Crumpler Dry Red No 8 Review
The Crumpler Dry Red No 8 is a mobile office, overnight bag, and everyday workhorse all rolled into one. It has compartments and pockets for all of your mobile gadgetry: headphones, cellphones, tablets, laptops (yes, with an “s”), external HDD, pocket modems, etc. Add to that the sleek executive look and the quality material used by Crumpler and you have a clear #winning bag.
Overview
The Crumpler Dry Red No 8 has six storage zones with multiple pockets and compartments inside them including two easy access points at the front and at the back for your wallet, phones, etc. Let’s go over all of them one by one.
The front zipper and clasp sealed front pocket is one of my favorite features of the bag. Here you’ll find an organized layout of slots for your phones, cards, and pens. There’s also still enough space for you to just dump all other small peripherals inside it. In the photo above there’s the Samsung Galaxy Note, Smart Rocket WiFi Plus, Nokia Lumia 800, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Smart Evolution 4G LTE USB Dongle, Galaxy Note Accessories, a 16GB USB Flash Drive, and the Divoom iTour Pop. There’s also a key loop that you can use for your house or car keys. That’s a lot for a front pocket right? 🙂
Note that you don’t have to open the zipper all the way down. You can keep the clasp locked so that you can just open the zipper at the top and grab stuff without totally exposing what’s inside to public view.
Next up we have the main pocket which has an interior padded brushed sleeve with a velcro strap for laptops up to 17-inches, a zippered pocket with mesh panel, and a cargo space for documents, books or notebooks.
You can put a laptop in the space with the velcro sleeve. I only use a 13-inch and it can fit in there even with a speck case and a sleeve. The space can actually fit a 17-inch laptop.
For the cargo space in the middle you can put in books, notebooks, or your tablet. I have the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 there with the Bluetooth Keyboard Case. This space is actually quite big. This can easily turn into your overnight bag if needed since there’s another laptop sleeve which you can actually use which gives this entire main compartment for your clothes.
The zippered mesh panel is where I usually put chargers, headphones, and amps. My usual portable headphone is the Jays v-JAYS and I often bring with me either the FiiO E17 or FiiO E11 to compliment it when I want to listen to good music while on the go. I also have there my external hard drive and my S95.
By the way here’s a photo of the extra laptop compartment I was talking about earlier:
Lastly we have the zippered pocket at the back. This is where your other easy access stuff.
Three ways to carry it
You can bring around the Crumpler Dry Red No 8 in three different ways. You can use the and attach the strap and carry it like a messenger bag. You can also keep the strap inside and just carry it using the neoprene padded handles like a briefcase. Lastly you can slide it in a stroller since it has a slot at the back which is ideal for people who travel a lot.
Verdict, Pricing, and Availability
The Crumpler Dry Red No 8 is a great all-around bag that you can use in different situations. If you’re looking for a bag that you’ll be abusing daily then this might be something that you should check out. It can withstand a beating and still protect all of your stuff in a stylish manner. The price is a bit high for your usual laptop bag but I think it’s perfectly justifiable given what you’re getting.
It’s priced at around Php4,950 and it’s available in Crumpler stores. I’m not sure about all the branches of Crumpler but I’m certain there’s one in SM Megamall and another one in Bonifacio High Street (my favorite).
Crumpler Philippines just put up a Facebook Page. I suggest you guys like it so you get news on promos, sales, and other gimmicks they’re doing.
