Motorcycles, adventure, nostalgia, and impeccable taste—these are the hallmarks of Malle London. Run by Robert Nightingale and Jonny Cazzola, the British company not only produces stylish moto gear, but also runs myriad events and rallies to put that gear through its paces. So every piece they make has to score high on both form and function.
This ethos is evident in the Malle Expedition backpack. Constructed from canvas and leather, and available in black or sand, it’s a cavernous carry-all that celebrates the simplicity of early motorcycle gear, with a handful of clever details baked in.
I’ve had the Expedition backpack in my regular gear rotation for a few months now, and can confidently say that it’s one of the best-looking items I own. Malle has a sharp eye and a head for details, so there isn’t an inch of this bag that hasn’t been agonized over.
Luxe bridle leather touches are set against the Expedition’s heavy-duty coated canvas chassis. It’s a more modern fabric than the sort of waxed canvases that are synonymous with classic British motorcycle gear, offering a smart balance between performance and style. It’s waterproof too; I wasn’t lucky enough to get caught in the rain with it, but I did put it through bona fide scientific backyard hose test, and the interior stayed bone dry.
I’m not a fan of bags with too many pockets and pouches, so the Expedition’s minimalist layout appeals to me. Most of its 22.5-liter capacity is provided by one main compartment, which is lined with an elegant red quilted material. The liner includes a handful of pouches for stashing small items, like a power bank, sunglasses, a pen, a multi-tool, cables, and anything else that you’d like to keep separate from the rest of your junk.
A heavyweight waterproof zipper runs over the top of the main section, covered by a storm hood with an additional mesh compartment inside. The hood is held down by a pair of G-hooks, each attached to webbing that can be let out if you need a little more space up top. A small ‘micro strap’ holds this excess webbing in place, secured by a press stud—a neat detail that adds convenience without the visual bulk.
More storage is offered via an external catch-all pouch on the front of the bag. Its top flap folds over to keep the weather at bay, with twin press studs to keep it closed. Another waterproof zipper at the side of the bag grants access to a lined laptop sleeve that swallows my 13” MacBook Air with space to spare, with a smaller zippered pocket at the back of the bag creating a secure space to hide a passport or wallet.
The Malle Expedition backpack’s ability to swallow cargo was put to the test on my very first outing with it, when I stumbled upon the perfect pair of sneakers for my significant other. So I can confirm that it’ll comfortably swallow a woman’s size 9 shoebox and more.
On a more regular day, it managed to accommodate my mirrorless camera and two lenses (packed in a separate camera cube), my laptop, a handful of peripherals, and some last-minute groceries that I picked up along the way. I also carried my tripod, by using the bag’s bottle pocket and a small adjustable strap that’s included. These sit on the left of the bag, while, on the right, two small mounting tabs create space to attach Malle’s leather tool roll (or anything else you’d like to strap to it).
While there’s plenty of space available, the one area that the Expedition backpack loses points on is ease of access—or, more specifically, quick access. While the anodized and Malle-branded G-hooks look gorgeous, they’re far more fiddly than your garden variety side-release clips. And although the main space’s zipper is generously sized, the curvature of the top closure means that it takes some encouragement to open and close.
These are certainly not deal-breakers, and, given Malle’s signature aesthetic, any other hardware would look out of place. But if you’re the run-and-gun type, it’s worth bearing these compromises in mind. The choice of this style of clip is more of an issue on the bag’s sternum strap, which is pretty tricky to operate with gloves on. The strap’s placement can be adjusted, but it can’t be removed entirely, which is a shame.
The padded shoulder straps themselves are comfortable enough under load, and can be stashed away inside a sleeve at the back of the bag, which can also be slipped over the handle of a roller case when you’re traveling. The bag’s quilted back panel, although stylish, doesn’t allow for airflow like the mesh sections on more technical packs—but since the Expedition is built for inclement weather, this is less of an issue.
These caveats aside, the Malle Expedition is an attractive piece of kit that goes well with my daily runner, an air-cooled Triumph Bonneville, but works just as well when I’m traversing the suburbs on four wheels and need a stylish sidekick. It’s also extremely well made, shrugs off dirt easily, and looks like it’ll last for years to come—which is reassuring, given its £299 [$407] price tag.
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