We can’t upgrade your seat, but we can upgrade your carry-on…
No, we didn't know what MLC stood for either. It's short for 'maximum legal carry-on'. This, then, is Patagonia's take on the airline cabin bag, and while it won't get you an upgrade on your cattle-class plane seat, it's certainly a serious upgrade on your luggage. Let's start with the material – a super-tough and weather-resistant recycled polyester ripstop with a matte-finish recycled TPU laminate coating. Looks smart, performs even better. The MLC opens right up like a suitcase, and inside you've got two interior organisation pockets plus a drop-in top pocket. There's a padded laptop compartment for devices up to 15" – along with pockets for chargers and cords – and this tech compartment opens right out, making it easier to get through security. You can carry it three different ways – with a stowable backpack harness, a shoulder strap (cleverly adapted from the backpack waist belt), and three simple grab handles. Streamlined, adaptable and well-thought-out. Unlike most airports.
- Made in 8.7-oz 300-denier post-consumer recycled polyester ripstop with a post-industrial recycled TPU-film laminate
- Durable and weather-resistant
- Dimensions based on the maximum carry-on size for most airlines
- Large main compartment with two interior organisation pockets and one drop-in pocket
- Padded laptop compartment in the back panel opens right out and contains extra pockets for cables and documents
- External lash points
- Stowable padded backpack straps with sternum strap and padded hip belt
- Hip belt can be adapted to use as a shoulder strap
- Lined in 3-oz 200-denier recycled polyester with a PU coating
- 3 grab handles in recycled nylon webbing, one of which doubles up as a pass-through strap so you can stack it on rolling luggage
- Capacity: 45 L
- Weight: 1635 g
- Dimensions: 56 x 37 x 19 cm
- Body: Recycled Polyester Ripstop
- Lining: 3oz 200-Denier Recycled Polyester
- Webbing: Nylon
- Recycled Materials: this bum bag is made from recycled polyester
- Environmental Initiatives: Through their membership with 1% for the Planet, Patagonia donate 1% of every sale to carefully chosen social and environmental causes
Patagonia is the brand that other gear companies want to be when they grow up. In 2022, the company's founder, Yvon Chouinard, famously gave the company to the planet. It’s now jointly controlled by a charitable trust and a not-for-profit dedicated to fighting the climate crisis, and all post-operating profits go to environmental causes.
But in some ways that’s the tip of the (melting) iceberg. For nearly half a century, Patagonia has been an experiment in responsible business. From the farms that grow their cotton to the factories that make their goods and everything in-between, they’ve tried incredibly hard to set the gold standard in terms of ethics, transparency and social responsibility. Not only that, but their gear is made to last – to take hard use and repairs, and to maintain its performance through thick and thin.
All of which is even more extraordinary when you consider that Yvon Chouinard started out blacksmithing climbing gear for his mates in his parents' backyard, using a forge and anvil that he bought from a junkyard.
At WildBounds we don’t usually tend to go for the big-name brands, but this was one we simply couldn’t resist. Quite apart from their amazing ethical and environmental credentials, they just make great gear. We’ve used it and loved it for years, and you will too.
