Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 30 | First Look

In today’s fast paced world of travel and adventure the need for a well-made and adaptable travel bag can’t be overstressed. That’s where the Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 30 steps into the spotlight. The Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 30 can fill the role of backpack, duffel bag or backpack as the need arises. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s get a good look at Mystery Ranch.

Who Is Mystery Ranch?

Mystery Ranch is an American company headquartered in Bozeman Montana and has been manufacturing quality gear and bags for over 20 years. The company was founded by Dana Gleason and Renee Sippel in 2000. And in early 2024 was acquired by YETI Holdings, Inc. In a press release YETI said they intend to maintain the Mystery Ranch brand and product lines.

Mission Rover 30 Overview:

Why did we highlight the Mission Rover 30?

The Mission Rover 30 is a bag that can be used for the 1–3-day business trip, or for your daily commute to and from the office. Depending on how you the end user decides to utilize its features. The term Mystery Ranch likes to use for this bag is a “travel duffle” and I think that sums it up perfectly.

The materials used and thought process that the design staff at Mystery Ranch put into this bag really caught my attention. The first being all three different ways to carry the bag. The second major thing that caught my attention was the configuration and number of the individual compartments. The third major design spec that caught our attention was the build material. A 840D ballistic carbonate coated nylon that features a heavy level durability and weather resistance.

Mission Rover 30 Specifications

Manufacturer: Mystery Ranch

Country of Origin: Vietnam

Dimensions:

• 1780 Cubic Inches of storage (30 Liters)
• Length: 19”
• Width: 13”
• Depth: 10”
• Weight: 3.4 lbs.

External Compartment Specs:

• External Compartment #1:16” long x 12” wide unzippered

• External Compartment Lid: Zippered Compartment #1: 7 ½” long x 7 ½” wide. Zippered Compartment # 2: 7” long x 9” wide

Internal Compartment Specs: All Compartments Feature Zippers

• Main Compartment #1: 19” long x 13” wide

• Main Compartment #1 Lid: 17” long x 10” wide

• Main Compartment #2: 10” long x 10” wide

• Main Compartment #3” 6” long x 10” wide

Colors Available

• Black
• Pacific Blue
• Ponderosa Green

Miscellaneous Specs

• Lifetime Warranty
• Padded Laptop Sleeve fits 15” Laptop
• Made from Recycled Materials
• Separate Bottom Compartment for Storing Shoes or Dirty Laundry
• MSRP: $229.00

Initial Impressions

My first thought on the Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 30 is that it has a very specific target audience in the 30 liter size. That being said it is worth nothing that the Rover is available in 45 and 60 Liter sizes which is fantastic. Having options is always nice.

The outside of the bag is constructed of recycled ballistic nylon material that is splash and water resistant which is always a welcomed feature when it comes to gear. Our evaluation model came in black and the surface has a very slight texturing to it. Since we have not had rain or snow here in Alaska lately, we tested the water resistance with a healthy dose of water via the faucet and a spray bottle. Water resistance was as advertised.

Zippers and Hardware

When it comes to the zippers and stitching on the Mission Rover 30, we found zero imperfections in the seams, stitching, or zippers. The YKK brand zippers that are standard on the Rover series of bags were a welcome sight for sure. Many companies choose inferior zippers as an area to save costs. Mystery Ranch did not do that and consumers appreciate that. All of the zippers on the Mission Rover 30 can be padlocked for security. To my knowledge this is the first bag I’ve had where all compartments can be secured this way.

Handles and Straps

All the Rover Series bags, including this 30 Liter variety, offer three different ways to carry it. You can wear it as a backpack, carry it as a shoulder bag or carry it as a soft sided briefcase with carry handles located on the side and the top. This variety of carry options allows the end user to pack heavier if they want and use the backpack straps. Or pack lighter and use the shoulder strap or carry handles. One major feature of this bag is the backpack carry option and Mystery Ranch really did a great job on this effort. On this smaller 30 Liter pack, the straps are generous and feature a good amount of padding and a sternum strap. But no waste belt on the 30 Liter version.

With many bags I’ve reviewed, trying to stow the waste strap or other straps tend to be awkward and bulky. This is not the case with the Mission Rover 30. The straps neatly fit into a compartment on the rear of the bag and tuck in flatly without any obvious bulge or deformation. Honestly if you didn’t know they were there you would never notice. Clean and simple features of the Mission Rover 30 is probably why it’s one of Mystery Ranch’s most popular bags.

The second way to carry the bag is utilizing the shoulder carry strap. This strap is 1 ½” wide and is adjustable is fixed to the bag with two polymer connections sewn into the bag. The nylon strap features no padding or texturing and is not removeable from the bag. The strap also cannot be stowed into the bag like the backpack straps when not in use. In terms of carrying options the strap does its job with no fanfare or features. The only comment I would add is I would prefer the strap be removeable but that is my opinion.

This bag comes equipped with two carry handles, one located on the side and one on the top above both storage compartments. The handles are a heavy gauge nylon and stitched on the top and bottom. They do not feature any comfort padding or texturing which does not concern me as an end user. The seams on the stitching are tight and hardly noticeable and did not cause any raised spots, snags or any condition that would cause a stitch or piece of material to dig into the users’ hands. Attention to detail and quality control is very high on the Mystery Ranch bags it would appear.

External Media Compartment

This compartment features an area 16” long x 12” wide that is unzippered and easily fits most 15” laptops. Our test laptops for this pack were my MacBook Pro and a Dell Rugged laptop which is my duty laptop and considerably larger than most 15” laptops. Both fit with zero issues.

On the opposite side of the laptop pouch are two zippered compartments with mesh fronts. Perfect for storing your battery backups, external media devices or other electronic accessories. These pockets also feature YKK zippers but lack a locking feature.

Main Storage Compartment

The heart of the Mission Rover 30 is its main compartment, and it is perfect for its intended application. A short trip or overnight stay away from home. This pack features one large compartment with a lid opposite two smaller compartments. As expected, the other compartments all feature a see-through mesh cover and YKK zippers throughout.

What stands out to me on the main compartment is how well it’s laid out. Lending itself to organization without trying too hard to do it. In the large compartment, you can easily store one or two pairs of pants and a spare shirt or two. While the smaller compartments can fit extra socks, underwear, and smaller items like hygiene items.

All the compartments in the main storage area feature additional zippered storage areas on the front of the pouches. So if you are clever in your packing, you can put smaller items in them and leave more room in the main compartments. This is a skill you should utilize if you want to make the most of any luggage, not just this pack.

Who is this Bag For?

In developing closing thoughts, I thought about why I like this bag and who is it’s intended user?  It’s design qualities and materials are not flashy, but they get the job done with ease. The company’s reputation and warranty are top notch in the industry and Mystery Ranch is well known in both civilian and military / law enforcement communities. I have the utmost confidence that this bag will provide its user with many years of dependable use, that being said who would best use this bag?

I would say the person who could best appreciate this bag is the working professional who needs to do a 1- or 2-night trip. This bag perfectly fits that need. Small enough to bring work items, a change or two of clothes, and not have to check your bag at the airport. In our opinion anything more than 2 days and you are really stretching the design parameters of the Mission 30.

All that being said if you like the idea and features of the Mission Rover 30 and need a little more room, then I would whole heartedly endorse any of the larger sizes in the Mission line from Mystery Ranch. At the end of the day your gear needs to suit your mission no matter if its military / law enforcement or civilian applications. Gear matters in meeting your goals.

Bottom line, if you need a smaller bag that is highly capable and you find yourself tired of stuff things in backpacks with one large compartment, maybe taking a look at the Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 30 is your next step in travel gear evolution.

Thanks for taking the time to read this review. If you see anything on the channel that you like or have an idea on gear you would like to see reviewed, drop us a line on our social media contacts and we will get back with you.