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The new gear organiser from Canadian rock masters Arc’teryx pretty much blows the competition away. It looks so good, you may not want to use it for climbing!
There has always been specialisation in climbing packs, ever since Karrimor began differentiating the iconic Alpinist and Hot Rock packs. Specialisation then took another leap forward when sport climbing specific packs began to make a show, and we were there at the start with our review of the DMM Flight back in 2016. We have also featured specialist packs from Grivel and Patagonia and of course several from Arc’teryx.
The new Ion Organiser, however, takes it all to the next level. Until this, I had been using a Petzl Keb 2 which was the nearest messenger style bag I could find that was climbing specific. It looked great and was featured enough for both bouldering and indoor gym sessions. The Ion Organizer offers more space and better organisation for all bouldering and indoor gym sessions.
The Ion range are Arc’teyx’s dedicated climbing products and features chalk bags. I’m still using the excellent Haku rope bag, and I wouldn’t be surprised if an update on that isn’t in the pipeline, as it’s due for an update and difficult to get hold of these days.
The new Ion Organizer is just awesome and I could stop the review there, give it 5 stars and just go climbing, but I’m guessing you want more 😉. It’s a messenger stye organizer with a cross body strap and a great selection of organizing pockets and compartments to satisfy the most obsessive Marie Kondo afficianado. Made using burly 210D ripstop nylon, it’s super robust and will just as easily take the knocks at the crag as general travel and gym work. The PU coating also sheds water and dirt as easily as if it were a duck’s back, and it features a nice foam back to help maintain its shape, adding comfort and protection for a laptop.
The Ion Organizer has three main external compartments: a large accessories pocket at the front. This is easily big enough for all your accessories such as finger tape, brushes, phones, cameras, guidebook and all the other small paraphernalia you need at the crag. There is a key clip in this pocket for easy access when you get back to the car.
The main compartment fully zips out, clamshell style to reveal a multitude of organisation pockets. There is a meshed side for the dirtier items such as climbing shoes (there is a dedicated pocket in here for 1 pair of shoes), cleaning rags, chalk bag and whatever else you feel you would like to keep separate. This is finished with a large, printed Big Bird logo to easily differentiate the sides.
On the other side there is another fully zipped compartment for cleaner stuff such as hoodies, gilets, hats, gloves, etc. On top of that there are two more zipped pockets that you could use for a myriad of smaller items, such as nail clippers, liquid chalk, smaller brushes, as well as work related items such as leads, plugs, power banks, etc. The other is meshed for items you might need to see. To be honest, there is no amount of stuff you couldn’t stash into this main compartment, probably more than you need. Needless to say it’s also super useful as a gym bag, so you could also add shower stuff and a towel.
The final pocket is another huge compartment, easily big enough for a 17” laptop if you use one that big. I’ve been using it for stowing stuff I need to keep clean, such as office clothes, when at the gym. The main carry is by using the single, cross body strap, which is removable and adjustable on both sides, so you fine tune the fit of the large, padded strap. This is finished with a nice, colour complimented and embroidered Arc’teryx Bird logo. I like these messenger-style bags for bouldering as it’s much easier to attach it to my bouldering mat, and there is plenty of room on the strap for most sizes of pad. There is also a grab handle, for using the bag briefcase style if you need to as the Ion Organizer would be great as a general messenger bag on those days when work and gym combine and works well for the cycle commute.
The Ion Organizer is a great bag, it has so many organising options that you will find space for everything you will need for the gym, the office, bouldering (and even some sport climbing) as well as general travel. I would not want to risk it for an ‘under the seat’ budget flight, but at 40L it would be OK for an over head locker flight (do check your airline’s requirements). It looks absolutely great, carries just like a messenger bag and has some nice finishing touches such as embroidered logos, sturdy YKK zips, high quality logo’d zip pulls and soft tape on the grab handle with bar tacking on the stress points. All the refinements you would expect from a premium brand such as Arc’teryx. The main revision for this season is the DWR application which provides a lower carbon footprint without affecting performance.
You will totally find the pack really versatile, and no doubt, like me, you’ll find yourself reaching for it every day. If you are travelling and thinking of upgrading to a Patagonia MLC Mini then you should definitely consider the Arc’teryx Ion Organizer as it has more room and is cheaper. Oh, of course, I forgot the title question – is it too good for climbing? Absolutely, it would make a brilliant general travel bag, but I’m a climber, so it will get plenty of crag abuse!
The Arc’teryx Ion Organizer is unisex, one size and comes in two colour options.
The SRP is £120 and it can be bought from Arc’teryx UK and specialist retailers.
Disclosure – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers who accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.
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