Back when I was a student working as a bike messenger, I believed that the only bag worth using for cycling was an uncompromisingly rugged messenger bag—I couldn’t imagine using anything else. They could hold tons of cargo, were virtually indestructible, and rain didn’t bother them at all. But after using bags like that for a long time, my lifestyle changed, and I started thinking, "I don't do deliveries anymore. I just need something that can hold what I need for my daily commute, trips into town, or bike rides, and is as comfortable to carry as possible." That’s how I began to feel.
It all started at the 2011 Oregon Manifest, a small handmade bike show. I remember being moved by the Urban Utility Bike from Cielo by Chris King, which was unveiled there and featured truly inspired design, but the simple yet cool side bag mounted to it also burned itself into my memory. That was my first encounter with the bags of Truce Designs, which are handmade in the same city as Cielo: Portland.
Truce Designs – Japanese from Truce Designs on Vimeo.
Truce bags are crafted by Luke Mathers, a man who enjoys every type of outdoor play imaginable—from cycling and trekking to sailing and surfing. Their flagship Drop Liner Backpack was exactly what we had been looking for: something you genuinely want to carry in your daily life and for all sorts of activities.
Focusing on sailcloth—the same material used for yacht sails—the bags are light, incredibly durable, and highly water-resistant. When I actually put one on, it was surprisingly light and comfortable, and honestly, it changed the way I think about bags. It might not have the heavy-duty rigidity of a messenger bag, but it’s plenty tough and has a great capacity. I still remember how surprised I was at how comfortable it felt to wear and how easily I could move while wearing it. Since then, I’ve used it every single day—I’m not exaggerating when I say there hasn’t been a day in 365 days that I haven't worn it. Whether for daily life, trail rides with a hydration bladder, fishing trips, or even my trips to NAHBS in the States, I use it constantly.
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Drop Liner Back Pack
41,800 yen (tax excluded) – 45,800 yen (tax excluded)
Beyond sailcloth, Luke has an insatiable curiosity for fabrics like Cordura nylon and Dyneema denim made with reinforced polyethylene fibers. He also actively creates bags using wool fabrics from Pendleton and Woolrich, and every one of these bags features an interior compartment made from drysuit material. In other words: you don't have to worry about your belongings getting wet, even on rainy days.
A bag that hits the trifecta of water resistance, durability, and lightness—it’s the result of someone who has exhausted every form of play and arrived at the best materials and manufacturing methods to bring them to life. This bag is packed with that kind of passion.
And am I the only one who finds it rich that, as if to say that specs aren't everything, he also creates bags overflowing with the warmth of wool?
The moment you pick it up and put it on, your concept of what a bag is will change.
I can say this because I’ve been using it for a long time: this is a quality piece.
Why not fill a bag packed with the spirit of its creator, the "genius of play" Luke, with your own passions and go see some sights you haven't seen yet?