I’m the first to admit: I’m a bag freak. I’ve rarely met a bag I didn’t like, and the Cameron Rolltop Backpack from Solo is no exception. Some bags are better than others for any number of reasons but the Solo Cameron stands out for comfort, utility, styling and durability.
The good people at Solo, who recently exhibited at CES in Las Vegas, sent me the Cameron to review and here goes.
This is a great-looking bag, with plenty of space for a 15” MacBook pro. The bag has a slim profile that hugs the back very comfortably. The closer the weight of the backpack is to your back, the better. I’ve owned a number of backpacks over the years and most of them tend to sag down and outward on my back. This pulls backward on the shoulders and after a few hours of walking AAPEX or other automotive shows, back and shoulder pain starts to set in.
This doesn’t seem to be the case with the Solo. I’ve been wearing it daily for more than a week with a 15-inch MacBook Pro, a Chromebook, an iPad, newspaper (Yes, I still read newspapers), an extra iPhone 6 Plus and assorted other daily work stuff (including the most recent issue of Counterman, of course!). Not once has any shoulder, neck or back strain or pain set in. I tend to overfill my backpack, which puts a lot of strain on any bag and the Cameron appears to take it all.
There are separate compartments for a full-size laptop as well as a tablet/reader/Chromebook-size computer. There also are places for pens and that dongle from the iPhone X that you keep losing.
What makes the Solo Cameron different from other bags? It just looks better than most backpacks. There was a time not too long ago when backpacks were verboten in the business world. Companies like Tumi, for example, have changed that and now backpacks are much more accepted, especially in the auto care industry.
Solo has treated the Cameron with a special premium wax resin coating that gives the bag a worn-in look. Solo gives customers a 5-year limited warranty, guaranteeing the bag from defects in materials and craftsmanship.
I’ll have a follow-up video review soon. For now, take a look at the bag here.
