Mission Workshop is run by the guys who started Chrome. History being history, they left Chrome and started another company: Mission Workshop. Located in the same part of San Fran as Timbuk2, Mission Workshop bags take a different approach to portage than Chrome does. Instead of a minimalist carryall approach, their bags tend to have a plethora of pockets. but not excessively so. Muted and subtle color schemes take the place of the flashy and bright colors that Chrome is noted for. Finally, (and this is the real plus for me) the bags take literally the concept of "scalability": the backpacks can actually expand to take whatever you want to carry, and the messenger bags can do something very similar.
The Shed in Rolltop configuration
The Shed is the largest of Mission Workshop's line of messenger bags. Even more so than Chrome's buckle bags, they take the "one design fits all" approach. The base model of the Shed is the only one that Mission Workshop sells. Different sizes are scaled geometrically. Their shapes and features are completely identical.
The signature feature of the Shed is the rolltop convertability. It is the only single strap bag I have ever seen that allows the user to roll the top down and secure it with velcro. The great advantage of this mode is that the front pockets (which are also quite well designed, being 3-dimensional and waterproofed with a gusset type overlap) are accessible when the top is rolled down. The quick access nature of these pockets makes it great for food, tools, and small bike accessories. I usually keep my gloves, deodorant, and bike pump in one pocket, with the other being reserved for food. The roll-top compartment is also exceedingly waterproof, having not only standard Cordura with tarp liner, but a large section of it rolled together.
You can also use the bag as a standard messenger, folding it over. I find this works alot better for large loads. Indeed, Mission Workshop seems to believe so too, as they designed the straps for buckles for the messenger mode to be exceedingly long. So long, in fact, that they trail quite prominently when in rolltop mode. The buckles that the straps click into are also positionable. You can move them towards the top for smaller loads, or you can max out the capacity by moving them downwards. When not in use as a standard messenger, the buckles clip into the front cargo pockets, keeping them shut in rolltop mode.
You can also use it as a standard messenger
There is also a laptop pocket slyly ensconced between the main compartment and cargo pockets. Its location, in addition to the urethane coated zipper that grants access to it, ensures maximum waterproofing and protection from impacts. The laptop pocket, also, is in fact actually three pockets. Made out of waterproof X-Pac fabric, one pocket is clearly for a laptop and other electronics, boasting an incredibly degree of waterproofing. There are however, more pockets inside of the laptop compartment. Some are good for pens and pencils. I like to keep my notebook in another, again because it is quite waterproof.
The strap pad of the Shed is also quite notable in that it can switch shoulders. Most bags, Chrome included, require that you choose a shoulder orientation when you purchase the bag. Righties prefer the left shoulder, and vice versa. But the Shed has an incredibly clever velcro strap that lets you change the shoulder orientation of the bag. I don't think i'll ever use it, but it is a clever innovation. The strap pad itself is quite comfortable, and just a bit short. My phone holster was accessible and usable with all but the largest loads.
The aforementioned velcro strap. Also, their logo.
Ergonomically, I find the Shed to work best with voluminous, but less heavy loads. Great for clothes and some books, but introducing heavy electronics into the main compartment makes it a bit heavy. The Shed is incredibly scalable, probably more so than any other bag I have. Small to medium loads can use the rolltop configuration, while large loads work best with the messenger configuration (including movable buckles!!!). Like alot of bags, it takes a little bit of jostling to find a comfortable angle for hard objects in the main compartments, but once that angle is found, objects definitely tend to stay there.
The most significant ergonomic problem is quite an interesting one. The rolltop configuration of this bag necessitates an incredibly TALL top flap. So tall, in fact, that reaching into the bag without taking it off is difficult. I had to angle my arm around the top of the bag to root around the main compartment. In the end, I ended up placing quick use items in the front pockets. However, this means that whenever I go to a place to do something, the first thing I do is take the bag off. This is not a problem for school classes, but it might not be the best choice for somebody that needs frequent access to larger items (photographers, for example).
All things aside, the Shed is an incredible bag. It definitely has an impressive pedigree, and the incremental improvements that the makers have incorporated into it result in an incredibly polished product. Although it tips the scales at a slightly expensive $189, that money gets you incredible quality, and years of experience.
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