BAGS
We really try our best not to laugh when we are asked this basic question. I guess a better question would be: What brands of "messenger bags" are YOU looking at that AREN'T waterproof?!?!
Ok; simple answer: Yes. Yes they are waterproof (with the exception of the Sprint, Dash, Softpack, and Totes, which are clearly marked as being lined with pack cloth and are not meant for messenger use). Clients generally don't like their packages to be wet when they're delivered.
The dimensions are taken from the BASE of the bag. So we treat the bag as a "full box". The actual width of an empty bag is generally bigger than the indicated dimensions, due to the fact that the sides compress when the bag is flattened out.
We get an almost immeasurable amount of requests from people asking us to tell them what size bag we think they should get...which is of course virtually impossible for us to do without knowing what you need to carry and how you want to carry it. Bag sizing is a very subjective thing, and we learned a long time ago that some people will take our friendly recommendation and then use it against us later. So...with that said, we can certainly give you a general idea of what you might expect to fit into each of our bag models. Hopefully, this will make your decision easier. We take no responsibility for you ordering the wrong size bag for yourself!
Messenger Mini: A few books, a snack, a big wallet, bottle of water
Small Civilian/Dash: A few books, a snack, rain jacket, laptop
Civilian/Sprint: A few books, a snack, laptop, shoes, bottle of water
Courier/Courier Deluxe: A whole mess of packages and a copy box OR a lotta big books, lunch, shoes, jug of water, change of clothes, and some room to spare
Minipack/Softpack: A few books, a snack, a big wallet, 2 bottles of water
Midpack: A few books, a snack, laptop, shoes, 2 bottles of water.
The straps that are used for flap closure (if necessary; our velcro is very secure in most situations) are clipped to the "strap keeper" buckles that are at the top lip of the body of the bag. This keeps them out of the way when they aren't in use. If you need to clip the flap closed for whatever reason, simply unclip them from the strap keeper buckles and clip them into the buckles on the flap.
GRAPHICS
Well, the exact techniques are ancient secrets passed down from generation to generation, but here's a quick explanation that will at least get you on the same page as us.
If your design is so simple that it can be translated verbally (ie. "two-inch wide vertical gold stripe offset to the left), then simply say that. If not, send us a jpg! If you need help with sizing and other issues, please see the other FAQ's below.
Sizing your artwork properly is a step than can help you save money on your overall graphics cost, since it means we don't have to spend any time doing it for you.
First, you'll need to decide whether you want the artwork to fit between the buckles on the flap, or to span most of or all of the flap. Then, use the appropriate "canvas" size to mock up your artwork.
Deluxe/Courier
Civilian/Sprint
Small Civilian/Dash
Messenger Mini
Minipack/Softpack
Midpack
Yes. email us!
We always suggest that in correspondence with us regarding potential graphics, customers should go ahead and start by sending us their most optimistic vision for the graphic. Even if it winds up being something that we cannot pull off with applique, or is prohibitively expensive, we can work with you from that point. In most cases, we can get the design down to something that falls into your price range while still translating your initial vision. We're good like that.
That's fine; believe us most people fall into this category and we have still helped them design beautiful bags. In this case, Google is your friend. Try and find some images online that are similar to elements of the graphics that you would like. The closer you can get to giving us the actual graphics you want, the better we will be able to make your vision come to life, and the less it will cost you in design fees.
That's fine; neither do we. We do the graphics first and foremost, and then worry about the flap buckles and logo. If the buckles interfere with the graphics in a negative way, we move them underneath the flap. If the logo interferes, we either move it or substitute our smaller accessory tag in the trim on the side of the flap. We generally do this by default by our own discretion, but you can also TELL us to do this if you wish.
Bottom line: your graphics will always matter more than our logo.
ACCESSORIES
Lockdown foot straps are made in a way that either strap can be used for either pedal. Therefore, when you open the packaging, although it may seem like there are two of one side; this is not the case! For guidance on switching the straps up, click here
We stopped making laptop sleeves because laptops kept changing! It was becoming impossible for us to actually keep a stock of sleeves in the appropriate sizes, in colors that people wanted. It seemed we were always making a sleeve for a specific laptop for a custom order. Ideally we like to spend more time making bags than accessories, so we decided to stop. There's tons of other companies making decent sleeves, and we wanted to focus our efforts on the bag part of the equation.
We used to actually custom make frame pads for specific customer-supplied tubing diameters. However, as we've grown, so has our workload, and we just don't have the resources to do this anymore. It would be one thing if there was any type of standard as far as oversized tubing goes...but there isn't. sizes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer as well as model to model. Given the choice between spending extra time figuring out a bunch of random frame pad sizes or completing custom bags, we simply have to choose the latter.
We stopped making radio holders awhile ago. Kinda the same thing as laptop sleeves. There is absolutely no standard on the phones/radios messengers use anymore. Back in the day, everybody had motorola "bricks". Then Nextels came out, but they were mostly one of a very few models. Now, almost any phone setup can be used...the combination of sizes, button and display locations, and speaker placement has made it nearly impossible for us to design something for universal use
ORDERING
We have gone to great measures to make our website as user-friendly as possible. Orders filtered through the website are much easier for us to process and keep track of. So if it's not too much trouble, we'd greatly prefer that our customers used the website whenever possible. That said, if you're the "I don't trust this newfangled interweb!" type, we have absolutely no problem taking credit card orders over the phone. You can also pay with cash at R.E.Load Headquarters. Or, you can use PayPal. Unfortunately, due to a growing number of bounced checks (which come with NSF fees), we no longer take personal checks. Postal money orders or cashiers checks are also welcome .
Yes. When a bag is put on the schedule to be made, that means that the material is charted to be used, somebody is designated to cut it, and a stitcher is assigned to the project. Depending on the complexity of the bag in question, an additional stitcher may be required to carry out some of the production. We need to know that the order is for real before we put these plans in action. So, no, emailing us with a bag request and getting a quoted response alone does not mean that your bag is going to be made.
Most people are, by default, left shoulder wearers. This means that the strap of the bag will rest on your left shoulder and come across your chest to the metal adjustment buckle, which will be sitting on your right hip. If you wear the bag the opposite way, then you are right-shoulder. If you're not sure, you should throw a shoulder bag on real quick (without thinking about what you're doing) and take note of which way you naturally just put the bag on.
This is a tough question. It's pretty much based on personal preference. However, from our experience, we find that people who have never used the metal buckle system system from the old school strap generally have a harder time learning to use it properly than they do learning the Split Strap or 215 Strap. Additionally, the old school strap requires a break-in period, while the Split and 215 Straps are basically good to go from day one. That said, the old school system remains an awesome setup when used properly, and is actually more versatile in terms of adjustment for crazy-shaped packages than the Split and 215 Straps.
While they feature identical shoulder padding and are very similar, there is one major difference: the Split Strap features a quick-release buckle that can be "clicked" apart; the 215 Strap features a static metal buckle that cannot be separated. Basically, the 215 Strap is made for those that like center adjustment on the main strap but want to maintain the action and aesthetic of the old school buckle, and dont care if they cant remove the bag without adjusting the strap. If being able to "click" the bag on and off is important to you, you want the Split Strap.
The Civilian, Small Civilian, and Minipack models are identical or nearly identical to the Sprint, Dash, and Softpack models, respectively. However, they are made with different purposes in mind. The three latter models have pack cloth lining instead of vinyl-coated nylon. Pack cloth is lighter and much more supple, making the bags generally more comfortable and certainly easier to stash away than their more heavily-lined counterparts. However, pack cloth, while highly water-resistant, is not waterproof like the liner found in the Civilians, Small Civilians, and Minipacks. In a rainstorm pack cloth will generally keep your stuff dry long enough for you to get where you're going, but it's definitely not made for long days riding around in the rain.
Long story short: if you're the type to look for shelter when it starts pouring, you're good; the light-weight bags ROCK as fair weather/weekend bags. Conversely, if you're a messenger or dedicated commuter, you're going to want a fully waterproof model as your main bag.
Custom orders are filled on a two-to-four week timeline. The actual range is narrower than that at any given time, but in general up to two weeks for bags without graphics, and up to four week turnaround for bags with graphics. Megapacks also can take up to four weeks. If you need a more precise estimate of the turnaround time, please contact us and we can tell you our current workload.
Please be aware that the clock starts when the order is COMPLETE and PAID for! Emailing us for a quote does not mean your bag is on our schedule!
If you need a bag faster, we can sometimes do a rush order a week or two quicker for an additional 20% of the order total. There are also plenty of Limited Edition and Basic bags that are available for immediate shipment.
Our regular, stiff webbing main straps and split straps are made to endure the rigors of repeated tightening and loosening that comes with messenger work or active cycling in general. They are by far the best choice for those who will need to adjust their strap length on the go. The walking strap is made for individuals who might be walking or riding casually, and don't necessarily have to adjust their strap a lot. It's also spec'd for bags that generally carry much less weight than out larger messenger bags. As such, we've been able to use a much softer strap webbing. Bags made with the walking strap do NOT come with a waist strap/sternum strap.
Maybe. First, we must verify that the material you have chosen is sufficiently durable for its purpose. We have many customers who tell us "oh, I'm fine with the bag falling apart; I know this material isn't that great but I love how it looks". That may be fine for you, but on our end, we simply cannot put our name on something that is not going to represent the overall quality of our products. So, if you are thinking about sending some of your own material, you will first have to send us a swatch of the material in a size no smaller than 1' x 1'. If we determine it is good enough to make a bag with, we will instruct you as to how much of the material we actually need to make the bag.
As much as we used to love doing this, we've pretty much reached the point where we can no longer spend our resources doing one-off projects that might or might not work out as they were planned. From experience, we know that these types of projects are hard to give proper quotes for (because we've usually never done anything exactly like it), and they often require adjustments after the job is finished the first time. To make a long story short, it's inefficient and frustrating.
Sometimes we manage to get a small amount of a weird color, or a specialty fabric that we don't normally carry. We have fun making bags for the store and such, so usually we'll just go ahead and make some of them with this material until it runs out. However, there's generally not enough of it to take a real inventory. That means we don't know when it'll run out, but we know it'll be soon. Possibly before we would get a chance to use it for your bag. Possibly before we could even get it up on the site in general. So we just don't offer it. We know that's a little misleading, but hey...it's not like there aren't over 40,000 possible color combinations for your bag already. That said, please feel absolutely free to email us and ask anyway. You might get lucky .
Yes! We try to make it a point to hang on to all of our graphics from past collections so we can do remakes as necessary. Please send us a link of the bag you are interested in from our Flickr site so we are both on the same page as far as what you are looking for. If you cannot find it there, we might still be able to help you out.
SHIPPING
Yes!
We ship bags in the continental United States via UPS. The cost is quoted live from UPS, so it depends on your location and the size of your order.
We ship bags to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, APO's, and AFO's via USPS Priority Mail. The cost is $25.
We ship bags to international locations via USPS Global Express Mail service. The Cost is $50. We realize this is a bit expensive, but it remains the cheapest TRACKABLE and INSURABLE service for other countries. Trust us: the normal postal "Delivery Confirmation" is absolute rubbish and leaves us with no recourse whatsoever should your package be lost.
We ship accessories domestically via USPS Priority mail, with a cost of $7-$11 depending on the number/size of accessories. We ship accessories internationally for $15 via USPS Global Priority mail.
RETURNS/REPAIRS
Okay. First, you MUST contact us regarding your issue. DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BACK TO US WITHOUT A PRIOR APPROVAL. We need to know what the issue is. In many cases, it is not necessary to send the bag back to us at all. And, in many cases we might need you to send us a picture of the problem. After we verify that the bag should indeed be sent back, we will repair/replace it as we deem necessary.
If the bag does need to be sent back, unless it is a problem with a new purchase, it is the customers' responsibility to handle the shipping to us. We will handle the shipping back to you.
We have had an EXTREMELY low number of these cases in over ten years of business, for what it's worth.
Unfortunately, we can't do this. Once a bag is made, it would take about as much time to disassemble it and add a feature as it would to make a whole new bag. So choose your bag wisely! It'll be with you for a looong time!
That's nice of you! No.
Sure, just send us a PADDED, sase (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) with three first class stamps on it. we'll send you a couple.
No.
General
Hmmmm...does "probably" work here? Really, we never know. We're into colors, as you might have guessed. If new choices become available, we generally embrace them. But we can't tell you when this might happen, because we don't know yet ourselves.
Thanks!
CARE
We highly recommend that you try to spot clean your bag with mild detergents. If needed, machine wash your bag in cold water with a non-bleach detergent. It is possible that the straps of the bag can get caught around the washing machine spindle, so we recommend placing your bag in a mesh laundry bag (the kind made for protecting delicates). Drip dry - do not use a dryer unless you want a melted heap of goo to put your packages in!
While we have not heard of any of our bags experiencing any problems from machine washing (with the exception of those that have had straps get caught up in the machine), please be aware that if you choose this route, it is at YOUR OWN RISK.
DEALERS
Most likely we'd love for you to carry them too! Please email dealers@reloadbags.com for more info.