Review: Roadrunner Bags Americano
Originally posted on July 26, 2018 at 0:01 amRoadrunner Bags Americano – $380
by Stephen Haynes
In the last year or so I’ve taken to painting outside. As my interest in the activity has grown, so too has my list of supplies that I carry with me into the field. To that end, I’ve been looking for a bag that would remain unphased at my continual accrual of painting supplies and simply expand to accommodate the extra kit.
Enter the Americano from Roadrunner bags. This enormous bag was intended for use by couriers whose volumetric needs fluctuate from delivery to delivery and are often oddly shaped or oversized. The Americano is a veritable Bag of Holding when it comes to the abyssal depths of its 90L capacity.
The base model Americano starts at $230 and is essentially one large roll top bag with a pocket and a light loop. My “All Options” tester came with an additional pocket on the flap of the basic pocket, vented mesh back and shoulder straps, a vented mesh waist strap and two massive side pouches for stash and go accessibility. All these extras will set you back an additional $150.
The Americano’s shell is built using a 1000D Cordura and comes in a number of colors from black to olive to leafy camo. The interior of the bag is lined with orange 18-ounce vinyl and looks and feels like something Jacques Cousteau might employ. All kidding aside, this bag is bomb proof, let alone weatherproof.
Wearing the Americano is reminiscent of old-school hiking bags minus the aluminum scaffold structure, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The generous padding in the shoulders, back and waist displace the load nicely and help ward off hot spots that would surely develop with less robust padding. That said, with this thing loaded with all 30 lbs. of my painting equipment, I’m happy to take it off when I get to where I’m going. Lighter loads are, of course, less of a burden all around.
The price is a barrier I think for most, but if you make your living with one of these things, you could do far worse. For the rest of us looking for an indestructible and weatherproof piece of luggage to carry around the bits and bobs of our latest passion project then look no further than the Roadrunner Bags Americano.
