application
Before we come to the processing of the Freitag Harper Bag, a few preliminary remarks on the materials used. The Swiss manufacturer Freitag mainly uses recycled raw materials for its bags - the majority of our Harper Bag comes from former truck tarpaulins. The shoulder strap was - as you can easily see - a safety belt in a previous life. Reinforcements and hems were made from bicycle tubes. The truck tarpaulin in particular shows its age, but that does not detract from the robustness of the material. However, anyone who likes a clean look and pure white is certainly out of place here. Freitag encloses a small poster with each bag that explains the entire development process from the truck tarpaulin to the finished bag. Cool. Also interesting for the individualists: Each bag is unique and therefore not available a second time.
What you get out of the material on Freitag is remarkable: the bag looks extremely robust, almost indestructible. The seams are clean and adequately dimensioned. A serious disadvantage of the material used hits us in the face when opening the shipping bag: the bag stinks - extremely. The smell is really strong at first and fills the entire room. Freitag recommends adequate ventilation in the fresh air. This helps and the smell gradually disappears, but it takes time.
Otherwise, the truck tarpaulin offers many advantages: It only has a weary smile for rain, snow or other weather influences. In addition, as already mentioned, it really seems almost indestructible. It doesn't matter if it's heavy, sharp objects or whatever is in the bag: the Harper can take it.
Seat
According to the manufacturer, the Freitag Harper should also stand up to the everyday work of bicycle couriers - that's why we had high expectations of the fit and fit. We shouldn't be disappointed. The very well adjustable shoulder strap is pleasantly softly padded and always stays where it should be. The additional waist or chest strap then fixes the Harper in place and the bag doesn't slip an inch, even during daring driving manoeuvres.
A disadvantage of the spartan construction of the Swiss bag is certainly the lack of back padding. Depending on what you are carrying in the bag, angular or pointed objects can press uncomfortably in the long run. A thin cushion could have helped, at least partially.
Organization
Now we come to the great strength of the Freitag bag. Like any other bag, the Harper is filled with our test charge:
- A 15″ laptop
- A Tupperware
- A notebook
- Two pens
- A full 1l bottle
We easily store our items in the Harper. In the very large main compartment there is also a separate inner compartment that can be removed as it is only held in place by a Velcro fastener. Our laptop fits in well here, but due to the lack of padding, we feel a bit uneasy, especially when the bag is otherwise full to bursting. In the front area we also find two additional compartments: One of them can be closed with a zipper, the other has a cover that can be fixed with Velcro. The latter also has some slots for pens, notebooks and the like.
The loop on the front is also practical and can be used to quickly and easily attach a U-lock, for example. The "quick-access outer compartment" is simple but ingenious - there is a small zipped compartment on the side that allows quick access to the contents even while driving without having to remove the bag. The perfect place for cell phone, keys and the like.
The great strength of the Freitag Harper, however, is its flexibility. Straps on the bottom allow the bag to be tightened or stretched flat, and the main flap can be buckled in different positions depending on how full the bag is. So nothing gets mixed up inside and the bag is only as big as it absolutely has to be.
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