February 1, 2011 Reader Review: Red Oxx Ruck Sack
The following is WSL’s review of the Red Oxx Ruck Sack/C-Ruck (has two names) first posted in the Forum:
I decided to give back to the OBOW Forum which was very helpful when I was looking for a new backpack. The following is a review that I submitted to Red Oxx’s site which is still under moderation. The addendums below are just to clarify a couple of points and were not in the original review.
So, after a trip where my twenty-year old backpack was soaked all the way through I decided that it was time for a replacement. I wanted something that could hold my Macbook Pro (MBP) and yet not look like a notebook bag and can be used for other purposes such as groceries, carry-on, day-to-day usage, etc. Basically a versatile, all-around bag that I didn’t have to worry about. Hey, my last bag lasted 20+ years and I didn’t see any reason why the next one shouldn’t either. 
After doing a lot of online and offline research and dithering about I finally decided to order the C-ruck. Ordering was dead easy and it arrived right on time. Within a week, it was on its way with me for a short jaunt to Jakarta. How did it perform?
The good news first, it’s capacious - it looks big but it fits exactly the carry-on frame. The internal sleeve fits my MBP perfectly and I don’t have any worries there about the protection given by the C-ruck. And, yes, it did look as classy as I had hoped it would - sometimes you can’t really tell these things unless you have the item right in front of you.
The bad news? It’s a heavy bag. The specs says it’s over 3 lbs and it’s easy to dismiss that until you have it in hand and realize how much that will cut into your carry-on allowance. The weight is also a factor in that this is a “hot” bag, meaning that the weight of the bag, the weight of your items along with the padding in the back may have you overheating pretty quickly. It’s not a problem if you’re in temperate climes but it can be unpleasant if you’re slogging through a tropical city such as Jkt. The straps are also very long and I suspect that the bag is sized for someone who is closer to 6 ft than my 5’8”. I’ll probably get them cut shorter and restitched when I get the chance.
So, do I feel that I am getting value for my money? A qualified yes. It’s a well-built, over-engineered (this is a good point!) bag that looks great and will do all that I want it to do. Unfortunately, there are a couple of niggling points that were not mentioned in other reviews and holds me back from giving it 5 stars. If I had known about those niggling points it would have made me dither a lot longer than two months!
P.S. I had sent an email asking about sizing and it was suggested that I purchase the mini-ruck but that item would not hold my MBP in its sleeve.
Addendum:
A. It’s a 15” MBP that I have and I also carry a couple of items specific to the work that I do.
B. Tom Binh and LLBean had bags that were in very serious consideration for my money. But, the Brain Bag had too much material that I would never use and the Expedition Travel Pack (from both retailers, respectively) looked too much like a carry-on. They were, though, half the price of the Ruck Sack.
Reader Comments (4)
Another thing to remember is that if the bag is stolen you are out a lot of $$$.