Pioneer Carry Ray Pack

Note: this item was provided for review.

This is now the third backpack I’ve been able to test from Pioneer Carry, and I have to say that the Ray Pack is the best one yet. It’s not the type of backpack I would normally seek out to buy for myself, as the vertical tote style isn’t something I normally go for.

However, with the Ray Pack, I was sold on this bag after the first hour of using it. So, allow me to explain.

Materials & Specs

This is a smaller 14L pack and measures at: 17.5in. x 13in. x 5in. A quick run down of the specs per Pioneer Carry:

Luggage strap on back

Fits most 17” laptops

Laptop pocket padded on all sides

Triple-padded back panel

External luggage tag

YKK Vizlon zippers

10mm EVA padded shoulder straps

MANDARIN 840 nylon

I’ve mentioned it before, but the Mandarin 840 used by Pioneer Carry is a fantastic material. Which looks and feels both premium, and absurdly durable. The overall design and finishing on this is great, and while the bag is wide, it has not felt as wide as stated on my back.

In Use

The design of this bag is that of a vertical tote bag with two handles at the top, but it has the addition of backpack straps as well. I personally love the visual on the Pioneer Carry website of the two front pockets carrying a baguette and a bottle of wine — that seems like a good day. Which caused me to dig a little more on the concept of the bag, here’s what the designer note says (in full):

With its understated aesthetic and rugged construction, the Ray pack occupies a rare space. It offers the unquestionable function and protective strength of a pro-grade travel bag, all condensed into a sleek, compact profile that speaks to quiet confidence.

I place people into two areas when it comes to bags they are carrying: all, or almost nothing. The ‘all’ type is closer to me — we are the type which carries tons of crap with us so we are never without. The ‘almost nothing’ crowd are the ones you see who are literally just carrying a laptop and always looking to borrow a charger. More or less.

This bag really fits in an interesting space for both crowds. I loaded this with a notebook, first aid kit, an iPad Pro, a Laptop, and an external keyboard along with my two tech pouches. It was full but it carried everything I wanted, without issue. And did so rather comfortably on top of that.

Then I turned around and carried the bag with only my iPad Pro, a small pouch, and a notebook. The bag was mostly empty, and it felt as though it was empty, but it also did not feel like it was overkill at all to carry that in a bag, just felt like I had loads of extra space on hand.

And that’s the odd thing about this bag. It’s quite small, but it’s not actually small. It is designed in a way where it very easily swallows up loads of gear without issue. And it’s very easy to stow everything in. But if that’s not how you roll, the bag doesn’t punish you with overbearing size and useless pockets — instead you have something you can readily stuff jackets in if you wanted.

The organization on this bag is really clever. There’s three main areas: two front pockets with snap closure, and a main compartment which zips closed. The front pockets have a single press snap on them, which has a one-handed closure design by putting the male side of the snap on a nylon loop, allowing you to slip your finger behind it to pinch the snap closed. These two pockets are actually quite large, and swallow up even my full sized Travelers Notebook with ease. They are great pockets to drop in things which you’ll either want easy access to, or to keep separated from the rest of the pack.

The main compartment is smartly laid out and it works really well. The laptop sleeve is really nicely done, can hold a lot. On the front of that is a zippered stretch mesh pocket which is shallower, and a great spot to securely store a few odds and ends, and below that is a open top pouch for catching further gear in. The shape of the bag means that it’s a bit wider/larger at the base, so while the opening can seem small, the bag swallows up more than you expect it to. Which is a really great way to go about the design on something like this. You could easily stuff a packable jacket in the bottom and have it nearly disappear in there. It also means that leaving the top unzipped doesn’t carry a huge penalty for comfort or worry that stuff looks sloppy. About half the time with this bag I forget to zip the top, and run into no issues in forgetting that.

The style of the bag is likely to be divisive. It’s not too out there, but the way the front two pockets are stitched up means that the look is more distinctive than most bags out there. I like the look, and I love the materials, but I am sure it won’t be for everyone.

Whether carrying by the handles or the backpack straps, this bag is really easy. In fact if I had to create a tag line for this bag, it would certainly have the words ‘simple’ and ‘easy’ as part of it. I have not put this bag away since getting it, and it’s become the bag I grab when I need to head out with a random selection of stuff, not sure what I might actually need. It very easily accommodates a lot of what I do, from a short walk to a board meeting with a notebook and laptop, to stuffing it full for a day of working at a co-working space.

I prefer carrying this with the backpack straps, but the top handles make it great from moving around spaces, and loading in and out of the car. It’s comfortable to walk with, carry, and bike with. It has durable material you never need worry about, and enough padding and protection that you can be a little carefree even when the bag is loaded.

Overall

This is my favorite Pioneer Carry product to date. It’s exceptionally well executed, and suits a lot of different needs and uses. I love that you don’t have to zip the top shut to wear it as a backpack, but there’s extra security if you want. A great design, and a great backpack.

Buy here, $219 — get a great deal on it with the Black Friday promotion too!