By Starting as a one-man passion project in 2016, Earth Workshop is run by Michael from his studio in Gdansk, Poland. Previously known as Earth Warsaw, a move from the Polish capital in September 2019 prompted a name change, and a new push in production for the craftsman.
The Everyday Bag 2.0 is Earth Workshop’s premiere model, a rolltop, crossbody sling sporting Austrialpin Cobra buckles. As the name suggests, it’s designed for urban ‘everyday carry’ use, although this type of sling serves a core function during travel, also. In the past they’ve produced waist bags, backpacks and others, but at time of writing there are only a couple of listings on their site.
Tech Specs
| Metric | Imperial | |
| Height | 26cm | 10.2” |
| Width | 26cm | 10.2” |
| Depth | 9cm | 3.5” |
| Weight | 443g | 0.97lbs |
| Volume | 2L | 122 Cu. In. |
| Primary Material | 500D Cordura, Austrialpin Cobra Buckles |
Dimensions taken from Earth Workshop (listed as Full, Closed). Weight recorded by author.
Quality & Comfort
From the first inspection, the materials used for the Everyday 2.0 are sound. Alongside their own branding, Earth Workshop have affixed a woven Cordura tag, displaying the authenticity of the fabric as a point of pride. The 500d fabric is an excellent choice, remaining flexible and smart without compromising on durability. The heavy-duty Cobra buckles define the look of the bag, prominent against the clean exterior.
Resilient to the point of being total overkill on a sling this size, the Cobras come with the reassurance that they’re going to survive anything I can put the bag through, as well as a tactile element that’s just so damn satisfying. For those who dislike the statement (or the weight) added with this hardware, there is a ‘1.0’ Everyday Bag with plastic buckles instead. Surprisingly, Earth Workshop haven’t used YKK zippers – but after playing with the ‘Opti’ brand sliders I’ve seen no cause for concern.
On the subject of zips, the knotted pulls exemplify the subtly functional approach that Earth Workshop have taken. They’re discrete, simple and usable. What ornamentation there is, such as the logo tags, would have been easy to remove were I so inclined, leaving a totally slick, anonymous sling bag. Otherwise, the bag’s build is remarkably utilitarian, with nothing added that doesn’t serve a clear purpose. Extra loops in the straps act as grabbing points, or quick-adjusters. The compression strap has the dual purpose of carrying overload, such as a discarded hoody on a warm day. The tension buckle is fixed in a closed loop, preventing it from dangling or swinging about in movement. A lot of work is done by very few elements in this bag, which is the mark of a well-considered design.
A sling like this is too small for weight to create an issue, but comfort is still paramount to use. Nothing but the length of the strap is adjustable, so it can only really be worn across the body, running under the right arm, and was better tight against my back rather than slung down on my hip. The sling also lacks any way to stabilize itself against movement, meaning it will shift if you try to run, or lean forward too far, no matter how tight you have it. The strap itself is little more than a broad length of webbing, but the way it comes off the bag kept it at a nice angle – this also allowed the bag to be worn forwards, at my front, for access. I found that even with the oversized cobra buckle, the bag stayed comfortable that way, and had no issues sitting, driving, or walking around with a larger rucksack (for a ‘two bag travel’ set-up) on my back.
Organisation
The Everyday Bag 2.0’s rolltop and compression system make it very easy to cinch down, for a really minimal pack-out. That being said, the challenge for the designer, with a sling bag of this size, is to maximise the functional space, to ensure none of it is wasted, or unusable. Sometimes a featureless interior is the way to achieve this, but Earth Workshop have instead created a few pockets to keep things tidy. The internal pocket behind the front panel is perfectly sized for an A5 notepad, and positioned for a quick draw once the bag is open.
Inside the rolling lid is another zipped-off space which would work for pens or small-framed glasses, although I used it for my Gerber Dime multitool – this pocket is small but very handy, creating volume in an area of the bag that would easily be ignored.
A third zip makes a flat pocket on the bag’s exterior, hidden next to the wearer’s body but easily accessible. This would make the perfect spot for a passport and boarding pass, or else a wallet or access card that needs grabbing on the go.
Less useful, for me, were the elastic loops sewn into the Everyday Bag’s main compartment. The bag is just about voluminous enough for loose items to swim about, and my preferred approach for a while now has been to keep things in pouches, for easy grabbing and mobility. The placement of these loops meant they were buried beneath anything else in the bag, and hard to reach. I’m sure some users will find such an addition to be totally essential in a bag like this, but I wonder if it would be better placed on the opposite panel, away from the body.
What’s Perfect
- The material selection puts this bag in league with some of the very best on the market.
- The bag’s capacity sits in a real sweet-spot – large enough to be useful, small enough to be ‘essentials only.’
What’s Not
- The bag’s organisation needs tweaking just a little, and might benefit from simplification.
- The construction is definitely ‘artisanal’ rather than the uniform quality of a major factory. This isn’t a concern as such, but bears extra scrutiny
Wrap Up
Someone (don’t ask me who) once said that good design is about taking away everything that isn’t needed – the Everyday Bag 2.0 comes pretty close to that ideal. It’s stripped back, and very functional as a result, but that shows. Looks can be subjective, but Earth Workshop’s design approach is very much ‘function over form’ – if you need flashy features or a dynamic silhouette then this might not be the bag for you, but there’s no denying how well it does in use.
Editor’s Note: This bag was provided by Earth Workshop Studio as a sample for review purposes. The content of this review was not shared with Earth Workshop before publishing. Our reviews are unbiased and never modified to keep a brand happy.
The Perfect Pack 