Review: Crumpler’s The Vegetable Backpack

 

The actual name of the featured backpack is “The Vegetable from Inside the Mountain”.  As you can see, it is too long for a name so I decided to simply use The Vegetable in this post’s title.  Crumpler has a cute way of naming its products and most of the time you just don’t know what how it arrives at such names.   In the case of The Vegetable, it’s also quite baffling why Crumpler chose the name.  The only explanation given in Crumpler’s website is it is the literal translation of the Japanese word “sansai”, which it claims is the inspiration for the design of the backpack.

The inspiration is not that clear but that’s beside the point.  What’s only clear is that The Vegetable is another backpack that speaks of the Crumpler legacy — it’s beautifully designed, it’s tough, and it’s feature-packed.

Crumpler’s the Vegetable is a small backpack so it’s clear that it’s not meant for long travels nor is it meant as a daily school bag.  It’s something you would normally use for your daily commute, your weekend trips or just any other purpose that needs a compact backpack.  Don’t let the small size of The Vegetable fool you, however.  The Vegetable is still spacious and full of nifty features.

I like the appearance of The Vegetable. From the outside it is unassuming, yet you know it’s something premium and expensive-looking with Crumpler’s choice of accents.  When stuffed, the bag is just like a huge blue lump, but you see color accents like the black top and bottom cloths and the pink and green zippers.  It’s something a girl would definitely love, but also remain something a man would not hesitate to use.

Opening the bag reveals a green-colored interior.  Typical of any Crumpler backpack, The Vegetable has multiple storage zones, and this is really one of the main strengths of Crumpler backpacks.  The Vegetable has a main compartment with twin gripper zippered top opening, an internal padded sleeve for 13-inch laptop with velcro fastening cover, an internal zippered pocket, an internal magazine or document pouch, a vertical opening zippered front stash pocket, a foldaway drawstring shoe bag, an emergency purse and a side loop with removable carabiner for attaching just any stuff you want.  That’s about anything you’d want from a multi-purpose backpack.  Even with these compartments, the bag is still extremely light.

For durability and functionality, Crumpler definitely had the user in mind.  The Vegetable has an adjustable form-fitted padded shoulder harness that’s contoured for comfort.  It’s also dully adjustable so no matter what size your shoulders are, the bag will still feel comfortable in your shoulders.

The rear padding is even vented so it keeps fresh air circulating between the bag and the user’s back.  This means perspiration is somehow prevented.  Crumpler proudly claims that it used a polyspun twill nylon for the bag’s outer surface so it means it doesn’t scratch your clothes.  The external material is water resistant so your stuff will stay protected from rain.

After inspecting everything about Crumpler’s The Vegetable from Inside the Mountain, I still didn’t get why Crumpler chose the name.  It’s not important though. What’s important is I fund the bag to be well-constructed and full of useful features.  As a multi-purpose backpack with a laptop compartment, The Vegetable is a good choice.  If you’re looking for one with a lot of space, however, this bag is definitely not for you.

Crumpler’s The Vegetable from Inside the Mountain is priced at P5,950. It’s definitely not the most affordable all-purpose backpack around but for this price, you’re assured of a beautifully designed and extremely tough product.  The vegetable is available at Crumpler stores in Trinoma, Bonifacio High Street, SM Megamall and Robinsons Manila.  You can check Crumpler’s Facebook and Twitter accounts for updates.

Rating: 8.7/10