Ah Patagonia, Patagonia why won’t you answer my emails? Could it be my putting Red Oxx monkey fist zipper pulls on your last generation MLC? My reference to the last gen MLC needing “a shot of testosterone?” Perhaps my suggestion – in a review of the company’s Lightweight Travel Duffel that the firm’s “Value Analysis Team… got hold of (the ‘Shift Layer’) feature and deep sixed it… but the folks proofing the copy and manning the phones don’t know it.”
For whatever reason, Patagonia has shunned my recent emails, and that’s a shame as I genuinely admire the company’s philosophy, products and overall vibe.
I’ve just been a bit disappointed in a few aspects of Patagonia’s product execution – and a lack of veracity in their online ad copy. I still like their stuff – honest! So I greeted the news from reader Eric that the MLC has undergone another update with real interest.
I’ll ask for a PR copy – there’s not a lot to lose at this point – and we’ll see if they’re game. What I can do at this point is relate a few basics about the bag.
Basic Features
First, let’s get down to one of my issues with the last gen MLC: the accuracy of the published dimensions of the bag. Patagonia claims the new bag measures 20½” x 13½” x 4½”. This, somehow, sounds right. As 
you may recall, Patagonia claimed the last MLC measured 21½” x 14½” x 8″; in reality, it measured 20″ x 14″ x 7″. If this doesn’t seem like a big deal, keep in mind that the claimed dimensions would have made the bag larger than the Air Boss; in reality the bag was much smaller than that bag. From a U.S. travel perspective, the MLC was not truly a “maximum legal carry-on.”
In any event, the new dimensions put the bag in the 3-5 day category for most people. I actually question whether the depth could be as low as 4½”, but would have to examine a sample to confirm.
The shoulder strap (a very comfortable, but not very “grippy” strap) appears unchanged. (Click here for a comparison of 4 popular shoulder straps: Shoulder Strap Comparo.)
I imagine the backpack straps are also unchanged, but they’re not shown on the Patagonia website. The zipper pulls on the smaller/secondary zippers are unchanged, but it appears as though the pulls on the main zippers have been beefed up/upgraded, a much needed change.
Also completely new is the addition of a “separate” fully padded laptop compartment. It isn’t shown on the site, but is presumably meant to be put in one of the bag’s two primary compartments. Patagonia also mentions that it can be used as a packing cube.
A handy mesh toiletries organizer is also included, as was the case with the last gen version. The bag is available in two colors, “Bitter Chocolate” and Black.
Price? Down $15 from the previous generation, at $160, which is a good thing. You can see the new MLC at the Patagonia site by clicking here: New Patagonia MLC In the meantime, I’ll request and sample and will let you know what sort of response I receive.
August 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I’ve run into “bad specs” on the Paty website on several occasions, their customer service people have always been great about clearing up the confusion.
They also knocked $20 off the slightly revised (bye bye elephant ear!) Patagonia Lightweight Brief and one is supposed to arrive in my mail today…well actually in the UPS delivery, but same thing.
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August 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Well I got the new Lightwire Brief (Patagonia) and I am disappointed in the direction they have taken this – but others may not be.
It used to be very rectangular, a miniature MLC, and I used it for traveling for a couple of days out of town on a business trip.
The new one is trapezoidal, it looks like the “bottom half” of a backpack. It seems to have lost a lot of volume compared to the prior edition. Worse yet, you can’t “flip the lid” open to pack, the zippers on the “main” compartment only run halfway down the main compartment on the sides. So it functions more as a “top loading” bag than as a mini-suitcase. The clothing tie-downs on the inside of that main compartment are going to be really awkward to use – maybe they are function if you bundle-wrap first, but not for laying in flat clothes. My preference would be to use a packing cube, but the problem I am discovering with packing cubes is that unless they are dimensioned to fit that particular bag, you can end up with DAS (dead air space) on one or two sides of the cube. Also since the main compartment isn’t rectangular, a rectangular cube won’t quite fit well.
The good news for this design is that it really fits the bags original “mission statement” – to be a briefcase edition of their urban knapsack – much better than the original; that it ditches the award “elephant ear” “office organizer” pocket; and that it preserves the excellent laptop slot.
Well the other good news is a 20% reduction in price.
I wish Patagonia had as keen a sense of photography for their bags as you do – for the life of me I can’t see many details of the new MLC you reviewed above at the Paty site – except that it is a “lid” instead of “middle of the side” opener, which is a real plus.
Their editorial copy makes it sound like it is bigger. I hope you get your hands on this and review it, because it sounds like a real bargain.
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August 3rd, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Michael,
Sorry you’re disappointed in the Lightwire Brief… I’ve not used that particular bag. I don’t know what process Patagonia uses in terms of new product development and how they gain customer input, but I they could learn a thing or two from Bihn. (Of course the Tom Bihn bags represent an entirely different level of design, quality, and execution… but nevertheless, the Bihn bags are clearly designed by someone who’s a traveler and understands the needs of travelers. I don’t always have that sense with the Patagonia products.)
In any event, I like (from a distance, admittedly) the changes they’ve made to the MLC. I don’t believe the 4.5″ depth – which seems ridiculous and perhaps is a typo – but the direction they’re taking seems sound.
As for the photography, don’t forget that there’s a zoom feature on the site, and that’s how I was able to see a few of the details. Thanks for your comments – always interesting!
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August 3rd, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Patagonia is really high quality but ever since I ordered my first fledgling Red Oxx product – a shaving kit, of all things! – I’ve been hooked on their quality and on that “made in America” thing.
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Kevin Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I find myself going back to the Air Boss more often than not!
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August 4th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
OK, here’s the skinny. The original Lightwire Brief was a goofy design based on its name – it is more of a mini-MLC than a brief case, although it has an excellent laptop pocket. On the other hand as a mini-MLC I have to admit I fell in love with it as an alternative to a bigger piece of luggage – after all the main compartment on the original Lightwire Brief fully opens lid-style and has plenty of room for 2-3 days on the road if you limit yourself to a couple of polo shirts, one change of pants, and the usual underwear/toiletries. I know, I’ve done that, with my netbook in the laptop slot.
The new and improved Lightwire Brief is much more of a brief case than a small carry-on piece – well except for the fact that it doesn’t handle folders as well as a more traditional brief case like the Red Ox Metro or CPA – the main compartment of the new Lightwire Brief is more of a clothing-friendly than file-friendly set up, with tie downs and a pouch slot on the opposite wall of the main compartment. Probably better for gym use than overnights, since the main compartment is now smaller, it’s curved, and the bag opens at the top and halfway down the sides, not “lid” style with a zipper on the full length of the three sides.
That having been said, the new Lightwire Brief is probably an excellent choice for the NUD (new urban drone) with 17″ Macbook (fits in back slot, I believe) and gym shoes, shorts, tee in the clothing compartment.
The exterior mesh pouches on the ends are pretty useless on the new model since they are wide but shallow – not good for water bottles at least. I’m sure you can stuff some stuff in there, but unlike the solid fabric on my Red Oxx Gatro, these are mesh pouches and a potential pick-pocket might grab your bus pass etc. if you put it in there.
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August 7th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Hi Kevin,
I had a few questions regarding this bag as well so emailed the customer rep (Skye) at Patagonia and here is some of the responses I have received,
“Thanks for the note. I did measure the new style of the MLC, style
48107 the 4.5″ is actually a bit larger when stretched out, it is more
like 6″. that is the measure of the bottom of the bag from seam to
seam. Overall the newer version stretches out a bit more than the older
one in terms of capacity.
I’m afraid I don’t have any other pictures of the new bag, however it is
really similar to the old style with a few exceptions which I listed
below.
The front zipper on the new one is straight, not angled. The main
zippered compartment on the front is above the smaller zippered
compartment, on the old style it is reversed.
The first large compartment is identical, except the new bag has an
internal clip in/out organizer with some mesh pockets.
The padded main compartment on the new one doesn’t zip all the way
around as it does on the old one it only zips about half way so you
can’t access it from one side. The backpack straps are identical.”
That prompted another question from me regarding this main compartment on whether it was as described and didnt open flat…the next response…
“The middle compartment does open flat. It’s just the back compartment with the padded sleeve (the smaller compartment) that doesn’t open all the way. In looking at them again, the old version doesn’t have the third compartment, that is a new addition to the new style designed just to hold a laptop or flat papers, files etc.”
so another question what was the size of the “new” third compartment…
“The third compartment is very small in terms of width, at the most it expands about 1.5-2″ and it has the padded sleeve as well as a place to slide a file in front of the sleeve.”
The redesign is a positive to me as I can either use the new third compartment for a laptop or a packing folder leaving the main compartment for a more unstructured bundle pack. I hope you get your hands on one soon and give it the “practical hack” treatment.
cheers
Bob
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Kevin Reply:
August 7th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Bob – Thanks; this is really helpful to all of us. I’m definitely trying to get my hands on one. kc
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August 11th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Just had an email from Patagonia re their Summer sale ( probably winter sale for us in the Southern Hemi!!)
But they are selling the old MLC bag the one with the elephants ear front pocket for 87.50 USD
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August 28th, 2009 at 9:45 am
I have recently bought the new version MLC bag and thought I’d add my penny’s worth.
The ’separate’ padded laptop compartment isn’t a separate sleeve but an integrated zippered compartment, which internally runs the entire length and width of the bag. If you slide a laptop in there (you could almost get two 15″ laptops in side by side!), I would still put it in its own padded sleeve as the MLC padding doesn’t run all the way around i.e. if you have it in rucksack mode – the ‘bottom’ isn’t padded so carelessly/accidentally dropping the bag down at the airport in this position could result in the laptop suffering some damage.
I haven’t had a chance to road test the MLC but it looks and feels spacious. I can confirm that the 4.5″ width official product description is incorrect – it is over 6″ in width and has the flexibility to expand out as a fabric bag.
The rucksack straps now have a chest strap/buckle attached to make dashing through the airport more comfortable and secure.
The straight zip pocket seems to be more restrictive in use than the elephant ear one as there isn’t as much access now.
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Kevin Reply:
August 28th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Ray -
Thanks for your comments. I should be receiving a sample in the next week or so, and will give it a full review.
kc
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