Different people have different ways of relieving stress after a long day at work. Some like to hit the weights room, some like to hit the bars, and some like to sweat it out with high-intensity cardio. The Megabeta Convertible Totepack is designed for folks who enjoy swinging by the local bouldering walls at the end of the workday.
Billed as “one bag for work, climbing, life,” it’s a convertible bag that you can carry as a tote or as a backpack that’s specifically designed for climbing, albeit with enough appointments to make it suitable as an everyday commuter bag. That makes it ideal for bouldering fans who like to get a climb in or two throughout the workweek, as you can use it as a work bag while also packing your climbing gear for when you hit the walls later in the day.
The Megabeta Convertible Totepack has a 19L main compartment, which should have enough room to carry gear and supplies for a day out in the city. It has a dedicated laptop compartment inside for stashing your work computer, as well as a split main compartment, so you can separate dirty clothes from the rest of your stuff after a particularly sweaty sport climbing session. That split design should make organizing gear inside just a little easier.
Out front, there’s a 5L front pocket sized to hold your climbing shoes, so you can keep them out of of the main compartment. That pocket expands inward, too, so those who want to pack two pairs of shoes can pack both inside, although they will take up room in the main compartment, so keep that in mind if you’re packing a lot of stuff. According to the outfit, that front pocket is also odor-proof, so it won’t stink even if you stash your nastiest climbing shoes inside. How? As it turns out, the front pocket is lined with activated carbon cloth, which sucks in moisture and traps odors, keeping everything smelling fresh with no extra products necessary. Just make sure to expose your bag to direct sunlight occasionally, as this reactivates the carbon, essentially removing any moisture and odors that are trapped in its fibers.
The Megabeta Convertible Totepack also has open side pouches, which you can use for storing water bottles or, better yet, small climbing items (chalk, tape), so you always know where you’ve got some stashed, instead of dumping them in with the rest of your gear. Right under the front pocket sits a webbing loop that can be used to hang any gear you don’t want to put inside (they recommend using it to strap on a bike light if you’re bike commuting).
Other features include a ripstop nylon rolltop closure, Repreve polyester exterior shell, ripstop nylon lining, padded shoulder straps with attachment loops, padded sternum strap, and YKK zippers. When using as a tote, by the way, you can tuck the backpack straps out of sight, so you don’t have any dangling straps that could get randomly caught onto stuff. It comes in three colorways, namely bone, aqua, and slate.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Megabeta Convertible Totepack. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at $127.
