Olive Gecko Java

I happened to meet the Marketing Team of Olive Gecko, and told them of my impending trip to Kathmandu. The offered me a Java Backpack in Olive Green to give it a test for my upcoming travel

Specifications of the Bag:

30 Molle attachment for clamping lightweight gear on front and side.

• Robust and Durable Nylon fabric.
• Pouch Attachment Ladder System.
• Sturdy YKK® Zippers.
• Water and Dust Resistant.
• Dual Compression Straps.
• Integrated Rain cover (This was not visible in the bag that I took) 

  The Review

1. Super Sturdy Construction. – The Bag is almost indestructible, Fully loaded and strapped on a bike through bad roads. It looked almost new, by the end of the trip

   

   

2. Space – The Bag should ideally be called  “Glutton”. I was able to fit so much stuff in it including my laptop and at one point my riding shoes as well and the bag still had space to spare.

The Bag has 2 Main Compartments, 1 Front Compartment, Another Zippered compartment at the Bottom, 1 Side Mesh Compartment for Water Bottles, 1 zippered Compartment for Mobile phones etc. 

The Interior was a dark green. A Brighter Orange / Yellow colour would have been better for visibility of items inside the cavernous bag

1. Colour – The Olive Green is a very neutral colour. Kathmandu’s roads are notorious for dust and although my jacket and my bike were covered in it, the bag did not look any worse for wear.
2. Weather Resistance – the Bag is not “waterproof” but it is highly weather resistant. I had the misfortune to encounter brief showers en route Kathmandu to Bandipur (in Nepal),  all the contents were dry inside even after over 30minutes in rain.
3. Zippers – Outside Zippers were YKK. Inside were not.

   

   

4. Comfort – I had the chance to carry it for over 3 hours on my back, for the ride back to Kathmandu from Pokhara. Fully Packed, it weighed about 10kg and the thick padding and mesh back ensured that I was comfortable even in the hot and dry climate conditions. A Sternum / Chest Strap would have made things a lot better

   

5. Bag Base: The Bottom of the bag has a Zippered Compartment, Which i used for toiletries and medicines. The Cloth Base, although made of tough material, i would have liked a pair of rubber feet or similar rough texture, to keep the bag from tipping over when full.

   

   

6. Accessories (not included)
   1. Travel Kit. Olive Gecko makes a Travel Kit/toiletry bag that is available as a stand-alone product, made of the same strong material. Pockets dont flex and the overall kit material is quite thick. 

      

      

   2. Convertible Bag – It converts from a small day pack to a folded pouch that takes up very little space. When fully opened its a knapsack. I used this as my “hand carry” bag to carry my laptop, chargers, biking boots and a bottle of rum etc. The pack is well constructed but made of much lighter material than the Java.

      

      

      In conclusion, this is a very well made bag built to last. For the price,(Currently Rs. 4750/-) is very much value for money and well-designed product. A few minor niggles, but nothing that is a “deal breaker”.

      All of Olive Gecko Products are available at their online store