I can confidently tell you that in practice it holds at least as much, aided partially by the different opening/loading style of the Venture over the classic. It also has all of the organization of its bigger 9L cousin but in a much more reasonable and manageable size. It is also visually very similar in size and appearance to the 7L classic when nobody but again, is just superior in every way. If you want just slightly more organization at the same rated literage, there is also the 7L Sling Lite which technically has slightly more organization in the main compartment (and a better opening) than the classic sling, but it has other limitations. Overall though I still strongly recommend the 6L Venture sling as the best choice. I hope this helps!

That was more than helpful! Thank you@@TheMountainborn

Awww thank you!!!! 😀

Not really in any way that I consider functional, sadly. I haven't gotten my SL 3 (waiting in the backorder queue like everyone else haha) but I doubt that one will fit either. :(

Hi Francine - I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your comment - I missed it the first time somehow! I think that's a great idea and you're actually the second person to recommend the Bento Bag! I might have to check it out at some point - what's your favourite part about it?

Hi Damiana! It definitely can work and be carried that way, but given how wide the bag is, it may end up feeling slightly more natural when worn slightly towards the back a bit, especially if you're a smaller framed person (since the bag will be wider than your torso) However it is fairly flexible and has the padded back panel as I show in the video so it can contour to your body a bit and feels pretty comfortable when worn to the side (sort of like a purse). I hope this helps!

@@TheMountainborn Let me put my two cents as a small framed person, LOL! I'm a woman, only 5 feet tall, and I just purchased this sling. As a woman carrying a sling over the chest can get... hmmm... well, bulky and awkward. I've been using the Venture 9L for about two weeks and find it extremely comfortable! No, it doesn't look humongous on me; it looks fine! And I'm almost always carrying it sideways, like a messenger bag or a normal bag. When my shoulder gets a little tired from the sling hanging in the same position, I can slide it easily to the front or back. Shorten the strap in two seconds if necessary, like for example, I purchased something along the road, making it a little heavier than when I left the house.

That's how I wear it. Very comfy!

Hi Rick - great eye! Yes indeed it was! :)

Hi @adko.5586 ! In this video I am wearing the James Brand x Timex Expedition North Titanium. (There's been three different TJB x Timex collabs to date, this is the original v1 version with the black dial). It's an automatic, based on the Timex Expedition North series but with some really lovely touches like a titanium frame and strap retainer, a display case back (a welcome surprise, even with the nato strap), the signature TJB pop of green on the crown and stylized arrowhead logo on the caseback and as you mentioned, a lovely (for the price) nato strap. It was originally released back in 2021 (I think?) for about $349 - a pretty reasonable price in my opinion, though they quickly sold out. I briefly mentioned this watch as an exemplar of what I consider a very well executed collaboration (a better-than-sum-of-its-parts product featuring excellent design, good blending of both brand's strengths, and relatively good value for the money despite its limited production) during my review of the TJB x Roark Road Kit (the latter of which I consider an example of how *not* to do a collab - a cheap money-grab Aliexpress rebrand that fails to deliver on virtually all fronts) TJB x Timex later released a white dial version which lost some of the charm of the original IMO - gone was the nato strap and the titanium strap retainers, replaced by a standard designed light grey (and easily stained) strap (at least the pin buckle was still in titanium) and the white dial seemed to lack some of the "pop" of the original v1. There later was a third collaboration released that was based off of the Timex Ironman model of watch in an utterly garish and repulsive color scheme that maybe must have been right for some people in this world but probably not for most considering it lingered around for months after it initially dropped unlike the other two versions that sold out in the same day. Anyway, if you want to read more about the watch I am wearing in this video, you can find more info here: wornandwound.com/introducing-the-james-brand-x-timex-expedition-north-titanium/ www.ablogtowatch.com/watch-review-interview-timex-expedition-north-the-james/ Prices on eBay etc. are a bit ridiculous these days for what is in effect a well-designed but otherwise unremarkable field watch with a bog standard Miyota movement, but if you look hard enough on the EDC type forums you might be able to find one for sale for a more reasonable price. Otherwise, you can always look at something like the Seiko 5 Sport (SRPG37K1) which is another field watch with a *very* similar design, color (albeit in brushed steel rather than titanium) and is easily available for ≈$200 USD. Hope this helps!

Hi E V - I've been wanting to do a dopp kit extravaganza for a while although I'm so incredibly behind on my videos I haven't gotten to that just yet 😂. But a review of the Bellroy Dopp Kit (and Dopp Kit Plus) is a great idea - the Bellroy Dopp is a my go-to medium sized dopp kit - so much to love about it! FWIW, here are my packed and ready to go dopp kits by size: * X-Small Dopp: TNF Glam Pouch S (the original v1 no longer made) * Small Dopp: Matador FlatPak Waterproof Toiletry Case * Medium Dopp: Bellroy Dopp Kit * Large Dopp: Bellroy Dopp Kit Plus (but only sometimes) * X-Large Dopp: Peak Design Wash Pouch

@@TheMountainborn I enjoy all your videos so no pressure 😁 Wow! I appreciate you listing your dopp kits, will check them out. Thanks!

Hi Ivy! I am not familiar with the Zhiyun Smooth 5s but the iPhone 12 Pro Max will definitely fit in this bag (it's quite a high capacity bag). I assume any phone (i.e. not tablet) should almost certainly fit in this bag.

Hi TheLaPyae - it can technically fit but not very well - I show how awkward of a fit it is and obstructs access to the main compartment in this video. In my opinion, this bag is not suitable for 11" iPad Pro carry (which is one of the weaknesses I note in my review).

Yes I have - review coming soon!

Hi KraKra - that depends - what kind of camera do you have? A few thoughts 1. Generally speaking I believe the 9L to be a much, much better all-around sling and would recommend ti for most people. 2. The 10L removes a lot of the useful organization from the 9L version and is pretty purpose built for camera carry, but how useful it is depends very much on what kind of camera gear you're planning to carry 3. The 9L is far more versatile and has superior organization - think of it as a great large-ish EDC sling that can also carry a camera pretty well (as I show in the video) . If you're just carry a single camera with an attached lens, I probably suggest this one. 4. The 10L has slightly better padding for camera gear and has built in dividers that enable it to do a better job of carrying several lenses with the main camera. There are certain choices Bellroy made in the 10L bag's design that greatly limit what kind of gear you can carry in it and impose a certain kind of camera carry style.

@@TheMountainborn i will probably take mirrorless camera with lens and 1-2 additional fix lenses. I am thinking 9l sling and try to find some lens protection pouches for additional lenses. My camera is 4/3 system so in general lenses and camera is small. But would also like to have a sling for general purpose when camera left at home. Also i was thinking to use sling as protective bag which i can put in bigger edc bag and go around. When taking photos i pull sling put and have all the gear close to me. In that regards i think 10l might be better as more protective sling. Man so hard to decide. :)

Hi Derrick - I assume by "comparing between the 6L & 7L" you mean "the 7L and 9L" versions of the Venture sling right? (The Venture only comes in 6/9L sizes - Bellroy does make other slings in the 7L size, but they're not part of the venture series). I have both versions (I haven't reviewed the 6L Venture on the channel but I have used it fairly heavily for a month or so now) and the answer is that it can easily fit an iPad Mini plus the other things you mentioned in your comment. (I often carry an iPad mini and a folding BT keyboard inside of the 6L in the same way I do the 9L) An A5-size book will also fit, either by itself or with an iPad mini, depending on how thick the book itself is (obviously if it's a super thick hardcover it own't fit but most "normal" sized A5 books should fit) and how big the other stuff you carry - most notably the 20K powerbank. I was able to fit all the things you mentioned + iPad mini + a 20K Anker powerbank in the 6L version without problems, although it did start to get pretty heavy (and tight, albeit not unusably so) by then. Both the 6L and 9L venture slings are awesome - I think for what you want to carry, they will fit in either, it's just a matter of if you want a little extra space left over or not, and if you want a bag that fits your contents exactly and is smaller or a bag with a little more flexibility even if it's a bit bigger. I hope this helps!

@@TheMountainborn thank you so much your reply brother. After reading your replied, I think I know what to buy. 🙏 🙏 Your replied is very much appreciated.

Eugenio!!! I am alive!!! 😂 Things were crazy there for a while - will reply to you soon now that I've clawed my way back to the land of the living and from under massive piles of work and real life 😂

Sure! For these kind of X vs Y kind of questions, it's important to stress that in the end it's extremely use case and personal-preference dependent. That said, let me give you a quick answer, then a few points to ponder For me, personally, I would (and do) go with the Venture Sling 6L each and every time. In virtually every dimension and use case I find the 6L Venture Sling to be superior to the sling Lite 7L (including in overall capacity despite nominally being rated smaller, though I think it's quite close and there's wiggle room). The 6L Venture Sling is one of the best EDC/general purpose slings around and though I have dozens and dozens of slings, it's the one I keep consistently coming back to and usually have in my daily rotation. If you can only get one, I would suggest that one. That said, here's a few pros/cons of each of the slings for you to ponder Venture Sling 6L + amazing organization & pocketing (all the benefits of its bigger sibling) + excellent capacity (as much as the 7L lite) but without being overly huge + robust construction + extremely easy to adjust (and stay adjusted) strap + just enough padding to help protect internal items without being overly bulky + just right goldilocks size holds everything you need without being overly huge + fits an iPad mini + small folding BT keyboard or small digital camera ≈ good in and out access though front pocket can be a little hard when overstuffed - heavier than the Lite sling - less "fun" colors than the lite sling - some people/minimalists may find all the extra pockets annoying - can't hold any iPad larger than a mini - More expensive than the lite sling Lite Sling 7L + Simple and straightforward but still has a few very useful pockets + Good capacity without being too big or bulky + Very easy to pack + Comes in more "fun" colours than the Venture + Cheaper than the Venture sling + fits an iPad mini + small folding BT keyboard + Pretty "packable" due to lightweight design and lack of lots of padding ≈ a more "minimalist" approach to slings than the Venture - Not much padding to help protect internal items - inside gets jumbled when you have lots of small things due to lesser pockets - can't hold any iPad larger than a mini Overall for me the biggest differentiators between the two slings is 1. degree of organization and pocketing and 2. the construction/design. I find the first one in particular dramatically increases the use cases and usability of the Venture sling over the Lite sling and the latter significantly increases the interaction experience and comfort in use for the Venture sling over the lite sling. But you should take those points above and weigh them against your own valuation paradigm when making a decision - after all, if minimalism/simplicity/interesting colours/packability/weight are of greater importance to you than organization then the Lite sling might work better for you. Anyway, I hope this helps!!

@@TheMountainborn thank you very much! Have you also tried the Venture Sling made of the ecopac material? Can you Tell anything about the difference?

Hi Adam! Yes, right now I have thoughts on the Bellroy Lite, Venture 6L and the new 10L Venture Camera sling. Am debating whether to do a single round up video or just do them separate (I'm very slow at making videos as you see haha) The tl;dr though is, I love both the Bellroy Lite Sling and now the 6l Venture. I find their use cases to be surprisingly similar as well as (again, surprisingly) what they fit to be surprisingly similar. Now that I have the 6L I tend to use that over the Lite in the use cases where I would formerly reach for the Lite because the 6L Venture can do all the same things but has superior internal organization which was the one thing I wished the Lite did better; conversely I don't find the weight savings for the Lite to be of any significance in my use case scenarios (and I would opine, most people won't mind too much). So if you're looking to choose between the Lite and the Venture 6L I would go with the Venture 6L (more colours available too) unless you really like the material of the Lite or need to save as much weight as possible.

Hi Brian! In the video I note that the iPad Mini 6 will fit without problems and the 10.5" iPad Pro will fit but only at an angle and in a way that basically blocks access to some of the pockets of the bag. In my opinion, the way that the 10.5" iPad Pro interferes with the usability of the bag (and how it affects the way the bag wears) means I can't recommend this bag as being able to carry it on a daily basis, but you're right that it can fit in a pinch!

Yes sir it is! Good eye!! ☺️⌚️✨

@@TheMountainborn oh nice! I picked up also :)

Awesome! What do you think about it so far? I am actually about to release a video on another TJB collab (the Roak Road Kit) and while (spoiler alert) I wasn't a huge fan of the Road Kit collab as a counterpoint, I was planning to briefly touch on the Timex collab which I think was quite good (and a pretty decent price in my opinion) - would love to get your thoughts!

@@TheMountainborn It's my only automatic watch, I wear it every day now. I was looking at other watches to maybe also buy, but I'm so happy with this one, most others don't appeal to me anymore haha.

Hi Yair - for the 12.9 iPad Pro, your options in the sling world are pretty limited, especially if you are looking to carry it with the keyboard cover attached. Basically you want to look for slings that are capable of carrying a 13" MacBook Pro, since the size is very similar. A few options that I know and have used are: * Alpaka Gear Bravo Sling Max * Alpaka Gear Alpha Sling v2 * Aer Travel Sling * Greenroom Metromonger I hope this helps!

Hi Alvin! Definitely - I've been testing it for a little bit. To be honest, there are some serious drawbacks (IMO) to the 10L Camera version of the Venture sling - specifically the removal of the back pockets/zipper pocket area. I found that this made the sling infinitely less useful both in an EDC situation or more pressingly, even as a camera sling for normal everyday EDC type use. (i.e. the camera sling is basically only useful for carrying camera gear and *a little bit* of additional stuff like your phone and wallet but forget about carrying: notebook, iPad mini, even stuff like a mask case, etc.) It basically forces you to stuff anything bigger and flatter into the front pocket which gets very messy and tight quickly. Quite disappointing to be honest. The Peak Design EDC slings are probably the best (albeit heavily flawed) options on the market for this quasi "every day + camera carry" space BUT they have some significant drawbacks - mainly they're not very good at enabling you to carry EDC use things in addition to your camera gear. The Bellroy Camera sling had an opportunity to absolutely clean up in this domain by simply being slightly better than the PD ED slings at having space for EDC goods in addition to cameras, but somehow they blew it and came up with something that is in many respects worse. It's an exacerbation of the trend we saw in the 9L venture sling - that you can have a 9L sling that can somehow only carry up to an iPad mini sized device. Then the 10L camera version comes out and it's somehow not even able to carry an iPad mini (in addition to a small camera), let alone anything larger. This just seems so inefficient to me - even if not tablets, at least having the capacity to carry a notebook or other similar flat things seems like a basic necessity many people will need to rock in addition to a camera. So unless your main goal is to carry ONLY camera gear, a small wallet, keys, small wireless earbuds and a small phone, then you are likely to be at least somewhat frustrated with the Camera version of the venture sling. Anyway, I will review this bag at some point - more details then! For now, I hope this helps!

@@TheMountainborn Great observations in there, I think Bellroy really missed the boat on this one, imagine a 10L bag that does not provide a seaprate compartment for tablet/laptop in this day and age? As if Bellroy didn't do their R&D hard enough and just proceeded with their vision. Anyway, this is just their first strike into camera gear game. :) Looking forward on your video. Thank you.

Not without folding them in half

Hi Moki - as misstubbie13 replied, you'd unfortunately need to fold A4 sized papers in half in order to get them in this sling as it's not "tall" enough to accommodate them otherwise.

Hi mofs•xr🌿! I don't have the 9.5 inch iPad, but in the video I show what it's like trying to fit the 10.5" iPad Pro with the keyboard cover in the bag. It will technically fit but it has to be jammed in and sits at a "slant" that causes the bag to ride awkwardly on your back and blocks access to many interior pockets. In my opinion this makes the bag unusable. I also show the new Gen 6 iPad mini (8.3" diagonal) in this sling which works great in my opinion. Thus, it is my *guess* that if you were to drop a 9.5" diagonal iPad into this sling it probably will fit but I don't know if it will need to be pushed in at a slant like the iPad Pro, and to what extent it will block access to interior pocketing. Additionally, my guess here is for the naked iPad. Once you start adding cases/covers - especially the fantastic, but *very* thicc Apple Keyboard case/covers my guess is the fit will get really awkward quickly. Again though, I don't own that particular iPad so I can't say for certain but what I can say is that if this bag were just a bit taller (as opposed to being very deep as in the current design) then it would be much much easier to cover larger devices in it, even with keyboard covers attached (9L is quite large in the sling world). I hope this helps?

It can but very uncomfortably and it blocks access to some of the interior pockets. I do not consider the bag to be comfortably usable when carrying an 11" iPad Pro (I think I briefly show this in the video)

Assuming you’re asking if a 12.9 iPad Pro will fit, the answer is absolutely not. An 11” iPad Pro barely fits but I don’t recommend it since it has to be slanted at an awkward angle and blocks access to most of the internal pockets. As I mentioned in my review, basically a key shortcoming of this bag is it is not sized to carry any tablet device much larger than an iPad mini IMO.

@TheMountainborn Thanks for your response, it just saved me from buying one so I wouldn't go to work.

It does technically fit (I show it in the video) but I don’t really consider the sling usable when thusly loaded (you can see why when I show it in the video - basically it has to be jammed in at an angle and then most of the pocketing is not easily accessible/usable and the whole thing awkwardly juts into your back when you try to wear it.)

Yes it can fit. I have tried it. But there is a compromise for the rest of items if you are going to carry alot of items. But if you just wanna know if it fits alone, then yes it does.

It's definitely a great bag! Unfortunately I don't have any specific information on distributors in the Philippines however looking at the Bellroy site it seems to say they ship globally (I would assume this includes the Philippines) - have you tried ordering directly on their site? bellroy.com/customer-care/shipping-delivery The other idea would be to order from Amazon and see if they will ship to the Philippines (they do for some items, not sure if for this one). Good luck!

That's definitely a good point - hadn't considered that!!

Hi Phước ! So as you can probably tell from the colour of all the bags I review on this channel, I am quite partial to black (at least for urban/edc bags - when it comes to outdoor/hiking bags my colour palette diversifies a bit), so I feel black is always a reliable and safe choice. That having been said, it is my firm belief that in this modern era, people should feel free to choose whatever colour, style or fashion they want regardless of gender! So my friend, if you like green, go for green. If you like gray, go for gray! Heck, if you like pink, go for pink! :) (well they don't make pink but if they did...) For what it's worth, I think all three of those colours (Green, Gray and Black) work very well for either men or women so just pick the one that appeals to you or matches your clothes :) All are great choices! Additional comment: I think these days, in many countries, we spend a lot of time telling girls and women what they *can do* - you can be a working professional AND a good mother. You can wear pants or you can wear a skirt. You can be tough and firm yet also sensitive and kind. Etc. etc. Conversely, I think we define a lot of modern masculinity by telling boys and men what they *can't do* - men don't cry. men don't show weakness. men don't wear pink. men don't wear skirts. men don't care a purse-like bag. men can't be a stay at home parent/primary caregiver etc. etc. We have to change that - men and women should be free to do whatever they want and wear whatever they want and express whatever feelings they want. Pick the colour that resonates with you, that makes you happy when you look at it, that matches your clothes (or doesn't - either way!) and don't spend a single second worrying about if it's appropriate for a man or what others will think. You do you my friend!!!

​@@TheMountainborn 認同😊

Hi Peter - this bag is actually more intended as a general-use sling - at the time of the video there was no camera-dedicated version of it but I noted that it was surprisingly large enough to carry full sized camera gear in a pinch. However, there is now a 10L camera-dedicated version (bellroy.com/products/venture-sling-10l) which has some affordances added for camera carry. I've actually been using the 10L for a few months now - I have mixed feelings on it - it is better (ish) for camera carry but does away with a lot of the useful EDC use features that I think were a highlight of the 9L version. I'm not sure I'm a fan of these trade offs. Anyway, I may review it at some point in the future.

Thanks RK! Agreed - I think that it could have at least carried a tablet larger than an iPad mini that would have greatly increased the usability of this sling, especially given the relatively large 9L size. If you're looking for relatively small borderline sling/messenger bag that can carry a small tablet or laptop, a few that I use include: * Boundary Supply Rennen Messenger (a messenger, but very svelte, can hold a 13" laptop) * Alpaka Gear Go Sling (can hold an 11" tablet with a keyboard cover) * Greenroom 136 Metromonger Sling (can hold a 13" laptop) * Aer Day Sling Max 3 sling (can hold an 11" tablet with a keyboard cover) (I have reviews of the latter two above on my channel)

Thank you Devin! I'm glad you found it useful!!

So whilst I realise you're being tongue in cheek, funnily enough, you're also somewhat incorrect. In most major English dictionaries a purse is defined as a small bag primarily intended for carrying money (Cambridge and Oxoford dictionaries even go so far as to specify that a purse is usually carried by a woman). That is clearly different from the use case and construction of the Bellroy Venture (or other slings). If anything, I think that the term "handbag" might be closer to what you intended as handbags cover many of the same use cases and definition of construction as sign bags like the Bellroy Venture. That said, there is still some debate as to whether a handbag has to be strictly carried by hand or can also be carried via shoulder strap - this seems to depend on the particular flavour of English one speaks / region of the world one lives in. Going one step further, something I find interesting is the radically different paradigms that purses/handbags exist in vis-a-vis more pedestrian offerings such as sling bags or messengers. One of the most common critiques I see from people in the carry world (where things like the bags I tend to review exist) is reactions at how expensive a particular bag is (some of the more expensive bags commonly reviewed in the carry world can easily be $2-300 USD or even more for limited collaborations, but even then they rarely stray above $500 USD). I contrast this to the world of purses and handbags, where it is routinely accepted that luxury handbags can easily cost several thousand dollars (take a Chanel small classic handbag which starts at $9000 USD+ (though admittedly like every other luxury retailer Chanel has jacked their prices insanely in the past few years) and people don't really bat too much of an eye lash. Clearly people tend to apply different types of valuation paradigms to these two different "worlds" of bags, even though as to your somewhat tongue-in-cheek comment, they do tend to accomplish similar-ish things in semi-similarish ways. Yet someone might lose their minds at a $200 sling but not think twice about spending $3000 on a luxury purse/handbag despite the bill of materials being surprisingly similar. I think that the meta point you might have been trying to make about gender roles actually might play a role in this though perhaps (?) not in the way you intended - I think people are much more comfortable with indulging/spending a lot of money on things primarily intended for consumption by women, whereas the same approach on objects primarily marketed towards men (with narrow exceptions) tends to be regarded as excessive/shameful/wasteful etc. I think this puts an upper limit/ceiling on price points and design freedoms on bags like messengers/slings etc. versus the world of designer purses/handbags where the sky pretty much is the limit. I'd be curious to see what happens if people actually start to apply more of a handbag/purse mentality to more EDC type carry like slings and messengers - I would guess this might kick of an entire new renaissance of design, material and marketing freedoms and innovations in this space. Sincerely, - A guy who has actually designed and built a purse for women in the past and who currently owns a Hermes Herbag Messenger 39, which is about as close to a purse/handbag for men as you can get but is still forced to be marketed as a "Messenger" :)

​@@TheMountainbornthank you for taking the time to pass on this information. Good review. I'm thinking about getting one of those sling bags.

@@caffiend.I fully applaud the man purse.

@@mishkathlay" ...not that there's anything wrong with that."

Thanks Vinc - for sure - I think I forgot I had it wide open before this last video. Will stop down for the next one!

I feel you my friend. FWIW, while I didn't really like that at first, over time I've gotten used to it and I can say that I haven't really had anything work its way out of those gaps these days - maybe just I got used to how I needed to shut the flaps to make sure everything was tucked in and secure. Still not my favourite construction but there are some nice benefits to the flap opening style of the venture series and seeing as how Bellroy has promulgated that style to other parts of their lineup, I've accepted it as there are some nice features these bags bring to the table that make me able to overlook this shortcoming.

Hi Marshall - thanks for sharing your perspective! For what it's worth, over the past couple of years I have carried quite a few different cameras in the 10L camera variant of this sling (which was not out yet when I made this review) and have never had any problems with the clasps coming apart or the cameras/bag hitting the ground. And I've carried a wide variety of systems in it as well: Leica M11, Leica SL2, Sony a6700, Sony A1, Hasselblad X2D100C etc. In my opinion, this sling performs better with smaller bodies/systems (M11, a6700, etc.) rather than big chonky ones (SL2,X2D, A1 etc.) and for casual shooting days I still prefer it to the rather dreadful and overbuilt and inefficient Peak Design everyday slings. That said, I agree that there are things about this bag (referring to the 10L Camera carry variant as opposed to the 9L general use version that I reviewed in this video) that I wish were designed differently. The clasps are part of it though more of my dissatisfaction revolves around the internal organization of the 10L camera variant. Couple of additional thoughts. 1. When I made this video the 10L camera sling variant of this bag was not available and Bellroy does not explicitly market this version (9L Venture) as aimed at photographers so might need to give them some leeway on that end, it was me who chose to put my camera in here 2. That said, the 10L Camera carry variant of this bag still uses the same side clips to attach the straps to the sling body so the difference is a bit moot 3. I have actually had one of these strap clip break on me on one of the slings I have that use this strap clip style (I forget if it was on the 9L or one of the 6Ls) - I was quite surprised since I was not expecting that and did not really overload or abuse the sling 4. However, even though the strap clip broke, the bag did not fall off my body - it was actually broken for a few days (during which time I was wearing it regularly) before I even noticed 5. Personally I have not found these strap clips to come apart with minimal pressure but conversely to be annoyingly fiddly to actually get detached. 6. Nonetheless because the strap clip broke on me I find myself a bit distrustful of these clasps (which I've never seen used on any other bag before/since) - I was very happy to see that the recently released Carryology Chimera variant of this bag eschewed these silly clasps for a much more robust attachment system.

I do clearly call out that it has a bit of an artificial plasticky hand at the 09:17 mark, but in my opinion this is not an unpleasant material. When I think of "awful, terrible, rough plastic crap" I would urge you to go touch something like the Wandrd Hexad Access duffle (or Prvke line of bags) - those to me appropriately embody the adjectives "awful rough plastic crap." While I don't think we should make shirts out of the fabric used in the Venture sling, I also don't think it's an entirely unpleasant hand feel when used in a 9L sling that isn't intended to wear right next to your skin. For me, it doesn't feel any more rough or artificial than something like X-Pac, Dyneema or AC3 - all of which I think are commonly accepted for use in bags, right? Of course, touch and hand feel is very subjective - it is entirely possible you and I have different opinions or preferences about how bag fabrics should feel to the touch - that is totally legitimate but I think there are probably more eloquent ways to express this than to claim I'm lying? (What an odd thing for a person to lie about?)

Hahaha - I'm glad you enjoyed that 😂 Did you end up deciding between the Lite sling and the Venture sling? Which did you go with?

@@TheMountainborn I actually ended up going with the XPod -- based on your review of it, the drawbacks really didn't seem major to me. The biggest problem was how techy it looked, but inverting the direction of the front section gives it a MUCH cleaner look.