Today I’m testing the Dolomite compact sling bag and Naos laptop sleeve from Urth. Many photographers, myself at the forefront, tend to look for big bags that can carry enough to allow us to face every possible situation. Having a large bag can be useful, but it also means a larger volume, heavier load, and often a tendency to carry more than what is necessary.
To counter this, in recent weeks I have forced myself to do the opposite, and leave the house with a minimalist kit. To do this, I used two products from Urth: the Dolomite sling and Naos laptop sleeve. These items changed the way I planned outings and functioned when on the move.
Both products come in a variety of colors, are weather resistant and are backed by a lifetime warranty, just like the Norite backpack I reviewed before. Let’s take a look!
Dolomite Sling
The Dolomite Sling is the item most directly related to photography. It is a compact sling, with an interior volume of 5.1 liters. My copy is an olive green color called “moss”. The color changes a bit with lighting.
The front side is devoid of features except for the Urth label embroidered in a corner.
The opposite side has a deep and wide zippered pocket, perfect for a cellphone, wallet of USB battery.
The strap is made of webbing similar to a seatbelt. In a nice touch, the strap can easily be removed, turning the Dolomite into a pouch. The end and length adjustment buckles are solid and color-matched to the rest of the sling.
The external shape and size of the Dolomite will be influenced by internal organization, in particular the presence of dividers. If the dividers are used, the sling becomes thick, and when they are removed it takes a much slimmer shape.
The interior is made of two sections. A slim pocket is present on one side.
The main compartment is one big section, lined in soft fabric accepting Velcro hooks on the sides and bottom. The fabric at both ends can expand slightly to avoid making the sling almond-shaped when filled. The bottom has a crease and can fold upward to make the bag slimmer as needed.
The Dolomite ships with two rigid dividers. These are straightforward but as well made as the rest of the bag. They can attach to each other to create clever divisions inside.
Organization is made easy thanks to the dividers. The internal volume is still moderate, but that’s exactly the idea. I was able to fit a Sony A7C with a prime mounted, and a Tamron 28-75mm zoom to the side, with a slim volume remaining available. A compact APS-C DSLR such as a Pentax KF would also fit if the lens isn’t too big.
Carrying a camera and only one lens frees up space for more accessories, of course.
Naos Laptop Sleeve
A digital nomad can do a lot with his camera and a laptop, tablet or Chromebook. Urth’s Naos sleeve comes in two sizes, either 13/14 inches or 15/16 inches. I’m using the smaller version, a full-size laptop would of course require the bigger one.
Laptop sleeves are not the most exciting product around, but they need to be well made. I’ve had a Chromebook screen shatter despite being in a sleeve, when its handle broke in a staircase.
The Naos 13/14 inches is very well made indeed. It is exactly the right size for a typical Chromebook or compact laptop. The zipper operates smoothly, even in the corners where cheaper zippers tend to catch.
The padding and stiffness inspire confidence and the interior is lined with smooth fabric.
When empty, the sleeve retains its shape and rigidity but slims down quite a bit.
In Use
As I alluded to earlier, using these two items forced me to change my mindset. Frankly, I am used to carrying larger bags, in a ready-for-anything approach. I often go out with the Peak Design Everyday Backpack, or the Peak Design Sling 10L when I want something a bit smaller. The former lets me carry almost everything I can think about, include a big laptop, while the latter forces me to slim down but still can carry a camera, three zooms or 5-6 primes and a tablet (no laptop or Chromebook). This can be required, but at time I’m just lazy, and bring more instead of planning ahead.
Using the Dolomite did force me to plan, but in a good way. Thinking about what I was going to photograph, how to achieve it, what I needed to bring with me, then bringing that and only that. After a while, it became refreshing.
Using the Dolomite as a pouch for non-photography items worked also. I really liked how it is made to expand and compress depending on its fill. The removable dividers offer nice organization possibilities.
Of course, the Dolomite wasn’t a good match for every situation. A larger zoom like the Tamron 70-180 was too ambitious for it. Still, when possible, leaving the house with just the Dolomite on my shoulder and the Naos sleeve in my hand was a satisfying experience.
The quality of craftsmanship for both items is superb. The fabrics feel durable and high-quality, the padding is well-tuned without going overboard. In particular, I like the choices of interior fabrics on both items, they are well matched to the intended use.
Other Options
There are a few other options on the market with comparable form factors and purposes. Peak Design offer a smaller 6 liters Sling in addition to their 10 liters. It is slightly more expensive, at $119.95 compared with Urth’s $109. Nomatic & Peter McKinnon offer a larger 8 liters sling, more resolutely oriented towards photography, significantly more expensive at $159.99. Moment’s 6L Rugged sling is excellent can costs $99 at the moment (on sale). None of these offer a laptop sleeve option. Finally, Wandrd proposes the Rogue 6 liters at $139, and a laptop case (14 or 16 inches) for $59, an identical price to Urth’s Naos albeit with more external features on Wandrd’s side. Urth’s products are thus fairly priced when compared with the competition.
Summary
With the Dolomite and Naos, Urth proposes two well-made products that work well together and allow lightweight everyday carry. The products look good, are solid and durable, versatile enough given their size, and allowed me to rethink how I approach photo outings. I was glad for the experience.
