High Above Voyager Bags Review

It’s hard to believe that Bellingham, Washington-based bag maker High Above has been designing and manufacturing hip packs and other accessories for more than 12 years. They’ve done a good job at positioning themselves as hip pack experts, steadily expanding their lineup to include more models, limited edition colors, quick-access magnetic bottles, and more. I’ve had their Fidlock-equiped Venture hip pack in my arsenal for over two years now, and it has proven to be durable and useful. More recently, I’ve been using the Venture to carry my Fuji XT3, since I find my beloved Rockgeist Big Dumpling is a bit too much for such a small camera.

Just announced, the High Above Voyager series is the brand’s first collection of on-bike storage. Building on what they’ve learned from producing hip packs, the Voyager bags are designed for everyday adventures or commuting around town. The launch includes a quick-access handlebar bag, stem bag, top tube bag, and hemp sling bag. As always, each bag is handmade in their Bellingham studio from high-quality materials. According to High Above, “each pack is simple, elegant, and obsessively designed. As the saying goes: Less is more, and more is lazy.”

High Above Voyager Bar Bag

The Voyager Bar Bag takes the same magnetic one-handed access of the Venture hip pack and integrates it into a small handlebar bag. It’s a slim bag for ride essentials that’s roomy enough for an extra layer, snacks, tools, and smaller point-and-shoot/mirrorless cameras. It’s built from X-Pac with a bright turquoise liner and a large flap closure that is easily opened and closed one-handed thanks to a magnetic Fidlock buckle. There are some small interior organization sleeves, a key clip, and a zippered exterior pocket accessed via a YKK Aquaguard zipper.

On the back of the bag, there is a length of daisy chain webbing to adjust the included Velcro One-Wrap strap positions on the handlebar. A lower attachment point for the fork or head tube is secured using a small length of elastic cord and an adjustable hook buckle. The bag is quick to install and remove, and due to its slender shape, it fits easily between shifter and brake housing.

• 
• 
• 

The Voyager Bar Bag reminds me a lot of the Venture hip pack. The magnetic buckle opening is quick and easy to operate one-handed, which is perfect for shedding layers on the fly on cool morning rides but secure enough that I’ve never worried about its contents coming free. It isn’t the biggest bag, and it’s not padded, so it likely won’t take over camera-hauling duties, but if you’re looking for some extra storage for day rides, it might just fit the bill.

• 
• 
• 

• Capacity: ~2.6L
• Material: X-Pac
• Weight: 170 grams
• Place of Manufacture: Washington, USA
• Price: $90
• Manufacturer’s Details: HighAbove.net

High Above Voyager Stem Bag

The Voyager Stem bag is High Above’s take on a classic. While they haven’t reinvented anything, it’s a clean and functional bag that’s roomy enough for big Nalgene-sized bottles, snacks, and more. Like the Bar Bag, it’s constructed from X-Pac, has a one-handed drawstring closure, and is slightly tapered towards the bottom to provide as much knee clearance as possible. There are two external mesh pockets for small items, plus a length of daisy chain webbing across the top to attach the included 1″ Velcro strips to your bar. There’s an additional Hypalon attachment point towards the base of the bag for an even more secure setup.

• 
• 

While the Voyager Stem Bag isn’t revolutionary and is a little late to the party, it’s well-made, quite large, and has all the attachment points for a bounce-free setup, which is all you can really ask for. The addition of the two low-profile exterior pockets, the discrete internal stiffener layer, touch of turquoise, and one-handed open/close drawstring closure all add up to a well designed and functional stem bag.

• 
• 
• 

• Capacity: ~1.8L
• Material: X-Pac
• Weight: 85 grams
• Place of Manufacture: Washington, USA
• Price: $65
• Manufacturer’s Details: HighAbove.net

High Above Voyager Top Tube Bag

Like their stem bag, the Voyager Top Tube Bag is designed around simplicity and clean aesthetics. It’s on the smaller side, with about a 1L capacity, and isn’t reinforced with foam padding, so it’s one of the lightest top tube bags out there. Like the other bags in the collection, it attaches to the top tube using removable velcro straps and the same adjustable hook buckle for under your stem.

• 
• 

The Voyager Top Tube Bag is made from X-Pac and has a durable #8 YKK Aquaguard zipper. Although the bag itself isn’t 100% waterproof, the construction is extremely weather resistant and shouldn’t pose any issues in light-to-moderate rain. There is also a hidden cable port under the zipper garage that could be used to charge electronics on the go or for routing dynamo power cables. Due to its size and internal stiffener layer, the bag does a good job at staying put, and while its capacity might not compete with my JPaks Footlong EXT, it’s a nice option for shorter rides and everyday use.

• Capacity: ~1L
• Material: X-Pac
• Weight: 87 grams
• Place of Manufacture: Washington, USA
• Price: $65
• Manufacturer’s Details: HighAbove.net

High Above Horizon Pocket

Part zippered pouch, part sling pack, the Horizon Pouch is made from a heavyweight hemp and is designed to fit inside the Voyager Bar Bag but is equally suited to daily use off the bike. It has a removable and adjustable cord strap, a coiled zipper opening, and is—as always—handmade in Bellingham.

• 
• 

It’s interesting to see High Above using hemp, considering the amount of technical fabrics in their lineup, and it seems like a nice option for picking up a few groceries, stashing some snacks, or using as a sling bag for off the bike.

• Capacity: ~1.3L
• Material: Hemp
• Weight: 85 grams
• Place of Manufacture: Washington, USA
• Price: $40
• Manufacturer’s Details: HighAbove.net

Related Content

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...