So I have been carrying the Nomad XL for the past 2 weeks now throughout my travels in Danang, Vietnam. This is hardly an impartial review considering It's my company but here are my thoughts regardless.
I try to carry all of my designs for a period of time to test the functionality and get ideas on how I can improve them but my fallback bag has always been the Scout Satchel. It's a personal preference.
The Nomad XL however, is challenging my attachment to my Scout. For starters, I can easily carry my MacBook Pro and my iPad Pro (Yes. I'm one of those people). I could also do so with the Scout but the Nomad XL's a bit more comfortable. It's also pretty generous in its size so I can fit significantly more into the XL than I could in the Scout; a water bottle, rain jacket and my camera plus all of my regular gear for example. Thats without letting the hood out and that's significant.
One of the nicest things about the Nomad is the ability to comfortably wear it front and back. This is particularly handy on the motorcycle when I have the kid riding pillion because I can swing the XL around to the front and out of her way. This is something I could not do with a shoulder satchel unless I cinched the shoulder strap right up. This feature is shared with the Nomad and I wager it would be more comfortable with 10cm less bag dipping into my lap when seated.
The XL is essentially only 10 cm taller than the regular Nomad so a comparison is hardly necessary but that 10cm makes a significant difference to what you can fit in there. I kept the base and the width exactly the same; I didn't think the Nomad needed to be wider. But by default that translates to more outward space in the hood which is handy when you need it.
As a sling bag the Nomad is comfortable carried fully slung over the head and between your shoulders: front or back. I point that out because one thing I do miss from the Scout was the ability to quickly port it by hanging it over one shoulder - yes - lady style (I'm 47... I don't care...). Trying the same thing with the Nomad didn't quite feel so comfortable (or masculine 😜!).
Other mentions from me are the front outer zip pocket. This is perfect for my Larrabee wallet which I prefer to carry in a bag and especially instead of a larger pocket wallet. The Larrabee fits nicely in here and its really quick and easy to grab when I need it whether the bag is on my back or slung to my front.
Similarly, the iPhone X goes into the back pocket where it's close to my body and I feel confident that its secure. When I redesigned the Nomad I made this pocket deeper than all previous versions but now its so deep I wonder if I have gone too far 🤣.
I also have found myself clipping my keys to the centre 25mm D-Ring. Not it's intended purpose but if I clip it here and then slip the keys under the hood strap it works nicely 😂.
So that's roughly two weeks of use and I am really happy with the Nomad XL (if I do say so myself). Will it permanently replace my Scout 🤔.... the jury's still out on that one.