I snagged this backpack in person in Salida, CO where Oveja Negra is headquartered. There were quite a few in the store, though the website does not list this model (the staff also mentioned that they do not make many of these). This is a simple and minimal roll top backpack, and it’s killer looking.
My quick thoughts on this one…
Materials & Specs
The best I can tell this bag uses X-pac for the purple (VX21?) and 500D for the Multicam Black areas. The bag is rather simple in design, but since it is roll top it can expand a bit more. Here’s the dimensions as I measure them: 20” tall (shortest height) x 11” wide x 6.75” deep. The bag lacks structure, so the shape is a little amorphous and highly dependent on what is in the bag and how it is in there.
The back panel has a soft foam padding sewn in, as do the straps which also have spacer mesh on the inner side of them. It’s well sewn, and put together. The materials all feel quite nice. I would guess this bag is somewhere in the 20L realm.
In Use
I was drawn into the store for this bag when I saw the color combination of purple and black Multicam — a combination I’ve long thought would be killer together, and it is indeed killer looking. The bag is really simple, and very much geared towards not-the-office. There’s three pockets on the outside: two side water bottle pockets (very deep), and a front storage area. The roll top clips shut with a single side release buckle, though there is a bit of Velcro used when rolling the bag to help center things and keep it tidy. Inside the bag is a single zippered pocket at the top rear.
Otherwise it’s a big empty cavern.
The straps are a touch narrow, and help firmly remind you that this is a bag for light and fast work, not for serious load hauling.
I’ve used this bag for travel and hiking, it works well. If you need to carry a few essentials, a water bottle, and then a bunch of bulky layers — that seems spot on what this bag was designed for.
Putting about 4 miles on this bag during a hike resulted in zero discomfort from the straps, though my load was around 8lbs with water. On longer and more strenuous hikes, I found that the bag is slightly small for my frame which leads to a little strap discomfort at about 11lbs in the bag.
This is a very simple, and very effective bag. It’s one of those bags you will find yourself enjoying the simplicity, the fun, and the ease of it all.
It’s a great backpack for day hiking, a great backpack for traveling around town, and an easy backpack to shove some clothes in for an overnight.
Overall
This is a solid to really good backpack. The brand is fantastic, with many basic colors and a plethora of odd ball colorways. They all somehow look great. In the store the staff was fantastic, and pulled out two large bins for me to rummage through and see all the possible colors I could buy. I highly recommend the stop if you are in the area.
I’m a fan, and will check out their bags for sure.