Expedition Units Project M23 Waterproof Field Bag – Tested & Reviewed

We got our hands on this tough little bag from Expedition Units, the brand you’ve almost definitely got an Instagram ad for. The brand was born out of crowdfunding, so is it worth the hype?

‘It’s called a satchel, Indiana Jones wears one’, was the first thing I thought when I saw the Expedition Units Project M23. My colleague Anna had been sent the Project 8020 Waterproof Backpack for a review (coming soon!) and Matteo, the founder, owner, and potentially sole employee of Expedition Units, had thrown the M23 in as a bonus.

‘Is it a waterproof handbag?’, Anna asked, swinging it around on her shoulder. The bag comes with a detachable shoulder strap, so this is one use for it, but I noticed some other strap holes on the back, ones that opened more adventurous possibilities.

Ok that was pretty foreboding, I’m talking about handlebar straps. Being quite confident that this is the strongest use case for We Are Explorers readers like yourself, I quickly relieved Anna of her new purse and set to mounting it on the front of my gravel bike.

A much better home than hanging from my shoulder

Why am I the right person to do this review?

I’ve been going out bush since I was about eight and have done all manner of expeditions involving waterproof bags, tough gear that I had to rely on, and versatile gear because I didn’t want to buy something new.

I’m passionate about making the outdoors accessible, and this includes gear that’s affordable, works as advertised, and doesn’t cost the planet too much in the process. It also means that I’ll try and translate any jargon, because most outdoor gear brands are painfully confusing.

I love getting out there, and I expect my gear to last | @eandrewsphoto

Quick Specifications

Weight: 250g
Dimensions: 25cm H x 28cm W x 9cm D
Capacity: 5L (8L without rolling)
Fabric: AWPE™ 600 (All Weather Performance Ecofabric)
Colourways: Black, olive green, desert sand, sharkskin’ grey
RRP: $151-ish, depending on the US dollar

Would love if this bit also listed dimensions

Design

The Project M23 Waterproof Field Bag, hereafter referred to as ‘Project M23’, has design at the forefront, so I’m starting there.

It’s a military-style bag, available in black, olive green, desert sand, or ‘sharkskin’ grey. Every colour is quite nicely chosen and will match whatever trendy, probably male aesthetic, that the sorting hat chose for you.

There are two clips on the side to attach the shoulder strap, a daisy chain on the rear for the handlebar straps, another on the front for I’m not quite sure what, and a strap across the top for the roll-top closure.

The green material is really quite beautiful

The shoulder strap clips are ‘clash hooks’ with a nice metal design with actual springs and 360-degree rotation, which is lovely because ‘bendy plastic’ clips are my pet hate; they always break. The strap itself is very simple. I would’ve appreciated some padding, as it quickly gets a bit uncomfortable if there’s much in the bag. But at least it’s adjustable.

As a Handlebar Bag

To attach to your handlebars, use the two removable velcro straps that go through the daisy chain. I found this a fairly fiddly to get tight, but once it was sorted, it’s been solid – though I’m personally not stoked on velcro as a bag attachment, especially if it starts to wear out. An elastic loop tightens the bag around the frame of the bike and keeps the whole thing fairly locked down.

My main criticism is that it’s a punish to get on and off. If it were easier to unclip from a more solid mount, I’d be able to take the bag with me as a satchel, for security, getting supplies, or bringing my camera for a walk. Instead, it’s very much staying on my bike.

The bag is 28cm wide, which comfortably fits between drop handlebars on a standard bike, and at 25cm tall, it’s solidly deep, even with the top rolled down. It’s only 9cm wide though, which is quite slim and can limit the kinds of items that fit inside. It does bulge a bit, but with some Tetris skills, I never had a problem. However, a bit more width wouldn’t hurt.

The bag doesn’t sit as upright as in the marketing, at least it doesn’t on my bike

The bag also sits a little lower than expected. On the website the bag sits up, but in my experience, the rolled top falls more in line with the handlebars. This isn’t terrible, it’s a little bit cleaner and you can see more of the dirt ahead of your wheel, but it’s different than advertised.

I’ve used it to carry my camera, snacks, a bike lock, and shoes (I carried Vans to change out of my bike shoes, bigger shoes like trail runners would take up the whole bag). I’m planning to take it on a multi-day ride soon where I think it’ll work well as a bag for my regularly used essentials. In particular, I loved the small internal pocket that stores smaller things like my phone and keys. The bag really shines when carrying items like a jumper or jacket, as they conform to the space.

I also really like the magnetic clips that help you line up the bag for closing. This makes the roll-top feel slightly more practical. It’s very much a two-handed job to close up, especially if you’re trying to roll it tight for maximum waterproofing. It cinches up nicely, but the thick fabric is quite stiff; I’m tipping this’ll loosen with use.

Magnetic clips help you close the bag right every time

Performance

Speaking of thick fabrics, wowee, this thing is Tough. The AWPE™ 600 (All Weather Performance Ecofabric) is unique to Expedition Units and boasts complete waterproofing, scratch resistance, and recycled plastic. The writing printed on the bag itself offers a hint, stating, ‘RPET-TPU FABRIC’. So it’s some form of recycled polyethylene terephthalate and thermoplastic urethane. Hello? Did I lose you? Safe to say it looks and feels very nice.

The bag utilises ‘high-frequency welding’ to create a seamless construction too, which helps with waterproofing and general durability. Granted, I can’t do a proper durability test (that may take some years), but it’s giving every indication of being over-engineered for the task of carrying my stuff and keeping it dry.

Useful water-resistant storage for the essentials, but I wouldn’t float it down a river

However, I think it’s worth noting that I wouldn’t take this bag on something like a canoe trip. Although it’s definitely waterproof and, if rolled, would withstand a summer downpour or casual firehosing, the rolltop is a bit more aesthetic than functional. There’s no clip to go in a circle and create tension, like on a dry bag, and getting in three tight rolls and cranking the top clip to hold it in place requires precision. To be honest, this is fine. It’s waterproof as heck, I just wouldn’t submerge it.

Another usage (if you’re a legend) is as a cooler bag, as the inside is unlined and fully waterproof. I haven’t done this as it’s the middle of winter, but I did fill it with water and nothing came out. Bring on summer!

Sustainability

Expedition Units is admittedly a fairly small company, so I was pleased to see that it still has a sustainability page. The page explains the eco-friendly fabric as well as the biodegradable TPU coating, which apparently is a new kind of TPU that doesn’t last in the environment.

There’s also a collaboration with a group called CleanHub, which is working to end plastic pollution and help keep oceans free of plastic, as well as The Plastic Exchange Bali, which is where the company’s based.

There isn’t any evidence of carbon targets or any fair trade approaches, and the page feels a bit non-specific when talking about the product itself. I’m aware that the product ships directly from a factory in China, which isn’t unusual for even the largest brands, but it’s a bit different to buying from a small Australian maker. I’ll be watching the brand as it grows to see if its sustainability efforts grow with it.

Price

The Project M23 is listed at around $150AUD, though it’s currently on an (I suspect permanent) sale for $106, plus shipping. You also get fairly significant discounts if you buy two or three.

A similar, albeit slightly smaller bag from top-tier brand Ortlieb is $129.95 from Tom’s Outdoors and features clever things like a pad to protect your bike frame (the M23 bag has scratched up my carbon frame a bit).

At home on the bike, but not ‘bike-only’

Likewise, Osprey’s larger Escapist handlebar bag has an RRP of $200, but I’m seeing it for $139.97 on Wild Earth at the moment. Amy reviewed that range last year.

It’s a bit hard when prices keep fluctuating, but overall, I reckon the $106 you’d pay right now is a pretty good price if the Project M23 is ticking your boxes.

Final Thoughts

But what are those boxes? For me the Project M23 is a great runaround bag. I’ve left it on the front of my bike and used it in the same way I’d use a basket, except that I know nothing will fall out or get damaged by rain and mud. Off the bike, it’s been an aesthetically pleasing camera bag, and I’m considering how it might hold our camp kitchen utensils once I retire it from the bike for something bigger.

I love the look, the ease of access, and the toughness of the bag. I do think it’s trying to be a bit of everything, and is outperformed by specific bikepacking bags or cooler bags. But as a versatile ‘do anything’ bag, I’m pretty impressed.

‘Oi fill me up with beers haha’