RMU Proves Every Pack Should Be Lined With Gold: Roll Top EDC Backpack Review

We stopped at the top of the Eiger Trail. Below the slopes of the Kleine Scheidegg ski resort stretched toward the town of Grindelwald, visible in the distance. Above, the towering peak of the deadly mountain loomed, made famous by the 1976 Clint Eastwood movie, The Eiger Sanction. I dropped my RMU Roll Top EDC Pack in the snow, unrolled its top, and pulled out a snack and my water to take in the view of the Swiss Alps.

The Roll Top EDC had been pulling triple duty on this trip. It was my travel pack for airport days, my trail pack for hiking, and my work pack for days when I needed to transport my computer. RMU designed this pack as a do-all daypack for any adventure, which was exactly how I was testing it.

EDC (everyday carry) is in the name of this pack, after all. So far, it was living up to the moniker.

In short: The RMU Roll Top EDC Backpack ($99) is a versatile daypack, whether you’re using it in the wilderness or among a concrete jungle. The simple design is durable, weather-resistant, and streamlined with 20 L of storage. The low-profile pack has a matte-black polyester exterior and a stylish gold liner inside. This daypack is great for hiking, daily commutes, going to school, or international travel.

Need more ideas? Check out GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Daypacks and the Best Travel Backpacks.

RMU Roll Top EDC 20 L Backpack Review

RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground) is a Breckenridge, Colorado–based brand best known for its skis. But in recent years, it has branched out to start making apparel, mountain bike accessories, tailgate lockers, and packs.

I’d never tested a non-ski product from RMU, so when the brand reached out about its new travel pack, the Roll Top EDC, I was intrigued. It didn’t look a lot like other daypacks GearJunkie regularly reviews. Besides, I was heading to Switzerland to spend a week hiking, working, and traveling in the nation’s Jungfrau Region. I needed a travel pack that could double as a hiking pack, and the Roll Top EDC seemed to fit the bill.

So I got my hands on one ahead of my flight, packed it with a diverse array of gear and necessities, and headed to the airport, ready to put it through its paces.

Layout & Design

As the name implies, the Roll Top EDC has a roll-top closure. It fastens with a large metal buckle on a 2-inch-wide webbing strap at the top. This allows you to change the pack’s available volume according to how much needs to fit inside. It doesn’t expand as much as some larger roll-top designs, but it’s enough to add an extra fleece jacket and/or a rain layer on top of your books, computer, snacks, or whatever else you’re carrying.

There are two large pocket sleeves on the outside. One of them is on the front of the pack, while the other is under the EVA foam back panel. Both are accessed via vertical zippers. The rear pocket sleeve could easily fit a small laptop or touchscreen device. It was a little too small for my 13-inch MacBook Pro.

However, inside the pack, there is another sleeve that easily fits my computer. The front of that sleeve has several mesh compartments: two large enough for chargers and small devices, and two more for pens or pencils. Notably, though, this is not designed for electronics, so I hesitate to recommend it unless you’re okay with some jostling.

There are no interior pockets, although there are water bottle sleeves on both sides of the exterior.

Materials

The pack is made with a 600D polyester fabric that is matte black and has a soft, somewhat plastic-y handfeel. I’ve found it scuffs somewhat easily in areas that are more prone to abrasion (mainly near the bottom). The back panel and shoulders are padded with EVA foam.

Durability-wise, the material shows no signs of wear and tear after more than 3 months of near-daily use. It doesn’t snag easily and seems very resistant to tearing or being punctured. I haven’t tried to destroy it, but I think it would take some effort to do real damage. It survived a lot of hard use in airports and cars during testing.

Volume & Size

A 20L daypack is typically on the small side for me. But the beauty of a roll-top design is that it can be expanded when needed. If the pack was “full” of notebooks, a computer, chargers, snacks, and a camera, I could still fit a jacket or midlayer on top of everything and roll it closed. The volume is marginally expandable because of this design.

Width-wise, however, the pack is limited. A stack of several books might just fit, but a few times I had to lay books on top of others in order to get them in. There are no side straps to expand or compress this pack’s body.

I also felt like the pack looked a little small on me. I’m a 5’11” male who weighs 170 pounds, and when I wear the Roll Top EDC, it looks smaller than the daypacks I’m used to wearing.

In the Field

I used this pack for hiking, commuting, international travel, and day-to-day use around town. There was never a moment in testing where I felt like the pack was out of its element. It was an adequate pack for all of the above.

However, it leans decidedly toward travel, commuting, and school use rather than toward hiking. There is no waist strap to secure the pack and transfer its weight to your hips. That’s not a dealbreaker, as a 20L pack can’t really fit a ton of weight. But it’s a feature I wished for when I was jogging downhill on the trail. It also isn’t compatible with hydration bladders. So it’s definitely not a running pack.

In the airport, though, it was an amazing travel companion. There is a robust handle on the top and a strap on the back to slide onto the extended handle of a roller bag. The front pocket made it easy to quickly access my passport and travel documents. It safely held my laptop and made organization easy.

One of my favorite design features of this backpack, though, is the lining. Inside all of the pockets and the main compartment, the Roll Top EDC is lined with a soft gold fabric. Not only does it look cool, but it also makes it easier to see inside the pack when you’re looking for something. The material reflects light much better than a darker lining would.

Wearing the pack on hikes or long commutes was comfortable. The EVA foam back panel isn’t stiff, but it offers enough cushion that I was never poked or stuck by the items I was carrying. Similarly, the foam in the shoulder straps was sufficient to comfortably carry loads of 10-15 pounds.

Beyond 15 pounds, this pack starts to lose some functionality. It’s not really designed for big, heavy loads. But under that threshold, I was pleased with how comfortable it felt.

RMU Roll Top EDC Backpack: Who It Is For

The Roll Top EDC backpack is a versatile little number. If you travel a lot or commute for work, it’s a dialed pack with just enough volume and all the necessary features you need. The materials are high quality, the layout is thoughtful, and the pack is generally comfortable no matter where you take it. It fits under an airplane seat, and can even roll up and stuff inside a duffel or roller bag when you’re on the go.

For hiking, this pack also works well. I was grateful when hiking abroad that I had one pack that could easily transition from the airport to the coffee shop to the trail and back again. However, if you’re looking for a dedicated hiking daypack, I’d encourage you to check out some of the options on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Daypacks. There are better options out there if all you are going to use this backpack for is hiking.

I’ll continue using this pack going forward. Especially for trips that involve an airport and require versatile luggage, this pack is a great option. Not only do I like the way it looks, but its a very functional piece of gear that I keep reaching for whenever I need to carry things on the go.