PRODUCT DETAILS
We made the Citadel for those weekend adventure trips where laptops are required. The 100% welded-waterproof main compartment can be used to haul ice cold beer or keep your clothes dry. The padded laptop compartment has a large zip-around PU water-resistant zipper. Inside pockets secure mouse, folders, and notebooks. The Citadel is business in front, party in the back.
FIT:
• Ergonomic shoulder-strap design with EVA foam back panel for improved fit and breathability• Sternum strap for load distribution
• Industrial-metal cam lock underarm compression buckles
SPECS:
Dimensions:
14.5” wide, 21” high, 10” deepVolume:
34 LWeight:
4 lbFEATURES:
• Large zip-around opening for easy access to laptop, file folders and other work tools. Fits up to 17” Mac Book Pro laptop• Welded-waterproof rolltop main-compartment
• Large weatherproof external pockets with Velcro closure
• Zippered external travel document pocket
• Daisy-chain mounting loops for attaching carabineer or bike lights
• Industrial-strength Velcro, accessory-mounting shoulder straps
FABRICATION:
• Weatherproof 1000-denier nylon
• Waterproof, 1800-denier, military-grade truck-tarpaulin liner with high-frequency welded seams
• Nylon 69 thread and YKK zippers
• Made in China
• Waterproof, 1800-denier, military-grade truck-tarpaulin liner with high-frequency welded seams
• Nylon 69 thread and YKK zippers
• Made in China
SWEET EVERDAY/SHORT TRIP BAG
4/26/13 by Emiliano R.I got the Citadel as a size upgrade from my two year-old Citizen. I initially looked at getting a Berlin or Brigadier, but holyyyy moly those things are big. Too big for my needs, so I decided the smaller Citadel would be perfect for me.
First off, I really appreciate the different pockets and sections in this bag versus the one-huge-pocket design of the buckle messengers. For carrying many different types of items together in the same bag, especially a laptop, this system rocks. Everything has its place and in its place everything fits snug. The laptop compartment fits my 13 MBP securely, even with its neoprene sleeve on, although the compartment is padded enough so that I can leave the sleeve at home. The section right in front of the laptop compartment fits more than it appears. I can fit my beastly 2 TB LaCie HDD with the power supply and Firewire cable in that little pocket and I'll still have room for maybe a thin book and a few extra cables. The very front section is large enough to fit some textbooks and notebooks, as well as whatever else that fits on top. The supplemental pocket on the top portion of the flap is big enough to fit the little things in life yet manages to successfully keep these things out of the way when you're trying to stuff your entire day into this bag. This entire front portion including the laptop compartment is perfect for daily work/school/day trip situations. The back portion, the water-proof portable cooler pocket, is deep enough to stick my standard length arm all the way down and can hold about 4-6 days worth of clothes in it (unds, pants, t-shirts, button-ups, socks, + toiletries). A jacket might be pushing it at this sized load. Stuffing this section of the bag will take a little space away from the front portion, but not by much. The front of the bag features a couple deep pockets that are great for standard sized bottles or other knick knacks, and the pocket at the very bottom is nice for flat things. All together, this bag, fully-stuffed, is the right size for most short trips, say 5 or 6 days max.
Besides having a superior organization system for the stuff-my-life-in-a-bag kinda people like me, this system makes packing much more efficient. It's only got an 8 oz volume gain over my Citizen, but I can pack in way more stuff into my Citadel just because I can use all the of space wisely and precisely. The one-huge-pocket Citizen left a lot of space unused because things just couldn't fit where space was available, or the plausible packing plan might jeopardize the safety of the items or the comfort of your back. That said, people who want to carry large items like boxes and rolls may prefer the messengers because they can fit large items more appropriately, but for a mixed array of small items, the backpack design just works better. Size matters, but it's how you use it that really counts.
The Fortnight and the Pawn both look like great alternatives to compare the Citadel with. Both bags are a little bigger, but the Citadel wins my vote because of the dedicated laptop pocket and because I think the rectangular design is the most appealing of all three. Realistically, if you want to have a large backpack for everyday use that can travel too, this is a pretty reasonable size, IMO. Any bigger and you might look like you're going to climb the Alps (ie, Brigadier, Ivan). For trips longer than 5 days, I'd consider using standard luggage alongside the Citadel. However, if you're looking for something Alp-climbing/week+ long trip worthy and don't need to use the same bag for every day use, I'd say go for the big bags. But for an all around large and capable backpack, the Citadel is the perfect bag for the job.CITADEL REVIEW
4/26/13 by AndreI used the citadel backpack recently on a three week vacation between Madrid and Lisbon. My bags just weren't cutting it, so the night before i left, I borrowed my friend's chrome citadel. Too big for his daily commute, the citadel shined as a maximum-size carry on. Great straps, padding, and multiple compartments made for comfortable and convenient travel. With the aid of a small reusable shopping bag, I was able to pack 20 vinyl records, 2 drum machines, a few books and about a week's worth of clothes. True, my bag was bulging but i never had to check it! Having a useful, comfortable bag small enough to carry on the plane was exactly what i wanted, but unfortunately i had to give the bag back to my friend. For my next trip i would not hesitate to pick up a Citadel or similar chrome bag.COMPARTMENTALIZE WHERE THE MESSENGERS CANNOT!
4/26/13 by Sam CroninIt seems like I agree with the other two reviews for the most part and I haven't found any real flaws with the bag yet. I bought it earlier today, so to be honest I haven't had enough time to THINK about flaws and get out of this euphoric state.
When I first bought my Metropolis messenger bag, I loved the spacey photos on the site and I thought this bag was going to be the best! I've ridden all over the east coast with that bag over the course of almost 4 years. It has never outright failed me and has actually saved the skin on my back a couple times after falling. But what the bag lacked, I found after riding and loving it for 4 years, are the appropriate number and sized pockets to fit my everyday needs. There is the large main compartment that housed my Nalgene, cable lock, books, socks and some clothes, as well as the smaller front pockets that fit pens and my Ipod. But I always felt like things were protruding into my back if the bag was too over-stuffed or oblong and the fact that I didn't have a place for my water bottle and lock bothered me.
So I did my research and bought this guy and after leaving the store today, I sat on the curb and migrated all my old items to their appropriate pockets in the Citadel. I fit my Nalgene in the front and my cable lock + Ulock in the other front pocket and managed to stuff my Metropolis down into the gaping roll-top back part of the bag. And nothing was poking me. And everything was upright and compartmentalized. OCD nirvana acquired. BUY THIS BAG!
http://www.chromeindustries.com/citadel
