Review: Chrome John Cardiel Series (Fortnight, ORP, Shank)

All swagger and charisma vanishes when you're tugging luggage around the concourse at an airport. Between fanny packs stuffed with Purell and high-waisted money belts, it's hard to look cool while traveling.

If it's possible for anyone to jetset while retaining his dignity, even bad-assery, it's John Cardiel. He's a professional skateboarder, a vocation that's forced him to log thousands of international travel hours. But Cardiel has also recently developed an affection for fixed-gear bikes after cycling helped him rehab from an accident. He has since befriended the fashionable folks at Chrome, makers of bags, shoes and other wearables designed for the urban cyclist.

Cardiel and Chrome have designed three bags bearing the skater-turned-cyclist's name.Cardiel and Chrome have designed three bags bearing the skater-turned-cyclist's name. Each model is a different size and has its own purpose, but all three bags can be used in concert for longer trips.

The Cardiel bags will appeal to those who prefer not to check any luggage, as the designs work best as carry-ons. That said, they're only a good fit for those who, like me, practice a minimalist (bordering on ascetic) approach to packing for a trip.

The flagship of the Cardiel line is the Fortnight ($180), a standard-looking backpack with a zipper closure for the main compartment, which goes all the way around the bag. There are also several outer flaps and pockets for stowing the smaller stuff. As hinted by the bag's name, the volume of storage would last a spartan bike rider two weeks. Whether or not you'll get the same mileage depends on your material requirements, but I found 40 cubic liters of storage to be more than sufficient for a long weekend on the road. I didn't skimp on the creature comforts, either, bringing a MacBook Air, several changes of clothes, work documents and a handful of power tools.

The problem with other backpacks (including some in Chrome's line) is that when packed to the gills, the top of the bag rises up above the neckline, obscuring peripheral visibility. While riding on a busy street with a different high-sitting bag, I was overcome with paranoia that there was always somebody in my blind spot.

But the Fortnight sits comfortably low, affording a full view of the surroundings. A chest strap and padding on the back keeps the weight distributed evenly. Unfortunately, because Chrome built the pack with truck tarpaulin and Cordura to make it nearly indestructible, it has a bit too much extra weight. Empty, the Fortnight weighs almost four pounds – enough to keep you from feeling lithe while strapped in.

After arrival, when you've stashed your gear next to the couch on which you're crashing, the Shank hip pouch ($60) is there to carry the road essentials like tools, a phone, a wallet or a U-lock. I felt confident keeping delicate and expensive electronics in the pack while bicycling through a San Francisco rainstorm. The zippers are covered in waterproof urethane, and the outer shell is made of 1050 Cordura with 18-ounce truck tarpaulin liners – if you've seen Freitag's shoulder bags, you'll know this material. The one-inch-wide belt strap can be worn across the chest, not just around the waist, which makes it useful for any activity (runs, hikes, motorcycle rides) where you would want your pockets empty.

The third and most novel bag in the line is the ORP, or Operation Readiness Pack ($110). Cardiel took the design of divers' waterproof bags and simply added comfy shoulder straps.

Most premium backpacks and shoulder bags can't claim anything past "weatherproof" because your belongings wouldn't survive total immersion. But Chrome has tagged this bag as fully waterproof, and for almost everything except deep immersion, the claim holds. After folding over the roll-top and snapping in the side buckles, I gave the towels and shoes inside a spin in the shorebreak at Ocean Beach. All the seam-taping paid off, as everything inside remained dry and safe. On land, the ripstop nylon construction refused to stretch or rip even when I loaded with sharp-cornered bricks.

All this durability and the ORP weighs just over a pound. Without any of the rigid linings that let most bags keep their shape when empty, the ORP works more like a stuff-sack, conforming to the interior contents – for better or worse, so stuff carefully. Since it can be compressed to the size of a paper towel roll, it's ideal for a voyage filled with day trips.

When everything is clipped together correctly, the Fortnight can be used to carry the ORP, the Shank, and even a sleeping bag, which is much more attractive option than dealing with an unruly receptacle filled with a disorganized assortment of clothes, toiletries, gear and auxiliary bags.

My only gripe is one that almost no premium bag maker can solve: When paying close to $200 for a backpack, a plastic buckle system feels inadequate. For a bag so durable and well-constructed, it's disappointing to see the Cardiel outfitted with plastic fasteners that look like they would break under a heavy boot. There must be a reason, because almost everyone does it. And the bits of plastic are minor annoyances in an otherwise fine series of packs that nail the essential requirements of travel.

WIRED Predictably tough construction. Versatility while traveling. Finally, a waterproof backpack that's not made for diving.

TIRED Plastic buckles all around. The whole kit will run you $350.