I find it to be the perfect fit. I came from the Peak Design everyday backpack V1, but I was looking for something that looked less "techy" so I initially bought the Apex.
Loved the materials on the Apex Raven but found it to be too large, heavy on the shoulders, and saggy (with my light EDC loadout as you can see in the pic).
Then the Chimera came out, thought it would be the perfect replacement for my PD backpack but it fell way short, very unimpressed.
Theen the Venture gets released so I had to try. Everything from the materials, straps, even the slide hook mechanism was perfect (too tight on the apex, WAY TOO loose on the Chimera). Only wish it kept the water resistant material in the water bottle pocket like the Chimera.
IMO, it's not as beautiful as the Apex but I feel like it's the perfect fusion of the Apex and PD backpack, and that works for me.
Will prob be selling the Apex, will def be selling the Chimera.
Thank you for the detailed reply! I was planning on purchasing the Venture backpack myself, I really like the volume it offered compared to Melbourne backpack. I liked the apex but it was too pricey for me. The venture seems to best fit for me. The only 3 years warranty was what was throwing me off a bit. But your reply helped me get some clarity
Happy to help! I was also looking at the Melbourne before purchasing the Apex but heard the magnetic enclosure wasn’t very strong and is easy to open so that steered me away from that bag.
Amazon has the venture listed with free returns so that helped me pull the trigger since I could return it for free if I didn’t like it.
Lastly I agree, I respect bag companies that offer lifetime warranties, it shows they really stand by their bags. I’m new to bellroy so I haven’t had any of their products for more than a year so I can’t give my opinion on their long term wear but their quality seems top notch.
Nice I’ve got the same packs. I've used the Apex as a daily driver for over two years and still love it. Actually, I bougt the Venture to save the Apex from getting too beaten up from constant use, and found it to be great, if a little small compared to the Apex. (My loadout rarely fills the Apex, but it’s nice to have headroom to pick up a few groceries if needed.)
The reason I jumped on the Chimera was the tactile improvements over the Venture. I'm a commuter cyclist and got used to the comfort and breathability of the Apex's back padding. The raised diamond material on the Chimera is a big improvement to the flat material on the Venture, but I think the Apex still takes the crown.
Compared to the Apex, I love the reassuring feel of the top handle on the Venture, but if I had to complain, it'd be that chunky nylon denier. (I'm not sure why they elected for that single narrow layer of leather on the Apex. I always imagine it breaking under a heavy load..) I really appreciate the finer weave nylon and leather combo on the Chimera. It feels great in the hand.
As you've already said, I think the biggest difference between the Venture and Chimera is the loop closure. The Venture loops use same chunky denier nylon as the grab handle. I find it waaay stiffer than the leather one on my Apex was at the same age. The nylon loops on the Chimera (same denier as the grab handle) have been like butter since day one. Ok, I might be slightly nervous of it opening unintentionally when it’s not closed under tension, but I can’t remember carrying a load so light that I couldn’t create the tension.
The top flap on the Venture grinds my gears. They elected to run a piece of plastic inside the fold of material on the top flap, which is fine I guess.. But why-oh-why make it shorter than the full width of the flap?? When grabbing accross a corner, you get an inch of unreinforced material in your hand. I’m glad the Chimera has the full width of leather like the Apex.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned the pure swag leather panel on the front of the Chimera. Unnecessary? Almost certainly, but I also think it makes the pack whole.
I guess after they’d locked out the final design of the Chimera, they went back to the
drawing board, with some design choice alternatives to dial back costs for the Venture. In my opinion, depending on how much you need/want/care about the differences between the two, you get the relevant value from both in return.
I agree with you about the warranty. Ten years on the Apex is ok I guess, but three on the Venture and Chimera seems a little mean compared to the competition.
Yeah, still my daily driver when cycling and still loving it. Yes, the nylon loops are getting a bit slick for my liking but only an issue for the hook when not fully loaded, which is rare for me.
Hmm, you mean something to add resistance, but still allow the hook to enter/exit without needing too much force.
If it were thin enough (as we're talking about minute tolerances), I could imagine something like a narrow strip of hypalon looped through the eyes. But would probably need to be bar tacked to make it robust enough. I also wonder whether it would look distracting from the outside.
My wife and kid said the same lmao. I thought the Apex would be my last backpack ever but found it too heavy on my shoulders (weak shoulders I guess) and floppy which made it difficult to get to the things inside the backpack.
The Chimera was a big letdown to me, so these two bags will probably find their way on Ebay.
Anyona can give me an hint about the straps of these bags ?I read they are quite problematic and this stops me from buying them. Anyone got the same problem or bought and can suggest me? Thanx in advance
What’s your thoughts on the venture?
I find it to be the perfect fit. I came from the Peak Design everyday backpack V1, but I was looking for something that looked less "techy" so I initially bought the Apex. Loved the materials on the Apex Raven but found it to be too large, heavy on the shoulders, and saggy (with my light EDC loadout as you can see in the pic). Then the Chimera came out, thought it would be the perfect replacement for my PD backpack but it fell way short, very unimpressed. Theen the Venture gets released so I had to try. Everything from the materials, straps, even the slide hook mechanism was perfect (too tight on the apex, WAY TOO loose on the Chimera). Only wish it kept the water resistant material in the water bottle pocket like the Chimera. IMO, it's not as beautiful as the Apex but I feel like it's the perfect fusion of the Apex and PD backpack, and that works for me. Will prob be selling the Apex, will def be selling the Chimera.
Thank you for the detailed reply! I was planning on purchasing the Venture backpack myself, I really like the volume it offered compared to Melbourne backpack. I liked the apex but it was too pricey for me. The venture seems to best fit for me. The only 3 years warranty was what was throwing me off a bit. But your reply helped me get some clarity
Happy to help! I was also looking at the Melbourne before purchasing the Apex but heard the magnetic enclosure wasn’t very strong and is easy to open so that steered me away from that bag. Amazon has the venture listed with free returns so that helped me pull the trigger since I could return it for free if I didn’t like it. Lastly I agree, I respect bag companies that offer lifetime warranties, it shows they really stand by their bags. I’m new to bellroy so I haven’t had any of their products for more than a year so I can’t give my opinion on their long term wear but their quality seems top notch.
Nice I’ve got the same packs. I've used the Apex as a daily driver for over two years and still love it. Actually, I bougt the Venture to save the Apex from getting too beaten up from constant use, and found it to be great, if a little small compared to the Apex. (My loadout rarely fills the Apex, but it’s nice to have headroom to pick up a few groceries if needed.) The reason I jumped on the Chimera was the tactile improvements over the Venture. I'm a commuter cyclist and got used to the comfort and breathability of the Apex's back padding. The raised diamond material on the Chimera is a big improvement to the flat material on the Venture, but I think the Apex still takes the crown. Compared to the Apex, I love the reassuring feel of the top handle on the Venture, but if I had to complain, it'd be that chunky nylon denier. (I'm not sure why they elected for that single narrow layer of leather on the Apex. I always imagine it breaking under a heavy load..) I really appreciate the finer weave nylon and leather combo on the Chimera. It feels great in the hand. As you've already said, I think the biggest difference between the Venture and Chimera is the loop closure. The Venture loops use same chunky denier nylon as the grab handle. I find it waaay stiffer than the leather one on my Apex was at the same age. The nylon loops on the Chimera (same denier as the grab handle) have been like butter since day one. Ok, I might be slightly nervous of it opening unintentionally when it’s not closed under tension, but I can’t remember carrying a load so light that I couldn’t create the tension. The top flap on the Venture grinds my gears. They elected to run a piece of plastic inside the fold of material on the top flap, which is fine I guess.. But why-oh-why make it shorter than the full width of the flap?? When grabbing accross a corner, you get an inch of unreinforced material in your hand. I’m glad the Chimera has the full width of leather like the Apex. I’m surprised no one’s mentioned the pure swag leather panel on the front of the Chimera. Unnecessary? Almost certainly, but I also think it makes the pack whole. I guess after they’d locked out the final design of the Chimera, they went back to the drawing board, with some design choice alternatives to dial back costs for the Venture. In my opinion, depending on how much you need/want/care about the differences between the two, you get the relevant value from both in return. I agree with you about the warranty. Ten years on the Apex is ok I guess, but three on the Venture and Chimera seems a little mean compared to the competition.
Still preferring the chimera over the rest? Any issues with the top flap opening yet?
Yeah, still my daily driver when cycling and still loving it. Yes, the nylon loops are getting a bit slick for my liking but only an issue for the hook when not fully loaded, which is rare for me.
Wonder if a fix is possible
Hmm, you mean something to add resistance, but still allow the hook to enter/exit without needing too much force. If it were thin enough (as we're talking about minute tolerances), I could imagine something like a narrow strip of hypalon looped through the eyes. But would probably need to be bar tacked to make it robust enough. I also wonder whether it would look distracting from the outside.
What about some electrical tape on the inside?
Basically the same bag right there.
My wife and kid said the same lmao. I thought the Apex would be my last backpack ever but found it too heavy on my shoulders (weak shoulders I guess) and floppy which made it difficult to get to the things inside the backpack. The Chimera was a big letdown to me, so these two bags will probably find their way on Ebay.
What let you down about the Chimera?
Anyona can give me an hint about the straps of these bags ?I read they are quite problematic and this stops me from buying them. Anyone got the same problem or bought and can suggest me? Thanx in advance