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Features:
Fit:
Fabrication:
Dimensions: 14” wide, 21” high, 6” deep
Volume: 29 L
Weight: 3.4 lb.
Built in: Guangzhou, China
Staff Review:
11/19/11 by Steve
The Yalta is my go to, everyday bag. I use it to commute on my townie to and from work – rain or shine. The rolltop expands for my weekly grocery run to TJs, and the bomb-proof exterior survives my mountain biking rides in Marin. It’s my perfect dessert island bag.
Most Helpful Review:
10/12/11 by Jim
I ended up buying this when I notices that my Metropolis was KILLING my shoulder. I think that you can't mix heavy contents with long rides on one shoulder too long.
The upside is that this bag does a great job of evenly distributing the weight onto your shoulders. Notice that the straps culminate into a yoke design. Very thoughtful engineering.
As for carrying capacity, this is more than able to carry a couple of changes of clothes, a pair of shoes and other cycling essentials.the roll top will roll less and then clasp to the hook as you expand it, which is pretty awesome. A downside is that due to the inherent shape of the bag, boxy large items will bulk up the inside fairly quickly. I stuffed a box of Chrome Kursk shoes into the bag, which necessitated some major re-arranging. Otherwise, you can fit multiple six packs, or a 12 pack.
As others have stated, the only waterproof section of the bag is the main 'floating bucket'. The laptop compartment and entire back compartment is subject to moisture that may come through the cordura outer. Also, the bottom of the bag has some sort of material that is not waterproof; this means that I wouldn't set the bag down in standing water.
All said, I'm still confident in this bag as a daily commuter, rain or shine. I know that if it's a rainy day, anything that could be ruined by water will be placed in the waterproof main section of the bag.
Also - Chrome customer service is ridiculously awesome. They're super responsive and they'll bend over backwards to make sure you're 100% satisfied. I've now purchased three different items and plan to purchase even more. Customer for life!
5/8/12 by Marco Panfilo
I got this backpack used from a friend, and this is useful. It feels more than comfortable and good around your shoulders and back. I love it. I recommend it!
4/4/12 by Aaron
I am a customer for life. I love my pack....it holds sooooo much....I love the personal relationships that the company creates with consumer/manufacture.
2/10/12 by jess
i've had this bag for nine months now, and it feels like my baby. definitely the best bag i've ever had. i practically forget about the side pocket because everything i need fits so well between the main compartment and the front zip pocket. i'm a pretty disorganized person, so i need something uncomplicated so i don't have to sort through a thousand pockets a day thinking about where i put my stuff, i've never lost anything since i got this bag. i'm a biker, and nothing has got wet despite biking through all kinds of horrible east coast canadian weather. its easy to clean the elements off it, and it'll make people stop and stare. i've never needed another bag for my groceries, alcohol (carries a 6 pack of beer easily) or school things (the side pocket could be a little wider for your laptop though, i have a 13' macbook and it feels like tetris to get it in right sometimes). i like the deepness of it, and the way it sits on me when i bike (its also easy to add a bike light to the front for night rides). definitely one of my most cherished possessions, and keeps all my cherished possessions safe. ya can't ask for more!
2/2/12 by Juan Uribe
The bag is awesome! I got it for school and for riding around in the summer. It's huge and has pretty decent stashes. Perfect for anything you can fit inside and laptops too. The only downside is that you have to break it in because it is a little stiff when you first get it. Other than that this is a five-star bag!
1/30/12 by Eddy
I have had this bag for a few months and it has handled well as a backpack for college. It holds my water bottle, my windbreaker, lunch a few text books pretty well without looking to bulky (all in the rolltop part of the bag.) I fit my notebook in the zipper area and in the front pocket it gets a little crazy since there is no organization, so I try to keep certain things in small zipper bags or just let things hang loose like my Ipod charger and phone charger.
I would suggest you put your books or heavy things in the rolltop compartment, because if you put some textbooks that are larger it feels out of balance when you walk with it, in my opinion. If you do as I do the bag feels great on you back not to heavy even with some textbooks due to comfort of the cushion for you back it has and the straps feel great too, since they don't feel like they are cutting circulation or something.
It finally rained up here in NorCal so I finally got to see the water proof of the bag in action and for the most part it worked 100%, but sadly it did not keep the heavy rain from making its way to the base of the since for some reason Chrome didn't line the bottom with tap as well, don't know why? Not a whole lot but enough to get my notebook wet at its bottom. Now this was only in the zipper pocket on the side that the Yalta has that the water penetrated not te rolltop since that was completely dry.
So in the end it is a great bag but I will have to duck tape some tarp of my own or maybe reuse a Kettle chip bag since the are really tough to reinforce the base of the bag. Its great on a bike especially with the sternum straps that balance the bag perfectly. I commute to work and school on a bike and with the accessory pouch, (which I keep my phone, either Ipod or my money clip, my keys, and my pen), I got with it it makes the bag an all in one almost =) I dont have a laptop so I can't comment on that, so if you are looking for a great bag for school or just to get the out of Dodge and you can deal with some possible water intrusion at he bottom than this is the bag for you. Plus you can store store some beers with ice in the rolltop section without worrying of it leaking!
12/22/11 by jdar
This bag looks good for sure and it's well manufactured. But this is an expensive bag as well and it has some design problems. After several months of use here are a few things that, I think, are worth sharing.
The Good:
1. Looks great when new.
2. It is waterproof as it has too layers to protect your items.
3. Very well designed shoulder straps that can hold a lot of weight comfortably. The little middle strap is helpful while biking. It doesn't have a waist strap which is not necessary for biking anyway.
4. The structure reinforcement that rests on your back keeps the bag in shape and it's comfortable.
5. Clean minimalist design.
The Bad
1. First and foremost - The top roll up opening is quite small comparing to the bag's actual compartment. This creates a bottle neck like effect. After using it for several months now I've gotten really tired of that. It feels like you have a lot of space but to put anything bigger inside it is just a headache. Things just don't go easily through that top opening and in addition it's hard to see and arrange things inside the bag. I was even thinking of devising some kind of a zipper or something to fix that problem myself. But gave up because why do I have to fix a bag that I have paid $130 for?
2. Laptop compartment. I'm not quite sure what were the criteria when they were designing that part but it is far from what I think is a standard these days. First of all it really small and uncomfortable to put a laptop in and out. The small zipper is hard to move and open. I have a 15" macbook pro and it barely fits in, fitting in 17" must be impossible. Especially that you have to get your on protection sleeve because this bag doesn't have any protection padding.
3. The front compartment is also far from being really useful. It's hard to put things in and out plus there is no organizational pockets anywhere. A water bottle does not fit in there and there is no dedicated water bottle compartment either. Every time you want to drink you need to dive in to the main roll up compartment to fish out your tiny bottle from its dark belly.
4. The fabric itself looks great when new. But it gets scratched and dirty really easily. And it's hard to remove those scratches and dirt.
I feel bad about trashing this bag but you should really take a close look at it before buying it. There some good things and some bad...
11/28/11 by KL
Because I'm living in tropical Singapore, sudden torrential downpours are a given. Hence any backpack that I use for commuting must be able to keep my stuff dry. I have both the Citizen and the Yalta and basically the latter is used when I need to carry heavier loads as having everything weighing down on one shoulder feels like crap very quickly.
Let's start off with the pros of the Yalta:
1) Its minimalist design is pleasing to the eye. It doesn't look too technical, nor does it look like a kiddy little Jansport.
2) The tarpaulin outer is water repellent and easier to wipe grime or mud off as compared to the cordura outer which can be found in the other Chrome bags. Also, it is 1000d, hence it's tougher than the tarpaulin linings found in the inside of all Chrome bags.
3) The main bucket in the bag will prevent water from seeping in or out. I've stuffed ice inside and even though some of the ice has melted, the water didn't seep out through the seams. One side of the roll top is also lined with tarpaulin, so after rolling it's virtually rainproof.
4) There is also an elastic band on each side of the straps to help organize any loose ends.
Cons:
1) The zippers are not waterproof. I rather pay a little extra to have Chrome using urethane coated zippers than to risk having my laptop and gear in the front pouch getting wet.
2) The base of the bag is what I suspect to be coated ballistic nylon. Again, why not just include a little extra piece of tarpaulin lining?
3) The roll top is narrow and blocks light, so it's hard to see what's in the bag, and also difficult to put things in. But there's a simple solution to the problem. Just fold the roll top into the bag, stuff your gear, and fold it back up.
Hope this review helps:)
10/23/11 by Kurt
This bag is pretty rad when it comes to it's design. I like the super simplistic look and feel that comes with this bag. It is super light, easy to ride with and the roll-top doesn't block your "rear view".
I am a little bummed that the zipper compartment is not waterproof, to which I found out after the fact; left me with a wet Ipod that luckily recovered. I live in Portland so any extra water proofing is more than necessary for my region of the world.
The opening is a little small but once in, you can fit a lot inside of the bag from books to groceries to a case of beer. Oh that reminds me, during the summer I would pack this thing with ice on the bottom, throw in 24 beers, throw in more ice and hit the road! It works every time!
Once I passed out and left the bag outside with only ice in it overnight. I woke up to find ice cubes still in the bag. I was pretty fucking stoked.
10/19/11 by Lonnie
I've commuted twice a week with this bag for about 5 months now, and overall it has served me well. Weight is distributed evenly, and the bag rides very comfortably with good ventilation (important for those hot summer commutes). The laptop section is nice, and padding keeps my laptop from poking into my back.
The only thing I am not thrilled with is how small the opening for the main compartment is and how cumbersome it is for me to load and unload stuff. In my case, I'm usually carrying work clothes, shoes, towel and shower kit in the main compartment. Maybe it's a function of the rolltop design, but if I had the chance to do it over again I would opt for a different design that is easier to get things in and out of, like the Falcon.
9/20/11 by Evan
This bag is amazing. It holds a ton, and keeps things dry. I've had mine for about a year, and when I got in my first accident, the right strap tore clean off. Otherwise, the bag has been great.
9/14/11 by jp.saintcyr@gmail.com
Having been riding with it for about a month now I can comfortably say that this bag is goo but not great.
Aesthetically it's great, innovative design insofar as the clip is concerned and nice that the upper portion extends to increase size of the bag.
Comfortable when riding.
However, there are a few issues:
It\s small. can't even fit a regular shoe box in it! The way the flap rolls up doesn't allow for large items to be put in. What's more, when the flap is rolled up to accommodate larger items it makes it very difficult to wear a helmet as it's a constant struggle to prevent the bag from hitting your helmet.
It's not very water resistant: Went for a bikeride in the rain - was barely a 10 min ride but the bottom of the bag really isn't meant for even remotely rainy days
Vision: it's tough to see over your shoulder with this bag on.
That being said, it appears to be well-made and if you want a second bag, perhaps even just a schoolbag thats good for riding then by all means. If you plan on transporting larger items or need something waterproof this ain't your guy.
7/14/11 by Marple
I got this because it was time I upgrade to a serious, rain-eating cycling backpack.
The Yalta provides in spades. I took it on a 10-day trek on the East Coast as a test. It easily held several days worth of clothes, two hard cover books, a massive Kleen Kanteen, a 15 inch MacBook, toiletries, my passport and wallet and a few other odds and ends.
While I haven't dropped it in a pool yet to test its waterproofness, I'm pretty sure it would survive.
A point about what it isn't. If you're looking to disappear for a month or carry home a family of four's groceries, look at one of the bigger packs. This is a wonderful backpack but it is mostly meant for a city dweller.
With that said, Chrome makes one hell of a bag. Thanks!
7/12/11 by Noor
in tropical singapore, the bag's weather-proof capabilties sure come in handy. always hated bags with millions of pouches and this is bag simply the best. met all my requirements for college and definitely fits my lab coat and safety boots, not to mention textbooks and a mac. great job chrome! looking forward to more purchases!
6/23/11 by porch
decent bag, can carry a good bit and i use it every day.. not quite as good for water resistance as i have herd, bottom of the bag need to be improved.. zippers leak just a bit. and if you commute alot id look for a all around water PROOF bag, other than that decent bag
4/12/11 by Grave Concern
I've used several Chrome bags for year round daily commutes in harsh weather; the Pawn, the Soyuz, the Metropolis, and this has to be the best of the bunch (if you want a backpack that is). The Yalta is versatile, the large waterproof section is perfect for the commute as well as weekend wanders around town.
There are no external pockets to fill with rain in harsh conditions (Pawn and Soyuz); the laptop compartment is well shielded from the elements, as is the rear pocket. The buckle clasp on the main compartment is great, simple to unbuckle and the roll-top is always a plus.
Overall, a great, roomy, bare-bones versatile bag with the usual Chrome attention to detail and quality. Top notch!
3/24/11 by Dominic
Easily the best bag I've had for a long time – everything I could want, well constructed, well designed, comfortable. I wish Chrome would stop depending on Velcro so much as it is guaranteed to die sooner or later, and I wish the zipper on the side panel was just a tiny bit longer to accommodate my laptop more easily, but all that said, this bag is the shiznit! I love it.
3/8/11 by George
The side pocket zipper is too small to allow mbp to go into the bag comfortably. It scratches both sides of the mbp as it goes in.
2/17/11 by James
I was pleasantly surprised when the Yalta arrived on my doorstep. This backpack is built like a tank and very comfortable to wear while commuting to work each day. The main compartment is roomy enough to carry my work shoes and a change of clothes. The inner compartment is perfect for carrying my laptop and notebooks. Overall I am very pleased with the Yalta.
Thanks for making such a quality product.
-J
1/4/11 by Jordan
I got my bag in 6 days which is sick because thats what i expected! 2nd the bag has tons of room! The gloves they came with are so sick! Im getting my GF one next pay day!
12/15/10 by Matt
I have quite a few other Chrome products (Berlin, Mini Metro, Cobra, Natoma, Telegraph... just to name a few)
I was a little wary to see this bag was made in China but the quality of the work is still remarkable and I can see this bag lasting a long time. I have already taken her on a train hopping test run and she has been tossed around and ridden with for the past couple weeks. It is really comfortable to ride with and you can pack a lot of stuff in it.
I look forward to a long life ahead of me with this bag. It rocks!
12/7/10 by Weiner
Well first off before i even talk about the bag, the shipping was awesome, i got the standard delivery which means im suppose to get in about 4 days to a week and i got it in 3 days!!! Quickest online buy for standard shipping hands down.
The yalta is sickk, best backpack out there for sure, best look,protection and lightweight. The best thing about this backpack is ITS SO LIGHT!!! i couldnt believe it, when im riding its like its not there. I have never been so excited about a backpack!! Get this bag, hope the review helps, IF YOU DONT KNOW NOW YA KNOW!!
11/30/10 by Alejandro
I was trying to decide between this bag, the Dually Messenger or an over-the-shoulder bag of some type and I can't tell you how glad I am I got the Yalta. Some reasons:
-It has more room than either of my other choices (1770 cubic in)
-Laptop sleeve is sweet! Fits my 17" macbook easily (although to be honest, I wish it was located to the front of the bag for a little more comfort, but it is and extremely minor detail and the only semi-negative thing I have found about this beast-pack)
-It's that newnew shit.
-it was cheaper than either of my other options (more space and LESS money? Why haven't you clicked that 'add to cart' button yet?
-I took it on its maiden voyage the other day and I cannot believe how comfortable it is, even with a ton of shit in it. I barely notice it's there. I usually go to great lengths to not have to ride with a backpack, but I would gladly sport this beastpack on any ride!
-Every piece of hardware and, indeed, the whole thing feels bombproof.
-The dudes at the SF Chrome store are awesome. They are super helpful, know their shit and are part of the cycling community (many of them messengers themselves).
Thanks to them, I am looking forward to many long rides with my new beastpack. I LOVE IT!
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