At first glance, the Ortlieb Courier Bag has nothing in common with more traditional shoulder strap style courier bags. In addition to its swank Euro styling, the Ortlieb instantly stands out, due to its backpack design. This design does an excellent job of (evenly) distributing the weight across your back and shoulders. The bag is very comfortable, thanks to a series of raised foam pads on the rear of the bag, which also provide a bit of ventilation. The tendency for a loaded bag to swing around your torso is also eliminated, due to the backpack design. A 2" wide waist-strap does a good job of stabilizing really large loads, which is a good thing, because the capacity of this bag (huge) will very likely encourage you to carry more stuff than you need. Today, I hauled my laptop, a press-pot coffee maker, a sweatshirt, a wool sweater and seven rolls of film, and I don't think I used up half of this bags potential cargo space. The one thing I feel this bag could use is some type of sternum strap. According to Ortlieb USA's President, Jeffrey Scully, the straps are currently being refined, and a sternum strap is in the works.

The Ortlieb's roll-top closure is also unique. Much like dry-bags used in kayaking, the bag rolls down upon itself to seal out the elements. It is then secured with a 2" wide swatch of velcro. This allows instant access to the bag, and makes finding anything within a simple task. Internally, there is a removable, snap-in, zippered pocket for securing your valuables, and two large, hard plastic dividers allow magazines, documents, and other fragile, flat items to arrive unscathed.

Ease of access aside, I wonder how practical this bag would be for daily, hard-core, messengering? Yes, the bag's contents are easily accessible, but only after removing the bag. But easy access does not always equal rapid access, and that's one advantage that shoulder-style courier bags have over the backpack design. That said, my courier pals tell me that all the Euros run Ortlieb bags, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better constructed bag. The Ortlieb Courier bag is manufactured in Germany of 1000 denier Cordura 'welded' to a rubberized pvc. It is truly waterproof, the straps feature reflective piping top to bottom, and it is one of the most comfortable bags I've used. For commuting, grocery shopping, or hauling anything shy of B.o.b Trailer-sized cargo, the Ortlieb is hard to beat.
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