Quick Take: Ivar Zug G2 daypack

The Highs: Design puts less stress on lower back; clean lines; well made

The Lows: Padded pockets for electronics would be a plus if added to front compartment

The Verdict: A well made, good looking alternative to conventional daypacks

Here’s a backpack with a difference.  Entrepreneur Ian Ivarson, frustrated by sack-like backpacks in which all your stuff slumps to the bottom, created a shelf-like system to more evenly distribute weight in a pack, resulting in greater comfort and load stability.  He created his first design in 2004, and the firm that was born of his efforts recently introduced its second generation of products (hence the G2 in this pack’s name).

The pack shown here is the smallest of the firm’s 3 designs.  The Ivar Zug G2 is a perfect size for school, light recreation, or overnight travel; although modestly sized, it easily holds 15″ laptops.

Key Features and Specifications

• 17″ x 11½” x 7½”
• 1460 cu in / 24 liter capacity
• 2.1 lbs
• 1680D & 420D nylon
• Laptop Compartment
• Multiple organizing compartments
• Cushioned Airflow back
• Ergonomic shoulder straps
• Dual side mesh pockets with elastic cinch
• Adjustable sternum strap & waist belt
• Fleece lined music pocket with headphone port
• Clear plastic ID pocket
• Reflective piping
• YKK zippers used throughout
• Available in 4 colors

A Photo Tour

You can actually see the location of the “shelves” in the Zug G2 in this side view:

Speaking of which, here’s a good view of the bag’s unique “shelving” system:

On its back, ergonomically shaped backpack straps (with sternum strap); note the waist belt at bottom.  The back panel is well padded and the shoulder straps are comfortable; I did note that the loop on each strap (for sunglasses? a carabiner?) end up near your shoulders when the bag is in place:

Your iPod or other music player hides in a plushly lined compartment at the very top of the bag; a headphone port is located on the top of the back panel, and features a slit neoprene opening…

The grab handle on top also utilizes neoprene, and is quite comfortable:

The pack’s main compartment, below.  My T42 ThinkPad is in the laptop compartment, the cover of which is outlined with orange trim.  A shallower compartment is on top, and in this shot holds the case for my Bose QC headphones:

The bag’s second compartment is its “widget pocket” – pen slots, a zippered ID holder with a clear window, and (toward the top) a single compartment with a Velcro closure.  Also, a key tab hangs in the middle.  I put my Canon S90 in the compartment at the top, but wish these surfaces (420D nylon) had some padding to protect gadgets; there’s none.  Also, although it’s not obvious here or on the Ivar site, you are NOT looking at the bottom of this compartment – it continues beneath the fold; i.e., thrust your hand downward past the key retainer, and the pocket continues all the way to the bottom of the pack – another 8″ or so:

Finally, on the very front of the bag there’s a vertical zipper that opens to another compartment.  It’s about 10 inches deep and at its widest, also about 10 inches.  This is a single pocket, and it’s not without irony that things tend to naturally slump to its bottom.   As such, it’s best suited for things like a Moleskine, a snack bar or two, and the like…

Finally, a close up of one of the YKK zippers, which as always operated smoothly, and appear to be the splashproof type:

Initial impressions

First, the most obvious question:  does the shelving system work?  I can unhesitatingly, unequivocally reply, “I’m not sure.”  It seems to work…

I loaded the bag with my typical work “stuff” – the T42, its power brick, a bunch of folders and magazines, typical small stuff like pens and thumb drives, my S90, and so forth, and paraded around the neighborhood with it on my back (don’t worry, my neighbors already know I’m crazy).  I did this for a while, and then did the same thing with the same items in the only bags which provided a reasonable comparison – the Pacsafe Metrosafe 350, and a slightly larger High Sierra backpack.

All I can report at this juncture is that there appears to be a modest improvement in comfort and weight distribution, but the only way to confirm this would be to do direct comparisons with a bag configured exactly the same as the Zug but with the shelves oriented vertically instead of the angle they’re at in the bag as actually designed and executed.

Of course, in comparison to what I’ll term “old style,” simple backpacks – I’m reminded of the basic, one compartment backpacks kids used to use (and perhaps still do) for their textbooks – the Ivar style is clearly superior, and offers solid benefits in terms of weight distribution and comfort.

For what it’s worth, there are positive reviews and endorsements by – among others – a physical therapist and a university professor on the firm’s website.

Setting this issue aside for a moment, the bag remains good looking and surprisingly capacious, and as was with the Metrosafe, I rather like the understated graphics and look.

The Ivar Zug G2 is $85; you can buy it at select retailers, or directly from the Ivar site.  See it here:  Ivar Zug G2