Shadow Guide 23

Exceptional Quality and Comfort

5/5 I honestly love this backpack. The quality of the materials is on another level compared to anything I’ve used before. It feels extremely well made, but at the same time it’s very comfortable and easy to handle. What surprised me the most is how well it carries weight. I can pack quite a lot, and it still feels lighter on my back than other backpacks I’ve owned. I’ve been using it for different situations like trips, walks in nature, even just daily use, and it works great for all of them. The colors are also beautiful and a bit different from the usual, which I really like. If I had to mention one small downside, I would probably want a few more pockets for organization. That said, I’ve seen the Smart Alec 2.0 and it looks like a great option for people who want that. Overall, I’m a big fan. This definitely made me a loyal customer.

Comfortable city bag

In summary: I like it a lot and would recommend if you like the look and are okay with basically a bucket bag with only minimal organization. The organization it does have is very functional and it's comfortable to wear. In detail: I bought this for use as a city bag. I live on the East coast of the US and train travel is super easy between all the cities here, but I needed something more comfortable to carry on my back so I could travel light without the pain I get from a lot of backpacks. There are no exterior pockets so I don't have to worry in crowds or on the subway and it's comfortable to carry for long periods. I've also been using it as my daily commuter bag and I've enjoyed it more than a lot of other bags I've tried (S25, GR1, Bellroy, Troubador). My work laptop is a huge 16" laptop (14"x10"x1.09") that limits my backpack options. The SG23 laptop pocket is surprisingly tall enough, but my laptop is way too wide for it. I just put it in a sleeve in the main compartment. My other main TB bag is a Synapse 25 which is awesome for the organization but it's huge on my body (I'm 5'3") and very uncomfortable to wear for any period. The SG23 also leans against a wall a lot better than the S25 even though it's sited as an issue for this bag specifically. The S25 has been relegated to car travel only so I get all the easy organization and only have to carry it from car to room. I also feel like I need to add that I'd never use this as a hiking bag. It is comfortable and supportive enough as a regular backpack but I can get a dedicated hiking daypack for ~$60 that's a lot more comfortable and purpose built instead of my expensive $300+ tom bihn bag that just doesn't perform nearly as well at that purpose.

Versatile bag

Recently took this on a flight as my personal bag and used it on a hike at my destination. Worked very well for both of these, it fit perfectly under the airplane seat and had excellent organization for snacks. On the hike it was comfortable and held lots of water and a sweater. Very well built bag and I hope to get lots more use from it.