Go Sling Mini

I’ve been into EDC for a while now. This is my first sling bag so I don’t really have a point of comparison. Bought it specifically with summer in mind as I’ve always struggled with shorts pockets (Stuff falling out, not enough space).

The Alpaka sling quality is excellent and the size is perfect for my needs. Sleek looking too in all black. Internal organizing pockets are a huge bonus.

Having used the sling on a few outings now, here are some negatives I’ve noticed and what cost it a star:

-Pricey for what it is. Could get a decent 30L backpack for the price.

-The strap is near impossible to adjust while wearing the bag.

-The clasp is very chunky.

-The zippers are sticky. Most likely compromise of the waterproofing.

Pictured is some gear that fit in the sling comfortably minus my Max size iPhone. All in all I’m happy with my purchase and ordering from Mukama is always a great experience.

First of all, let's get the positives out of the way. The craftsmanship of this bag, as well as of many other Alpaka products, is outstanding. There is nothing that feels cheap or flimsy. This bag enables you to carry all your (smaller) EDC around confidently.

Now for the real estate inside. As a photographer, it is essential for me to carry a camera. My Sony RX100 M3 fits one of the sections inside just right. Alpaka keeps showing Fujifilm X100V in their promo materials coupled with bulky headphones and a tablet. Forget about the camera. Even if you put it in, the rest of the bag will barely fit anything inside. This is a problem with many of their products.

Along with the camera, I carry a medium-sized power bank, a Leatherman Wave Plus in a pouch, a small-sized torchlight, and Moment's Tech Organizer Mini, which fits perfectly in the main compartment. I also have a slim journal, a pen, and extra bits for my Leatherman. The front compartment, in my case, is reserved for the tiniest things like chewing gum, a spare AA for the torchlight, and handkerchiefs. This is because when you put something a bit bulkier inside the main compartment, for example, my Sony RX100 M3, it eats up space in the front compartment.

One thing this bag definitely needs is a detachable strap. I know Alpaka offers different solutions that give you pretty much the same form factor with a detachable strap, but in this case, the strap being permanently attached to the bag diminishes its ergonomics. Plus, the Fidlock buckle has a learning curve. If you want to use it efficiently and not think about how to unclasp it every time you need to put the bag down, you will spend some time practicing. This makes me long for Peak Design's easy-to-use solution on their slings.

All in all, you can't go wrong with this bag. If you are willing to overlook a couple of minor blemishes on its overall perfect record, this bag will have your back wherever you go.

The ultimate size if you want to bring anything more than wallet and keys, without getting to bulky! The material and finish top quality as usual and the color makes it very discrete. Great little bag.

Excellent product, there is not enough space or time to tell what is so great about it, you will know when you get it.
Travel in style.

Perfect product for everyday carry anywhere you need to go

To begin with, the service by Mukama was absolutely perfect! I first ordered a different colour, but after finishing the order, I got an email notification that the black X-Pac version is back in stock (which I preferred) so I contacted the sales team via the formulary and a sales person changed my order to the black X-Pac version without any hassle. The order got shipped minutes later and arrived the next day (via the fastest DHL option). Absolutely perfect! 5 Stars!

Now to the bag itself. I‘ve used the bag now daily about for three weeks and here is what I can say:
The promo photos by Alpaka are misleading. I own all the items they show on their promo (Nintendo Switch, iPad Mini, Sony headphones, Fuji X100) and there is no way ALL of these items fit in all at once. I’ve tried. In fact the X100 (+lens cap) alone is already a tight fit. The Ricoh GRiii on the other hand fits perfectly with room to spare.
Secondly, the iPad mini pocket only covers the iPad about 3/4 of the height which is annoying. The Apple pencil doesn‘t stay in place and gets pushed off when attached to the iPad because it‘s not held in place by the pocket front. The bag also doesn‘t offer a pen loop and the two internal pockets don‘t go deep enough for the Apple Pencil or a regular sized pen. You have to think about what items you carry inside the bag.

Thirdly, the magnetic lock of the strap is great but changing the strap size is annoying and cannot be done while wearing the bag. You have to take it off, adjust the strap size, which is difficult and fiddly, put it back on and see if it fits now. I‘ve seen better solutions on other sling bags.

The material: the X-Pac material is great. I got caught in a summer downpour and all my items remained dry and safe inside the bag. But remember to fully close all the zippers, there are some tiny gaps remaining where water can get inside and cause damage to electronic devices. The internal fabric is a bright orange which is a great contrast to my mostly black items.

The outer front pocket is also great. There are two internal pockets as well as a detachable key fob. My bag came with two key fobs which might have been a mistake because I couldn‘t find any info of how many key fobs are included so keep that in mind.

Lastly, my daily load out looks like this:
Main compartment:
iPad mini & pencil, Miyoo Mini Plus, Anker magsafe battery, a small zipped pouch with wall plug, charging cables and card reader.
Front compartment:
Lip balm, pain killers, Solid State cologne, keys attached to the key fob.
When I go out to take photos I‘ll add the Fuji X100 or the Ricoh GRiii to the main compartment and as I said earlier, the Ricoh fits the best and still has a tight space left for a folded Sony WH-1000XM4 if I need them.

Overall I give the bag a score of 3.5 stars (closer to 4 than 3). If I could give one advise to Alpaka, it would be to make the bag just a tiny amount bigger so that the iPad pocket covers the whole height, internal pockets would be deeper and more comfortable to carry. Oh and please don‘t mislead with the promo photos by showing all the stuff it might fit on one photo.

I can definitely recommend the bag if you don‘t carry a lot or mostly flat items.

I received the product it is as described, very useable, strudy and handy. Would recommend

Edc-kamoille aivan loistava valinta. Mahtuu kaikki tarpeellinen ja kulkee huomaamattomasti mukana. Materiaalit ovat ihan top luokkaa. Lukkovetoketjusta plussaa, toivottavasti avainklipsi päivittyy uuteen alpaka tyyliin, mutta toimii tämäkin.

I can say after month, this is the most practical sling I ever had. This is the most comfortable sling in terms of wearing comfort. Easy access to the compartments and very practical layout. I recommended it And thanks for the super fast delivery Mukama!!

Decided to buy the Alpaka Go Sling Mini as a first sling. Material and build are great, great fan of the X-pac material. Internal organization is sufficient and can definitely fit more than your usual EDC/pocket emptier.
Great service from Mukama for a prompt shipping.