Moshi Captus, a striking redesign of the classic rolltop backpack

More than just baggage: a San Francisco-based company tries to update a classic to new needs.  

Moshi is a company specialized in bags, backpacks and protective cases, founded in 2005, at the dawn of the “mobile” technological boom that overturned so many expectations and changed the way we live – it's no coincidence that Moshi is from San Francisco, a stone's throw from Silicon Valley, which is still the symbol of that revolution. What we have witnessed in the last decade has been a real revolution in the way we live in spaces: the smartphone and connection technologies have transported operations out of homes and offices that were previously mainly linked to a physical place, to the possibility of connecting to a wired network or using a desktop terminal, whether it was a computer or a TV or a phone. As a result, the functions were integrated into the software package of smartphones, tablets and laptops. Not that anyone had ever seen a movie on the train or written a work email from the airport before, but this has become the new norm. If the digital nomad has represented for years an almost mythological creature, an ideal dreamed by many freelancers, today the idea of working on the move has become ordinary. And with smart working initiatives many companies are leaving behind the idea of a fixed location even in the office.

Devices evolved and so did the containers we use to transport them. Few objects are more representative of our wroking life than backpacks, which have become the mobile office of many professionals, creative and not. The challenge for designers, of course, is to create a bag so versatile to condense in a single container all the different needs that occur during a day or a short business trip. To create a modular design is the most frequent answer to this kind of need. Moshi's Captus backpack approaches the problem starting from a very classic form factor, that of the rolltop backpack, which became popular in cities all over the world on the shoulders of bike messengers. On this set-up, Moshi added pockets (two on the side, one on the front, on the bottom for wet clothes and shoes, and a napoleon pocket with RFID protection) and a compartment for a laptop or tablet, with an additional set of inside pockets. A series of straps, borrowed from backpacks for the mountains, are designed to attach objects, but at the same time they risk making them more uncomfortable to use. The backrest is reinforced and breathable. Two colours are available: sandstone beige and denim blue.

Zip openings grant a fast access to the interior of the backpack

A backpack with a roll-up closure is one of the most versatile solutions because it adapts in shape to what needs to be transported. In this case, a potentially considerable load, considering the 45 litres capacity. And yet Captus if not full remains a backpack of medium proportions, so it is agile, especially in an urban context. It's the two zips on the front that make it special: not only do they allow you to organize the contents inside the bag more quickly, giving you the possibility to lay it on the backrest and fill it as you would with a trolley, but they simplify and speed up access when you are on the move, which in this kind of luggage is usually the most laborious part - unrolling, sliding the zipper and fishing in the bag is not a quick operation, and often requires the backpack to be placed on a raised floor or on the ground. This is even more useful in contexts where there is little room to manoeuvre, such as airplanes or public transport. Pity instead for the materials, which are beautiful, functional and weather resistant, but to the touch result cold, not very pleasant, especially due to the use of a rough and thin fiber.

Name:
Captus
Brand:
Moshi
Category:
zaino
Year:
2019

Moshi provided a sample of the Moshi backpack to write this article.

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