Mission Workshop Reviews: The Helmsman

[@LLemon_Pepper]

Great review as always. Looking forward to a fabrics video. The fabrics are one of the things I think really sets mission workshop apart, but at the same time, it's really frustrating trying to find info about them on their website.

[@MissionWorkshopReviews]

Eddie Beach coming soon!

[@KrisBaca]

FYI, Most bag makers use the same fabrics: ballistic nylon, cordura, dyneema, XPAC. About the only differences are "my HT is 520 vs theirs which is 500". For example, Inside Line Equipment across the bay uses the same fabrics, and Tom Bihn in Seattle as well as Red Oxx in Montana and all of the other usual suspects (Chrome, waterfield, rickshaw, etc).

[@mnyheim11]

Great review! Will most likely get one of these. I am however curious to how the rolltop design affects how waterproof the main compartment is. And do you think the rack attachments will work on a front rack that is narrower than the one you have? Mine is 8.5" wide (the great Pelago Commuter front rack).

[@MissionWorkshopReviews]

mnyheim thank you. Like their rolltop backpacks and messenger bags, the rolltop duffle is just as weatherproof as their zip bags. While I have not used the Helmsman in the rain, I have used their other rolltop bags and there have been no issues with water getting in at all. As for your rack, the Pelago commuter rack should definitely work. Mission Workshop used the larger one in some of their photo shoots and videos for the bag actually! I would have loved to get one myself but Pelago doesn't ship to the US.

[@mnyheim11]

Great info, thanks!

[@mnyheim11]

Got mine this week! Bought at Bicycle Store in Paris, in grey color. It's an amazing bag. Traveled home with it as a carry-on on the plane, with no problems. Fits snugly under the seat in front of you.

[@studiozoo4022]

nice, have you tried teh sholder straps with this bag?

[@MissionWorkshopReviews]

I have not--on my to do list though.

[@mattlemons5104]

I'm looking into getting a Mission Workshop bag. I just missed the holiday sale do to indecisiveness. I think I've settled on the Helmsman. I've got a Chrome Citizen messenger, and a couple of Red Oxx bags (incl. air boss). I'm just looking for something different and nice looking. Anyway, you mention in the review of the Helmsman bag, you might be interested in selling it, are you? How much would you want for it? By the way, thanks for all of the reviews! Show less REPLY

[@MissionWorkshopReviews]

Matt Lemons I actually sold it on eBay a few months ago. Sorry man. Don’t fret about missing the holiday sale. New newsletter subscribers get 10% off. Not too bad. Thanks for watching!

[@mattlemons5104]

Thanks for the quick reply, and seriously thanks again for the videos!

[@nurfazly]

This burgundy color is not available in their website. Any chance I cld get it? Thanks.

[@MissionWorkshopReviews]

nurfazly your best bet to try and get this colorway is to contact the MW storefronts in SF or LA. They sometimes have colors not available online.

[@hsiaopz]

First, thanks for all your fantastic reviews! Are you planning on reviewing the Transit Laptop, or the Transit Arkiv?

[@MissionWorkshopReviews]

Thanks for subscribing! I actually did a review of the Transit: Laptop and Transit: Duffle (not the Transit: Arkiv) on my channel. They are older reviews so the lighting is not as good as this review, but the information should be helpful! Here is the link to the Transit: Laptop kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipexd419pdpkrZY

[@JaredCzaia]

Do you have bike with drops? I run drops and I am thinking about getting this but I'm thinking it's going to be getting in the way of my brake grip.

[@MissionWorkshopReviews]

Great question. I do not have drops. I remember seeing a picture on Instagram I believe of a guy who bought the Helmsman at Mission Workshop's NYC pop up store in March. I think he had drops but I cannot for the life of me find the picture to confirm. You can totally order the bag though, and if it doesn't work, you have 45 days to return it. They are very cool about returns and even pay for return shipping. You can also email them directly at [e-mail] and ask. They are very helpful. Ill keep looking for that photo because now it is bothering me that I can't find it!

[@KrisBaca]

I just got one in black camo and ... I'm not sure. I have the Rambler special edition in black camo from two years ago and it feels SO much more substantial. Comparatively this bag feels very flimsy and lower quality: the webbing, the fabric, the liner ... it all feels just so much more fragile. And the internal foam frame slips and slides all over. Another example is the roll top on my rambler is lined and backed and feels think and substantial - the Helmsman rolltop is just the thin raw cordura. I can't decide if all of this is due to keeping the bag lightweight or if quality has gone down. It sure feels like the latter ... all of the materials feel lower quality. Not sure if I'll return it, but it'll probably be my last MW bag. I like the look and design but the materials just aren't up to my Rambler. Kinda disappointed.

[@MissionWorkshopReviews]

Kris Baca as far as I know, the black camo is made from 500 D Cordura (their other bags are made from 1000D). If anything, I would think the fabric would feel tougher as it is a lower, more coarse thread count. The Helmsmans are made in America so the quality should be the same. That all being said, I was not a fan of the Helmsman I reviewed but I attributed that to the HT500 (it was also a prototype). I recently acquired an HT500 Vandal however and I ended up really liking the HT500. It was almost like a waxed canvas. Very supple with a great hand. Not coarse at all. The lining is definitely different then the Cargo packs. They use a lining the other bags do not -- an all black diamond pattern. The Helmsman has the same lining as the other non-VX bags you'd find in the cargo, field, transit, and messenger packs. Not my favorite, but I found it to be good. If you are extremely unhappy with it, I suggest reaching out to them. They can usually help find a solution or perhaps provide more in depth answers.

[@KrisBaca]

Hey, I did reach out and they were very nice, but boy this bag just felt like such a let-down from my Black Camo special edition Rambler. I did ask a few others and I didn't get good responses: "feels like a chinese knockoff", "that's a $300 bag??", "oh wow their quality has really gone down". Ultimately there was no way I could keep it. Maybe my Rambler spoiled me, but the raw fabric, cheap liner, and foam interior that isn't sewn in just really felt cheap to me. I typically use Tom Bihn black halcyon as my business travel bags and I was getting this one to compliment my Rambler for fun travel but ... it's not going to work. Even my Bihn bags in the 400d halcyon (dyneema) feel 10x the durability and quality - The Helmsman felt downright fragile. I've reached out to Eric at Inline Equipment in Berkeley to see if he can make me his 40L roll duffle in Black Camo. Unfortunately I'm probably off MW if this bag is typical of their stock.

[@linsylar7649]

I had a sanction and the HT500 destroyed my t-shirts. I told them about it and they gave me a vx for exchange. What a nice company.

[@MissionWorkshopReviews]

Lin Sylar wow. What exactly happened? How did your shirts get ruined? They are a great company though. Super accommodating.

[@linsylar7649]

The HT500 fabric proved to be too rough for my cotton shirts to handle. The problem was that I carry a lot of books almost every day (two or three Norton Anthologies 'cause I'm an English major) so the bag is often super heavy. The place where you would put your belt on the backpack is also covered in HT500 and due to the weight of the bag, it stuck really tight to my shirt. When I walk, the bag moves left and right and damaged my clothes. Through my experience, the VX series does not have this problem.