Review: The Real Deal Brazil Manaus Bag
Unfortunately, most "man bags" either look like they started life as a woman's purse or scream out, "Look at me. I'm a tacticool wannabe!" Fortunately, The Real Deal Manaus bag carries neither connotation.
Specifications
Dimensions: 14" high X 12" wide X 3" deep
MSRP: $79.99 + shipping
Pronounced mah-NOWZE, the Manaus is handmade in a remote village in rural equatorial Brazil from recycled canvas tarps that once stretched across the beds of cross-country cargo trucks. According to their website, The Real Deal company uses these recycled tarps “in an effort to cut down on the wasting of the world’s resources – and yes, also because they happen to look very, very cool.”
I'm a bit skeptical as to the significance of the positive environmental impact of re-purposing a few old tarps to make bags and hats, but the stuff produced by The Real Deal Brazil definitely looks "cool".
The Manaus is constructed as a single shoulder sling pack, meant to be carried like a backpack but with a single shoulder strap, rather than two straps, that runs over the left shoulder and diagonally across the chest, down to the right side of the waist. It’s not intended to be a true backpack. With only a single strap and no internal or external frame, it’s really a bag. That’s just fine. Sometimes all a bushcrafter needs is a bag.
At first glance, the recycled tarp material might cause one to question the quality of the Manaus’ construction. Never fear, the tarp was tough enough to survive several years of abuse covering the bed of a truck. It’ll probably stand up to anything you can dish out. The zippers are YKK zippers and, although not as heavy-duty as the YKK zippers utilized by one or two other bag manufacturers, plenty sturdy for normal, everyday use. Probably my biggest quality concern is that most of the bag is single-stitched rather than double stitched. As of yet, this has not been a problem but I can foresee the potential for heavy loads to stress out those seams over time. The strap is connected to the bag with box stitching reducing the likelihood that the strap will pull away from the bag itself.
YKK Zippers
Box Stitching on Strap
If you’re thinking about carrying a laptop computer in the Manaus, you’re in luck. I test-fit my Dell with a 15.5″ screen and it fit without any problems. One could easily add a padded sleeve to a laptop of similar size for a bit of protection.
15.5" Laptop Slides in Easily
The Manaus has plenty of pockets for other gear and supplies as well. In addition to the main compartment (where I would stash a laptop), there are two smaller pockets on the outside (away from the wearer’s back) of the bag. The larger of the two pockets is approximately 10″ X 7.5″. The smaller of the two is about 9″ X 7.5″. On the inner side (toward the wearer’s back) is a fourth pocket that is approximately 11″ wide and 9″ tall. Finally, there is a small pouch on the Manaus’ strap that would be suitable for a cell phone, small GPS, radio or other similar item. An iPhone or Droid Bionic will fit snugly in this pocket.
Cell Phone Pocket on Carry Strap
The carry strap on the Manaus is fully adjustable utilizing the included slide. I found that I needed to adjust the strap to its shortest setting in order to carry the bag close to my body. I’m about 5′ 10″ and 165 lbs. If you prefer a looser carry or are a larger person, there are several inches of adjustment in the strap. A smaller person may not be able to carry the bag close to their body.
Overall, the Manuas seems as though it would make a very good every day carry (EDC) or possibles bag. It won’t make the owner look like a mall ninja or a metro-sexual and the fabric has already proven that it can take a beating.