Just discovered a trick to this pack. You don’t need compression straps. Just treat it as one big compression packing cube. Expand the bag to 30L, put your stuff in, then compress it back to 20L!!! Worked for my 3day weekend trip
Received my Forge today. Pleased with it, very well made and versatile. One note, Black Ember seem to have stopped putting the microfibre in the Laptop compartment, now it’s a stiff nylon. Not really a problem but would have been preferable to have it there.
Currently contemplating what bag i might use for my vacation in a few months. And i am considering taking the Forge. Wanted to look at another review besides mine. Great video like always. Cheers, mate.
I've got this bag for some short trips (mostly 1-3 days) and for my work as a teacher. I've got enough space for some books, clothes for my sport lessons, my iPad and some small tech stuff when I go to work. it does work well for me but you really got a point with this bag being a dirt magnet. this is also why I won't buy the black ember compak. the material gets dirty very. fast and its also a bit scratchy on you skin on hot days.
@@LokGop you know what dude, I'm a bit dissapointed in myself to say I have no idea! I'd recommend asking Black Ember (they'll get you sorted) and if you could let me know what they say then I'd really appreciate it
I'd be interested in this bag if it were 1000% less complex. Basically a Topo Designs Commuter Briefcase with Black Ember styling and modularity (coincidentally that's the backpack which changed my mind on Velcro-it's actually satisfying to use on that bag).
I really liked that hidden pocket at the back. I can see this bag being a great option for the business traveler, or even the super minimalist digital nomad who is required to look a bit more professional FYI I'm not sure you should be opening up voting on key features. From experience, when I'm designing something, listening to the ideas of others and trying to build that in against my vision of the project has lead to failure (well, less success from my pov)
Thanks for the advice! I think it’s a delicate balance, but having the community involved has been amazing so far and the bag is turning out much better than I could have done by myself
@@Nomads.Nation well that's great. Just try not to incorporate too much or you'll end up with 1 of those bags you're always critiquing about having too much going on 😏
You could use the hidden compartment to put one of those apple trackers or similar devices with GPS in case of theft. You can also stash a few bucks for emergencies, as well as your various fake IDs of course for the Secret Agent types ;)
I love your videos, Aaron! Thank you for such in-depth reviews. Question: what would you recommend for a Frontier personal item bag (18x14x8) that could function as a short trip travel bag and an edc for a professor? Many thanks!
thanks so much! I'm not sure to be honest as I don't know off the top of my head what bags are those exact dimensions. If you create a short list though I'd be happy to give my feedback on the bags :)
I don't like at all those mesh pockets in the front pocket, they are loose and facing sideways when using this as a backpack. I imagine all the contents will fall out.
Hi; I’ve been using this bag for the last 2 years for my professional travel, always as a backpack, so always vertical .a great bag. To answer your doubt on the fall out : the answer is : not so much . Bigger items will stay in place. Only small items get out of the mesh pocket; If I would change 2 things on this bag , I finally would prefer the front pocket as a vertical clamshell , and the material is a magnet for dust and cat hair !!! Hypalon would be so much better; and black is so common and sad;;; would prefer some Color choice. But versatility and expension system is absolutely divine
@@Nomads.Nation you’re welcome. Would add that my favorite material is waxed canvas… so classy. Unfortunately, not many manufacturers use it on modern concept bags; most of the time, you end with a gold miner looking bag !! Some exceptions though (Goruck GR2 heritage). Just discovered your channel, love it , subscribed and downloaded a loooooot of your videos to watch during my travel time. Cheers from France.
- agree completely with the cons. to add on - its can be quite heavy even when empty (1.8kg?). it expands outwards uncomfortably. In backpack mode the bottom part expanded "connection" area is flimsy. - heavily considering an alternative Samsonite Urban Packer (almost a clone 1.4kg) with similar specs.
Have you tried the ‘Everyman hideout 5 way commuter’? It looks more simple and sleek than the forge. Would be interested in a review of that bag from your awesome team and channel 🙌🏻
I honestly don't subscribe to many channels but you guys do an amazing job with some great laughs. Do you have a reveiw coming for the black ember citadel?
Its not perfect but I wanted a expandable bag with briefcase mode and this was the best looking one (imo). 90% of the time the backpack straps are stowed and the bag just goes on top of my roller carryon. Agreed that it’s too complicated with too much stuff. For reference i have the Aer flight pack 3 and that was just a little too small for my use case
Usually, after watching your vids, I know who the bag would be perfect for... in this case I can't figure out who would use this, to be honest (not because of your review, because it rocks, as always). Aesthetically, it doesn't look like a backpack, nor a messenger. When it's filled out to the brim it looks quite unappealing! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess, and I'm kinda happy I'm not the beholder in this one :-) I much prefer the Shadow (don't own it, but it looks cool!)
Yea it’s a bit of a weird one, I think it works for someone who wants to travel light, maybe for business. 3-4 days and having a day pack when they get to their destination
Those are the old packing cubes from Minaal, they have since been replaced - no review, sorry! But we are hoping to do a 'best packing cubes' review in the next few months
Wish this company supported their product better. Ordered a Citadel R3 25 and in the pictures it showed 2 straps. They acknowledged the mistake and fixed the picture but all they would give was $5 off an order for the straps and wouldn’t even cover the shipping cost. It also takes a few days for them to respond if they aren’t ghosting you for a few weeks. It’s too bad because the product seems good. I just don’t have much faith in how they’ll support things when a warranty issue comes up if they won’t even fix this minor issue.
Sorry to hear your experience but thanks for sharing. For what it’s worth I read every comment on this channel and I haven’t gotten many complaints in regards to BE customer support, but your experience def isn’t ideal
@@Nomads.Nation I asked them to explain their reasoning and the only answer Andy from Black Ember would provide is “I am unable to approve your request”. It was as though they wanted to get rid of me after I sent 3 emails between December 12th and January 1st with no response. Again.. hopefully I’m in the minority but I figured I should share my experience with others who look at review sites like yours for guidance. I bought the backpack after watching all these reviews online and here I am. Minor issue but disappointed with how it’s been handled. I appreciate that you took the time to respond. It’s nice to know my voice was at least heard here.
@@monsieurmac25 your voice is heard and I appreciate the thorough description - hopefully you can sell it and get a better bag (with better customer support)
I've been keeping an eye on that one since the kickstarter project, but I still feel that no bag can beat the nomatic Peter mcKinnon 35l bag. I like the design of this BE Forge but I still feel it cannot surpass the Nomatic one. PS thank you so much for your review, I was sick of all those reviews barely showing the bag but just trying to make some "stylish" shootings. At least with your review I was able to see the whole bag properly 👍
So on the website where you thought that Cell Phone goes they say that’s for an extra charger for the battery charger for your phone. It plugs in there to carry a cell phone charger battery pack they got 30% off today.
no, I don't rank bags since everyone's needs are different. But if you want to see my personal Power Rankings that I update each year be sure to check this video out - ruclips.net/video/Ttgy27gUKHY/видео.htmlsi=IK9gNBS-IhtkqFGe
curious how you'd compare it to the citadel r3 25L, which looks like it has nearly as much capacity, but a bit of a cleaner look. That front pocket ont he Forge looks more useful, but the rest of the forge's internal pocket layout seems more fiddly and like it would takeaway from that middle expansion.
Nice review, I'm a sucker for BlackEmber design but I always end to sell their bags, the cons you pointed are dealbreaker on everyday basis: Bag is heavy af and so over-engineered in addition to be a jack of all trades. Frustrating.
Totally agreed, they have an amazing aesthetic. Not all their packs are this complicated tho - I really enjoyed the Shadow which is significantly more minimalist
I would check the bag specifications that those airlines allow and cross reference it with the actual dimensions of this bag on the Tropicfeel website and BOOM - you will have your answer
Those are two drastically different bags. Neither are really my personal style, but the Mystery Ranch is much more comfortable, so I’d probably go with that
Aaron are there any other backpacks (and duffels) that have the option of expanding from like 20-30L? that was probably my (only) favorite feature on this as this is trying to do too much at once and doesn't excel in any single regard, thanks
Bit expensive in my opinion. I compare backpacks to Osprey which is the best to me and I don’t think this is worth double the price of a good Osprey bag
Thanks for your comment! In my opinion it’s definitely worth the price based mainly on the materials and build which are significantly better than Osprey. Having said that, I love Osprey packs as they provide tremendous value
i dont quite like videos with too many cuts. Lost the senses of space and continuatio, which is kind of important to feel how the bag would function in daily life.
@@Nomads.Nation okay, gonna make me run a search for “Dishonest Black Ember Forge Review,” to find the other video, are we? I bet it’s not even a public video anymore :(
Great review site. Bad product. I order a Black Ember bag. It arrived with the strap clasp backwards and broken. I sent photos to them, along with a request for an exchange or refund. They literally have ignored me after 7 emails and 3 VMs for them. The website says all returns have to be pre-approved by them via email first. So, I am following their instructions, but crickets from them in response. Bad enough they sent a new product with a major defect, and even worse that they will not make it right. I now have to open a claim with my credit card company, and they say they'll contact Black Ember for me. Buyers, beware. Save yourself the grief, and buy a bag elsewhere.
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Do you want to help me build a game-changing backpack? 👉🏼 nomadsnation.com/building-a-backpack
Just discovered a trick to this pack. You don’t need compression straps. Just treat it as one big compression packing cube. Expand the bag to 30L, put your stuff in, then compress it back to 20L!!! Worked for my 3day weekend trip
Nice! Only thing to note is this puts a lot of stress on the zippers, which might make them more inclined to break over time
O!M!G! I am the one who waiting for Black Ember Forge Review!
Thanks for the video!
I shot this one just for you!! 😘
Received my Forge today. Pleased with it, very well made and versatile. One note, Black Ember seem to have stopped putting the microfibre in the Laptop compartment, now it’s a stiff nylon. Not really a problem but would have been preferable to have it there.
thanks for the info. Bag companies are always testing/changing materials, and this review was published over a year ago, so makes sense
I'd love to see you review the Black Ember Forge 20. Seems like a much more reasonable bag.
i'd love to, hopefully soon
I just bought one after looking at your review video! Can't wait to try it on! Thanks for the honest review
Glad to hear! Please let us know what you think about the bag after testing is for a few weeks 🙏🏽
Hey dude, any chance of an update?
+1 @ohooper Can you please give us an update on the backpack?
Just ordered one, ahora!!! very detailed review Thanks !!!!
Hope you enjoy it! Be sure to let us know what you think about it after testing for a few weeks 🙏🏽
Currently contemplating what bag i might use for my vacation in a few months. And i am considering taking the Forge. Wanted to look at another review besides mine. Great video like always. Cheers, mate.
Thanks Bo! ✈️ 🇹🇭
Decided on the forge @youknowthebo
I've got this bag for some short trips (mostly 1-3 days) and for my work as a teacher. I've got enough space for some books, clothes for my sport lessons, my iPad and some small tech stuff when I go to work. it does work well for me but you really got a point with this bag being a dirt magnet. this is also why I won't buy the black ember compak. the material gets dirty very. fast and its also a bit scratchy on you skin on hot days.
The material looks phenomenal, but that dirty/scratchy-ness is def a problem
@@Nomads.Nation Can you give me a tip on how best to clean a bag made of this material?
@@LokGop you know what dude, I'm a bit dissapointed in myself to say I have no idea! I'd recommend asking Black Ember (they'll get you sorted) and if you could let me know what they say then I'd really appreciate it
@@Nomads.Nation, have you tried lint rollers?
@@LokGopdid you ever find out the best way to clean ?
I'd be interested in this bag if it were 1000% less complex. Basically a Topo Designs Commuter Briefcase with Black Ember styling and modularity (coincidentally that's the backpack which changed my mind on Velcro-it's actually satisfying to use on that bag).
Topo briefcase in the style of black ember sounds awesome lol
Thx so much! Very helpful review! I’m thinking about this one or the smaller Ember…
Glad it was helpful! If you have any other questions just let me know
I really liked that hidden pocket at the back.
I can see this bag being a great option for the business traveler, or even the super minimalist digital nomad who is required to look a bit more professional
FYI I'm not sure you should be opening up voting on key features.
From experience, when I'm designing something, listening to the ideas of others and trying to build that in against my vision of the project has lead to failure (well, less success from my pov)
Thanks for the advice! I think it’s a delicate balance, but having the community involved has been amazing so far and the bag is turning out much better than I could have done by myself
@@Nomads.Nation well that's great. Just try not to incorporate too much or you'll end up with 1 of those bags you're always critiquing about having too much going on 😏
@@susie9893 thats the challenge haha
You could use the hidden compartment to put one of those apple trackers or similar devices with GPS in case of theft. You can also stash a few bucks for emergencies, as well as your various fake IDs of course for the Secret Agent types ;)
@@roseforeuropa ah yes, secret agent types, totally makes sense now! 🕵️ 😉
I love your videos, Aaron! Thank you for such in-depth reviews. Question: what would you recommend for a Frontier personal item bag (18x14x8) that could function as a short trip travel bag and an edc for a professor? Many thanks!
thanks so much! I'm not sure to be honest as I don't know off the top of my head what bags are those exact dimensions. If you create a short list though I'd be happy to give my feedback on the bags :)
I don't like at all those mesh pockets in the front pocket, they are loose and facing sideways when using this as a backpack. I imagine all the contents will fall out.
With a lot of movement, possibly, but they are more secure than they look
Hi; I’ve been using this bag for the last 2 years for my professional travel, always as a backpack, so always vertical .a great bag. To answer your doubt on the fall out : the answer is : not so much . Bigger items will stay in place. Only small items get out of the mesh pocket; If I would change 2 things on this bag , I finally would prefer the front pocket as a vertical clamshell , and the material is a magnet for dust and cat hair !!! Hypalon would be so much better; and black is so common and sad;;; would prefer some Color choice. But versatility and expension system is absolutely divine
@@philsgarage64 appreciate that rundown!!
@@Nomads.Nation you’re welcome. Would add that my favorite material is waxed canvas… so classy. Unfortunately, not many manufacturers use it on modern concept bags; most of the time, you end with a gold miner looking bag !! Some exceptions though (Goruck GR2 heritage). Just discovered your channel, love it , subscribed and downloaded a loooooot of your videos to watch during my travel time. Cheers from France.
@@Parking64 im not a huge waxed canvas fan as (like you perfectly said) it looks like a gold miner bag 😂
Thank you for the review. Especially thank you for showing how complicated it is. Too many useless compartments for my needs 😅
My pleasure! And yes, for my specific needs it's also got way too much going on
- agree completely with the cons. to add on - its can be quite heavy even when empty (1.8kg?). it expands outwards uncomfortably. In backpack mode the bottom part expanded "connection" area is flimsy.
- heavily considering an alternative Samsonite Urban Packer (almost a clone 1.4kg) with similar specs.
Great add ons! I'm hoping to review some Samsonite packs soon
Have you tried the ‘Everyman hideout 5 way commuter’? It looks more simple and sleek than the forge. Would be interested in a review of that bag from your awesome team and channel 🙌🏻
I haven't actually, hoping to soon though! I'll add to our wish-list
Thank you for the thorough review. Any plans to review the BE Citadel R2 backpack?
My pleasure! It’s on our radar - hopefully soon
I honestly don't subscribe to many channels but you guys do an amazing job with some great laughs. Do you have a reveiw coming for the black ember citadel?
Appreciate that Jesse! We don’t on the immediate horizon but hopefully we can get our hands on one soon 🙏🏽
Just for the notice, front pocket has second zip locker, which is more safe even from the owner of the bag :D
cheers!
Dang. For a second I thought there would finally be some Black Ember Dex reviews out
I wish - hoping to soon!
Its not perfect but I wanted a expandable bag with briefcase mode and this was the best looking one (imo). 90% of the time the backpack straps are stowed and the bag just goes on top of my roller carryon. Agreed that it’s too complicated with too much stuff. For reference i have the Aer flight pack 3 and that was just a little too small for my use case
An amazing bag that is reallllyyyy complicated lol
Usually, after watching your vids, I know who the bag would be perfect for... in this case I can't figure out who would use this, to be honest (not because of your review, because it rocks, as always). Aesthetically, it doesn't look like a backpack, nor a messenger. When it's filled out to the brim it looks quite unappealing! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess, and I'm kinda happy I'm not the beholder in this one :-) I much prefer the Shadow (don't own it, but it looks cool!)
Yea it’s a bit of a weird one, I think it works for someone who wants to travel light, maybe for business. 3-4 days and having a day pack when they get to their destination
I just bought this bag recently and didn't know that secret pocket was there! I'm going to put an air tag in it
Perfect spot for one!
Have you reviewed the packing cubes that you are showing? I’d like to check them out.
Those are the old packing cubes from Minaal, they have since been replaced - no review, sorry! But we are hoping to do a 'best packing cubes' review in the next few months
@@Nomads.Nation ok cool, I’ll keep an eye out for that review. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your video 😊.
My pleasure!!
What is your take on the Forge vs Forge 30 with the different materials and which do you think is better?
I don’t have the new one yet so can’t say for sure
Wish this company supported their product better. Ordered a Citadel R3 25 and in the pictures it showed 2 straps. They acknowledged the mistake and fixed the picture but all they would give was $5 off an order for the straps and wouldn’t even cover the shipping cost. It also takes a few days for them to respond if they aren’t ghosting you for a few weeks. It’s too bad because the product seems good. I just don’t have much faith in how they’ll support things when a warranty issue comes up if they won’t even fix this minor issue.
Sorry to hear your experience but thanks for sharing. For what it’s worth I read every comment on this channel and I haven’t gotten many complaints in regards to BE customer support, but your experience def isn’t ideal
@@Nomads.Nation I asked them to explain their reasoning and the only answer Andy from Black Ember would provide is “I am unable to approve your request”. It was as though they wanted to get rid of me after I sent 3 emails between December 12th and January 1st with no response. Again.. hopefully I’m in the minority but I figured I should share my experience with others who look at review sites like yours for guidance. I bought the backpack after watching all these reviews online and here I am. Minor issue but disappointed with how it’s been handled. I appreciate that you took the time to respond. It’s nice to know my voice was at least heard here.
@@monsieurmac25 your voice is heard and I appreciate the thorough description - hopefully you can sell it and get a better bag (with better customer support)
I've been keeping an eye on that one since the kickstarter project, but I still feel that no bag can beat the nomatic Peter mcKinnon 35l bag.
I like the design of this BE Forge but I still feel it cannot surpass the Nomatic one.
PS thank you so much for your review, I was sick of all those reviews barely showing the bag but just trying to make some "stylish" shootings. At least with your review I was able to see the whole bag properly 👍
Thanks so much and glad to hear you love the Nomatic PM35 - it’s a heavy bag but has a lot of great features
So on the website where you thought that Cell Phone goes they say that’s for an extra charger for the battery charger for your phone. It plugs in there to carry a cell phone charger battery pack they got 30% off today.
nice!
Nice! Was waiting for this one! 👍🏻 Do you know how it compares to the latest model, the Dex?
Dex is different, I believe it’s a duffel first that can evolve into other carrying options. I’m hoping to review it sometime this summer
do you have ranking list for the backpacks in this playlist?
no, I don't rank bags since everyone's needs are different. But if you want to see my personal Power Rankings that I update each year be sure to check this video out - ruclips.net/video/Ttgy27gUKHY/видео.htmlsi=IK9gNBS-IhtkqFGe
curious how you'd compare it to the citadel r3 25L, which looks like it has nearly as much capacity, but a bit of a cleaner look. That front pocket ont he Forge looks more useful, but the rest of the forge's internal pocket layout seems more fiddly and like it would takeaway from that middle expansion.
I prefer the Citadel - much simpler and better UX, our review should be live in a few days/week
This is the backpack the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo would be using in 2023.
You’re totally right. Also one of my favorite books, loved the whole series
Whispers “black ember”
Nice one my guy
🤫 😂
Can you do a Dex review from black ember?
Get them to send me one and I’ll get it live in a week 😉
I didn't know Aaron was a Ben 10 fan unit he dropped the Omiverse on us
never seen it lol, im more of a Rick and Morty guy ;)
Nice review, I'm a sucker for BlackEmber design but I always end to sell their bags, the cons you pointed are dealbreaker on everyday basis: Bag is heavy af and so over-engineered in addition to be a jack of all trades. Frustrating.
Totally agreed, they have an amazing aesthetic. Not all their packs are this complicated tho - I really enjoyed the Shadow which is significantly more minimalist
Would this fit as a personal item/under-seat at a budget airline like Spirit/Sun Country?
I would check the bag specifications that those airlines allow and cross reference it with the actual dimensions of this bag on the Tropicfeel website and BOOM - you will have your answer
Any other 3 way bags to recommend?
Aer Flight Pack 3 - very similar but smaller and much less complicated
Do you prefer this to the mystery ranch 3 way?
Those are two drastically different bags. Neither are really my personal style, but the Mystery Ranch is much more comfortable, so I’d probably go with that
Aaron are there any other backpacks (and duffels) that have the option of expanding from like 20-30L? that was probably my (only) favorite feature on this as this is trying to do too much at once and doesn't excel in any single regard, thanks
Check out Nomatic Backpack, Nomatic Travel Pack, and Knack Pack Medium. We’ve done reviews on all three :)
@@Nomads.Nation thank you!
@@elinoorani18 my pleasure!
could you recomend a similar backpack but cheeper?
eh not super similar as this is a pretty unique bag. But check out bags by Tomtoc and Mopak - they have great bags at much lower price points
@@Nomads.Nation thanks tomtoc travel backpack looks cool as design.
@@Nomads.Nation what do you think about taskin one A 9 in 1?
@@alpinyoable glad to help
@@alpinyoable never heard of it so can’t say for sure
where is your shirt from?
It’s a Hurley sweater I got in Japan
Bit expensive in my opinion. I compare backpacks to Osprey which is the best to me and I don’t think this is worth double the price of a good Osprey bag
Thanks for your comment! In my opinion it’s definitely worth the price based mainly on the materials and build which are significantly better than Osprey. Having said that, I love Osprey packs as they provide tremendous value
A businees tech casual pack for executives..Hmmm..!!
Exactly!
Wow, this bag blew up like the Hindenburg. One would have to maintain self-control with packing.
🔥
I hate the Velcro on this backpack. Ruined my knitted shrug :(
The Velcro that secures the back panel?
@@Nomads.Nationyes
Please check out Code of Bell. The design is futuristic.
They are so high on my to do list - hopefully soon!
i dont quite like videos with too many cuts. Lost the senses of space and continuatio, which is kind of important to feel how the bag would function in daily life.
Thanks for the feedback! We’ll consider doing less cuts :)
But Remote Equipment Alpha 31 can be the best of both worlds 😂🤣🤣🤣
Pls, don’t ban me 😂😂😂
I really need to get my hands on one of these
@@Nomads.Nation without those it lacks a bit of that “whoa”.
Is this your honest review, because you have a dishonest review, somewhere? 🤔
If I did the title would start with ‘dishonest’ 😉
@@Nomads.Nation okay, gonna make me run a search for “Dishonest Black Ember Forge Review,” to find the other video, are we? I bet it’s not even a public video anymore :(
@@andyackerman7123 🫶🏽
Great review site. Bad product. I order a Black Ember bag. It arrived with the strap clasp backwards and broken. I sent photos to them, along with a request for an exchange or refund. They literally have ignored me after 7 emails and 3 VMs for them. The website says all returns have to be pre-approved by them via email first. So, I am following their instructions, but crickets from them in response. Bad enough they sent a new product with a major defect, and even worse that they will not make it right. I now have to open a claim with my credit card company, and they say they'll contact Black Ember for me. Buyers, beware. Save yourself the grief, and buy a bag elsewhere.
Thanks for commenting about this on a few videos - hoping it gets resolved for you