Bellroy Venture Sling 9L (large crossbody bag) - Black

Used this for multiple international trips now and have really enjoyed it. Sleek design and sufficient versatility for most situations. I use this as my through-the-airport bag as well as walking around town. When I'm actually traveling, there's plenty of space for documents & IDs, notepad, ink pen, battery bank, airpods, protein bar, eye mask, ear plugs, decongestant, spare face mask, hand sanitizer... Everything I'd need quick access to. I like that's it's big enough to carry all that without everything being puzzle pieced in there. Still room to pull one thing out without other things coming out with it. It's also small enough that flight attendants don't have a problem with me wearing it for take off and landing. If there's an emergency, that's when it's gonna happen. I know not to try to bring my actual suitcase with me in an evacuation... but if I'm making it off the plane, I WILL have my passport, phone & charger. Identification and communication/money helps avoid the majority of the stress in the aftermath of an emergency. So far, it has proven durable. Though I must say, it doesn't really get abused. It most stays on my body or locked up altogether (hostel or gym locker). It doesn't get put on the floor or in overhead bins. One thing I wish it had is one thin pocket in the body side of the bag for just my passport. Traveling internationally, I find I need it frequently... But I do not ever just walk around with it in my hand. And I don't want to leave the main compartment wide open for easy access. Small gripe though.

Pack Hacker loves this thing and I think I'm going to as well. I bought it for my trip to Japan coming up. I wanted something that could hold a rain jacket, passport, phone, charger, sunglasses, sunscreen, money, etc. But I didn't want a backpack. You really should check out Pack Hacker's review of this product, but it's really well designed. When you tighten it to fit close to your body the strap pulls the sling in such a way from both ends that it flattens it somewhat against your body. Nothing extreme where it would crush something (unless you had something really delicate in the sling which I wouldn't recommend in general). There is a eye glasses zippered pouch which is positioned higher up in the sling so it keeps your lenses from banging around with the things towards the bottom of the sling. There is a fairly secure rear pocket that even the best pick pocket would be hard pressed to open and lift something out of especially if you're wearing it cross body with the bag on your front. YKK water tight zippers, and basically seat belt material make the straps for this thing. It's very well made and should last you forever. The strap buckles snap into place and unsnap if you squeeze both sides of the release, they're made from quality aluminum so they're light but strong. And it packs down to next to nothing. I plan to wear it on the plane but it can easily be emptied out and laid flat in your suit case or another bag and it would take up next to no room, (think it could share the laptop sleeve in a bag). ONLY complaint, and Pack Hacker mentions this too, is the sling isn't completely waterproof. It's hard to explain w/o you seeing but their are gaps on both sides. They're relatively small and they're covered, but in a downpour or a sizable splash and you might get water inside so, zip lock bag(s) are recommended (especially in Japan cuz public trash cans are scarce) so you can give your phone and passport and ear buds some extra protection. But, just don't get caught in a torrential downpour and you should be happy. I might update more when I get back from Japan.

This sling is my first Bellroy product and have to say that I’m really impressed. I ordered this sling in the 6L version and returned it for the 9L. I found the 6L to be a little too small for what I want to carry around. I have a smaller Aer Day Sling and was thinking about getting the Aer Day Sling Max, but opted for this product because I like the streamlined look and the fact that if you don’t have a lot of stuff into the bag that it has a low profile. I like the interior organization, the double zipper on the main compartment, and the very adjustable strap. If I had one thing that I think would make this sling stellar it would be a zipper compartment on the back of the sling (the side that lies against your body). I understand that it’s a padded back, presumably for comfort, but I think I would have preferred a pocket over a little bit of comfort. Overall, great sling, especially if you want to carry around a good amount of stuff and prefer a sling over a daypack.

Outside of a minor stain on the bag that came out with oxi clean , the 9l bellroy sling has enough space and compartments for your edc “every day carry”. A very nice minimalist look, durable feeling material, a nice choice for when you need to carry a little bit extra but don’t quite want or need a backpack.

Finally decided to pick this crossbody bag after long hesitation because of the buckle issues I’ve read. It’s holding up very well in the past month and I’ve tested the buckles extensively. It’s sized just right and the compartments are well designed. However, I’m sure the bag isn’t 9L, it is quite small and more like 6L. This is the only watch out so if you’re looking for a bigger bag, this isn’t it. Also, if you’re looking for a gadget/tablet bag, better look elsewhere. Though it’ll fit, the compartments aren’t designed for those. Overall, I’m very happy with it - good quality and highly functional. I hope it lasts.

This bag far exceeded my expectations. I've been shopping for a while for a perfect bag - for EDC and travel. I'm a big fan of Baggallini bags, for their durability and water resistance, and for all the POCKETS! But the ones I have are mostly crossbody bags that pull on my shoulders when I'm loaded up for travel. I recently came back from a week-long trip with a sore neck and decided it was time to find a way to better distribute the weight. I tried a bunch of sling bags designed for travel, but none of them fit my iPad Pro 11, which limited their use for me as travel bags. This Bellroy sling is PERFECTION. The material feels good under hand, the strap is adjustable and comfortable, and it fits my iPad Pro, as long as I'm not too loaded up with other stuff. One of my favorite features is the dual direction zipper, so I can open the main compartment from one side or the other, very quickly locating my belongings on the move. The zippers also seal completely, for even better water resistance than my Baggallinis! I also love that the key loop is located in the outer pocket, next to a perfect little mesh slip pocket, so I shove my key fob in there, attached to the loop, and NO MORE JINGLE JANGLE of the keys! That same outer pocket also has a little slip pocket for my phone, so I can have my charge bank and my phone next to each other without ever worrying about scratching. Plus, it's easy access, so I can charge on the go and still quickly grab my phone without pulling the bank out of the bag, too, and having to fumble around with all that. I also love the small sunglasses zipper pouch in the main compartment, and between all the other pockets and zip pouches in this bag, literally everything I carry has a place. The organization freak in me is SATISFIED. I wear this bag with the strap long as a regular shoulder or crossbody bag, cinch it up and use it as a front or back-facing sling, and I can reach my stuff in seconds no matter how I carry it. I'm so obsessed with this bag, sometimes I just carry it from room to room in my house! Hah! I also feel great about buying from a B-corp and buying a product made with post-consumer recycled materials. After trying about 20 different bags, I'm 100% confident that this is the WINNER! :) Get one.

This bag has a premium, classy, and understated design with top quality materials, fit, and finish. Unfortunately the design makes poor use of space and makes it very difficult to access the contents of the bag while it's being worn. I purchased a different, smaller bag from another company and it can easily fit more items including an iPad Pro while making everything easy to access, despite its smaller volume. if I might make one suggestion, it would be to redesign the opening for the main compartment so that it opens more widely instead of just providing a slit at the top.

I originally got the Bellroy Venture Sling 9L for traveling with my camera, but now I use it at most weddings to hold lenses and flashes. The compartments are well-designed, it’s comfortable to carry, and it keeps my gear organized and easy to access. A really versatile and reliable bag for photographers on the move.