In my everyday routine, I always carry some sort of bag, either a backpack or a shoulder bag. When I was a teenager in the 80s I carried a fanny/waist pack. Growing up, I started carrying a backpack, especially when living and working in a big city. I had to use a car daily, to go to work due to distance so I always had a backpack with essential items. For the last couple of years, I resided in a small, quiet town and rediscovered what quality life is. My place is just half a mile distance from the town’s center; a distance easily covered by foot or bicycle. I don’t need to drive the car every day to commute around the town. So, my EDC bag is changed again. I don’t need a backpack these days. Now, I am carrying a shoulder bag, made by Frost River, the Saganaga Travel Satchel.
Specifications and Features
The Saganaga Travel Satchel comes in two sizes, little and big. I own the smaller version. The dimensions of the small satchel are 7.5in H x 9.25in W x 3in D. It is made from 18oz waxed cotton canvas. The shoulder strap is 1.5in wide cotton web with an adjustable brass slide. The total weight of the bag is 1.75 lb empty. The bag has one full-width exterior slip pocket, three smaller slip pockets across the inside front, a main compartment pouch, and one zip full-height pocket into the flap at the back of the main compartment. The zip is heavy-duty. The flap is closed with a magnetic snap button. The quality of material and craftsmanship is noticed at first glance. The stitching is very solid and overall you understand that this bag will serve for many years to come.
My everyday carry items
The satchel has enough room to carry all the items that I mostly use or might need at some point. In the exterior pocket, I keep two small notebooks; one is in use, and the other is spare. I use notebooks for anything from grocery lists to ideas, thoughts, and other notes. In the main compartment, I keep my keys, a leather credit card folder that a dear friend made for me, a small roll of duct tape, 20ft of paracord, a thermal blanket, and a small tin with tinders. I also keep some sort of snack, like a protein/energy bar, and my tumbler or my small thermos for water or hot drinks. Both of them can hold a bit less than 500ml of liquid, and fit perfectly in the bag. I don’t see the need to carry a lot of water, since there are enough places that you can buy a bottle of water. I do keep a minimalistic first aid kit, which contains bandages, small antiseptic towelettes, triple antibiotic ointment, and small gauze pads.
At the three small pocket slips, I keep a Bic lighter with a ferrocerium rod, a small sharpie with a mechanical pencil and extra lead, a small flashlight, and a pocket knife. At the zipper pouch, I keep a phone charger, a power bank, and a cotton bandana.
My philosophy to keep all these specific items in my kit is based on my location. As I had mentioned before, I live in a small town, not a densely build and populated area. The thermal blanket, the paracord, the duct tape, and the fire kit, can have multifunctional uses. I don’t think that I need to make a shelter and build a fire, but I might need to cover an injured man on the highway. I can makeshift bandages using duct tape, and so on… Some things are good to have when you know how to effectively use them.
It is the second bag I own from Frost River, and I am very happy with the purchase of this shoulder bag. The staff at Frost River company had done excellent work. Quality of materials and craftsmanship are loudly present, and this is something that escorts all of their products. You cannot go wrong, purchasing any Frost River product, and remember to build your kit according to your needs and your location.