Arterra Honey Badger Review

The Arterra Honey Badger is a pretty clever combination of two things we already like carrying: a tech pouch and a sling. At 1.75 liters, it’s compact enough to serve as an everyday tech organizer without becoming another bulky piece of luggage. Still, with the removable strap, it can pull double duty as a small sling once you reach your destination. It’s not perfect at either job, but that’s kind of the appeal. Since we’re minimalist travelers who like getting two uses out of one piece of gear, we dig the interesting little Honey Badger pouch.

External Components

The Honey Badger uses 840D Micro Ballistic Nylon with a PU film backing, and we really like the look. It feels durable without looking overly technical, giving the pouch a professional appearance that works well in an office, coworking space, or while traveling. The material feels substantial for such a small pouch, and we have no concerns about it holding up to regular daily use.

There are two colorways available: Obsidian and Kelp. We dig both, and each gives the Honey Badger a different personality without changing its overall clean aesthetic.

YKK RC #5 zippers handle the openings, which is exactly what we want to see. YKK is the best in the business when it comes to travel gear, and these zippers operate smoothly; we have no complaints.

Duraflex hardware appears throughout the pouch and works well. Everything feels secure and appropriately sized for the bag, and we haven’t had any issues with the buckles or attachment points.

There are also a few small attachment loops on the exterior. You can use these to attach various accessories or smaller pieces of gear, although we mostly appreciate that they’re subtle enough not to get in the way when you aren’t using them.

Fit Notes

The Honey Badger’s sling strap is tucked away behind a hidden zipper when you aren’t using it. The strap itself is quite thin, but that isn’t necessarily a huge problem here. This is a small tech pouch, and it isn’t likely to become particularly heavy, even when loaded with electronics. The strap can dig into your shoulder a bit, but it’s not unreasonable for the amount of weight this pouch is designed to carry. Plus, if you’re using it as a sling, you probably aren’t going to spend the entire day carrying a completely jam-packed load of tech.

The strap is completely removable, too, which adds quite a bit of versatility. Take it off, and the Honey Badger reverts to a straightforward tech pouch that can fit inside a travel backpack or daypack. It’s a simple feature, but one that makes the whole concept work better.

There isn’t really a traditional back panel here, which makes sense considering this started life as a tech pouch. The exterior fabric is thick enough to cushion against your body, and we found it comfortable to use. There’s no fancy padding or ventilation, but for a sling this small, we don’t think it needs it.

Inside The Tech Pouch

The small hidden pocket on the back of the Honey Badger is primarily designed to stow the removable sling strap. You could technically use it for small items while the strap is stored inside, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Anything you put in there can get tangled in the strap and potentially come out when you pull the strap.

You can also use the pocket for small items when the strap is deployed, but there’s a catch: since the strap passes through the same area, you can’t fully zip the pocket closed while the strap is in use. We didn’t really use this pocket for anything other than the strap, but if you remove the strap entirely, it becomes a useful little storage area for smaller items.

The main compartment uses two zippers that meet near the middle, although they don’t completely come together. That leaves a small opening between them where water could potentially sneak inside. It’s normally not a huge concern, but if you’re somewhere that sees frequent heavy rain, it’s something to keep in mind. There is a small flap that covers the opening and is secured with a magnet, which helps. Overall, we like the design despite this minor weather-resistance tradeoff.

Inside the lid is a zippered mesh pocket. It’s a great place for cables and other small accessories that you don’t want getting lost in the main compartment, and because it’s right up top, everything inside is easy to access.

The rest of the organization is straightforward. There’s one large liner pocket, two medium-sized stretchy mesh pockets, and three smaller stretchy mesh pockets. That gives you plenty of places to divide up smaller tech accessories without making the pouch feel overly compartmentalized. The rest of the interior is open space, although you’re not going to fit especially large gear here. Big over-ear headphones are too much, for example, but most everyday tech fits without issue. Even a larger 20,000–25,000 mAh battery bank can fit inside.

We really like the organization and overall size of the Honey Badger. It isn’t massive, and that’s part of what makes the sling functionality so useful. When we’re traveling minimally, we’re always looking for ways to knock out two birds with one stone, and this is a pretty clever way to do that. Your tech pouch becomes your sling once you arrive, without requiring you to pack another bag.

It isn’t the perfect tech pouch or the perfect sling, but it works well enough as both that we think the combination is worthwhile. If you have very specific needs from either category, you’ll probably be better served by a dedicated bag. For everyone else, the Honey Badger is a neat little two-in-one.