After 25 years in service, Timbuk2’s Classic Messenger has received a complete overhaul. To avoid pulling a Gap logo screw up of their iconic product, they asked customers to chime in about what could make it better. The top five requests were:
- water bottle holder
- grab handle
- lighter weight
- sleeker looks
- compression straps
They did all that. It got lighter -a whopping 25% lighter- by going back to 940 denier corder. Similar to what they used before going to ballistic material. This is an updated fabric that’s smoother and sheds water better. The shoulder strap changes to a lighter weight webbing, and its width is now size specific. Smaller bags get thinner straps.
Look inside to see the rest…
The clips moved to just under flap for a cleaner appearance, and the straps continue all the way around and under the bottom to double as compression straps. On the back, a low profile grab handle is integrated over the center strip, and the stock bags come with a color-matched shoulder pad.
Those three features used to be an optional extras, so you now get much more bag for your money.
The cam buckle got a lot smaller and now runs the loop through a Z-shaped pulley so excess strap isn’t just flapping around. It both speeds up removal and makes it look much cleaner. The only downside is that it, along with the padded section, means you now need to choose between fixed left or right handed designs.
Inside, it’s using a lighter TPU liner and gets raised sides that fold in under the flap to improve waterproofness.
Front pockets drop to three, including the Napoleon pocket, and two internal mesh side pockets add extra organization, one of which is sized for water bottles.
They started shipping this week. Pricing stays the same as before, starting at $89. The extra small was scaled more, with better proportions for the size. It’s $79, and they go up to a size Large that starts at $109.
It’s worth mentioning a couple of differences in the custom bags offerings. The shape and build are the same, but you’ll pay extra for some of the things mentioned above, including: water bottle pockets, padded shoulder strap and grab handle. I also noticed that color selection has gone down a bit from the original version, losing about 1/4 of the hues. The upside is that custom bags are made in the USA, stock ones are imported.
We have one on the way for review, stay tuned.
