Able Carry Core Sling Review

There are three versions of Able Carry’s new Core Sling: the Core Sling, which is 2.5 liters; the Core Sling Mini, a smaller version at 1.5 liters; and the Core Sling Plus, a larger version at 5.5 liters. They share similar features but have unique capacity and use cases. The regular Core Sling, in theory, is a good middle ground between a mini sling and something larger. Will it work that way for travel, or will we be left wanting less bulk, or more space? Let’s dive in and find out.

External Components

The Able Carry Core Sling also comes in two materials: Ultra and Ripstop. We have the Ripstop version, which has CORDURA® Ripstop 210D fabric with CORDURA® 1000D and Ultrastretch accents. The materials are durable, and we like the stretchiness of the Ultrastretch. It reminds us of the fabric used on ULA travel backpacks. The Ultra version of the travel sling is Ultra 200x fabric with Ultrastretch accents.

The zippers are from YKK and have worked well in testing. That’s no surprise, as YKK is one of the best brands in the business. The pull is simple, but effective.

The plastic hardware is from Woojin and is easy to adjust. Again, no surprises, as Woojin makes some of the best travel hardware in the game. There are triangular swivel snap hooks for the strap, and they are durable and easy to use.

There are four loop attachment points. Two are meant for the strap, and you can use the others to add gear to the outside of the sling. You can use a carabiner, hook, or clip to do this. In practice, we used this to attach sunglasses or a Bluetooth speaker.

There’s a daisy chain on the bottom of the sling. It goes up the sides and features two large sections where you can attach bigger items. We didn’t use this often, but could see it being useful on the larger capacity sling. On the smaller models, it feels a bit overkill.

Fit Notes

The back panel lacks padding and aeration, but it’s structured enough from the materials and the internal organization behind it. It’s comfortable, though this will depend on what you have stowed in the back pocket. Put something flat here, and you’ll be fine. If you place an awkwardly shaped item here, it won’t be as comfortable.

The strap is removable, which we dig. You can take it off on the airplane, while you’re working at the coffee shop, or when storing the sling at home.

The strap is well-padded and has mesh for breathability. The padding doesn’t move, so you’ll need to adjust the strap length to ensure it is positioned where you want it to be. It’s comfortable while walking through the city, on a short hike, or while cycling.

There’s a small Hypalon tab on the strap where you can attach things. We used this most often for a Bluetooth speaker.

There are two strap keepers, one made of plastic and another that’s elastic. It’s handy that the plastic one is intact all the time, whereas the elastic one can be used only when needed. If you wear your sling tightly, this ensures that there’s no extra strap flailing in the wind.

If you want to use a different strap, you can replace it, as there are clips on the strap and attachment loops on the sling.

Inside The Sling

The stretch pocket on the front of the sling is handy for stowing quick-access gear. There’s more room here when the other compartments aren’t as full, and less room when the other compartments are at capacity. The stretchiness works well to hold onto gear, but there’s no topper here, so we’d recommend against stowing small items that could pop out of the stretch of the material.

On the backside is a hidden pocket. It’s flat and lacks organization, so it works well for items such as a phone, a passport, or similar objects. As mentioned, non-flat items will protrude into the back panel, making the carry less comfortable.

The front pocket is pretty simple—it contains two stretchy mesh pockets. One is large and the other is medium-sized—these work well for smaller accessories, such as headphones. There’s a key leash in this compartment, too, though it’s removable if you don’t want to use it. This pocket is easier to access while wearing the sling than the main compartment, making it a solid place to store your phone, wallet, keys, or snacks.

The main compartment has a lot of organization. If you prefer a big open compartment, this isn’t the sling for you. Not to say that there isn’t room, but it isn’t contiguous thanks to the organization.

On the front side, there’s a zippered mesh pocket. It’s long and skinny, so it works well for pens and pencils. Its shallow design also works well for SD cards, a SIM card, and other small tech items, as there isn’t much room for them to go missing.

On the backside, there’s a divider pocket that separates the main compartment into two areas. The divider features a zipper on top for storage, and its tall, skinny design makes it ideal for holding a phone, wallet, SSD, passport, or other thin items.

The divider breaks the compartment up into one large and one small space. You can fit a lot more into the bigger one—like a compact camera, headphones, a large battery bank, and other packable gear. The smaller one works better for a phone or another device.

We appreciate and enjoy using the organization in this sling. Everything has a home, and it’s suitable for people who bring a lot of gadgets, as there are lots of places to store them. There aren’t a lot of wide open spaces, but there’s still space for larger items. It works well as a desk organizer or tech pouch, too, though it won’t always stand up on its own!