OSUZA CANVAS: REVIEW

FOREWORD

From the dark times when our ancestors carried the game on their backs to the shelter and the recent past when brave explorers were conquering the outdoors hauling their essentials for survival gear - the backpack design took many different shapes and forms.

Last century alone had so much innovation that it was challenging to keep up with it - wood, canvas, leather, and steel were all the rage at the beginning of the century but the floodgate was opened with the invention of nylon.
Suddenly, backpack was not just used by mountaineers but quickly took over first colleges and then schools across the globe, becoming an essential everyday item.

Some argue that backpacks became popular thanks to educational institutions and the need to carry books and pens and all you might need for studies. Now, in an increasingly digitalized present when an iPad is all you need for school, backpacks are a dying breed and would become obsolete, a relic of the past.

I personally just don’t see that happening. As long as there are people and their possessions - the need for a carry solution would be relevant.

But going down memory lane it’s hard not to notice that the modern backpack design has remained relatively the same - you have your straps, the cavity to store things, and then you play around with the size, access, and materials/colors. It all formed a sort of status quo.

Enter Osuza - a young, relatively unknown bag-maker that decided to challenge the status quo and take the concept of the backpack to the next level.

Let’s see together the results of this brave effort.

ABOUT THE BAG

* PRICE: $349 (backpack only)
* DIMENSIONS: Width 12 in. x Height 19 in. x Depth 4 in. * WEIGHT: 4lbs (backpack only)
* CAPACITY: 20L-40L

At the moment, Osuza has just one backpack in its product line - it is called Canvas. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the bag and use it as my EDC and on a few short trips. Let’s start at the beginning and my unboxing experience.

Osuza Canvas makes a very strong impression at first sight. For a brief moment, it looks just like a regular, slightly boxier backpack, but, as soon as I started using it, I quickly realized that it’s unlike anything I have seen or tried before.

*Osuza Canvas reveals the deepest corners of its soul*

You see, Canvas is an honest bag. It is not afraid to show you its guts after a few simple steps. It opens up completely lays flat allowing the user to thoughtfully pack and organize everything inside. The process of opening up the bag is easy and intuitive. Closing the bag is like folding up an origami with a cheat sheet - Osuza has thoughtfully added the indicators for each step placed on each of the 4 flaps of the bag. I loved this touch - the indicators are visually pleasing and yet very informative. The only downside with opening the bag fully - it is loud which is to be expected considering Velcro is playing a key role in securing each flap of the bag.

The name “Canvas” is perfect. Initially, I thought the name is simply referring to the main fabric of the bag. It is made out of black canvas after all. But there is more to the name - the bag is like a clean slate and can look very unique from one owner to other thanks to the generous amount of velcro integrated all over the bag.

Most of the bags give you a velcro strip to attach a morale patch and call it a day. Canvas, on the other hand, gives up almost an entire front panel to attach patches, making the bag truly stand out. Apart from personalization and pure aesthetic enhancement, the velcro as mentioned already plays a key role in operating the bag - it allows you to secure the side and bottom flap in a wide range of positions which makes the Canvas extremely expandable (from 20L to 40L capacity)

*The harness system can rival some of the best on the market*

QUALITY & COMFORT

In my experience, the quality of the bag was good, but not consistent.
The build of Canvas is solid with no issues with stitching or anything related to assembly or manufacturing.

The fabric is DWR coated so there is some degree of weather resistance but I would not want to be caught in the downpour wearing the Canvas.

The Hypalon zipper pulls and the zippers themselves (YKK) are brilliant and a joy to use.

Frankly, I was not impressed by the polyurethane-coated Cordura/cotton blended body fabric. It is soft and left an impression of being gentle, though in my use I had not experienced any issues with durability, and it did not inspire confidence for long-term use. In defense of the bag - my experience with the fabrics was often narrowed to 500d/1000d Cordura and all kinds of Dimension Polyant’s X-Pac (VX07, VX21, VX42, X50/X51, etc) so my lack of previous experience with Canvas’s fabric is not an indicator of its quality or durability. A big reassuring factor is of course the lifetime warranty offered by Osuza for all its products.

To sum up the build - it is good, but nothing outstanding.

*Secret pockets behind the straps - something I quickly got used to!*

The comfort on the other hand was excellent. The back panel and straps are very generously padded with thick mesh split into 3 sections to reinforce the air ventilation.
The straps are wide, thick, and very comfy. Carrying different loads was never an issue during my testing.

*Carrying Osuza Canvas with different loads was a joy*

ORGANIZATION

I think Canvas is the first bag that paralyzed me with its organization. There are just so many pockets, pouches, attachments points, etc - I felt anxious about the prospect of describing it all. This is the first time I created a small visualization schema to help the readers navigate the maze of pockets and compartments on this bag.

External

1. Quick access pocket. It’s amazing - deep, lined with a soft liner that will keep your glasses or smartphone nice, cozy, and protected. It is also quite deep.

2. Secret L-shaped pocket. Large, softly lined. I found it was a perfect hiding place for my phone.

3. Side access to the main compartment - always appreciated, especially on larger bags.

4. Flat front pocket. Large enough for a book, Kindle, or even iPad mini. My iPad 11 Pro squeezed horizontally as well. The pocket is not visible at first and can almost be considered a secret pocket.

5. Dedicated laptop pocket, accessed from the side. It has an L shape zipper which takes a bit getting used to but the pocket is cavernous and swallowed my MBP 16 with a chuckle. The shape of the zipper reminded me of the Goruck “bombproof” compartment. Same as with Goruck - you need to fold the strap away to properly operate the zipper and to take your laptop in and out.

Internal

1. Mesh Pockets conveniently closed by YKK zippers - I loved putting my MacBook charger there and in general anything I want to immediately see when reaching into the bag.

2. Small zippered pockets - I used for camera batteries, gum, etc

3. The horizontal pocket was my dedicated cable place.
4. Large vertical pockets are great for flat items like a Powerbank or even Kindle
5. The internal organization is also enriched by a removable divider that is attached to plastic loops and also contains a large mesh pocket.
6. Pouch Attachment Ladder System (aka P.A.L.S.) webbing is generously placed on the inside - 3 on the back portion and 1 one the flap. These attachments can be used to integrate the Osuza pouch system (sold separately on the website) or can work well with 3rd party MOLLE pouches and accessories - the sky is the limit.

*Have weird things to carry? Strange shape or just a thousand little things? Osuza Canvas has you covered*

I have to confess the sheer amount of organization was overwhelming for me. As someone who strives to carry less and generally already using external pouches getting the bag with so many built-in pockets and compartments essentially meant I had to break the old habits and commit to the way this bag wants to be used. If this was my only bag such pockets galore would be a huge benefit - keeps you organized and saves $ on pouches. In my case, with multiple bags in my personal rotation, I could not fully appreciate what Osuza Canvas had to offer.

A word of advice for future Osuza Canvas owners - color code your pockets and compartment for easier and faster navigation. There are many pockets and they have different shapes and placement but I found myself forgetting where I put what.

*Osuza Canvas can easily be your mobile workbench or workshop*

WHAT’S HOT

- Unique loading and expansion style that allows you to carry objects of weird, irregular shape, and form.

- So much organization! As if Osuza was on the quest to rid the world of pouches most of the carry enthusiasts live and swear by :) You can confidently leave your pouches to collect dust on the shelf, Canvas has you covered with all kinds of pockets out of the box. Additionally, you can attach the removable pouches from Osuza to further enhance the internal organization. This setup would be ideal if you plan to have Canvas as your main bag for everything. However, if you already have a substantial collection and you like jumping from one bag to another - this outstanding organization of Canvas can become a pain (if you constantly have to take the things in and out from one bag to another) or simply neglected (if you just use pouches when swapping different bags)

- The harness system and overall carrying comfort are excellent!

- Strap keepers to keep you dangling-free. A small touch that is much appreciated and unfortunately ignored by many bag-makers.

- Glorious customization and personalization options with almost the entire face of the bag covered with Velcro.

- The cheatsheet - subtle yet effective instructions for closing the bag (I, II, III, IIII) is a stylish and very useful addition.

- Lifetime warranty should give you peace of mind using the bags for decades to come. As with all guaranteed for life gear - this is more an investment rather than a regular purchase.

*Osuza Canvas is a unique bag. Expect it take unique shape depending on your load*

WHAT’S NOT

- To say that the bag is not silent to operate would be a major understatement. Velcro being one of the key components of Canvas is loud by its nature so be mindful of this if you have babies around, sensitive colleagues at the office, or easily annoyed roommates.

- The bag is heavy. Without the compression straps and internal pouches, it weighs 4 pounds (around 1.8kg) and if you factor in the pouches and straps you get over 2kg empty backpack. With many budget airlines limiting the carry-on weight at 7-9 kg I do not see myself using Canvas for any sort of one-bag-travel.

- Some of the materials choices are puzzling. Plastic hardware feels cheap, metal hardware is bending easily, the Cordura used on the bag feel thin and almost gentle. It was surprising to see these contrasting elements alongside nice materials, solid build and more importantly a premium price of $349

- The price. It’s subjective and the bag is truly innovative but I feel like it is more in range of $249-$279 considering the choice of materials.

- The number of pockets is overwhelming. One way to enhance the experience is color code the zipper pulls in the pockets - making it easier to distinguish between them and memorize where I put what. I think it’s the first time I put a lot of organization in both Pros and Cons of the bag.

*Going down the rabbit hole with Osuza Canvas. What a journey!*

WRAP-UP

I believe Osuza caught lightning in the bottle with their first bag. Canvas, above all else, offers a truly innovative approach on bag expansion and it does not skimp on being fun to use :)

At the same time, there are things I wish Osuza would take into account and improve to make Canvas 2.0 the bag I could recommend without any reservations. How I would personally improve the bag? It’s simple:

- use VX21 for the outer fabric and white VX07 for the inner liner - this would keep the weight low, elevate weatherproofness and keep the bag safe regardless of the elements pouring inside our outside the bag. The white inner liner is a big win for the visibility and comfort of using the bag.

- use magnetic closure to streamline the opening/closing of the bag

With reduced weight and improved weather resistance Canvas would jump from “very good” to “damn stellar”. But even without these changes (that are very subjective, after all, I am exposed to many bags in my reviews) Canvas already has a very strong foundation - excellent comfort, great expansion, and very generous organization. The unique selling proposition of Osuza Canvas is being able to haul items of weird shape and form. Even with the negatives, I listed I found it very challenging to present an alternative bag that could do what Canvas does. So if you are looking for a bag that can carry odd objects - look no further.