Gootium Canvas Messenger Bag - Vintage Crossbody Shoulder Bag Military Satchel

We ordered the Gootium Canvas Messenger Bag in the army Green color. It arrived in the expected time frame, nice and on schedule!Let me start by saying first, that we ordered this bag several months ago and I decided to wait to write this review until I had plenty of time to use the bag and see how it wears after some use. Secondly, I have been looking for a good quality messenger bag for YEARS now (at least ten years)- and have looked in just about every store I could think of. I just wanted a basic, well made, messenger bag that zipped closed for security.When I found this Gootium bag here on Amazon, I was very excited to finally find something that met my requirements, seemed well made, and was not super expensive!! (I have since come to believe that $30 or $40 is a GREAT DEAL for this awesome bag!!!)When I got this in the mail, this first thing I noticed was how nicely it was packaged. Also, I was so excited to see that it really did appear in person just as it appeared in the pictures! The army green color does look a bit different in person (a little more of a khaki/brownish green color) but that was not something i was very concerned with- and also, it is not unusual for army greens to have that brownish hue to them. Also it really is a very minor difference from the picture, not very noticeable.I started using the bag right away, and I am still using it every day! I have to say-- this is the nicest bag/purse I have ever gotten!!!! I am a typical female who loves her bags, and I have had all sorts of bags over the years... I have gotten things from army surplus stores, etc, and still have not had anything that has been made so well and with such quality!!I was hesitant to order a purse online, but I am so very glad I tried this Gootium bag-- i know that this is a bag I will get a ton of use out of, for years to come!! (I also plan to post an update after more time has passed, to let shoppers know how it has continued to hold up)The quality of the canvas is great- nice and thick, without being all stiff (in fact, it even has a softness to it). The seams are nice and secure, and the strap is sewn directly into the bag. In my experience, the places where most bags go wrong is where the strap connects to the body of the bag (especially since my bags tend to be rather heavy since i carry so much stuff with me! =D )-- this strap is not only made of a thick, strong material (even thicker than the canvas in the body portion)- but the strap is also soft for how thick and strong the material is (it is also a nice thickness/width and does not dig into my shoulder). It is reinforced by the square and X stitching in the place where it is sewn to the body, and in addition to the extra stitching, it also has a round, metal piece that is reinforcing the strap to the bag!!The metal hardware appears to be brass and is of superior quality. Also- I am in love with the zippers!! They are also brass, and zip very smoothly-- they have not caught once since i have used this bag. They are sewn in very well, just like the rest of the stitching. Also, the leather pulls are very nice and are holding up very well.The size of this bag is also perfect! It is not a small bag, but also not huge either!! I carry one of those large check-book-sized wallets and this bag accommodates my large wallet, coin purse, make up bag, small notebook, several sets of keys, tons of charging cords/cables, bottles of advil, and tons of other small items that organize nicely in the pockets.I LOVE that it isn't overly organizer-ish, yet it also isn't just a big pocket either... It has the perfect number of pockets to keep things orderly, yet still open enough to find everything easily!I could go on even further about how much i love this bag, but i am sure you get the picture by now! XD**I would highly recommend this bag, and I would definitely purchase from this company and seller again!!! **~~I am continually impressed by the quality of this bag <3 Hope this has helped!!***Review Update July 26, 2022**Just wanted to post a quick update to this review... It has been over 4 years since I got this bag, and I am still using it regularly. It is still in wonderful condition... actually, it's pretty much in the same condition as when I got it brand new. It has broken-in a bit, canvas has softened up somewhat. I have swapped out to some different bags in that time frame, but I find myself going back to this bag again and again- when I just want a reliable, SECURE bag that will hold the necessities, plus a few extras. (Again- this size is great cuz I can keep everything I need, and it also helps to limit how much stuff I cram into my bag and then forget about! lol!)Over the past four years, I have been so impressed with this first bag, that I have since bought several other Gootium bags. I have two other messenger bags from them, a backpack, the little wristlet bag, a duffel bag, and two other purse-style bags. Needless to say, I am thrilled with this brand.. and whenever I need a quality, reliable, secure bag.. this is my go-to.I know I probably sound like a spokesperson for them at this point.. but I really am just a basic consumer and i am not being incentivized in any way to say this stuff. I am just really impressed to find this quality for the money. These days, it isn't easy to find something that lasts and is made well. And I have wasted too much money on junk bags and purses that don't hold up.Oh- one more detail- i have not tried washing any of these bags yet. I have had major issues in the past with washing bags and purses in the machine (a lesson i learned the hard way!)- so that will be a major test as to how well they hold up! When i cross that bridge, I will come back and update this again and let you all know how it goes.Anyways, hope this was helpful! Shopping online can be difficult, especially when you are trying to find something specific and you need to know the actual quality of an item (especially something like this, that you really rely on for day-to-day, and you need to be able to trust that your wallet and valuables are stored securely)God Bless!!! <3

I love this bag! Perfect size, weight and compartments. I was looking for a bag for my dog supplies while walking or on adventures. Perfect cross body strap width and length keeps my hands free. Excellent quality and design!!! A bargain for the price.

This bag is large enough to hold a Canon Eos R6 Mark II with a 24-70mm zoom lens or similar-sized professional rig, spare batteries, dust cloth & dust blower and memory card wallet. What I like is that the main compartment is secured with a brass zipper and a belt snap system. Inside the main compartment is another zippered pouch. Outside are two snap pockets and another zippered compartment. This messenger bag measures 8 inches tall, by 12 inches wide, by 8.5 inches front-to-back. It looks small, but it holds a lot, making it very discreet. It does not attract a lot of attention like a backpack would. Build quality is top notch. Materials used is very high quality. I would recommend it for messengers and photographers who must travel light and move fast.

My iPad fits perfectly in this messenger bag which is exactly what I was hoping for. The material is sturdy but still lightweight. I don’t usually go for anything in olive but the brown in it makes it much more appealing. I just received it today so I have not used it yet. The reason I didn’t rate it five stars is because some of the stitching is a tad crooked. However I still really like it and am happy with it. FYI, it has the perfect amount of space and pockets but if you’re wanting more space I recommend the larger size bag.

Nice sturdy old school bag. Like an improved version of the musette bag. Just right size, nice wide strap.

Army green and brown. Love this bag! Originally purchased it for hospital go to carry all...was surprised at speed of delivery, and amazed at quality of construction and materials used. The webbing of the strap is strong and conforms comfortably to the shoulder, bag fits to the side, and plenty of pockets...both accessible and those more secluded. Goes everywhere, punishing type jobs or after work engagements and comes up smiling. Only as heavy as what you can put (quite a lot) in, adding a 1 lb. Love it!

I used to carry a small backpack, like the novelty fun ones & decided to upgrade to this for a bit more space & accessibility. I wear it over my shoulder, across the chest mostly.The material of the bag is nice and on the thick side. It is very sturdy and not flimsy or easy to break & tear. The strap to the bag is nice & easy to adjust.Ive been using it for at least a week now & i love it a lot. I liked putting some pins on the front flap.There's plenty of pockets inside and out the main pouch & you can definitely fit in a spiral notebook, to help size ref.I would definitely recommend to those who want a small but good quality side bag.