Unplug 110L Ultimate Adventure Bag
As many of you know, I admit to being a “gear whore.” I love to try new things and figure out what the best options are for my riding style. Also, as a moderately successful YouTube creator, I get contacted by companies wanting me to do product reviews. Most I ignore, but if the product looks like it will be useful to me or to my viewers, then I say sure, send me your wares and I will take a look. Just one of those cases happened recently when Frazer from “Unplug Easy Outdoor Adventure” contacted me about reviewing one of their “Ultimate Adventure Bags.”
Immediately upon viewing their website I know that I wanted to review these bags, because Frazer’s, and the company's, attitude toward camping and outdoor adventure seem to be in sync with mine, that is that camping should be fun and easy. If it is a lot of work and uncomfortable, then I would rather get a hotel.
After our trip to Alaska in 2017, I decided that I needed to simplify my packing setup for camping. My gear was spread out over several bags and I had to get in and out of them when arriving at our campsite. In addition, I carried the smallest, lightest gear I could get and while saving weight, it was just not comfortable and I had a horrible time sleeping. So, after returning I decided that I needed a better sleeping solution (better mat and bag) and an easier way to pack my gear.
For me a better sleeping solution meant a larger mat (Exped Mega Mat 10) and a wider zipper-less bag. Both of which were larger and took up more room. I needed a single bag in which I could pack all of my camping gear (or at least what I needed to set up camp). Because of the larger mat and bag dimensions, I needed a larger waterproof (it has to be waterproof) bag. Thus I purchased an SW MOTECH DryBag 600, which is a 60 liter roll-top duffle. In it, I could easily fit my Mega Mat 10, my sleeping bag, two man tent, camp chair, hatchet and pillow. I have been using this single bag solution for the last 5 years or so, and it has worked out great.
Watch One Bag Solution Video: https://youtu.be/SSa6iWHl9OM
The Ultimate Adventure Bag!
GETS GEAR THROUGH ANY WEATHER - 100% WATERPROOF DUFFEL BAG Handles Heavy Rain, Snow, Sand, Mud, Dust and Brief Submersion. Roll Down Zip System + 8 Compression Straps creates Airtight Dry Bag
Bag Comparison
The SW MOTECH bag has also been great, but when given a chance to upgrade for a slightly larger and more durable option, I jumped at the chance. The main differences between the two bags are:
SW MOTECH DryBag 600
- Measures 28 x 13 x13 providing 77 liters of space (sold as 60 liters)
- 500D PVC coated polyester material
- 4 point strapping system made for motorcycles
- Velcro closure
- 4 point compression system
- 2 year warranty
UNPLUG Ultimate Adventure Bag 110L
- Measures 29 x 16 x15 providing 114 liters of space (sold as 110 liters)
- 1680D ballistic ripstop Oxford
- Muli-point strapping system (Molle) on both sides of the bag
- Heavy duty grab handles
- YKK zippered closure
- 8 point compression system
- Removable padded backpack straps
- Extended 5 year warranty
When you get the Unplug Ultimate Adventure bag, you immediately notice the heavy duty construction in comparison to other products on the market. Compared to the SW MOTECH bag, the UNPLUG bag is more than three times heavier.
For this interested, a Denier is defined as:
"The measurement is defined as the mass of 9000 meters of fiber. So, denier indicates fiber thickness and also weight in grams. 1 Denier =1 gram per 9000 meters."
In looking the UNPLUG bag over, I could find no flaws in workmanship. All of the “high-frequency welds” were clean and well done. There is stitching where the strapping system and handles have been added to the bag, but none of those sticking goes through the main body of the bag. All sew pieces are mounted to separate layers of fabric that are welded to the main body.
SW MOTECH SEAMS
High-Frequency Welding
UNPLUG Seams
High-Frequency Welding
Stiching
The is no through stiching that can let water into the bag!
Motorcycle Specific Items
A couple of motorcycle specific points about the bag are that you will need to purchase straps of some kind to mount the UNPLUG bag. Unlike the SW MOTECH DryBag 600 that was designed for motorcycle travel, the Ultimate Adventure Bag has been engineered for a wide variety of uses, including car camping, kayaking and of course motorcycling. For me this is no big deal in that I already have several sets of ROK-STRAPS which pass easily through the Molle strapping loops.
Tie Down Loops
There are multiple tie-down loops on each side of the bag, allowing you to pretty much attach it to anything.
Buckles Easily Pass
The tie-down loops are design to all the easy passage of common cam or tension buckles.
On the Bike
Even a large bag like this can easily be mounted to a motorcycle. The contents of this bag weight about 25 pounds.
Can I Fit My Stuff Inside?
Yep, it fits!
With all the comparisons and talk of durability aside, I still need to be able to fit my stuff in the bag, and in this case, I want to be able to carry a larger tent. My normal tent is a Sierra Designs two man tent. This piece of equipment has been durable and is fairly easy to set up, but it is still only big enough for me and my gear. It is also very low to the ground, which requires that my old bones crawl around on my hands and knees. Needless to say, this process is getting harder and harder for me as I age.
The last time I was camping in this two person tent, I thought to myself, why am I doing this? I have a MSR Habitude 6 person tent that I can stand up in. If I can get this in my bag, why not carry it? I know it is heavier (14 pounds compared to 4) but still, 10 pounds is not a big deal when you are used to hauling around a full size person on your back seat. The major issue is the much larger size.
This is where the UNPLUG 110 liter bag comes in. With the slightly larger space, I am easily able to carry my Mega Mat 10 and my Habitube tent–with room to spare. In fact I am still able to fit my camp chair, pillow, hatchet, cooking equipment and a few other smaller items inside. The one thing I cannot fit is my sleeping bag, however, I think breaking my one bag policy is ok, if it means I can stand up inside my tent.
Summary and Where to Buy!
So far, I am really impressed with this bag. It was designed in Australia to be as rugged as the Outback and easy to use. While only time will tell about the durability and water-tightness of this bag, I am very encouraged by my initial findings. I will keep you posted as I continue to use and test this bag.
Shipping was fast and easy as they have shipping locations right here, in the good old USA.
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Ride safe my friends!
Craig Ripley
The Ultimate Adventure Bag!
GETS GEAR THROUGH ANY WEATHER - 100% WATERPROOF DUFFEL BAG Handles Heavy Rain, Snow, Sand, Mud, Dust and Brief Submersion. Roll Down Zip System + 8 Compression Straps creates Airtight Dry Bag