As gravel riding and self supported endurance races are gaining in popularity, so are the needs for bike packing necessities. North St. Bags of Portland, OR is meeting the demand with its North St. Bags Tool Roll (from $29.99), to outfit your dusty excursion riding needs.
What I Liked
Adaptability
The North St. Bags Tool Roll is flexible and small so that it can be easily rolled up to fit into a jersey pocket or strapped to the top tube.
Tough Love
Like all North St. Bags, the North St. Bags Tool Roll is weatherproof and made with tough Cordura nylon and reinforced variant X-Pac™ sailcloth. This helps the bags to retain their strength and make them resistant to tears and scuffs.
The Amazingness of North St. Bags
Curtis Williams, North St.’s founder and owner, is the sole designer of all the bags. Since he’s also an avid cyclist, it’s safe to assume he knows that cyclists need high-quality bike bags that are functional and durable. He also prides himself on offering his entire workforce—four stitchers, one cutter, one fulfillment and hardware assembler (who also does all North St.’s customer service and retail support), and one sales and marketing coordinator—a livable wage.
Keep in mind this all takes place in Portland, OR, not exactly known for being a cheap place to live. This team of eight Portlanders average around thirty bags and fifteen upgrades (pockets, straps, etc) per day that they sell direct and through specialty outdoor gear and bicycle shops. And last month, October, they celebrated their tenth birthday!
USA-made and Lifetime Guarantee
The North St. Bags Tool Roll is slapped with a “Made in USA” tag proudly sewn on the outside of the bag. All North St. bags are built tough for long wearability and come with a lifetime guarantee.
What I didn’t Like
Velcro Straps
I would have preferred a quick release buckle as adorned on its pannier bags. I had to wrestle with the Velcro in order to get the tool roll fastened under my bike seat. After struggling with the roll too many times, I resorted to either stuffing it in jersey pocket or stashing it in the front pocket of one of the pannier bags.
Final Thoughts
When my bike packing excursion presents the opportunity to pedal off the road and into single track, the North St. Bags Tool Roll, I’m taking my tools with me–along with the Pioneer 9 Hip Pack and the Mirco Panniers.
