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Longterm Review: Showers Pass Utility Bag- one commuter backpack to rule them all

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One year ago, I moved into the Shower’s Pass Utility backpack, designed and tested in the oppressively rainy climate of Portland, Oregon. As someone who is traveling day-to-day to work locally or nationally, any bag I have in this capacity has to carry my work gear, travel well on and off the bike, and be able to hang at campfire parties in the woods.

The feature-packed Utility Backpack did not disappoint. It has consistently exceeded expectations and offered up bonus functional surprises along the way. Despite being an avid bag enthusiast and deliberately honing my custom and commercially available bag collection for more than a decade, the Utility backpack quickly became the most used bag in my fleet.

First impressions

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

The exterior is waterproof 840-denier 100% Ballistic nylon with waterproof zippers. Accent colors appear in the zippers and anodized functional hardware. I went with gold because it is a consistent color for my teams. Otherwise, aside from the reflective bands on the straps, the bag is a stealthy matte black.

The Utility Backpack is, for any backpack but especially a waterproof backpack, extremely lightweight at a scant 3.4lbs with all the fixings- impressive considering its 26.8L capacity.

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

The structure of the bag was something to note off the bat. It has an internal structure that suspends your tablet and laptop off the ground when you set it down, as well as holding the overall bag shape. I was sure that this would break in over time, flatten and collapse. This would prove not to be the case.

Lastly, there were tons of features to the bag to take note of. Tons of pockets, some seemingly way over-engineered. While I struggled to move into the bag initially, I would eventually find every pocket to serve a vital purpose. It has gone from what I considered would become an impossibly complex cavern for gear storage, I now consider it like a flack jacket. I know where everything lives, it lives there for a reason. The depth of deliberateness in the features has made it extremely easy to live in this bag, and next to impossible to move out of it.

Pockets

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

The front most external front pocket is an expandable (via zippers and elastic) and drained situation, with an internal surface matching the exterior of the bag.

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

The buckle, on an elastic strap, is sized to hold a helmet, but I’ve also used it to hold wet, worn gear as well as equipment I needed easy access to (cameras, beverages, sandwiches, etc.). At the end of a trip, I’ve been delighted to hose it out and go on my way. The exterior side pockets, also drainable/hoseable, are great for water bottles, sunblock/bug repellent.

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

The front exterior top pocket has a waterproof zipper and is fleece lined – genius. Living in Minnesota, one of the biggest challenges is keeping your phone and lights both accessible and functional (which means keeping them warm). It is extremely difficult to accomplish both, especially when you’re spending a lot of time in the elements or stopping off at a bonfire on your way home. Nothing is worse than being without visibility or communication when you’re vulnerable from the cold.

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

There is also a separate hydration pocket in the back of the bag, accessible by another waterproof zipper. I’ve used this for dirty clothes, but I could see how it could be for hiding snacks/any number of other things.

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

There are two open front internal pockets great for holding chargers or adapters.

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

The top internal pocket, closed via zipper, is also fleece lined for when weather is colder.

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

The main structural feat, which I discussed earlier, are the two main fleece lined pockets at the back of the bag designed for your laptop and tablet. The laptop pocket fits up to a 15in notebook, though I’ve had to travel a few times with larger laptops (I removed the battery, and the slip pockets worked just fine). When you set your bag on the ground, your electronics stay suspended and protected, with the firm back of the bag providing structure.

Wearing the bag

The aluminum buckles allow you to set the strap length, giving the bag a range of fits specific to the rider. I cinched mine completely for my fit to allow the other straps to lay in appropriate places on my body. As someone with a short torso, I greatly appreciated this. It sits where I would want it to.

I only wore the waist belt when carrying heavy loads- for that, I was very happy it was there. Otherwise, it was clipped around the front of the bag (which it is designed to do) or stuffed it into the main bag while traveling.

The belt features two of its own zipper pockets, which I didn’t immediately appreciate… until I was somewhere where I needed a hip pack for phone, snacks, and keys on a ride.

Generally, carrying the bag was a pleasure. With the stiff backing, and the 3D mesh padded back, there hasn’t been a load I’ve carried that hasn’t been comfortable and a ride where I’ve arrived too sweaty.

Capacity

My first evening with this bag, I was invited to a party in a foreign town with people I didn’t know. I was asked to do a beer run on my way over. Only when I got to the checkout did I realize that I wasn’t equipped with one of my highly expandable roll-top bags… which sent me into a quick panic. How would I be able to travel with the beverages I had acquired?

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof
Two 12-packs: A Dramatic Reinactment

But with dropped jaw, I was able to load up not one, but two twelve packs of beverages as well as a bottle of whiskey the size of a small infant… with room to spare. The magic of this bag was immediately apparent.

Visibility

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

Despite being generally pretty stealthy, the bag is equipped with a series of reflective features. The Showers Pass logo on the front pocket is printed with 3M reflective ink. The back straps feature large reflective stripes. The waist belt is woven with strands of reflective fabric.

Showers Pass Utility Backpack Waterproof

The bag is also equipped with four removable blinky lights (two on the front pocket, one on each side pocket). Showers Pass claims they have batteries for 200 hours of use. I use mine primarily as a backup to my bright commuter lights or in case of emergencies (when I’m caught out late or in a storm without working lights). In a year, I haven’t managed to burn any out.

Some Cons

Visually Conservative: It comes in any color you want, as long as that color is black. The accent colors in the hardware do help to offset this… but I’m definitely one of those people who prefers bags to be expressive.

Where my sternum strap would be. 🙁

Losing parts: The removable sternum strap was great. It snapped in wherever I wanted it to. It stayed in place. It was quick to pop off. Which also meant that it was something I could lose.

Also, while the integrated LED lights are fabulous for visibility and install quickly, the lights on the side pockets of the bag aren’t backed, meaning that they had a habit of falling back into the pocket.

In retrospect, I should have kept those lights in one of my many pockets to install when needed. I didn’t. One ended up being crushed. So it goes. But! If I were inclined, replacement lights are available through Showers Pass.

A year later

As I said, I had all sorts of assumptions about how this bag would wear, that the surface wouldn’t hold up, the zippers would wear out or break, that it would lose all of its amazing structure.

I was wrong on all counts. The bag, despite being through months of abuse (I tend to throw bags and not take care of my gear- ask anyone) and gnarly little adventures, looks and functions as well as the day I got it. And I still use it for almost everything.

Conclusion

The Showers Pass Utility Bag is all bang for your buck. It’s lightweight. It’s waterproof. It’s got impressive capacity. It’s durable. It’s comfortable. It’s super functional. At $214 MSRP (as currently listed on the website) it is an easy investment.

ShowersPass.com

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9 Comments
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Collin S
Collin S
6 years ago

It looks like a nice bag, but like so many other bags, it lacks true visibility features. A little reflective piping here and there is great, but with several brands out there selling fully reflective jackets, why not do the same for bags. Try finding a hi-vis backpack? They are almost non existent. When I’m commuting, I want something as loud as possible. I only have a commute of three miles on mainly residential subdivision roads, and even then, I have at least 2-3 close calls per year. I want to be lit up like a christmas tree as typically in the morning there’s little light this time of year until mid April.

Shafty
Shafty
6 years ago
Reply to  Collin S

Your last sentence says it better than all the rest. Lights are much more effective than indirect visibility from reflective surfaces. Hi-vis yellow is not equivalent to reflective, neither is white. While brightly colored bags look nice initially, they usually get quite dirty, inhibiting what small effect their color has on visibility.

This looks super water resistant!

RED
RED
6 years ago
Reply to  Shafty

RE: “lights”…

Since this bag has a TON of loops – one could practically cover it in clip-on lights if that is your thing. (e.g. Blackburn Flea, Bontrager Flare, SeeSense rear, some of the Portland Design Works lights, anything with a decent clip that won’t flail around…)

RED
RED
6 years ago
Reply to  RED

Sorry the BlackBurn Flea seems to be discontinued … check out the BlackBurn Central 50 / Central 20 and 2’Fer XL rear lights. They each seem to have metal clips that look perfect for this application. I’m out!

RED
RED
6 years ago
Reply to  Collin S

Collin,
Your best bet will be to get the backpack that best meets your needs, and then ADD reflectivity to it.

Options for that include covers like one of the Respro HUMP line (http://respro.com/hi-viz/hump) … or new spray-on options like Albedo100 (this is the USA link http://albedo100us.com)

cheers

GorillaDownhilla
GorillaDownhilla
6 years ago

It may be irrelevant, but that nail polish is fire!

Andrew
Andrew
6 years ago

Great review and nice bag that I hadn’t seen before. In the last couple of years, I’ve destroyed a North Face, Mission Workshop, Thule and am now on the verge of destroying a DHB something or other. I really have only one question: Does this bag stink? As a daily commuter, I can’t soak mine in enough vinegar, gear wash, whatever, to get the stink out.

Arapiles
Arapiles
6 years ago

At 1.6kg for a 27 litre pack it is not the slightest bit “lightweight” – it’s heavier than some backpacks with 4 times the volume.

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