Looks, Design, Quality
The most obvious thing about this bag is its sporty, stylish looks. It has a streamlined style that one could imagine carrying around while hiking, cycling, or just strolling around the city. The Duel comes in black with a choice of two colors for the front flap: dark blue or coppery orange. An all-black option would have been nice for those who don't like to let any color touch their wardrobe, but the available choices look good.As mentioned, the bag is a single-strap design, and that strap is well-padded and comfortable even when the bag is stuffed full. There is a carrying handle for when you haven't got the bag slung across your back, but even when you do have it on it's easy to slide the bag around under your left arm to access the contents. Lifting the front flap gives direct access to the inside -- the lack of a zipper closing the main compartment may make some nervous, but I've carried a Duel around for a couple of weeks and haven't had anything fall out.
Everki has built the Duel out of sturdy nylon that looks like it'll take quite a beating and still not fall apart. I always worry about hook-and-loop closures (aka Velcro) wearing out, but that used on this bag appears to be the high-quality kind that lasts for ages.
Pockets!
To either side of the main pocket there are two smaller, Velcro-closed pockets. One of these will fit two of Intec's 3-UMD cases quite nicely. I put my gum and keys in the other one. The front side of the bag has two Velcro-closed mesh pockets that are perfect for power or USB cables. Finally, almost hidden under the PSP pocket is a tiny pocket with "pages" of velveteen for storing memory sticks. It'll hold up to eight sticks without putting any directly next to each other.
The main strap has a cellphone pocket (since I don't currently have a cell, I put my bus pass, sunglasses, and coiled-up headphones in here) and three pen loops big enough for the thick pens I use, but a bit loose for cheap, skinny ballpoints.
One very nice feature is a pass-through hole for a headphone cable at the top of the bag. It was a tight fit to get the PSP remote plug through, but it doesn't look like it'll leak in the rain.
Criticisms
My main problem with the Duel (and really, this is nit-picking), is the lack of a zipper that closes the whole bag. I don't really think anything will fall out, but my paranoid brain worries that the Velcroed flap might not be enough. Similarly, none of the inside pockets (except the memory stick pocket) closes fully. They do hold their contents securely as they are, but I would have like a zippered pocket for my wallet and loose change, and a d-ring to clip my keys to.You can't fit a whole lot of non-PSP gear in here, but a little creative arrangement will allow for some extras, especially if you're willing to cram a bit. See the photo to see how much I fit into the Duel (without cramming). For a bag designed to hold a PSP and it's accessories, I was actually able to get in a fair bit of other stuff.
Recommendation
I was recently in the market for a new everyday bag (despite being a girl, I have never carried a purse, but I need something for my wallet and pens and writing notebook and, of course, my PSP) -- my old messenger bag had a Cracker Jack-related accident -- but I hadn't really considered this one. In the course of trying it out for this review, I discovered that the Duel worked very well for me, since I carry my PSP around all the time anyway.
It's another plus that the Duel doesn't advertise that there's a PSP inside ("Hey, thieves, here's something to steal!"). Instead, it looks like a stylish, but ordinary, tote bag.
I've learned two things from using the Duel: whoever invented the single-strap backpack style bag is a genius, and Everki makes a very high-quality product. If you need a PSP bag, you really should consider this one.
