AmeriBag Great Outdoors Tech Bag Review: An Ergonomic Man Bag for Travel

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

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Price and Where to Buy: The Healthy Back Bag by AmeriBag Tech Bag is $85 on AmeriBag.com.

Note: To review this unisex bag that, unlike most other AmeriBags, is geared more to men, I enlisted the help of two brothers-in-law, who each tested the bag for a week and gave their perspective as men who generally opt for messenger bags or backpacks for work and play.

How the AmeriBag Great Outdoors Tech Bag Rates:

Usefulness: 8/10. With its weather-resistant exterior, ergonomic shape, separate wet-gear section, and multi-pocketed interior, the unisex Healthy Back Bag Tech Bag is “more comfortable than the typical messenger bag and its symmetry allows you to use either shoulder to bear the weight. I would not hesitate to walk a long distance with this bag;” “I found it less likely to awkwardly fall off my back as I bent over—an everyday occurrence with my messenger bag;” “I could fit a remarkable amount of stuff inside the bag.” On the downside, “the bag has a lot of deep pockets where small items can lurk, and I sometimes mindlessly placed items in the bag only to have to empty out all the contents when I went to retrieve something.”
Durability: 9/10. “The dense weave of the fabric and zippers with a seal seemed to really hold up;” “When I wore the bag it felt secure and strong.”
Cool Factor: 6.5/10. “I don’t think Steve McQueen would have used one;” “the finish of the bag was too shiny for my taste, but the form-fitting shape felt athletic;” “For vacation travel or more casual occasions, it would be great.”

Final Verdict: This super ergonomic vacation-ready bag geared to men offers comfort and durability, but the multitude of pockets and shiny, patterned fabric may dissuade messenger-bag die-hards from embracing the strengths of this man bag.

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Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on usefulness, portability, durability, value, and “cool factor.” Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product. If you have any questions or comments concerning our reviews or would like to suggest a product for review, please email us at editor@smartertravel.com.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.