Being a full time traveler, both by nature and profession, brought me to Denver, Colorado in January. This trip gave me the opportunity to scope out a place
that has been on my radar since it opened: the
Topo Designs flagship store.
I've always seen their bags online and been legitimately stoked about
the aesthetics of their bags and the ethos of their brand, so walking in
to their shop was incredibly exciting for me. Every bag is made
right here in the USA in a
LEED
certified building that has a view of the Rockies; I got to
experience the brand at its source. Their bags are simple, classic,
stylish, and they provide you with exactly what you need in terms of
function. No frills.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that they carried other exciting brands in their store, such as
Randolph Engineering, who make my trusty aviator sunglasses, and
Woolrich Woolen Mills,
hailing from my beloved home state of Pennsylvania. Topo does an
awesome collaboration with Woolrich, as seen in the photo I
took as I stepped into their store.
Upon entering, I was greeted by a super knowledgeable guy named Josh who walked me through all of the bags that Topo Designs has to offer. I
have seen similar, cheaper bags on the market in both style and function
but for
a few extra bucks, I think it's worthwhile to support the thoughtful
design, quality, and philosophy that goes into every Topo product.
Josh unknowingly led me to the one that was exactly what I needed: the
Mountain Briefcase. It's available in the three colors pictured below, but I came to the conclusion that Duck Camo was the obvious choice for me.
Since
I am writing this after having used the bag for nearly two months, I
can tell you with certainty that this has been the ultimate bag for
all of my needs. It can be used like a traditional two-handle briefcase
that comes with a removable shoulder strap, but it also has stowaway
backpack straps that allow you to carry it from inside the office straight to the mountaintop. Within a week of buying my bag I took it to ski slopes, mountain trails, the airport, and the workplace. I could
comfortably fit my snacks, water bottle, and extra clothing layers for
being on the mountain, which I then switched out to fit two laptops, some
documents, and notebooks for the workplace. I decided to pick up
the accessory straps which can be attached to the leather lash tabs on the outside
of the bag. This comes in handy if you need to carry more than you can stow away inside your bag. There are
also some cinch straps on the base of the bag. These cinches were useful
for strapping down my jacket when I had to take it off as I began to
overheat on my hike.
It goes without saying that I am now officially a Topo Designs fan for life. If you need a bag, check them out. I know Anne has been coveting some gear from Topo for over two years now and, after allowing me to blog about them, she'll probably order something very soon.
TopoDesigns.com
On to the bag. I've been a Topo Designs fan for quite a while now... and when my boyfriend picked up a Mountain Briefcase in Duck Camo on his trip to Colorado last winter, I was super jealous but encouraged him to write a guest post about the experience. So after our burrito break and a leisurely stroll through some small shops in the city, I forced my accomplices to take the 20 minute walk in 95 degree heat up to the Topo flagship store. Come hell or high water... I'm in Denver, I'm getting one of these bags.
