Introduction
These days, living in Mumbai is almost equivalent to being in a furnace, especially during the day. The summer seems to have been breaking high-temperature records almost every day. And on days like these, wearing a riding jacket and a backpack on top of it has become challenging on my office commutes. I reach the office all sweaty due to the backpack blocking a majority of ventilation. Now, I can neither get rid of the jacket nor the stuff in my bag. However, the backpack can be replaced by a tail bag thereby leaving room for air to pass through the jacket’s mesh. So, there couldn’t have been a better time for Viaterra to send us their 22-litre Pod tail bag. Mind you, it’s much more than just a tail bag which I can use for my office commutes.
The Plan
Over the next few months, the Viaterra Pod will certainly be used for my city commutes, perhaps on multiple motorcycles. Moreover, I’ll also make the most of its 22-litre volume on longer rides but that might mostly happen once the weather gets bearable. I am also looking forward to testing its waterproofing capabilities during the monsoon.
Construction
The Viaterra Pod will not just be a great companion for summer but also during the monsoon which might just be a few weeks away. Viaterra says it is 100 per cent waterproof and has thoughtful elements to prevent water from seeping in even during heavy showers. The roll-top mechanism with strap and buckle closure is accompanied by an inner drybag liner which gets gray Rip-Stop fabric with PU coating and is seam-sealed. It’s rated to withstand 5,000mm of water pressure.
Another impressive bit about the Pod is its mounting mechanism. It comes with a modular mounting base with straps which needs to be tucked and fixed under the bike’s rear seat with the buckle straps hanging out. For mounting the Pod, you just need to place it on the seat, loop the straps around the bag, fasten the buckles, and tighten them. The straps of the same mounting base can be fully extended and used to mount two Pods on top of each other.
Viaterra has used plenty of reinforcing elements to strengthen the bag. There’s triple stitching on joints, bar tack for all stress points, and polyester webbing throughout. Plus, the Pod gets nylon thread for all stitching which is known to offer better strength and flexibility than polyester material.
Additional Features
Other features include an inbuilt webbing carry handle and 3M reflective tape for visibility in the dark. Like Apple products, one can also create an eco-system of Viaterra bags. Besides being a standalone bag, the Pod can act as an extension, or an expander for Viaterra’s Leh saddlebag or Claw and Claw Mini tail bag due to their mounting mechanisms being compatible with each other. Interestingly, multiple Pods can also be used to neatly separate out stuff within the larger bags. Lastly, the Pod also has molle loops on top to secure smaller bags or other belongings.
Product Details
Make: Viaterra
Model: Pod-22
Availability: Viaterra’s website and other online retailers
Price: Rs. 2,299
Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi
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