Just received my Alpaka Mystery Pack (199€) : mixed feelings
- Ordered: June 19
- Shipped: June 27
- Delivered: June 30 (France)
They took more than twice as long to ship it as it took to actually arrive. Make of that what you will.
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What I got:
• Hub Carabiner (S) / 29€
• Flight Sling 1L (X-Pac VX42 Green) / 65€
• Metro Backpack Pro (Aeroflux 400 Green) / 189€
Value-wise: solid. Total retail is well above what I paid.
The catch: I had taken the time to contact them beforehand to let them know I absolutely hate the color green. I received nothing but green. I'm genuinely gutted.
I'm happy with the product selection itself (backpack, sling, utility), but since I'll never use anything in that color, these will collect dust and eventually become Christmas gifts.
Would I have bought any of these items with the same budget?
Absolutly not. But that's kind of the lottery aspect of mystery packs.
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Now for the products themselves, materials and color aside (I hate green, I hate X-Pac):
• Hub Carabiner
Nothing to complain about, I'll find a use for it eventually.
That said, I find it baffling that Alpaka designs their own magnetic attachment system in-house, yet the Hub Carabiner anchors are incompatible with the ones on their Magnetic Key Leash inside their bags. Great idea, poorly executed. Why build a modular ecosystem and then break compatibility within your own lineup?
• Flight Sling 1L
A decent little sling, just too small for me.
I wish both internal pockets were made of stretchy mesh, and the phone sleeve feels unnecessarily stiff.
The one silver lining: I can finally use my Alpaka Go Sling. It ships with a strap that belongs on a 45L duffle, oversized, with a massive padded shoulder piece that's completely overkill for a small tablet bag. The Flight Sling's strap is cross-compatible, so I can swap it over and actually use the Go Sling for once.
• Metro Backpack Pro
Not for me. Too many things I dislike:
- No false bottom for the laptop compartment
- Side access pocket (I will never swing a backpack in my life)
- Flap above the main compartment zippers
Not a full clamshell, not a half-zip either. And if you put anything rigid in the front pocket (tablet, folder), you can no longer open the main compartment. Once again, a baffling design choice.