Thursday, February 7, 2008

The Critical Timing of the Critical Mass

(Photo of the Critical Mass Bag from Patagonia.com)
The elusive, long-awaited new Patagonia Critical Mass Bag continues to elude. I had read on TheCleanestLine.com back in May '07 (thanks to the kind folks from Patagonia that offered some inside info) that the redesigned Critical Mass Bag would be emerging in Spring '08. The new bag went up on the Patagonia website a couple of weeks ago and I loved the new design features (especially the zip pocket on the side that replaces the old mesh pocket). I made the decision to eBay the old one and have a little stash that will give me a head-start on purchasing the new one.

eBay came through with a decent amount but alas, the Critical Mass Bag on Patagonia.com is on backorder and won't ship until February 25th! The other new spring items are in stock, but the Critical Mass is not yet available. Stores are also not getting them until later adding to my frustration. So I'm eager to get the new bag because hauling my laptop and gear around in my pillow case is only going to work for so long!

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5 Comments:

Blogger The Wildschut said...

I'm curious to hear you feedback on the new design compared to the old model. From the pictures online, it looks less like a courier bag and more like urban messenger bag. Dare I say it, it almost looks like I wouldn't want to use it to bike with. Looking forward to your review.

Feb 14, 2008, 11:21:00 AM  
Blogger Patagonia Community said...

Hey wildschut's, I'm eager to GIVE feedback on the Critical Mass. Just waiting for it to become available, as you know. Honestly, I have some concerns about it too. It's quite a bit bigger than the old one (perhaps prohibitively so as an airplane carry-on) and the fact that the outer slot is shorter than the main divider (see inside pic on Patagonia website) seems like it might make things spill out, not to mention the significant $20 price hike. I've been tempted to look into getting a different bag, but we'll see. I really hope this is a great product.

Feb 14, 2008, 11:40:00 AM  
Blogger The Wildschut said...

Did you unload your older one on eBay yet? Did you have the last model or the one before that? I'm trying to find an older half-mass but they are few and far-between.

Mar 3, 2008, 10:06:00 AM  
Blogger Patagonia Community said...

Yes, I did already eBay the old one. It was actually a Critical Mass and not a Half Mass. However, in the recent Patagonia Winterfest sale, I did pick up the Half Mass for $39 (obviously not the latest edition of the bag but the one right before the current style) to use as my everyday laptop bag. It's a good bag but nowhere near as cavernous as the Critical Mass (which suits my needs just fine). It has a rather narrow profile and regular letter-sized files pass the top opening quite snug. The strap is shorter than the Critical Mass though and that's a plus. By the way, the Patagonia website now says that the new Critical Mass won't be available until March 10th. I've pretty much given up on it. I spent the money I had saved for it on other things that came up. I'm sorry to say it, but Patagonia lost a sale here.

Mar 4, 2008, 9:54:00 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hey there, would you have any idea where I could find a small shuttle duffel bag? I have the large and regular, but simply cannot find it at any online retailer.

Thanks for you time!

Mar 19, 2008, 10:40:00 AM  

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