I Tried the Sold-Out Toshi Sling — Is It Worth the Hype?

Here at Nextrift, my daily backpack that fits all my tech and accessories is the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L. It’s feature-packed, fits all I need it to, and has killer looks (to me, that is), but what about moments where I don’t need 20 litres of bag on my back, especially when I’m travelling? This is where a sling would be the ideal carry companion.

Slings, to me, are the perfect form of carry if you don’t want to lug around a backpack or if larger messengers tug at your shoulder and cause aching pains. Slings are usually pretty lightweight and you have quicker access to reach for anything you need.

Sure, compared to a backpack or messenger, there’s a limit to how much you can carry. But I find that there’s a certain art in planning and organizing what goes into your carry arsenal. It’s meditative process where you contemplate your loadout instead of dumping in everything but the kitchen sink. A stimulating form of self-restraint achievable only with something like a sling.

It’s evident a lot of care and thought has been put into the Toshi Sling by Rework Gear. A sling that, at the time of this writing, has been sold out for quite some time now. Fortunately, a restock is planned at the end of the year. I managed to snag my sling from Storming Gravity during their last restock of the bag, but it’s currently only available for pre-order at the moment.

Let’s take a look at what makes this unassuming sling a sold-out success.

What Is It?

The Rework Gear Toshi Sling is a 5-litre sling bag with an exterior made with MIPAN® regen, a 420D 100% recycled nylon. As for the inner lining, Rework has opted for 210D PFAS-free PU-coated ripstop nylon lining. While these aren’t particularly high-end fabrics like Ultra or similar sailcloth, the materials used are still weather and abrasion resistant and more than get the job done, especially for the price.

The zippers on the Toshi Sling comprise of two types: #8 YKK RC Zippers with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish, as well as #5 YKK RC Zippers. YKK zippers are, of course, well-known and a staple in the carry industry, so the inclusion here is very much welcomed. With the included compression straps on (more on that later), the bag weighs 360g, which isn’t the lightest for a sling but is relatively lightweight for one that has a capacity of 5-litres.

Now for the thing that you’ll feel throughout your time carrying the Toshi Sling: the strap. The default strap of the sling has a Woojin-branded plastic buckle, a grippy webbing texture that is a little rough to the touch, and one adjuster. You can opt to upgrade to two separately sold straps: the Accessory Strap and the Sling Strap.

The Accessory Strap features a magnetic buckle, a smooth seatbelt-like webbing feel, 360-degree swivel hooks, and two-way adjustment. The Sling Strap, on the other hand, is the longest of the three with smooth webbing and 360-swivel hooks as well, but has no buckle. There’s also a stabilizing strap that’s sold separately to attach onto the main strap for a more stable carry, especially when commuting, say on a bike.

The list of features doesn’t end there. There are also external anchor points on the sides of the bag that allow you to hook on some larger items to keep your hands free (it’s also the perfect spot to attach a Heroclip in case you rock one in your EDC). Within the front zipper compartment is also a WETOOL-branded aluminium key clip and leash that is modular and can be shifted to another compartment or just removed entirely if you’ve no need for it.

Finally, the compression straps. While compression straps at the base of the sling aren’t unique to the Toshi Sling, Rework has opted for a stowable design that allows you to hide the straps into a flap when not in use. This simple yet smart implementation allows the bag to look cleaner without straps dangling away at the bottom of the bag when you’re not using them.

What’s Good?

The space-efficient design of the Toshi Sling is actually quite ingenious: a flat rectangular base maximizes the space at the bottom of the bag while suspended pockets keep smaller items on top of bulky items. This means the smaller items don’t get in the way of the larger items at the bottom and the larger items don’t take over much of the smaller items’ space.

The same philosophy is carried over to the other compartments of the Toshi Sling. The front zipper section doesn’t eat into the space of the main, center compartment, allowing you to not only carry more but also carry smarter by putting specific items in specific sections of the bag, taking your organization to another level.

The bag also flattens to a slimmer silhouette when you’re packing light but maintains said silhouette when expanded for bigger loadouts. This is great for when, say, you want to use the Toshi Sling as a city carry when you’re on a trip and have it in your luggage on a flight.

Its soft, compressible structure doesn’t take up much space, if any at all, when empty and won’t get in the way of other items in your luggage. When you’ve arrived, just fill up the sling with your walk-around essentials and watch the bag expand and accommodate with ease.

I brought the Toshi Sling with me to an overseas concert and the bag held my essentials like cash, passport, concert tickets, portable fan, power bank, and water bottle. As I also purchased a concert t-shirt, I was able to change into it and attach the shirt I was wearing on the base of the sling with the compression straps with ease. Even after an evening of bumping into people, jumping, and dancing, the shirt remained secure.

I also found the side anchor points on the bag to be quite useful in hanging items too large for the bag or just to free your hands. I was able to hang a small umbrella, a concert lightstick and even “ikat tepi” (tie to the side in Malay) a small drink or snack in a plastic bag to the side straps.

This form of carry is further expanded when using a Heroclip, where you can attach more things that don’t have a hook. I was able to attach the Sony WH-1000XM6 in their carrying case to the Heroclip and to one of the side anchor points with ease.

What’s Not So Good?

Carrying the Toshi Sling around the city is a pleasant experience, for the most part. The strap of the sling can be configured to carry the bag in two ways: firstly, like a normal sling by your hip at an angle, or secondly, closer to your body in a straight configuration that allows for easier accessibility.

I did find myself enjoying the latter configuration more due to the quick access, but I also did find the buckle or adjuster of the strap to sometimes press against my back or shoulder when walking around.

With a little bit of adjusting once in a while, I could live with the bit of occasional discomfort, though I suspect upgrading to the aforementioned Accessory or Sling straps with the swivel mechanism might prove a more comfortable experience.

Another gripe would be that the base of the bag isn’t very well-padded, which is especially concerning when I have my camera body basically bumping onto surfaces when the bag is placed down. I do understand that lack of a cushioned base allows for the bag to compress into a smaller footprint when not fully loaded out, but it would be nice if the next iteration of the bag included a material that can provide a bit of padding at the base while still maintaining its ability to compress.

Adding on, the Toshi Sling’s design is low-key and minimal, which might not be to everyone’s liking, though that can also be a plus point as there isn’t huge branding stamped on the exterior of the bag and it’s more minimal. This understated approach could, however, look boring to some.

I did share this sentiment when I first picked up the Toshi Sling but after accessorizing it with a paracord keyring and a red Heroclip to add a pop of colour, I now appreciate how the understated design of the sling can act as a sort of canvas for you to accessorise how you see fit.

Rework has said that they might add more colour options down the line as that has been one of the many requests they’ve received for a second version of the bag. Though they’ve also said that this change won’t be happening anytime soon and that future restocks will still be the original version. Maybe there can also be an option to add on a velcro patch to personalise the bag further, as that is quite a popular thing to do in the carry community.

Is It Worth It?

The Rework Toshi Sling certainly isn’t the most affordable sling around, especially since some slings from more reputable brands can for a tad cheaper, though perhaps at smaller capacities. If you care about aesthetics, this sling may be a bit too understated for you.

It doesn’t scream “outdoor” or “tactical” like some other slings do, but that may be a positive thing depending on your preferences. But the efficient design and ease of use of the Toshi Sling are several things I don’t often find in other slings. It’s certainly makes it worth both the hype and the price, to me at least.

Rework Gear is still a relatively young company, but the future is definitely looking bright for them. While writing this review, Rework just released their all-new Toshi Pack, a 20L backpack with the same design cues from the Toshi Sling. We’d certainly be interested to check that out, but that might have to wait as the bag is also, unsurprisingly, another sold-out hit.