Does the CAREA fit a laptop?+
Yes. The interior holds a padded laptop compartment inside the 15 L main storage, with a zip pocket and slip pockets alongside it for chargers and papers. It is sized for a 15.6 inch laptop, which travels in its own padded layer rather than loose against the leather.
Is this tan leather backpack really tan, or is it brown?+
It is browner than the name suggests, and we would rather you read that here than discover it when the box arrives. The CAREA comes in two shades, Brown and Coffee, and both are deep: the tan refers to the oil tanned finish and to the amber the grain throws under warm light, not to a pale sand colour. If you are set on a light tan bag, this is not the one.
Is this tan leather backpack for women or men?+
The CAREA is cut unisex, and it is worn by both. At 40 cm tall and 28 cm wide it stays upright and narrow rather than broad, which is why it sits well on a smaller frame, and the clean vintage lines work as naturally over a wool coat as over a denim jacket. If you want the same leather in a different silhouette, its sibling the CODA tan leather rucksack is worth a look.
How much can you actually carry in it?+
The main compartment gives you 15 L : a laptop, a notebook, lunch and a jumper, or an overnight change of clothes. Outside, the pockets split the rest of the load, with a tall zip pocket on the front, a zip pocket on each side, one under the buckled flap and one lying flat against your back for the things you want closest to you.
Is the leather water-resistant?+
The material is water-resistant, not waterproof. It can withstand light rain and splashes, but avoid heavy or prolonged rain and immersion. Protect electronics separately, wipe off moisture and let the bag dry naturally away from direct heat.
How heavy is the CAREA?+
It weighs 1.9 kg empty, 4.2 lbs, which is heavy for a 15 L bag and worth knowing before you order. That mass is hide, and it is the same mass that buys the resistance and the patina. The shoulder straps are padded leather; it is the flat back panel, not the straps, that you notice on a warm day. If you want a leather look with less on your back, the Leather Lid Backpack by Sandqvist pairs a leather lid with a lighter fabric body.
Will the leather change over time?+
Yes, and that is the point of buying it. The hide carries natural traces and marks from day one, then lightens along the corners and the strap edges where it rubs, until the bag stops looking like stock and starts looking like yours. One thing to know: oil immersed leather can transfer a little colour onto light fabrics at first, so keep it dry and give pale clothing some distance early on. If a mark does happen, it comes out in the wash.
