Heliad Crossbody Bag

Great bag! Well-made. Has 3 handy pockets. Looks good. Useful key-ring clip. The bag is water resistant. Super light. The zippers are not waterproof, but the one on the front of the bag is completely covered by the water resistant ripstop hem. It will not get wet. And the Heliad 6 is consequently lighter. The special Arc’teryx zipper pulls are surprisingly longer, more comfortable, and easier to grab than most - while remaining sleek and light. The strap is of regular length and the length is adjustable. It only seems short if you don’t adjust the strap: Just push the webbing trough the loop and the strap goes from short-double length to long single length. At 35 inches / 89 cm, that is standard, and absolutely fine. Those who complained about the strap probably did not figure out how to adjust it because you can’t adjust it trough the clip. It has to be done trough the webbing loop. The strap on this Heliad 6 bag is exactly the same length as my other cross-body bags. Standard and absolutely fine! I think the Heliad 6 looks much better than the Mantis. It is flatter - yet holds a lot. The design is sleeker, more cool cross-body bag, and less “fanny pack”. ( But it can definitely be used as a fanny pack and will look better.) I like the single-fabric look of the Heliad 6. In comparison, the Mantis patchwork looks granny-like. I chose black. If it had not been available, I would have preferred a bright coloured Heliad 6 than a patchwork Mantis… To each their own… But I find this easier to match my clothes and other bags. In the pictures on the Arcteryx website, it is shown with the strap adjusted to be worn cross-body. (You can see the webbing is single-length.) On the video in which the bag is stuffed, you can see the strap in shorter length, as you get it from the store. It is short, and double-length, as you need it to wear around your waist like a fanny pack. Maybe Arc’teryx should post pictures and videos showing adjustments… Enjoy your bag!