As the Creative Director for an online publisher (Matador Network) for the last 10 years, I’ve been on some wild wild journeys. I don’t want to start this article off by listing them off. However, for the sake of the validity of this review, I do feel like I need to establish the fact that I do get around, quite literally. From chasing humpback whales in Tonga to tagging endangered Eastern Black Rhinos in Kenya to shooting portraits of Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico, I have not had one speciality or style for many of years. I find myself thrown into a myriad of situations that often times could not be any more different than the last place I was shooting.
Photo: Scott Sporleder
I'm Matador's Creative Director, and I Finally Found A Travel Bag That Does It All
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Thus enter the problem, my never ending search to find a bag that, for a lack of better descriptions, does it all. One part hiking bag, one part camera bag, one part carry-on travel bag, one part everything else, it simply didn’t exist until I found the Matador Globerider bag. In the four months I have been using this bag it has quickly become my goto piece of equipment when hitting the road or going on another assignment. In short, this bag does it all.
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What I love about the Matador Globerider 45 Travel Pack
Proud owner of a matador globerider travel pack 45. Photo: Scott Sporleder
On the beach. Photo: Scott Sporleder
Let’s talk about the bag itself, the reason why I have been loving this thing and a couple of things I would tweak if there were to be another iteration.
Gotta just get out there and state that the completely open zipper is a game changer. For years, I’ve gone on long hikes/shoot days where I’ve shoved so much into a bag that it shouldn’t be legal. Only to deal with the absolute nightmare of trying to figure out where anything is, as it’s all been jammed down to the base of the bag. Inevitably, I have to remove all the contents of the bag to find the one obscure object I was looking for. Not anymore. I don’t think there’s any feature that I use more on this bag than being able to drop it to the ground, unzip the whole thing and open it like a book just to find exactly what I need.
And because of this, I’ve utilized some small storage kits to throw in there and everything is where it’s supposed to be everytime I open it. I know that mind sound extremely basic, but I can’t tell you enough how much time and headaches it’s saved me on the last few shoots.
The Globerider about to ride the globe. Photo: Scott Sporleder
There are several other features that sound simple but are so clutch. What’s that? A water bottle pocket that actually fits and holds a water bottle? The very stretchable material used for that pocket makes it super easy to put in or pull out a water bottle but also not be worried about it dropping out everytime I bend over or am on the move. The large outside pocket, too, is a simple and quick solution to stuff jackets, various items on that you need to use readily while on the move.
Another feature that I’ve loved is the ability to tuck the extra hip straps into the back itself. While on longer hikes carrying a heavy bag it can be extremely useful to be able to support the weight of the bag around your waist. However I would say I only utilize this maybe 20 percent of the time, because for the most part all of my travels are spent commuting. Putting the bag into an overhead compartment, pulling it out of the trunk of a car, stacking it on a trolly. That’s when these extra straps can be such a pain in the ass, getting stuck on everything. Love the feature of being able to store these things away and out of sight.
What I would change about the Matador Globerider 45 Travel Pack
A good travel pack that's also a good hiking pack. Photo: Scott Sporleder
Hiking with the Globerider. Photo: Scott Sporleder
There are a couple of features that aren’t horrible but I just can’t quite tell what the reasoning was behind them. First and foremost is the double handle on the top of the bag. There are two separate handles and despite being a larger person with bigger hands, I always feel like I can’t quite grab both of them at the same time in a comfortable manner. So I end up grabbing one and that kicks that bag off in one lopsided direction. It’s not a huge issue, but it is one that I find a bit annoying while on the run.
The other issue I’ve come across is the shoulder straps themselves. I am not sure if it’s just my body (because I have come across this issue on other bags too) but the end of the straps always seem to land right above my collar bones in way that puts a lot of weight in a bit of weak area. Even when I adjust the straps, the weight distribution always finds its way right into that weird spot, right where it seems like the smallest amount of cushion and support on the straps seem to live.
Again, this might be a particular issue for my specific body type but it’s one of the only issues I found with this bag.
Ultimately, The Matador Globerider 45 is a massive win in my book and one that I grateful to have found. In a world of technical over the top bags with what seems like infinite amounts of tiny pockets and redundant straps, the Matador Globerider strikes the perfect balance of utility, durability and style. 10 out of 10 would recommend. 