Sometimes, I want a minimal backpack with a main container and nothing more. Other times, I want one with more pockets than my Grill Sergeant Apron. The Arkiv Field Backpack lets me have both of those and more.
Made by Mission Workshop, it’s a modular backpack that lets you attach and detach new compartments as you feel like it. That way, you can go out armed with two pockets, five pockets or none at all using the exact same bag, depending on how much stash you need to carry for that day.
The Arkiv Field Backpack looks like a regular rucksack at first glance. At least, until you notice the two sets of “rails” each on the front, lid and sides for attaching the add-on modules. The bag has a rolltop with a strapped and buckled lid for extra-tight closure, complete with waterproof coating for all-weather utility. It comes in two sizes: small (1,200 cubic inches) and large (2,200 cubic inches).
Additional modules include an organizer pocket (the Folio), a rolltop laptop sleeve, a tool pocket, a cellphone pocket, vertical pockets, a waist belt and a shoulder strap. Some of the extra modules come with the rail system built in, so you can connect even more add-on modules to each add-on module. The larger modules include a U-lock slot in the back, which you can use as a handle for carrying the bag on its own.
The catch? Mission Workshop’s Arkiv Field Backpack isn’t cheap. The actual backpack starts at $209 for the small model and $229 for the large, with the individual modules retailing from $18 to $86 each.