First off, I’m an Eberlestock enthusiast with two packs, two slings, and several other items that I truly appreciate.

As a hiker covering various distances, I had high hopes that the ROMAD would replace my Bandit pack. While I love the Bandit, its size can sometimes be limiting, though perfect at other times. I was looking for a pack around 25L that retained much of the Bandit's features but offered improved pocketing inside and out. The ROMAD seemed to fit that description.

After reviewing videos and photos online, the ROMAD does seem smaller than the listed 25L capacity. It occupies the space of 25L, but you don’t get to fully utilize all of it. It packs more like 20L

The pocketing on this bag is excellent, both inside and out. The zippers, pouches, and overall design meet the high standards expected from Eberlestock.

However, I’m returning the ROMAD.

Where did it fall short? The harness. I’m puzzled why Eberlestock didn’t use their usual adjustable harness system, especially given the pack’s price point, which suggests premium features.

My issues with the harness are:

The yoke is narrow. The space between the left and right shoulder straps is only 3.5 inches wide. In comparison, the adjustable harness on my Bandit is nearly 5.5 inches wide, and my Switchblade measures 6.3 inches at the yoke.

The shoulder harness starts at the top of the pack, causing the pack to ride very high. This design with the narrow yoke forces the straps to come over the shoulders at a slightly awkward angle.

The sternum strap lacks elastic relief, which is surprising considering the weight this pack is designed to carry.

Adjusting the sternum strap vertically along the harness is very difficult. It uses a ladder rack system, and the laser-cut MOLLE over the ladder complicates adjustments. I adjust my sternum depending on the load, the clothing, and if I’m wearing a chest rig. This system you have to have the pack off and takes more effort than it should.

I did get the pack to fit me well enough. The sternum strap issues still really bothered me.

Additional notes:

The water bottle pockets are slightly smaller than those on the Bandit, which is noticeable.

The bladder opening is too tight, limiting the use of that space for other flat items. - I did not try a bladder in it, but I would guess it too is hard to get in.

The interior back wall is nice but the velcro on the molle is not enough to hold on to items well. I also believe there should be one more column of molle on the backwall, making it an odd number. So, you can center items. As it is now with an even number you are off to one side if you attach something wider than a single row. The pack needs to be 3” wider.

I appreciate the inclusion of extra zipper pulls to replace the larger pulls on the top of the bag if you’re not using the antenna zippers.

If I could redesign this pack, I would:

Use the standard adjustable harness system.

Make the pack 3 inches wider to improve the bladder opening and molle inside.

Rework the top of the pack to reduce zipper crowding, possibly helped by the extra width.

Maybe the water bladder should have been a heavy velcro flap rather than another bank of zippers.

The build quality is as expected from Eberlestock, but some design choices didn’t work for me.

If I didn’t have the Bandit, I might have kept it. For me, it just doesn’t beat the Bandit clearly enough to keep it.

Overall good pack with plenty of space and cool pockets that all serve a purpose. However, the only thing I would redesign would be the hydration pouch zipper a bit longer to double as a laptop pocket.

Nice sized pack that can carry heavy objects comfortable

I use this as an EDC and my main gym bag. Overall, its solid and exactly what I needed it for.

I bought this pack with the intention of putting an amateur radio transceiver in it. I have yet to do that because I’m waiting on a radio pouch to ship. It should comfortably hold any mobile size radio. I’ll be using a Yaesu 891. The water bottle pockets on both sides are very convenient. Alternatively, they can be used to hold a collapsible antenna mast. Just use shock cord on the MOLLE for a secure fit. The internal MOLLE is very useful. There is ample storage for comms gear. The pack feels comfortable but I haven’t fully loaded it yet. This pack is very streamlined, not too bulky. Overall, this will be my favorite pack for comms. It would also be great for EDC. You can watch my video for a closer look.

Well. Thanks for making a good radio pack. For those of us that had to hump a PRC 77 and the early version of SINGARS. We could have used you. I love that it is comfortable and small. The additional pockets are great for extra gear and batteries. The hydration bladder area is a must. Especially on hot day. I was pleased with the laser cut style on the pack. The straps feel good. The padding is great. Thanks for the side water bottle pouches. I do recommend this pack.

I use the ROMAD as a daypack for hiking, edc, and travel. I liked the design and layout of organization in the images. It lacks a laptop sleeve but some laptops will fit in the hydration pocket. Eberlestock killed it with this one. It’s comfortable when loaded up heavy and compact enough to not get in the way. The shoulder strap design is among the best and most comfortable ive come across as is the backpanel design. There are a ton if zipper pulls which can get confusing at times on the top but they do include different pulls to differentiate them which helps. I love backpacks and this is my favorite daypack sized pack I’ve ever owned.