I LOVE My Monos Metro Backpack for Filmmaking, But It’s Not Dog Travel Friendly

I’m not the fanciest girlie out there, but I LOVE a quality product that looks good, and the Monos Metro Backpack fits that description perfectly.

I first found this gem-of-a-bag back in 2021, prior to my move to Mexico and simply had to have it. In the years since it’s original acquisition, this bag has wormed its way into my heart and on to my travel must-haves list. With that in mind, I thought it was time to do up an in-depth review.

My Metro backpack has seen the beaches of Yucatan, the airports of Texas and even made its way to rural Canadian rodeo grounds. It’s a versatile choice if you’re a fan of quality products that boast both functionality and design.

What is the Monos Metro Backpack?

The Metro Backpack is a versatile bag that’s perfect for the those of us that are always on the go and want a sleek, everything-ready bag to cart along. From a dedicated laptop compartment to a removable front kit, it’s perfectly compatible as an airplane personal item, weekend bag, or, if you’re like me, a filmmaker’s rodeo side kick.

As soon as I saw the main compartments almost full-zip feature that allows you to pack it like a standard carry-on, I knew I wanted it. That combined with the dedicated laptop sleeve and sleek, waterproof construction sealed the deal.

I purchased this bag in 2021, and went with the vegan leather saddle tan option, which provides a great neutral look that still feels purposeful instead of a default pick.

The design has changed slightly over the years and my biggest complaint about it — the big ol’ black buttons on the front when you take the modular kit off — have been replaced with a sleeker design that I honestly wish I had.

Even still, this is my go-to bag in most travel situations because it meets all my needs as a woman on the (constant) go.

Monos Metro Backpack: Indie Filmmaker Approved

Where the Metro backpack really shines in my lineup is production work.

I’m an indie filmmaker — we’re talking rough-and-tumble run-and-gun style shoots — no fancy Hollywood signs in sight. That means I’m on-the-go for hours at a time, and with a small crew (usually less than five) I’ve often got to have a little bit of everything on hand.

For a two- or three-day shoot, the Metro backpack hits the sweet spot between being big enough to carry everything I need without feeling like I’m carrying around a full-sized hiking backpack.

The laptop sleeve gives me space for both my MacBook, iPad, or both, while the main body can easily fit a packing cube worth of clothes. That all still leaves room for things I need on-hand during the shoot — camera batteries, chargers, paperwork, and other production odds and ends.

What I like most about this set-up is that everything remains accessible. I’m not constantly unpacking my set clothes to find my iPad when a release needs to be signed or digging through a suitcase to grab a battery when we’re in a pinch.

It’s big enough to work as my main bag for a weekend project, but small enough that I’m happy to carry it around while I’m on the move. As an added bonus, it’s sleek design makes it appropriate to cart into an office but not too fancy to pick up dust behind the chutes at a rodeo.

To be clear: I do usually throw my carry-on in the car as well. Mostly so I’m not lugging around a couple days worth of clothes, toiletries and anything else I might need, while we’re running around with cameras. But on set, this is my bag.

But It’s Not a Great Pet Travel Option

But while I love this bag on set, I don’t love using it in airports if I’m travelling with a dog.

I’ll be honest, it’s not really the bag’s fault. It’s the fact that both the Metro backpack and the Sherpa Deluxe carrier compete for shoulder space (and strength) that I just don’t have.

I’m a carry-on only girly, which means packing everything I need into a single bag when I’m hitting the skies with one of the dogs. And when I’m working with just the Metro backpack, while I can technically fit everything (just barely), everything tends to get really heavy.

I find the weight distribution to be decent with the Metro back. But when you’re carting around a 20 lbs pug through the Houston airport on your shoulder with it strapped to your back, it’s really asking a lot. I have a tendency to prominently carry with my left shoulder, and it takes a bit of a beating with both the pet carrier and a backpack.

So, for airport trips with dogs, the Metro bag stays at home and my Armored Travel carry-on takes its place. It’s better for everyone involved.

So, What’s It Like After Five Years?

Honestly, my Metro backpack looks like I bought it yesterday.

There are no major scratches, stains, rips or tears, and nothing about it really gives away the fact that I’ve owned this bag since 2021. The straps are still in great shape, I haven’t noticed any stitching issues, and the interior is surprisingly blemish-free considering the amount of stuff I tend to shove into it.

Now, to be fair, I haven’t used my Metro backpack every single day for five years. There have been periods where it’s spent some time packed away in storage, particularly when I was doing more airport travel with the dogs. These days, I’m doing considerably more filmmaking, road trips and car travel, so it gets a lot more use than it did when I was living in my Mexico beach house.

One thing I’m particularly impressed with is how well the zippers have held up.

The humid, salty air in Mexico was surprisingly hard on some of my luggage. I’ve had other bags, including Samsonite and Kenzie luggage, end up with ruined zippers after spending enough time down there. But despite my Metro spending years coming back and forth between Canada and Mexico, every zipper on it still works perfectly.

The inside has held up just as well. The padding is intact, there are no tears or scratches that I’ve noticed, and the compartments are all still perfectly usable. I regularly put my iPad in the interior waterproof pocket and my laptop in the dedicated laptop compartment, so I appreciate that those areas haven’t started showing significant wear.

But the part I was probably most concerned about long-term was the modular kit system.

My version uses the older attachment system, and when I first bought the bag I wasn’t entirely convinced those attachment points would still be going strong years later. Yet, five years in, I’ve had zero issues with them. The modular kit still snaps into place and stays there.

Monos has since changed the design of the modular system, and the newer version looks like it might hold up even better over time. But considering mine is five years old and still going strong, I really can’t complain.

At this point, there’s nothing about the bag that makes me think I’ll need to replace it anytime soon. And considering it’s currently getting more use than ever, I’d say that’s a pretty solid endorsement.

What Actually Fits in It?

What I pack in my Metro backpack varies pretty dramatically depending on what I’m doing, but it holds a surprising amount of stuff if you pack it strategically.

For example, I recently used it for a three-day filmmaking trip where we shot two rodeos. In the dedicated laptop compartment, I carried my 14-inch MacBook Pro. There’s plenty of room in there, and I’d be comfortable putting a larger laptop in it if I had one.

The interior waterproof pocket is where I usually keep my iPad, along with my Bible. Then the main compartment becomes a bit of a free-for-all depending on the day.

For this particular trip, I packed a couple of extra shirts, including a fairly bulky men’s Western shirt for working behind the bucking chutes, leggings and another top for changing into while driving between rodeos. I also had extra socks and underwear, a bag of snacks, my water bottle, a small toiletry bag with things like sunscreen and bug spray, and occasionally a small first-aid kit.

I usually put my clothes into a small rectangular packing cube that sits at the bottom of the backpack. If you’re planning to use the Metro for clothes, I highly recommend packing cubes. The bag opens almost completely, which makes packing easy, but without a cube you’ll inevitably end up pulling half your clothes out every time you need something from the bottom.

I’ve managed to shove a pair of jeans in there after changing at the end of a shoot day, too. They fit, but that’s about the point where I start feeling like I’m asking a little too much of the bag.

Then there are the electronics.

I have a flat organizer for most of my cords and chargers, while my MacBook charger usually gets wrapped up and tossed into the main compartment. For filmmaking trips, I’ll also carry things like a portable SSD for footage, a backup battery and whatever other small electronics I might need throughout the day.

The front modular kit is particularly handy for the little things I want to grab quickly. My AirPods Pro live in there, along with my phone when it’s not in my pocket, credentials, wallet and other small odds and ends that would otherwise disappear into the depths of my bag.

And, somewhat hilariously, I can fit another backpack inside it.

I have a small Travelon anti-theft backpack that I sometimes pack inside the Metro. The Metro isn’t necessarily something I want strapped to my back for an entire shoot day when it’s fully loaded. It might get left in the car, tossed into the back of a cowboy’s truck or parked somewhere near the action with extra batteries and gear inside. When I only need my wallet, phone and a few essentials, I pull out the smaller backpack and take that with me.

I’ve also packed the Metro for an entire weekend trip before, and it absolutely can be done. You just have to be smart about how you pack it.

The biggest limitation isn’t really space — it’s weight. The Metro itself is fairly substantial because of its structured construction, and once you add a laptop, iPad, electronics, clothes and a full water bottle, you’re going to notice it.

That structure is also one of the things I like about it, though. Unlike a traditional soft backpack that collapses into itself when it’s half empty, the Metro keeps its shape. It makes organizing everything considerably easier and is a big part of why I can use the same backpack for a weekend trip, a filmmaking kit or some strange combination of the two.

Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy the Metro Backpack

The Monos Metro Backpack isn’t an inexpensive impulse purchase. The nylon version currently runs around $245 CAD, while the vegan leather version I own is $285 CAD. So this isn’t necessarily a I need a backpack, let’s buy a cute one kind of purchase.

It makes the most sense if you have a specific reason for wanting what the Metro offers.

For me, that was the ability to unzip the main compartment almost completely and pack it like a traditional carry-on while still having something I could comfortably throw on my back. Today, that makes it particularly useful for filmmaking. I can bring my laptop, iPad, clothes, electronics and production essentials without dragging a rolling carry-on through dirt and dust behind the bucking chutes.

I also think it would make an excellent business travel bag. It looks professional, has dedicated space for a laptop and electronics, and the modular kit gives you easy access to toiletries, chargers or whatever smaller items you want to keep separate. If you take a lot of weekend trips, I can see it working really well for that, too.

But I wouldn’t recommend the Metro to someone who simply wants a standard everyday backpack.

The vegan leather backpack weighs about 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) empty, and the Classic Kit adds another 0.79 lbs (0.36 kg). That’s before you’ve put a single thing inside it. If you’re accustomed to a lightweight Herschel-style backpack, you’re probably going to notice the difference immediately.

That weight is a trade-off I’m personally happy to make. The Metro is structured, incredibly sturdy, cleans up remarkably well and, as my five-year-old bag can attest, can take a beating. But you’re paying for — and carrying — that construction.

And, as I’ve already established, I wouldn’t choose it for airport travel when I’m bringing one of my dogs. A pet carrier on one shoulder and a fully loaded Metro on my back is simply more weight than I want to haul through an airport.

Ultimately, I think the Metro makes the most sense for frequent travellers, business travellers, filmmakers and anyone else who actually needs its combination of organization, structure and portability.

If you just think it’s pretty? It absolutely is. But at this price and weight, I’d make sure you want the function that comes with it, too.

Is the Monos Metro Backpack Worth It?

For me, absolutely.

The quality is there, it looks great, and after five years of owning mine, the functionality Monos promises is still there, too. It works incredibly well for the way I travel and, particularly now, for the way I work. It’s become one of those pieces of gear I don’t really think about anymore — I just grab it when I’m heading out for a shoot because I know it works.

And I think the best endorsement I can give it is this: if my Metro backpack somehow got destroyed tomorrow, I’d buy another one. I’d probably buy it in the exact same Saddle Tan vegan leather, rush the shipping, and hope it arrived before my next shoot.

For my particular use case, it’s gone from being a nice travel backpack to something I genuinely consider part of my filmmaking kit. After five years, I’d say I’ve gotten my money’s worth.

Looking for more products to fall in love with? These are my picks:

• I dragged my Armoured Travel carry-on through downtown Calgary — here’s how it held up
• This Sherpa carrier has carted all three of my dogs through international airports
• I can’t remember to hydrate so I bought a WaterH bottle to remind me