Manitou Shoulder Bag

I purchased this bag in April of 2018. I have waited until now to be able to provide a proper review. I also do not often write reviews. This bag is excellent. I sought out this bag initially for the craftsmanship and the fact that it was handmade in the U.S.A. It has far exceeded my expectations.

I am now 31 years old and returned to school to study psychology and human services. This bag is not only perfect for my everyday needs as a student, but it is ideal in a clinical setting. I was not seeking a bag that is incredibly flamboyant or flashy so I would not come off as being "above" a client, yet I also wanted something that would not seem out of place when I am wearing a sport coat and slacks. This is a great bag that can match any attire.

What you can most frequently find in my Big Manitou:

Front pocket 1
- portable charger
- phone charger
- computer charger
- Bluetooth headphones
- thumb drives
Front pocket 2
- Aleve
- Pepcid
- Shout Wipes
- Tums
- Cough Drops
- Gum/Altoids
- Tissues
- Microfiber eyeglass cloth
Front Zippered Pocket
- Narcan aka Naloxone (due to the nature of my work)
Main compartment
- Textbook(s)
- Single subject notebook
- 2 pocket folder
- Journal
- Daytimer
- DSM-5 (usually)
Divided compartments
- Pens, pencils, highlighters, paper binders, sharpies, deck of cards, laser pointer, telescoping pointer, adhesive page tabs
Laptop slot
- Laptop
- Legal pad
Rear zippered compartment
- Whatever magazines I may be reading at the time

Again, very happy with this purchase. Keep up the great work. I would recommend this bag a thousand time over.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the look, quality, and capabilities of this bag since I first received it back in March 2018. Before I get started, just a few things I'd like to mention.

When I originally ordered this bag, I was told that there were none in stock, so they had to make one for me (and that included the personalized leather monogram). After the nearly two weeks in production, it was promptly sent out and delivered on time....as assured by customer service.

Okay...as to the review of this product. There is nothing like the smell of waxed canvas. All good. Also, the craftsmanship involved in the making of this bag was apparent to me....as I took a very thorough look at the seems, leather, canvas, etc. And then there is the look of it. Timeless. Classic. Rugged yet sophisticated. It fits in easily enough at work, while on the metro and buses, sitting beside me at Church, and walking the streets of Downtown Los Angeles....or by the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

Over the last several months, I have been altering what I keep as part of my EDC within the bag. I think I've finally found a balance that is comfortable and usable for myself...though I can easily see someone else going much heavier than the intentional “light” carry I subscribe to (so as to save room for whatever random items I might haul, and save on the wear and tear on my back...but that's a different story). The sizeable pockets work very well for organization. Also, thanks to the lack of bag structure (a mixed blessing for me....but one that in the end serves me better than not), it can pretty much handle most anything I can place in it within reason.

As for the big flap cover.... Only once have I had a problem with it NOT staying down, and that was because we had some extremely strong winds one day that managed to repeatedly lift it up. Under normal (and not so normal) circumstances, the weight of it is enough that I have never worried about it coming up on me, or thought that a stranger might be able to get their hands under it and to my personal goods within the bag while taking public transit or stuck in a crowded location. As such, thanks to it being a messenger bag, moving it from my side, to either sitting in front of me (when on a bus/train/crowed area), or on my side/back (when walking), was never a problem or question.

Finally....the strap. It does what it does...and very well. Good hardware on it, and on the bag at the attachment points. By the way, it was worth the few extra dollars to purchase the extra padded buckskin shoulder pad. It does a marvelous job of softening and spreading the weight of what I'm carrying.

Bottom line: if you have a need to carry a number of items as part of your EDC, have space to carry more as needed, look good doing so, own something of quality that you are going to work hard and eventually hand down to your kids (or grand kids), and at the same time not draw any potentially negative attention to yourself (being a gray-man vs looking too tactical), then this bag is for you.

I use this bag daily and love its reliability. The pockets are numerous. The interior space is surprisingly much. My only complaint is that sometimes I find myself wishing it had a top handle that I could use to carry it with one hand. But that's not a knock on the bag itself, just something to be aware of as you're tossing your bag into the back seat. Highly recommend it if you're looking for a bag to bring to work or school.