The bag offers all the room we’d ever need to hold our gear for a snowmobile trip, but its layout makes us wonder, “what were the designers thinking?”
We’ll post the full scoop about the Freighter Bag on snowgoer.com next month, but to get the the full product testing story and pictures now, pick up the season premier issue of Snow Goer magazine on newsstands now.
There’s a reason why snowmobilers drive big pickups and SUVs: we have a lot of stuff to haul. From tools and jack stands to helmets and riding apparel, we need a lot of gear and supplies in order to be prepared for the adventures a snowmobile trip can present. Fortunately for riders like me who take “preparation” to the Nth degree, the EVS Sports Freighter is king-sized so I can haul all of my loot in one bag.
When I go snowmobiling, I want to be ready for all weather I might face. At 16 by 18 by 32 inches, the red, black and gray Freighter bag had enough capacity for all of my gear. I could haul a pair of boots, one helmet, my Tekvest chest protector, two pairs of riding pants, two coats, several pairs of goggles, three or four pairs of gloves, socks and a balaclava, not to mention several days’ worth of under layers and street clothes. Several external pockets made it easy to organize goggles and gloves in one spot, a few trail maps in another pocket along with a safe place to stash valuables.
The bag has proven to be fairly durable over the past year I used it. The zippers are smooth with big pulls that are easy to grab with a gloved hand, and the wheels still roll smoothly even after all of the snow, slush, dirt and gravel I rolled them through. Five big, sturdy handles make it easy to lift the bag into the back of a pickup or pull it from the baggage carousel at an airport. One seam, however, has split and needs to be repaired.
There’s only one downfall to the EVS Freighter: the changing mat, which is on the wrong side of the bag — the back. So, when I zipped open the lid, it flopped down and covered the mat that I wish I could have stood on to keep my feet clean and dry. If the mat would have been on the front side, I could’ve stood barefoot in a snow-covered parking lot while I reached in the bag for my socks and pulled them on in one easy step. How did EVS designers miss this?
At $139, the Freighter bag is a good value. It’s fairly rugged, its styling is cool and most importantly, it has room for me to pack everything I need.
— Andy Swanson
