An Honest Review: The Mega Normal Adventure Pack (MNAP 20L) by OCTOPUS

OCTOPUS toes the line of quality and aesthetics with punk rock elegance. Their color palette resides mostly at the southern tip of the greyscale, and their gear’s designed for surfers who prefer black boardies, black wetties, and blending into a lineup.

OCTOPUS’ ethos is to take whatever is present in surfing and do it better. And by better, they mean higher quality, durability, functionality, and putting more thought into a product they’re proud to present. 

Recently, they sent over a few bags for us to test and review. Which, for me, came at a convenient time as my current pack has seen a few too many mishaps over the past year — one pocket unintentionally sealed as a result of a bar of wax baking for three hours at 105 degrees in my car one summer afternoon.

So, the adorably named Mega Normal Adventure Pack or MNAP 20L recently became my daily driver. The bag is black. The exterior is water-resistant in a if you’re caught in a rainstorm or accidentally drop it in a puddle and quickly recover the bag to safety, what’s inside (most likely, depending on how long you let it sit in that pool of water) won’t be compromised kind of way. And not in a this is a dry bag, go fucking scuba diving with your laptop, and digital camera and everything will be camomile tea and honey kind of way. They do, however, offer a dry bag, if that’s your MO (check it here).

And now, a Mega Normal backpack-breakdown:

The bag’s got a few compartments. The laptop section is a highlight; it’s well-padded and lined by a fuzzy fabric that, given your state of mind, can be unusually pleasant to pet. There’s a stash pocket, well two stash pockets for whatever you like to, umm, stash… It’s got all the basic slots and pouches of a quality bag. The MNAP is welded, sealed, and sleek with all the tech you need, nothing you don’t. 

Shop it here.

For surfing, and all things VERY LARGE ADVENTURE!

If you’re looking for something more, er, adventurous, like a large pack for a long hike through Big Sur, a beach far from civilization, or somewhere down the road from your house, OCTO also makes the Very Large Adventure Pack (VLAP 34L). The VLAP’s got all the features of the Mega Normal plus a few extra zipper protected pockets. The highlight being a totally welded wet-dry compartment for stashing your wettie as you walk back to your vehicle post-surf.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my adoration for the Super Massive Octo Tote (SMOT 86L), another piece of luggage produced by eight tentacles. If I’m not boarding a plane, this is my go-to bag for any weekender or boozy beach day.

Yup, I have a quiver of OCTOPUS bags and packs, and, if it’s not apparent yet, I fuckin’ dig ’em.

Shop all OCTOPUS paraphernalia, here.