Review: RMU Mountain Briefcase

GET YOUR RMU MOUNTAIN BRIEFCASE!

Whenever skiing or mountain biking trips are on the horizon, I find myself throwing all of my gear into one massive rolling duffel bag – along with all the clothes, toiletries and all the things I need for the adventure. The problem is, I’m incredibly disorganized, and when it comes time to pulling out just the mountain biking gear, it’s hard to find exactly what I need without digging through a massive disorganized pile to find my chamois.

This pack is the mullet of all travel packs. Business in the front & party in the back. If you’re going for long distance traveling adventure, it’s the perfect suitcase for a flight companion, or works as a pack to throw in the back of the truck.

Although it’s not quite ski season just yet, I did test whether the pack truly could fit all the necessary ski gear I would need, just packing it up in my living room. Luckily, it fit perfectly, and I can’t wait to use this pack for winter.

For the most part, I used it to pack mountain bike gear and also used it as a general suitcase/ travel pack. It’s expandable (from 35L to 50L) as well, so it can carry a varying amount of gear, plus the necessities you may need for any trip.

The pack of many uses!

Fit/Comfort

I love this pack because of the three varying ways you can carry it. You can easily switch from backpack to shoulder bag, depending on your preference.

It has really nice backpack straps and hip belt, and many ways to make adjustments to fit the pack in a really comfortable way – even full of ski boots and all the heavy gear. You can adjust both the bottom of the straps and the top of the straps to find the right fit, as well as roll-up the webbing on the straps, so they stay in place. There is also a padded side strap to use in a side carry faction, although I primarily used the backpack.

Look/Style

I love the look of this pack. It comes in both a black and canvas version, which is a really great mustard/green color, which I love. The orange detail works really well, and all and all it’s a real pretty pack. Plus, it makes you look more like an “adventure junkie” rather than the buttoned-up business travel. It looks exactly like a travel pack a ski company would make. People in the airport will most likely ask you, “what badass thing are you about to do with that pack?!”

Features

I love the ability for it to expand, depending on the amount of gear inside from a 35L to a 50L pack. When you’ve got a little bit extra, you know you have the room for it!

It’s airport friendly as well, with a false floor to store valuables, as well as meets carry on restrictions for most airlines. It also features exterior straps to make it roller back friendly. You can slide the handle of rolling back through the front straps when traveling. It also has lockable zippers, so those thieves can’t get in!

The padding is EVA foam padding in both the straps as well as the back of the pack (which also contains the laptop sleeve), so it’s extra comfortable. You can also stowe away either the side carry strap or the backpack straps depending on which you’d like to use.

I love the fact that it folds out so you can easily access the organized pockets, and sections to find anything you need quickly and easily. It has a ski boot compartment, which fit mine perfectly, and still leaves room for all the apparel, gloves, and hats you need. Plus, it has instructions on how to fold your clothes – which let’s be honest, we can’t all be Marie Kondo.

The various mesh pockets are compartmentalized for clothes, necessities and essentials. It also has a padded laptop sleep (accessible from the back) that can fit a 13 inch laptop, some chords and a notebook.

The helmet is always the tricky thing to pack in a suitcase, but they’ve solved for that too! An exterior helmet sling hides away in a small zipper on the front, and can be pulled out and used, or stored away.

My favorite is the strap with the bottle opener. I don’t think I have to explain why that is incredibly useful 😉

Weight/Packability

The pack altogether weighs about 4lbs, which is pretty lightweight for a travel pack, compared to a rolling suitcase. If you like to carry a backpacking pack for travel purposes, it’s comparable, but not adaptable to many uses. It’s a solid piece of luggage that’s still comfortable with a lot packed in.

Durability/Construction

The exterior fabric is weather resistant and I found that it help up really well no matter the weather – throwing it into the back of the truck, passing through the occasional rainstorm (and I assume) snowstorm.

Aluminum hardwear is a great feature, and the zippers are high quality and haven’t gotten stuck thus far. It’s pretty easy to fold the clamshell and tighten everything down.

It has reflective logos as well and stands out in the dark. Luckily that made it easy to find my pack when unloading the truck and setting up camp.

Friendliness to the Earth

RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground) is a company of ski bums, who love what they do. They have implemented an employee ownership program and raise funds for several non-profits including POW and First Descents. They are committed to creating quality products that are made here in USA. Every RMU product comes with a lifetime warranty.

They pride themselves on making skis and gear with the least environmental impact.

“We have found a great partner who runs their factory only on renewable energy, heats with geo thermal systems and is committed to maintaining a minimal waste process to impact our environment as little as possible.”

The Final Word

I’m tossing the regular old rolly bag suitcase in the closet and bringing the RMU Mountain Briefcase instead. It’s many uses make it appealing for any type of travel, but I’ll definitely continue to use this for specific adventures – and am excited to have a designated ski pack for weekend trips.

This review was originally posted on DirtbagDreams.com.
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