Evergoods – Civic Access Sling v2 – Unbelievably Useful, Unexpectedly Excellent

I BOUGHT and USED this item. It WAS NOT PROVIDED to me for review by any company.

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Two months ago I made a mistake. I bought the Civic Access Sling 2L v2 from Evergoods and formed some opinions about it without giving it a fair shake. I didn’t put it through its paces and I judged it based on one silly thing: the nylon strap-keeper loop and the process involved in using it. Then I wrote a half-baked review, wrote it off and threw it in the closet.

Thankfully, it popped up again for a new use case and a fresh look a couple of weeks ago. I can now say, without hesitation, that the CAS2 has rocketed into my TOP THREE most beloved slings. Over the past ten days, I haven’t wanted to put it down. It’s that good!

But to be sure, I still have issues with the nylon strap-keeper loop and the process involved in using it.

So in this apology to Evergoods / review, I fully repent and am going to make it all right.

What is Evergoods?

Evergoods is a premier maker of crossover gear, hailing from Bozeman, Montana. They describe crossover gear as having “the technical refinement of outdoor gear with all the ease and appeal of everyday wear”. I agree.

Their products cover the full spectrum that one would expect from a company in the carry space. The superior design and construction of their backpacks, sling/fanny packs, accessory pouches, patches, and more places Evergoods products well ahead in a packed and still growing field of competition since 2016.

It is important to note that what Jack Barley and Kevin Dee have put together is NOT just a Goruck/Patagonia mashup.

What they have put together is uniquely Evergoods.

Materially Speaking…

External Fabric

Evergoods has pulled out all the stops and constructed the Civic Access Sling 2L from a custom made ballistic nylon – abrasion-resistant balanced woven 840D ballistic nylon 6 with a water repellent finish to be precise. What does all that mean? I’m not sure. But what I do know is that it feels like quality fabric. It looks like quality fabric. And it’s buttery smooth. It also doesn’t seem to be a dust, dirt, and hair magnet like some other materials. I like it a lot – especially in their Solution Dyed Black.

Internal Fabric

The inner materials of CAS2 include a lining of PU Coated 210D HT nylon 6,6 with a silicone finish on its face to make it feel slick. Again, not a fabric expert but it, too, feels like quality fabric, which is important. Some bags don’t feel nice. That’s most definitely not the case here. It feels soft, smooth and luxurious to me, almost like the lining inside of a superior quality suitcase.

The Strap

The strap is a soft-woven nylon that feels a little softer than seatbelt nylon and loops through a Duraflex side-release buckle. However, there is one drawback with the strap… the nylon strap-keeper loop and the process involved in using it.

Having to take excess strap and roll it up, then turn a stretchy nylon strap-keeper loop inside out to wrap it around in a two-handed operation and being left with a dangling chunk of flappy strappy just seems off.

Zippers

The two zippers across the front are reverse-coil YKK number 10’s and can open from either side, while a number 8 runs the length of the sling across the back, providing a nice wide opening. Inside the back, there’s a number 5. Different zipper sizes for different pocketing – all quality and coated to repel water without being “sticky” like other water-resistant zippers. The zipper pulls are classic Evergoods: knotted webbing that just works well.

So What’s So Great about the Civic Access Sling 2L v2?

Wearing CAS2…

At a generous 2 liters that feels like at least 2.5, the Civic Access Sling 2L v2 isn’t heavy, no matter the load. It doesn’t bounce or flop around unless YOU are bouncing or flopping around. And it works equally well over the right or left shoulder. More on that in a moment.

Evergoods has created a sling/fanny pack that wears very well in both “modes”. However, I do think it wears ever so slightly better as a fanny pack.

Fanny Mode…

In fanny mode, particularly, CAS2 sits flush against the hips and around the front/back. Personally, I don’t do fanny mode but I know there are plenty out there who prefer it, especially for more active use cases.

The facility of accessing the front dump pocket is more evident in fanny mode vs sling mode. It’s just more stable and easy to get at items from the top while it’s leveled out on the hips, front or back. There’s very little shifting around inside while worn as a fanny pack.

As a sling…

CAS2 wears almost as well as a sling, though there is a little less flushness to the way it lays across the chest/ribs. Whether high and tight or low riding, there is a bit of a gap between the top of the sling and the chest/ribs. I don’t mind this but it would be super cool if there was a way to cinch in the top of each side to bring it in flush to the chest/ribs in sling mode.

CAS2 Can Breathe…

The breathable back panel is signature Evergoods. This pattern and construction appears across nearly the entire lineup. If it’s worn against the back or front, the breathable back panel is there. It’s padded with an airy and resilient foam covered by a soft fabric which provides comfort when packed out in either mode. It just feels so nice to the touch – more silky.

One Wearability Issue…

A friend of mine tried my CAS2 for a day or two and decided not to buy his own. His reason was because, as a larger guy, the fully extended strap still felt a little “choking” or restrictive to him. Perhaps a solution could be to throw another Duraflex side-release buckle on the other side and offer an option of a longer strap. But as is, if you’re a larger person, the Civic Access Sling 2L v2 may be slightly problematic depending on your tolerance.

What about Ambidexterity?

The CAS2 has two zipper pulls on the front pocket that allow for opening from either side. It’s your choice. However, there is only one pull on the rear admin area as well as the admin pocket inside. I have found that shifting from right to left shoulder carry isn’t all that difficult but could be better with the addition of a second zipper pull on the admin area (and internal admin pocket). This would dispel any concern over right vs. left shoulder carry and make CAS2 a fully ambidextrous sling/fanny pack.

Speaking of Pockets…

The Civic Access Silng 2L v2, like its predecessor, comes in at 2 liters split between two main pockets – a front dump pocket and a rear admin pocket. I’ve never been a fan of slings with such prominent dump pockets. I’m more of an organization nerd. But something about this sling over the past ten days has expanded my tolerance for the dump pocket.

The Front Dump Pocket

The front dump pocket opens nice and wide from either side, depending on your preference. The dual number 10 reverse-coil YKK zippers are smooth and satisfying to pull, even with the water-resistant coating used by Evergoods. They are not Aquaguard® zippers, which mades me happy.

I’m not an expert in volume allocation but it’s clear that the majority of CAS2’s generous two liters of volume is carried in the front dump pocket. It holds quite a bit. Over the past ten days of travel, it’s been stuffed nearly full. I’m not much of a true EDC purist. So I won’t be listing flashlights, knives, or a survival kit. But my EDC is my EDC and it’s impressive what I was able to stuff inside every day.

What you see inside there are:

a MagSafe power bank from Chussi
Purell
Nasal Spray
Airpods Pro
Kleenex On-the-Go Facial Tissues
Car Keys (clipped)
Glasses – inside a Tom Bihn Ghost Whale Organizer Pouch
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm (best ever!)
Frisk mint tin
Cough drops peppered throughout (just in case)
An albuterol inhaler (just in case)

Not bad! I could fit more! Again, before, I wanted everything in its place. Here and now, for some reason, I’m ok with just throwing stuff in there and leaving caution to the wind. I could have opted to wear either of the other two slings that I brought with me. But I stuck with CAS2. It was kind of a freeing experience. Thanks for that, Evergoods!

As mentioned in the packing list, my keys are clipped to the bright red key leash that Evergoods has tacked into the dump pocket with matching thread – a nice little touch. I’ve said in other reviews that I’m kind of over sewn in key leashes and that remains true. It would be nice to have the choice of locations in the dump pocket (right/left/center) like another particular west-coast maker offers. But it’s fine where it is.

The Rear Admin Area

CAS2’s admin area is super! Like I said: I’ve always been an organization nerd. And while the dump pocket freed me from some of that, the admin area pleases me in ways that no other admin area from any other maker has. It’s strange to say that. There’s a feature in there that I thought I’d hate at first. But I really do love it!

The admin area is slim but opens wide, thanks to the presence of a gusset at the bottom and a number 8 RC YKK zipper that curves over both sides. Kevin describes and demonstrates both of these around the 1:50 mark of the Features Outline Video on the product page.

Features Outline Video | CIVIC Access Sling 2L – Product Page – Produced by Evergoods

Admin Area Slip Pockets

The back of CAS2’s admin area has two slip pockets, one wider and one narrower. Presumably, the wider of the two is intended to hold a phone but my iPhone 14 Pro with an Apple Leather case barely fits. It’s too fidgety to put in and take out so I just throw it in the main space. I found myself using the wider of the two pockets to hold quick access cash – I just threw the coins into the main space. The narrower of the two pockets was a great place to put a couple of things I needed quick access to: my hotel key card and metro pass.

Admin Area Main Space

The main space in the admin area, although narrow, can still hold quite a bit thanks to the gusset at the bottom. I just put a pen and my phone there, though. There’s something satisfying about opening that zipper with a good, fast tug, throwing the phone in, and giving it a good fast tug closed. I can’t explain it but that zipper is just satisfying.

Admin Area Zippered Pocket

The interior zippered pocket within the admin area is also thin but ample. This is where I put my Alpaka Zip Pouch Coin wallet and passport. When zipped closed, they weren’t visible, because of the concealing dividers between the pocket and the two mesh pockets also opened by the zipper. I have no idea what the concealing divider material is but it works well and feels nice. I truly thought I would hate this divider. It just seemed extra, like it didn’t serve a real purpose but then the lightbulb moment happened and I understood its function. I love this! Don’t mind me. I can be a little slow on the uptake.

Admin Area Mesh Pockets

The mesh pockets that are also opened by the interior zipper are slim and perfect for smaller flat items that you may want to hold on to. I put receipts that I needed to keep in one side and a couple of flat personal items that I like to carry with me in the other.

Overall, the admin area is, for me, the most fantastic admin area of any bag of any type that I’ve used!

BUT…

I do think that the sleeve that appears to be primarily made to hold a phone needs to be wider. Minor detail but there’s just no way to fit most modern plus-sized or cased phones in there. That aside… The admin area is, to me, a grand slam home run!

Branding

A quick word about Evergoods branding. It’s understated and minimal: a two by two velcro loop square with a diagonal line running through it sewn into all of their products.

It offers consumers a choice of either rocking the Evergoods brand or putting a patch over it and rocking one’s own look.

They do sell patches that fit and one can find others online as well. But two by two seems to be a little more limited. As is, I have a three by two patch stuck on there and will keep looking for the same words in a two by two.

Inside, there is a product info sheet sewn in with all of the information one could want about CAS2. It’s actually kind of neat that they do this.

Conclusion

The Evergoods Civic Access Sling 2L v2 is amazing. Its comfort and versatility are nearly unrivaled. Its refinement and intentional design makes it a completely viable choice for almost any use case.

It’s a mystery what caused me to be so quick to judge but I apologize to both Kevin and Jack for that. I also apologize for that complementary but half-baked and poorly-written review on the product page, much less TWICE! I wish they would just remove it. But I guess it’s good that it should stay there and serve as both a lesson and a reminder for me to not be so quick to the punch.

The CAS2 is the only Evergoods product that I have purchased and I look forward to the next piece. I’ve kind of been fixating on the Civic Travel Bag 26L in the same Solution Dyed Black since returning home. That CAP1 has got me feeling some kind of way, too! If CAS2 is any indication, I’m sure they’ll both blow me away as well! Time will tell!

Thanks for reading!

How I Got This Item for Review

I purchased this item myself. Evergoods did not supply it to me for review. The opinions in this review are my own and would not be swayed one way or another if I had been given a review unit by Evergoods.

Products shown in this review and/or visible in photos (some affiliate links)…