MILLICAN MILES 28L: REVIEW
Millican Miles 28L. A modern classic.
FOREWORD
Released almost a decade ago as part of the Mavericks collection, Miles the duffle has carved itself a spot as a modern classic. It was named after one of the ‘Mavericks’ Justin Miles, who after a car accident had a wake-up call to live with more adventure in his life. Millican took inspiration from the timeless army duffle and infused it with their modern touch through a sprinkle of subtle stylish accents, while focusing heavily on sustainability
I was fortunate enough to take the Miles on a month trip to Turkey as my carry-on bag on the plane as well as a daily companion for anything from grocery shopping to exploring the nature of this beautiful country. If I were travelling alone it would be my one and only bag for this trip, however with my wife and 10-months old son joining me we had a number of check-in bags as well.
Read on to find out what I think about the bag and whether you should care to own one.
Simple on the outside. Well thought-out everywhere.
WHO IT SUITS
Minimalists who want a simple but durable bag that they can take anywhere from adventure in the wild to the demands of the office (thanks to the external laptop access).
People who are conscious of their environmental impact and wish to buy products built around sustainability.
WHO IT DOESN’T
Those who prioritize getting the highest comfort from their bags, who look for sufficient padding and a more finely-tuned harness system.
If you need a pocket for everything and prefer plenty of built-in organization.
The side grab handle is very satisfying to use.
ABOUT THE BAG
* PRICE: $200
* DIMENSIONS: H 50cm x W 30cm x D 22cm
* WEIGHT: 1050 gr
* CAPACITY: 28L (40L and 60L also available on the website)
Miles Mimicry.
The tagline of the bag “SIMPLICITY IS STRENGTH” is perfect. Army duffels are not complex by design. However, during the construction of Miles, Millican decided to take a step further towards simplification - aiming to use as few fabric panels as possible and also minimizing the number of seams during the construction. As we all know, seams are one of the first things that give way during extended use and also the most common areas for the water, dirt or dust getting in the bag. Waterproof materials can be used with seams, but it doesn’t make the seam air tight due to the holes from sewing. So having fewer seams:
1) Makes the production faster and cheaper
2) Makes the bag more durable in the long run
3) Minimizes the entry points for water to get into the bag
At 28L capacity this bag is great for bigger sized EDC (thanks to the external laptop access, Miles can feel right at home in your office and is also perfect for short trips - whether it’s abroad or a weekend hike in the forest.
With a larger size, one can expect a heavier product but I was extremely happy to see that Miles weighs just over 1kg. I had smaller bags at 22-25L capacity weighing over 1.5 kg, so having a light and capable bag is a welcome change.
I dare say this bag is very beautiful in its simplicity. Despite its good looks, I never felt I needed to be gentle with it.
My personal “thank you” to Millican for using subtle minimal branding.
MATERIALS & SUSTAINABILITY
The main fabric is a signature Bionic Canvas made from 65% recycled polyester and 35% cotton.
Over half of the recycled materials used to produce the fabric were salvaged during marine and coastal cleaning. Not only is the fabric sustainable, but it also delivers 30% more strength compared to regular canvas.
The goal was to use as many recycled materials as possible to push the sustainability of the bag to the limit, while delivering exceptional quality and durability.
Even though a lot of recycled plastics have gone into making the Miles, the materials are pleasant to the touch and do not have a cheap feel to it.
The bag has a reliable wax coating that makes the bag extremely water-resistant. As with all paraffin wax coating, expect to reapply it after a few years of use to keep the protection from the elements. Simply spray the wax on the dry and cleaned bag, and let it rest. Millican recommends NikWax Cotton Proof, which also helps with the softening of the fabric.
The inner liner is made from 100% recycled polyester - a big plus if you are conscious about the products you use.
High visibility liner on the inside - a big win in my books.
All hardware on the Miles is metal. It has a nice matte grey finish, a very nice tactile feel, and is a joy to use. So far this hardware has only been rivaled by Fidlock magnetic buckles, which would feel somewhat out of place in this bag’s classic form factor. I’m happy with the choice of hardware Millican went with.
All the hardware on the backpack is aluminium and awesome.
DESIGN & FEATURES
Miles may look simple but there are several surprises and pleasant discoveries.
The bag features a nice generously padded and pleasantly stiff side handle to carry the bag in briefcase mode or just for quick grabs between the taxi and the airport. I love it.
There is also a top handle that plays a key role in enhancing the access to the main compartment - by undoing the metal hook a few inches of the zipper is freed to allow wider opening.
By undoing the top metal buckle you can extend the main zipper and make the main opening wider.
For instance, the flap of the external zip for the laptop is secured by a magnet. It’s a small touch but it adds to the feeling you are using a modern bag.
A concealed magnet allows the laptop compartment to stay neat.
The zippers are YKK 8C, which are reliable and future proof. The zipper head is also coated with a nice grey color to match the accents on the top handle and the aluminum hardware.
Paracord zipper pulls match the color of the main fabric and also have small neon green accents to match perfectly with the inner liner. As a bonus for security, the metal zipper pulls of the main compartment have holes to accommodate a small lock. This is a nice touch that adds some peace of mind. In my use,
Matching paracord zipper pulls are yet another example of excellent attention to detail shown by Millican.
The main opening has dual-zip access which is convenient for opening the bag at the bottom, the middle, or the top. I found the length of the zipper a bit short, and I often wished it was a few inches longer so I could open the main compartment wider. Not a deal-breaker, but something I did notice at the start and throughout my 3 weeks of testing.
There is an interesting twist with the opening of the bag - to have a wider opening to the main compartment you can unclip a metal G-hook at the top of the bag which frees up the folded flap and enhances access. I only used this expansion occasionally as it takes a bit of time to undo the G-hook and then secure it back once you are done with packing. Frankly, I did not find that the juice is worth the squeeze with this expansion - it does not add much accessibility to the main compartment while taking longer than I would hope.
The back panel hits a sweet spot that is not too hard and too soft. The air channel in the middle helps prevent the sweaty back and improves the overall carrying comfort.
The straps are bare minimum and I did not have much hope they would be comfortable. After using the bag for more than a month I can report the straps are fine with wearing a t-shirt, shirt, or jacket. Even without a sternum strap (which I wear on all of my backpacks, not so much for the weight distribution but to simply secure the straps in one position), the bag was generally comfortable to carry.
Thanks to the metal hardware on the straps they stay secure and do not slide up and down even during active movement.
Even though Miles does not suffer from randomly sliding straps I did experience that adjusting the length of the straps on-the-go is not effortless as the metal buckle does not slide up and down easily.
So if you want to adjust the straps, I advise doing it while the bag lies flat on the ground. I know, it sounds weird since normally the adjustment is best done on the body on 99% of the packs. I can imagine for some folks this might be a big con.
To sum up the adjustment of the straps - once you set the length it is secured extremely well, for better or worse.
Meet Ali. He really likes Miles.
I did have two issues with the bare minimum harness on the Miles:
- The straps were not pleasant when rubbing against the bare skin. But I do not expect many people to wear the bag without a layer of clothing in between. The straps are conveniently hidden in the small openings at the top of the bag, just behind the back panel.
- When wearing the bag, I felt the metal hooks at the bottom of the bag poke me in the back. This was only noticeable when I was wearing a t-shirt. Any extra clothing layers completely mitigated this point.
The straps are…adequate. But don’t expect miracles, especially with quick length adjustment.
ORGANIZATION
External
Nicely hidden yet quickly accessible pocket at the top of the bag. The pocket runs the full top of the bag and features a key clip. Not only is it the most premium key clip I have experienced, but it is also connected to the strap with an elastic part that allows extending the key clip further. It’s not by much but is still very helpful when you need a couple of more inches to reach the door or twist the key inside the lock. Genius! The pocket does not have much dimension and when the bag is full the content will push against this top pocket making it difficult to put the things in or out. I did store my wallet, keys, and face mask there. The pocket has also a great size for your phone but I was uneasy to put it there with keys. Moreover, even without the keys, I did not want to put my phone against the aluminum key clip.
The external laptop access fits my MBP 16 like a charm (the specs say it fits 15inch).
All the contents are just one zip away.
Internal
The main volume of the bag is of course inside. Inherently the duffle does not have much padding and with the soft fabric, don’t expect the Miles to hold its shape when not full. It will collapse inside (especially the top part of the bag), since most of the content is naturally pulled down under its weight. Inside the bag, you will find a cavernous main compartment with 2 compression straps - I did not use them since my packing style is centered around packing cubes. But it’s nice to have an option to secure your belongings with these straps.
There is a flat pocket inside the main compartment, large enough to accommodate A4 paper, documents, magazines, etc. Be mindful when packing since the pocket is on the backside and will not be easily accessible if the bag is full.
The top of the compartment features a small pocket secured with a metal button. There is not much volume and the fabric does not stretch, so do not expect a lot of dimension. But I found the pocket useful for snacks or a small org pouch.
To sum up, the organization is quite spartan by backpack standards. But comparing it to any standard duffle, it is above and beyond. The secret pocket and external laptop access are outstanding in this duffel form factor.
I have to admit, I prefer black backpacks. But the “Moss” color of Miles won me over.
WHAT’S HOT
Sustainably created, pushing the usage of recycling materials to the limit
External access to the laptop
Lightweight, yet very durable
The best metal hardware I have come across so far
Minimal branding
Casually floating Miles.
WHAT’S NOT
Despite enjoying the bag and its simplicity, there were few issues I experienced during my testing:
The strap adjustment is cumbersome to operate, especially while carrying the bag
I wish the zipper opening to the main compartment was a bit longer
The top grab handle requires getting used to (placed perpendicularly on the top of the bag)
The secret pocket at the top of the bag is difficult to use when the bag is jam packed
The straps are bare minimal and good for short bursts of carrying. It’s perfectly fine for the 28L version of the bag. But be mindful of the 40L and 60L versions as they have the same straps but can load much more weight, which puts considerably more pressure on your shoulders.
WRAP-UP
Looking at the Miles from Millican, it is apparent that the idea of creating a sustainable product was not a gimmick or a marketing move but the core of the creative process behind this duffle. What helps is that the product is not flashy, it does not scream innovation but instead goes for an iconic, timeless design to make it relevant today. I could see someone using this bag 50 years ago and 50 years from now. Miles feels at home in the city, the office, or in the great outdoors, and frankly, not many bags can do that.
If you are looking for a simple yet very capable bag that is created with innovation and sustainability in mind while still looking classy, your search is over. Despite some difficulties with strap adjustment, I can highly recommend this bag.
Today Miles is my grocery bag. Yesterday it was my carry-on bag on the plane. What will it be tomorrow?
Disclaimer
The bag was provided as a sample for review purposes, the content of this review was not shared with Millican before publishing.
My goal is to share an honest, unbiased review that is not tailored to keep the brand happy.