Can DB’s Travel Gear Actually Change Your Life?

Roughly two years ago, we published a story claiming that a boardbag and luggage set could change your life. 

It may or may not have struck you as a tad hyperbolic. 

But if you considered the condition that you’d need to travel constantly — and with lots of objects — in order to activate DB’s life-changing properties, you’d realize there may be integrity to the claim. 

A few spins around the sun later, we decided to check in with the Stab staff (whom meet the criteria laid out above) to see how their DB gear is going and if lives have indeed changed. 

Let’s. 

Hugger Roller 90L

I’ve been using this all year. There’s a lot of room for all my clothes, towels, toiletries, and tripod to fit easily — in my last bag, my tripod was awkward to cram in there, and it barely left any room for the rest of my gear. The material seems pretty lightweight but has some durability. It was super easy to roll and throw into the back of a car. I liked the shape/design, too. It’s easy to spot on the carousel and has handles on all four sides, making it easier to grab.

-Blake Michel, Stab Films

Surf Roller Bag 3-4 Boards

On my earliest surf trips, I recall traveling with my dad’s old boardbag. Thing was fucking brutal. It didn’t have wheels, and it offered limited protection, despite seeming to contain enough fabric to keep an entire Nordic village warm through a harsh winter. Curiously, this thing came from Nordic people and is the opposite. It protects boards, glides through the airport like Leif Erikson’s long ship heading towards Newfoundland on an uncharacteristically calm day in the Atlantic, and looks great. 

-Brendan Buckley, Editor at Large

Ramverk Sling and Camera insert

These were really nice to have during our recent stint in Hawaii for the Vans Pipe Masters. I fit my B-camera, drone, drone batteries, and controller in the camera insert. I used to just throw my drone and other camera gear in my open pelican case with clothes surrounding it, and this time the camera insert kept everything neat and safe in the pelican case. The sling bag was really nice to have on the shoot because I put all my batteries, SD cards, and lenses in there for easy access while shooting. I also used it as a camera saddle bag. We shot handheld for almost two hours per day, and it kept the camera steady the whole time. 

-Will Stiles, Stab Films

Ramverk Pro Backpack 26L

I bring this to the office every day and it fits my laptop, keyboard, mouse, headphones, waterbottle, and hard drives — I think I fit 11 in there one day. It’s got a lot of separated zippers on the inside to keep all the small stuff organized and the top zipper is nice to access airpods, wallet, keys, sunnies, etc. It’s sweet. 

-Hayden Williamson, multi-purpose weapon.

The Full Kit

The surfboard bag looks good, feels good, and makes me believe (however naively) that luggage carriers will treat it nicely.

The fact that it connects to the Db roller bag is seriously a game changer. I had no idea how much I’d use that feature and how much it would change my travel experience. I’m not sure how they engineered it, but it’s literally less effort to the drag the boardbag connected to the roller bag than it is to drag the board bag on its own. Sweating your way through the airport is a thing of the past.

The roller luggage is exactly what meets the eye: big bag, one compartment, shove everything inside and off you go. Only once have I been called out on the bag being “too big” and had to pay an oversized fee. Most of the time they let it slide.

The Ramverk backpack is secretly the pick of the bunch. It has one main compartment to stuff bulkier travel essentials (book, lappy, water bottle, Now That’s What I Call Music 43-49 CDs) and then a covert top pouch for valuables and quick-grab items.

If you have a significant other, double the price tag on this thing because there’s no way you’re getting just one.

-Michael Ciaramella, Editor in Cheif