The CATALYST 26 was made for those who won't compromise on quality, comfort, or efficiency in their daily commute. With a padded laptop pocket, organizing sleeves for a tablet or notebooks, and external water bottle pocket, it has more than enough volume and organizing features to handle anything from trips to the office to multi-day, multi-country excursions. And it's made from environmentally friendly, super durable, recycled CORDURA Nylon that can withstand the toughest outdoor exploit or continual shove in an overhead compartment.
Reviewed by 28 customers
Catalyst
Another great pack from Mystery Ranch, can't wait to use and abuse it on adventures
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Great EDC Bag for the Money!
Excellent quality and great organization. I would recommend to anyone looking for a great edc bag.
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Catalyst 26 Backpack – The Ideal Teacher's Compani
The Mystery Ranch Catalyst 26 Backpack is a teacher's best friend, offering durability and ample storage in a sleek design. Its rugged build with high-denier nylon and reinforced stitching ensures it can withstand the demands of a school year, whether you're carrying textbooks, lesson plans, or a laptop. The weather-resistant coating is a practical touch for those sudden rain showers during your commute. Comfort is key for teachers, and the Catalyst 26 delivers with its adjustable harness system and padded shoulder straps. The ergonomic design ensures the backpack stays comfortably on your shoulders, even when fully loaded. The top-loading design and multiple internal pockets help keep you organized, making it easy to find what you need between classes. For a teacher, having a dedicated laptop compartment is crucial, and the Catalyst 26 provides just that. The secure laptop sleeve keeps your device safe from bumps and scratches, while the main compartment offers plenty of space for binders and other materials. Exterior stretch pockets are perfect for a water bottle and other quick-access items, ensuring you're always prepared for a busy school day. The Catalyst 26 does come with a higher price tag compared to other backpacks, reflecting its superior quality and durability. While the cost might be a concern for some, the investment is worth it for a backpack that can withstand daily use and still look great. If you're willing to pay a bit more for a reliable and long-lasting backpack, this is an excellent choice.
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Great Quality
I have been carrying mine daily for a little over a month. I love the quality definitely the nicest backpack I've owned. The laptop sleeve is a little small for my laptop but because it's a rugged laptop with a permanent handle that doesn't fold out of the way. If it was a normal laptop it would fit perfectly. I use some of the mystery ranch pouches and they go perfectly in the bag and help keep you organized. I have black which looks awesome but it does get dirty quick. That would be my only complaint.
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Convenient Sections
Excellent design overall. Very durable. The upgraded pockets are a value add.
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Great updates
This is the second Catalyst bag that I've had. the first was a 22liter which was tough to get everything I needed into for a full day of work and travel. This updated 26liter back is just right. laptops, lunch, water bottle and all the EDC stuff I usually carry fits. The side pockets have been enlarged too so they actually fit a nalgene/other 20oz bottles. the pack is a little bit taller than the 22 liter but it still fits my back and is comfortable.
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Backpack that finally works!
First time using my new pack. Been traveling for nine+ days with this backpack…hotel to hotel. It holds all my regular gear, but also makes everything VERY easy to access. The little pocket on top has a quick stash pocket for keys, phone, earbuds, etc., could be slightly bigger, but great when walking through airports and quickly storing your items that will set off the alarm bells at tsa. The back pouch for my laptop and iPad are seamless, plus easy access while crammed into an airplane seat. The main storage pocket holds it all, plus organizes things a bit. My only gripe is that the main zipper of the three tends to stick, but I'm hoping that will loosen with more use. Also, my regular size Nalgene water bottle fits easily into the water bottle pouch. My previous pack had to many compartments, which sounded good, but was a huge pain when you had to open the entire bag to find something and can't remember which zipped compartment it's in. This bag simplifies everything, wish I had it years ago. For work/vacation travel, it's ideal. Thanks for thinking of the end users needs and producing a quality product that checks many boxes!
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Designed for the role, purchased 4
Bag is designed for its role. The role was a 3dap pack, which is tfsa compliant and has enough load suspension to be used as a E+E or executive travel bag. In this situation the bag has worked as designed and intended. I've used it at full capacity for 1 year of intensive work in Ukraine and the middle east, and I have issued this to my key employees for their work use. No failure, no stress points and outlasted MR 3 competiors for the role. Cheap enough to be mass issued, durable enough to be used in field conditions and does not stand out unlike the assault line of bags or hiking color palates. Hope this bag configuration continues on with the recent acquisition by Yeti. Thanks D3 for approving this design and getting it out to field before the acquisition
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Just what I needed
I bought this pack to haul some things home from my dad's. I was hesitant to buy it because of the price but quickly decided I had made the right choice. First off I love it stands up on its own, second the laptop sleeve is awesome and an absolute must have. The water bottle pockets work great, and I like the fact they are easy to access ie: no elastic to deal with. The interior of the pack has very useful pockets and places to pit pens and what not. Overall a very well thought out and well built pack.
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Fantastic Excursion Bag
I bought this right before a trip to the Dominican and it worked great for all of our excursions. Usually carried the day's essentials for 4 couples. I also received multiple compliments on it as well.
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