We probably first saw the simple made-to-order offerings from North St. Bags when they opened a storefront in their Portland hometown, but since then they’ve popped up on our radar a couple of times for some other unique details or alternative solutions to common bag types. The latest thing to catch our attention is the new Morrison pannier bag that aims to simplify commuting by bike to work by easily transitioning from its rack mount to a simple backpack. While that’s something we’ve seen from a number of companies like Two Wheel Gear, Swift, Sling Fin, among others, the full-waterproof construction, bright colors and modular interior offered by North St. set it apart…
The made-in-the-US Morrison pannier backpack is designed to easily haul and protect your essentials from bad weather, then quickly transition of the bike rack and onto your back. It uses a traditional two-hook & one bungee mount to secure to the bike, and then a pair of stowable shoulder straps for carrying as a backpack.
Made from a fully waterproof Cordura nylon shell and X-Pac VX21 waterproof liner, the Morrison pannier bag gets a drawstring closure, then a waterproof flap on top of that. Inside, with a bright easy to see lining, a padded sleeve keeps a laptop secure, and internal velcro mounts let you customize how the rest of your gear gets sorted by adding extra pockets. Outside the bag gets a rucksack style zippered pocket, plus slip-in sleeve pockets on the sides for quick access to other items.
The Morrison offers 18l (1100 cubic inches) of storage space and at 773g it sells for $190. It comes in several color options both made to order and stock, so you can be as bright and flashy as you want. Like their other bags the Morrison is handmade in their Portland workshop, and comes with a lifetime warranty.
North St. also tells us that along with the new bag, they’ve also dropped the prices on a couple of their other commuter bags, the Route Six and Route Seven. Check out their website for updates on those.
