“Let me begin by saying that I am a full-fledged gear nerd. Close to the point of obsession. I own more ultralight backpacking packs than I care to admit. When it came time to pick up a new “daily driver” bag I searched for months. I had never heard of Roark before until an ad came across my Instagram feed. I’m always skeptical of social media ads, as a lot of them are junk/scams. Once I determined the company seemed to have their ducks in a row, I pulled the trigger on the day trip passenger. The initial colorway I wanted to ended up not being in stock and the company was very quick to alert me and kind enough to give me a discount code for a different color. The pack (and a hoodie that is now my favorite) arrived quickly and upon initial inspection I was VERY pleased with the quality of the materials. I have enough experience with packs (roll top, in particular) to understand the difference between an “OK” unit and a “great” one. This fits into the latter category. The materials, stitching, zippers, etc. are all very impressive. And it just looks so dang cool. I really beat the heck out of my gear and although I’ve only been using it for a week or so I have high hopes that I won’t be needing to replace it anytime soon. I would recommend doing some light research on the proper way to load a backpack because if you balance your load correctly you’ll find that this pack carries very comfortably. The mesh/Lycra(?) side pockets are just right. I’ve found that many companies miss the mark when it comes to side pockets which, for me, are a VERY important (and often overlooked) feature in a backpack. Not the case, here. I’m in love with the magnetic closure system that affords you two different options of buckling, depending upon your needs/load. I’m really struggling to find a need that isn’t met by this backpack (hence the 5 star review.) In my opinion it is a wonderful balance of minimalism, functionality, and design. If you’ve read this far it might sound like I am a serial product reviewer. Not the case. When I find a piece of kit that impresses me I feel inspired to share my opinions with others. In summation: kudos to Roark. I’m happy. Buy the dang pack and go run around in the wild!”
“This bag is everything I need in an adventure bag or a commuting bag. It's durable and laid out well. The magnetic closure on the roll top is great, and I've used the adjustable buckles to also attach small, light things like a tent when needed. Perfect size and appropriately water-resistant.”
“I have used this for both a daypack and an overnight/travel bag and it has been perfect for both. The roll top makes this feel like either a smaller commuter bag or a full stuff pack for a long adventure, depending on your needs or how much you need in it for your adventure. The waist strap is great”
