This is another bag I've been wanting to check out. It's not my normal style of bag but I was intrigued. Well, you know what happens when someone in the EDC world is intrigued by something...
This bag is sleek and ridiculously lightweight. The material is EPLX600 black exterior and EPLX200 red interior. Y'all, the red interior is gorgeous!!
As you can see here, the "c" portion of this bag is the compression straps. I have never owned a bag with compression straps before and I've very quickly learned I'm not a fan at all. For me, they do nothing but get in the way when I'm trying to get in and out of the bag. Many people love them though so I can see why these bags typically come in compression and non-compression.
So what happens if you purchased a Matsuda with compression and you don't like it? Super simple - remove them!! If you unclip the buckle, the straps disconnect on the back and the part of the buckle that's attached on the front disconnects as well. You'll still be left with the loops on the front but no more compression straps getting in the way!
There are some loops on both sides of the bag which are fantastic for attaching carabiners, patch tags and similar.
I have a touch time finding backpacks that are comfortable for me. I'm all of 5'3" on a good day, female and my shoulders do slope down a bit. Many packs are just too tall and awkwardly sized/shaped.
Here's a picture of the Matsuda beside a GoRuck 18L Double Compartment Bullet. As you can see the Matsuda is considerably taller. If you look at the back of the backpack though, you can see it has some nicely designed S Straps. Even despite the height, this backpack is incredibly comfortable to wear. I'd absolutely put it in my Top 3 in terms of carry comfort.
I don't typically use a sternum strap on my bags. That being said, how cool is this "Sample" buckle?!
That interior!!! Purple has always been my go-to color. Ever since I discovered the EDC world, I've really fallen in love with the Black/Red combo. The red grid pattern is really a beautiful thing.
I've got a few of my typical EDC items packed in here so you can get an idea of the interior space. It's a wide open space so you can use it however you want. I didn't use any pouches for this, just a planner, Evergoods CAP1, my iPad Pro in that back pocket and my stethoscope. There's a ton of additional space and this bag would be fantastic for a the CAP2 as well. There's a couple molle type loops at the very top that I imagine you could hang a pouch from fairly easily.
The front wall of that main compartment has two zipper pockets. The top one also has those two slip pockets in front of it that is covered in hook/loop. Those two large zip pockets fit an iPad mini very well.
The front pockets are similar in style to the Bounce Design Labs Nexus Backpack I've been using. They're vertical pockets with plenty of space inside. If you're looking at the front of the bag, the vertical pocket on the right opens up to reveal a single large pocket that happens to have a smaller, divided slip pocket on its' back wall. As you can see here, I've got my medications in the bottom slip pocket and my work badge/keys in the top one. There's plenty of room in that main vertical pocket leftover.
If you're looking at the front of the bag, the vertical pocket on the left is just a single open slip pocket. I stashed the case for my glasses in there along with my wallet. That same slip pocket has a hook/loop patch on the inside of it as well incase you have an admin panel you want to toss in there.
One unique feature of this bag is the top carry handle. I've never seen another company do a similar handle to this. It doesn't look like too much when you're looking at it like this. When you grab it though, you can tell it's different. It feels like a thick rope inside encased in a tube of fabric. The rope inside is very pliable, it bends quite easily and doesn't feel rough or harsh at all. It's surprisingly comfortable to carry like this.
Overall Thoughts:
This is an incredibly sleek bag. It's gorgeous, no questions asked. This bag definitely has a cult following and it's easy to see why. Sample by Matsuda kept it simple. A couple of pockets for stashing some small items, a pocket on the back wall for a laptop or iPad. And the rest of that cavernous compartment is yours for however you want to use it.
Sadly enough, I will be moving this bag onto someone else. While it’s a beautiful bag and I’m appreciate its sleekness and design, the overall layout just isn’t for me. I need just a little more organization and structure to a bag.
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