Radio holder on a Mission Workshop cargo backpack not possible?

Good morning,

two days ago, I bought a Vandal cargo backpack from Mission Workshop hoping to be able to use it for bike messengering.

I read a lot of reviews before spending so much money for a backpack, but it looked very practical for the job and I reckoned that a lot of thoughts went into designing that backpack.

Unfortunately, there's one big drawback that makes me wonder whether Mission Workshop even has bike messengers in mind or whether their products are only intended for urban people : I see no way to put my radio holster on the straps.

We use Motorola two-way radios that don't fit in Mission Workshop's Arkiv phone holder (besides, I don't see why I should spend the money because I have a perfectly fine holder already).

The following image illustrates how the strap's top part (which is where a phone or radio holder should sit ideally) offers no way to attach accessories that don't use the Arkiv system.

On the lower part of the strap the rail is seperated from the padding which makes it possible to attach my radio holster; but in this position, the radio hangs way too low in a riding position and I'm afraid to poke my eye with the antenna because it's right in front of my face. The Chrome backpacks don't seem to suffer from this problem.

So, my question is: do any of you use the Vandal or the Rambler for their courier jobs? And if so, how did you manage to put your radio on your backpack?

TL;DR I'm too dumb to put my radio on the shoulder straps of my Vandal. How does one go about it?

In the interim you could just go with a couple of bits of cut-n-tied inner tube to hold the radio/case to the strap. Hasn't failed me in all my time on the job.

I'm also looking at getting one of these for work.. how do you find two straps vs one?

Regarding the holder:

I contacted Mission Workshop because I do think that this is a major drawback when considering the bagback for messenger use, but mainly because I wanted to hear their thoghts about it. They seem to agree and also suggested to use tube bits as a workaround.

I since have made plans to sew my own holder which makes use of the horizontal velco that secures optional Arkiv accessories on the rails. I'm going to put up some pictures and instructions once it works out.
In the meantime, I managed to get my current holder on the Vandal but it's a bit sloppy and I fear of poking out my eye with the antenna :)

Regarding the Vandal for messenger use:

First and foremost, I cannot emphasize how much I'm satisfied with replacing my trusty Bagaboo Workhorse with the Vandal.

Two straps is a great improvement, but the downside is that it takes me longer to get stuff in and out of the bag. This is due to having to put the backpack on the ground everytime you have to put something inside or to retrieve it and because it has four pockets that are nearly identical in size.

Having many pockets is something which takes getting used to because I tend to forget what I put where exactly. But it also helps to not mix up different deliveries (I ride a lot for dentists which often have no labels on their packages) because you can sort each customer's items in one pocket.

The biggest advantage over my messenger bag is that I don't worry about big cargo or having to carry too many packages at once anymore. The backpack takes 4-5 DIN A5 boxes with ease and I can also safely put a huge 70x50cm envelope in the extendable compartement closing it without having to use extra straps (given there's enough room in the backpack and I don't close the zippers). Huge mailing tubes can also be put in the bag sticking out of the top as long as you loosen the shoulder straps a bit so you can still put your head up while wearing a helmet.

The backpack sits very comfortable on your back and has very appealing dimensions. Shoulder checking is no problem. I have yet to test how much sweat the padding will soak in during summer.

Thanks for your detailed reply, it covers all of the points I could think of. The idea of having to wrestle the bag on/off for 30-40 separate pu/drops a day is the one thing holding me back at the moment but it's probably just a matter of getting used to it. Suspect all the additional body contact area and perspiration will be an issue come high summer, might hold onto my pac and press it back into use then.

Please post back re how you get on with your holder issues. To date I've just gone with the radio unprotected in inner tubes supplemented with a shopping bag when it rains. I've seen a few couriers heat-treat their radio antennas so they point off at an angle away from the face but your company might not be too happy at that idea! Another option would be to place the radio in the holder upside down - again, I've seen a few couriers do this and it doesn't seem to affect the signal.

Tonight, I finally got the custom made radio holster my colleague's girlfriend made. She made like ten regular holsters for our company and one special version for my Vandal.

Please excuse the bad picture quality. I can upload more and better pictures and descriptions when there's daylight in our kitchen again.

Nice things about this particular radio holster are:

• Slightly skewed positioning of the radio – so no antenna pointing in my eye.
  
• Long vertical velcro which makes it possible to fixate the top of the holster on the Arkiv stop-strap.
  
• Wind / rain cover that can be put over the top of the radio when conditions are bad and put behind the radio when there's no need for it.
  
  

I have yet to test ride this nice looking piece of equipment but I think it's a great improvement. Material costs are around 5 EUR. Can't say how long she sat on the machine making this holder.

2 Attachments