Backpacks tend to be pretty similar to each other, but the new modular Arkiv Field Pack System from Mission Workshop gives you the ability to customize a bag to fit your needs.  The bags are made with a 1000 denier nylon exterior and a weatherproof urethane coated nylon liner;  “the pack is fabricated with military spec thread and waterproof urethane zippers, and is reinforced with an LDPE frame sheet for support and protection.”  You select a Field Bag in the small (1200 cu. in., $209) or large (2200 cu. in., $229) size and in black or dark gray Cordura or waxed canvas ($30 option for bag, plus $6 each per accessory).  Next, you add accessory pockets to make the bag your own:  the Folio organizer pocket for pens and the like ($68), padded Laptop Case ($86), Tool Pocket ($58), Utility/Cell pocket ($28) for smartphones or cameras, Vertical Roll Top Pocket ($48) for cylindrical objects, like water bottles, or Vertical Zippered Pocket ($52).  Bags may be pre-ordered now.  Shipment is expected to begin on June 15, 2012.

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, News

Tagged: Backpack

Mission Workshop Introduces the Arkiv Backpack System originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 23, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

I love finding gear that’s still designed and manufactured in Australian, as so much of it has been outsourced overseas. Brisbane Outdoor Gear from Queensland’s line-up certainly fits that criteria.  They’re made out of local materials where available and using reclaimed materials such as PVC billboards, and they even try to use recycled products for the patterns used in their manufacturing process. Their range covers messenger bags, backpacks and accessories such as tool rolls, straps and pouches made of recycled bicycle inner tubes. Because they still hand manufacture on site, they can do custom bags as well. While having their origins in bicycle messengers and packs, their range is still fashionable enough for every day use. Unlike many fashion products though they encourage you to “dirtify” their product:

“Dirtify is the long process that occurs when you use a piece of gear regularly.  It results in gear that is so full of sweat, dirt, love and experiences that it stands up on its own; but maybe that’s just because of the dirt.  It becomes so powerful that it is almost as if the piece of dirtified gear becomes you, and you become the gear.”

Messenger bags start with the Babycandy at $65AU.

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, News

Tagged: Backpack, gear bags, messenger bag

Brisbane Outdoor Gear Bags originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2012 at 8:00 am.

The OGIO Squadron RSS backpack (reactive suspension system – more on that later) is, as you can see in the photo above, a beast of a bag. You can put a lot of stuff into it, and thanks to all the various pockets and compartment, all that stuff will stay put. There’s a dedicated section for your laptop with a protective sleeve (that’s the RSS bit) which will keep it protected, as long as it’s not too big or too thick.

Comfort

The thing about backpacks is, you’re going to have to wear them. All the pockets in the world don’t matter much if you can’t stand the thing on your back. The Squadron does a good job of putting the bulk of the weight across your back, and not just on the shoulder straps digging into your back. The straps include a not-so-stylish-but-functional strap in the front to keep them in place, while allowing them to ride wide on your chest. A handy zippered pouch is included on the front of one – you know, where you can reach it. Nice touch!

It rides comfortably on the back.

There is a wide U-shaped top which does a great job of keeping the bag’s weight on your upper back & shoulders, not the tops of your shoulders.

The inside of the back is inset a bit (for airflow) with generous padding at the top and bottom – you can also see again the shock absorbing design of the shoulder straps.

The design does a great job under load with what is otherwise a fairly large bag. It’s great when you’ve got it on. There’s a handle on top for grab-and-go moving, but that handle has no shock absorption – it’s  just your basic padded handle. The bag’s strap design is NOT so great when you just want to grab it and sling it over one arm. You can get it to stay put, but it’s pretty cumbersome. I was far more comfortable either carrying it one-handed by the grab handle or putting it all the way on.

What has it got in its pocketses?

If you’re not sitting down, go ahead and do so – get comfortable. We’re going to go through most of the compartments on this bag, so we’ll be here a while. The central compartment is roomy enough to pack clothing for a business trip, or perhaps that train ride into Paris. Four pockets on the front flap are for smaller items like mice and cameras, while the back wall has a large and well-padded pouch for an eReader or tablet. I could get a 10″ Android tablet in there, or an iPad 2. The Kindle looked lost in that pouch. The slightly egg-shaped Squadron’s main compartment is several inches deep, and could realistically expand/bulge out to 4-5″ if you’re stuffing clothing or a coat in there. The zipper only opens a bit more than halfway down the sides, which is mostly a good thing as stuff won’t spill out when you open it up.

On top is a soft-lined pocket for glasses, or other things you don’t want to get scratched.

The front has a couple expansion straps (for those bulging packing events) above and below the outside pocket. That pocket has an inner zippered pocket – this is actually crucial if you’re flying or taking other modes of transportation, since you can toss keys, change, passports, etc in there and know they’ll stay put as you fish around for whatever else is in that pocket. The usual “office organizer” pockets for pens, cards, and a keychain hook are also provided here.

Both sides have upper and lower pockets for various other bits of gear:

If you’ve been keeping count that’s 5 small zippered pockets on the outside, one in front (with one inside of it!) for 7 total smallish zippered pockets. Plus a huge central compartment. And another compartment in the back for your laptop.

The RSS/Laptop compartment

The laptop section is… interesting. There is a top-only zipper for the last compartment, which contains the RSS. The RSS is a sleeve insert that’s held in the compartment by Velcro – I’ve pulled it up a bit in the shot below. The sleeve is where all your protection is – it’s semi-ridged, padded on the inside, and the inner lining of the sleeve forms a stretchy sling that is about 1-2″ above the bottom of the sleeve. This is the reactive suspension system – the laptop is suspended above the bottom, and can absorb “drop” shocks by riding that inner lining instead of pounding into the bottom. Bouncing in air is much better protection than even a well-padded bottom can provide. This works great, with one BIG gotcha…

That 2″ on the bottom is kinda important if your laptop is one of those 17″ monsters. In the photo below, I’ve inserted one into the RSS, and that’s as far as it will go. It’s not going in any lower. According to the website, the bag fits most 17″ laptops with the sleeve removed, but even just putting the HP dv6t (a fat, multimedia 17″er) in that back compartment I was only JUST able to zip it up. And of course, there isn’t much protection without the RSS – very little padding on the bottom really means this isn’t the backpack for a 17″ laptop.

Moving down to 15″, we’re golden. The “modern” slim Lenovo 15″ slides into the sleeve like a glove, and takes that great air-cushioned RSS ride.

Normally, you’ll leave the RSS in place in the back, and if you do, your 15″ or smaller laptop will slide in and out just as easy.

A Backpack for Most, but not all

As long as your laptop is 15″ or smaller, this is a great backpack. It’s huge – the specs claim 1850 cubic inches, which is in the ballpark of typical carry-on suitcases. The various pockets are functional and easily accessible, with that front strap pocket great for quick access to ID, or tickets, or money. It’s a comfortable bag to wear even when loaded down (and believe me, you’ll load this thing down with stuff.) It’s not a small bag – it’s wide, it sticks out, and it covers your back. But then again, if you can get everything in it, you’ll only need the one bag. I don’t recommend it for 17″ laptops; even if you can cram it in, there is no protection without that RSS sleeve. With the RSS sleeve it’ll protect your laptop even if you drop the bag.

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, Reviews

Tagged: Backpack, Laptop Bag

OGIO Squadron RSS Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 5, 2012 at 11:00 am.

I’d never heard of Kata Bags before they offered a review sample of their new MiniBee-120 PL Backpack for DSLR cameras and gear.  Turns out they are a member of the Vitech Group, to which Manfrotto also belongs.  Manfrotto serves as the US distributor of Kata Bags, and it is also a maker of camera gear.  I own one of the Manfrotto tripods.  They make good gear, so I knew Kata Bags would also be quality gear.  I’ve been looking for a bag big enough to hold two cameras, a few lenses, and some other accessories, and I wanted something that wouldn’t break my back.  I was happy to give the MiniBee a try.

Many of the photos can be clicked for an enlarged view.

Kata Bags describes the MiniBee-120 PL as “a professional, multi-featured, on-board backpack, designed to provide the best carrying, storage and working solutions for a DSLR”.  I can’t find any information about the fabric used for the bag, but it might be ripstop nylon.  The bag is black with red accents.  There’s a Kata logo on the front top.

The bag measures 18.3″ tall X 12.6″ wide X 11″ deep, and it weighs 4.5 pounds when empty.  It should meet the carry-on requirements of most airlines.

Hidden inside is an aluminum skeleton that gives the bag a stable structure, helps distribute the weight, and protects the contents.  The metal frame is aided by other structural pieces in the back of the bag to protect your spine and in the front flap to protect your camera and lenses.

You can see the “Gecko Harness” in the above picture.  Kata Bags say they developed the Gecko Harness System “to provide outstanding ergonomic compatibility and a perfect fit to your back and body. The innovative 3D injection design and micro hatched texture secure the harness on your back at the right angle to allow a better shooting experience.”  The shoulder straps have a thick, flexible, molded EVA foam padding that encompasses the thin webbing used for the shoulder straps.  The padding is very comfortable and cushions your shoulders.  They stay in place well.  There’s a lot of extra strap, so you can adjust the bag to fit your shoulders.

The MiniBee also has a couple of locking straps that fits across your chest to hold the shoulder straps in place.  That bag isn’t going anywhere until you want it to.

The MiniBee-120 is loaded with pockets.  In the above picture, you see three pockets.  Along the side is a zippered, gusseted pocket that can hold a wallet, phone, or similarly-sized item.  The gusset will keep things from accidentally falling out.  Along the top of the bag, you’ll see a zipper that opens up to hold a netbook or up to a 13″ laptop, a tablet computer, papers, or the like.  There’s also an open pocket at the very back labeled with a laptop icon.  This icon apparently indicates this bag can also hold a laptop, but this open pocket – although the right size to hold a 13″ MacBook Pro – is not for a laptop, but for using a rolling trolley.  We’ll give those two pockets a closer look later.

The back of the bag is cushioned with an Aeriform foam (made of EVA and EPE).  The orange stripe down the middle of the back seems to be a location for one of the aluminum straps that protect your spine.  It’s impossible to see in the picture, but the orange stripe has the Kata Bags website printed on it in gold lettering.

You’ll also notice a strap that crosses the bag horizontally just above the orange stripe (bottom photo).  This strap is used to attach the bag to the InserTrolley from Kata Bags.  It’s a rolling trolley for when you don’t want to wear the bag, and it’s an optional purchase.  I did find the strap fit on the extensible handle on my rolling suitcase, but the MiniBee was too tall and extended above the top of my suitcase’s handle.  The padded sleeve marked with the laptop icon is to be used in conjunction with the InserTrolley.

There’s a grab handle on the top of the bag, as you can see in the top picture.

This side of the bag has another grab handle, and there’s a large pocket near the bottom that’s made of a quick-drying material and is designed to carry a water bottle.

You’ll also see three zipper heads with semi-circular orange pulls; there’s actually a fourth pull not shown in this picture.  These pulls are designed so you can open just the top half of the main compartment, just the bottom, or the entire main compartment.

The back of the bag has a zippered pocket that extends to the bottom of the bag.  You can carry a laptop, netbook, tablet computer, magazines, papers, or the like in this pocket.  The yellow bar extending out the the right side of this pocket is a removable, padded divider.  You can use it to “shorten” the depth of the pocket if your device doesn’t require that much depth.

The interior of the MiniBee is lined with bright yellow fabric.  This is a very nice feature that makes finding things inside the bag much easier.  Small black accessories don’t disappear into the depths of black-lined pockets in the MiniBee-120 PL.

This zippered pocket on the front of the bag can hold your cellphone, wallet, some pens, and other things you need to have quick access to.

The front flap also has aluminum stiffening, as you can tell by the curved shape you can see in the top picture.  There’s also a zipper pocket on the front that contains another of the stiffeners.  I’ve partially pulled it out so you can see the structure.  There’s also a strip of narrow webbing inside this pocket, under the stiffener.  You can attach accessories to that strap or to many of the other attachment points sewn into the exterior of the bag.

The main compartment is filled with Aeriform dividers that are covered in a fleece fabric.  Two vertical dividers form a pocket to hold a DSLR with a 70-200mm lense installed.  Kata Bags says it will not fit a camera with a grip.  It can also be used with video cameras.  The vertical dividers have Velcro on the ends that grip the fleece fabrics.  You can adjust the attachment points to give the camera compartment a bit more width.  There’s one horizontal divider inside the camera compartment.

There are two side compartments with three horizontal dividers each.  Kata Bags says you can fit 6-8 more lenses, flashes, and other accessories inside these pockets.  One compartment has a see-through mesh, zippered top to keep your gear from falling out of these pockets.

The strap sticking out of the bag is made of webbing, like used for other straps on this bag.  It has Velcro tabs on the ends, and it can be moved to secure your camera into place.

Some accessories are included with the MiniBee.  The above photos show the Elements Cover that protects your bag and equipment from rain when installed as shown in the top picture.  The cover has a pull string that cinches it tightly around the bag.

When you install the Elements Cover with the silver side out, it reflects the sun away from your equipment on hot days.

The strap and pocket shown here can be attached to the various loops on the exterior.  Slide two legs of your tripod into the pocket, and you’ll be able to take it along.  Another picture in the documentation that came with the MiniBee showed the strap also being used as a tripod carrier.  It seemed to be attached to the strap hidden under the reinforcement strip inside the front zipper pocket on the front flap.

Here’s the MiniBee-120 PL loaded up with my camera gear.  In the top row, I have the (left to right) Elements Cover, two lenses in felt bags, and the battery charger and a filter case.  My Nikon D3100 is stowed on the left side of the camera compartment.  I’m using the Nikon D5100 to take the picture, but its holster case fits handily into the right end of the camera compartment.  I should be able to carry both my cameras in this bag.  The bottom row with the zipper cover has an empty pocket, two flash units, and another empty pocket.  I can fit small things like my camera remotes and extra batteries into the empty pockets.

I also have a bunch of camera cables and booklets that I’ll probably carry in the zipper pocket intended for a computer.

The MiniBee-120 PL is heavy when loaded up with all this equipment.  The backpack design spreads the weight across both shoulders and my back, so it’s easier to carry than my other bag with a single shoulder strap.  I haven’t tried carrying it for hours on my back, though.  (Hey, that’s what my husband is for – to carry the heavy loads! )

My daughter, Rachel is modelling the Kata Bag for us in this picture.  She’s only 5’2″, but she’s not overwhelmed by the size of this bag.  It’s very compact, especially when you consider everything that I fit in there.  She said the padded straps were comfortable, and the weight of the bag was negligible when compared to the bag full of notebooks and textbooks she lugs around every day.

The Kata Bags MiniBee-120 PL is a great camera bag for anyone who needs to carry around a lot of equipment with their DSLR.  It’s relatively small, but you can pack a lot of camera equipment inside and still have room for a laptop and/or tablet computer, too.  The size of the bag doesn’t overwhelm, and the careful attention to padding and metal reinforcement makes the bag surprisingly comfortable to carry.  It’s an expensive bag, but I’m betting what you’ll carry inside is much more expensive.  The MiniBee-120 PL is a ~$220 guardian for your equipment.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Backpack, Camera bag

Kata Bags MiniBee-120 PL Backpack for DSLR Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 9, 2012 at 1:44 pm.

Recently, photography has been picking up popularity in both the amateur and professional sectors.  As an amateur photographer, I always love to carry my Sony NEX-5 DSLR around with me when I go out exploring NYC or traveling.  I wanted a bag that can protect my camera, lens, and accessories and also have room for some other things.  The Discovery Large Photo/Laptop Daypack from Tenba looked perfect for me.

Tenba’s Discovery Large Photo/Laptop Daypack came in two colors – Black/Gray or Sage/Khaki.  I got the Black/Gray one to review.  My first reaction to the Discovery was that it was extremely light at 2.6 lb.  The Discovery has a water repellant nylon exterior, but it also comes with a  WeatherWrap cover for extra protection.

Outside Dimensions: 12.3W x 18H x 10.5D in.
Inside Dimensions: 9.5W x 8H x 8.5D in.
Laptop Compartment: 10W x 14.8H x 1D in. – Fits most laptops up to 15 inches

The Discovery comes with standard chest and waist straps.  It feels very comfortable to wear.  Also there’s plenty of loops for accessories on the strap.

On both sides are compression straps to secure and stabilize the load.  There’s also a large elasticized pocket on each side for water bottles or other accessories.

There’s a small zipper pocket in the front for small items like your cell phone or wallet.  Personally, I won’t put anything valuable in here.  I always worry about pickpockets and this pocket seems like such an easy target.

The main camera pocket is large.  It will fit 2 DSLR bodies along with 4-6 lenses or flash.  It’s extremely padded and I won’t worry at all if I dropped my bag.  The padding is all secured with Velcro, and the pieces are easily reconfigurable.

The top compartment flap opens outward to give full access.

On the back wall of the top compartment are 4 pockets, 2 pen slots and a clip for your keys.  Personally, I wish they offered small zippered pockets on both sides of the top compartment for accessories like batteries or memory cards.

There’s a medium sized mesh pocket and ID card holder located on the flap of the top compartment.  Tenba also included a WeatherWrap inside the mesh pocket.

The WeatherWrap covers the front completely and partially covers the back.  It’s secured by 2 snap-on buttons.  With the WeatherWrap on and secured by the snap-on buttons, there’s no way in to the Discovery while you’re wearing it.

On the back side is a padded zippered pocket for either a 15” laptop or a hydration pack like a CamelBak.  Personally, I think it’s a really tight fit for a laptop to go in there; it was compressing my MacBook a bit too much for my liking.

There’s a elastic flap that you can snake the hydration tube through.

The back is nicely padded and extremely comfortable.

I wore the Tenba Discovery Daypack in three different scenarios:

1)  Business trip – I used the Discovery as a carry-on for the plane ride out to Los Angeles.  It fit my MacBook, DSLR, snacks, water bottle, a small notebook, pens and cell phone.  It went through the X-ray machine without TSA asking me to remove the laptop.  It worked great as a carry-on bag for when you’re planning to bring a DSLR on your trips.

2)  Day trip in NYC – The Discovery was useful in protecting my DSLR while exploring the city.  It was extremely comfortable to wear it throughout the day.  Did some light shopping but not everything fits in the top compartment because of the limited height.

3)  Comic Con – Spent a day at the Comic Convention and it felt great wearing the Discovery.  It protected my DSLR and a netbook that I took with me.  The top compartment held my light jacket and a few items that I got there.

The Tenba Discovery costs $139.95 direct.  It’s a really comfortable daypack and totally protects the DSLR.  I would highly recommend this for any photographer.

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, Digital Cameras and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Backpack, Camera bag

Tenba Discovery Large Photo/Laptop Daypack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 14, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Had it with packs that can’t hold up to real, down-and-dirty use?  Have a look at GORUCK.  The name is a combination of “go” which implies movement and “ruck” (short for rucksack, a military word for backpack) which implies action, energy and purpose.  GORUCK’s products are designed by a former US Special Forces (AKA Green Beret) operator to be useful, tough and have a clean, low-profile appearance, and are manufactured in the USA.  GORUCK also sponsors the GORUCK Challenge, a team adventure event in the spirit of the hard-core training of the US Special Forces, in which the participants wear GORUCK backpacks loaded down with bricks(!).  Pictured is the GR2, the largest of GORUCK’s backpacks which has room in lots of compartments for your stuff including one for a hydration bladder/laptop, which sells for $395.  Yeah, it’s a bit pricey, but so is the stuff you haul around, right?

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: Backpack

GORUCK ‘brings it’ with rugged, USA-made packs originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

We Gadgeteers have a, shall we say…fondness.. for our gadgets, am I right?  Rhetorical question ’round these parts.  Some cling to a mere handy handful of essential EDC, others find a BSA-like array necessary for preparedness.  Some commute via public transportation through vast, sprawling urban metropoli for a day at the grind, others trek stoically across campus to hole up in the lab or library for a night of bleary-eyed study.  And, though everyone’s ideal solution may vary, one thing we all have in common is a need to protect and organize our gadgets while transporting them.  I’ve been a laptop messenger bag dude for a while, but I’d been considering a laptop backpack.  Along came a chance to try out the Revolution Medium Laptop Backpack from STM, and here it is.

NOTE: All images in this review are clickably enlargeable for your viewing pleasure.

Backround

As mentioned above, I’ve been a laptop shoulder bag user for many years now.  More specifically, I’ve been using a Timbuk2 Commute messenger bag for about 3 years now, and I’ve loved it.  So in the interest of full disclosure, that’s where I’m coming from.  However, I’d been thinking about trying out a laptop backpack.  So, let’s get to it!

Specifications

Australia-based STM’s Revolution line of laptop backpacks consists of two sizes, small (fits up to 13″ laptops) and medium (fits up to 15″ laptops), which is reviewed here.  Per STM, here are the specs on the Revolution Medium Laptop Backpack, which from this point forward I’m going to shorten to “Revolution M” for convenience and also because of the logo below (top) which is on the pack itself:

lining: 210D water resistant nylon
main fabric: 300D water resistant micro ripstop
lining: 210D water resistant nylon
laptop space: 14.8 x 9.8 x 1.6 in (37.5 x 25 x 4 cm)
external bag: 18.9 x 11.8 x 7.9 in (48 x 30 x 20 cm)
weight: 3.80 lbs (1.72 kg)
components: high density nylon webbing, duraflex buckles and clips, compressed EVA padding, high quality load bearing stitching
price: $99.00

Packaging

The Revolution M comes in biodegradable plastic bag, a nice touch for the enviro-conscious, which IMO we should all be in this day and age of earth friendliness.

First Impressions

The Revolution M is available in two color schemes, orange and carbon.  I selected orange for a bit of pizazz, something different from the droves of dutifully understated business neutral-colored (read: drab) packs on the market.  It did not disappoint.  This pack is big(ish), and it is orange.  I haven’t tried it on a plane, but I suspect that it might be difficult to get it to fit under the seat when fully-loaded.  My very first thought was of its resemblance to one of my favorite yet obscure cartoon characters, “Gossamer,” the hulking-yet-lovable orange furry monster who tangles with Bugs Bunny.

Back to the Revolution M, the color is not a bright hunter vest or hazard cone orange, yet almost a burnt orange in color with black and carbon gray accents, and I quite like it.  The material is tough-feeling nylon with a faint grid pattern, similar to ripstop fabric.  The other aspect I noticed about the pack immediately was the weight.  Even empty, the Revolution M is fairly heavy.  More on this later.

Features – External

The Revolution M is quite simply loaded with features.  Let’s focus on the external first.

Quick-Access Zipper Pocket

Integrated into the front of the pack is a quick-access pocket with vertical zipper.  The location of this pocket seems to have been designed so that you can slip your arm out the left shoulder strap, sling the pack around front under your right arm, and get into the pocket easily.  Great design for righties like me, but for lefties, probably not so much.  The zipper is about 6 inches long with a slick zipper pull.  Regarding the zipper pulls, they are emblematic of the attention to detail in this pack’s design.  Each of them is grey paracord-style cord with an over-molded, rubberized fobs that bears the STM logo.  Nice.

To protect whatever delicate contents you may place within the quick-access pocket, it is lined with baby-diaper soft fleece.  Super soft!

Also, the pocket is plenty large to house items up to possibly the size of a 7″ tablet, if you were so inclined to trust such an item of preciousness to a pocket on the outside of your pack.  It could possibly hold up to a 7″ Galaxy Tab or something similar.  In fact, my WoPad fits in there quite nicely.

Side Pockets & Compression Straps

The sides of the pack each have quite deep elastic mesh pockets for water bottles, umbrellas, power bricks, newspapers, telescopes, bananas, loaves of French bread—I could go on and on, but you can probably come up with even more creative uses for them than I.  Also on either side is a compression strap with quick-release buckle.  Easy to tighten down if you find yourself with only a few items inside and would like to go a bit more low-profile, or to unhook if you’ve loaded it to the seams and need some extra space.

Carry Handle

The Revolution M’s carry handle is one of the finest I’ve evaluated.  Thick and beefy, it is sewn securely and integrally into the top of the pack.  On top, the handle has the same ballistic nylon material as the pack, and a breathable mesh on the underside with padding sandwiched between.  The result is a very solid, comfortable-feeling grip, not so thin that it cuts into your hand when hauling it for extended (or even short) periods.  The only drawback I can see to this handle is that you are somewhat limited in how it can be used to hang the pack from something.  It should hang from a coat hook or door knob fine, but it doesn’t do so well if you try to hang it from something like the post on the back of a chair.  Perhaps a minor point, but might be important to some, depending on how you use it.

Suspension System

The Revolution M’s suspension system, like the rest of the  pack, is well-designed and built.  For starters, the shoulder straps themselves are of a design that is becoming more common on packs of this type.  Instead of being attached to the pack separately, they are combined at the point where they are attached to the pack, forming a sort of “U”-shape.  This may be a minor point, but I think this makes the pack slightly more comfortable to wear, due to this curved inner “U” shape the contacts the body in the back of the neck region.  Maybe I’m making too much about nothing, but it does seem to feel a bit more comfortable to me with this feature.

The main shoulder straps are thickly padded, which, like the  carry handle, helps prevent that feeling of the straps cutting into your shoulders when the pack is heavily loaded with wares.  The straps at the bottom also allow adjustment.

A word about the padding in the back of the pack.  That word is THICK.  The back of the pack is covered with the same breathable mesh material as on the underside of the carry handle.  Under this layer, inside the pack, are two thick foam pads that run the length of the pack, with a deep channel in between, presumably for ventilation.  The padding here is the thickest I’ve ever seen on any pack of this kind.  This combination of features is great for overall comfort if you’ve got this pack loaded for bear.  On a related note, as mentioned above, the Revolution M is quite heavy, even when empty.  Likely this is due to the materials used in the pack, which are heavyweight and high quality, and the amount of padding used throughout the pack, both for the suspension system and laptop protection.

The shoulder straps system is well-designed and sturdy.  In addition to the shoulder straps themselves, there is a chest strap that secures with a quick-release buckle.  The chest strap is adjustable in two ways.  The length of the chest strap can be adjusted, and the height can be adjusted by sliding along a “rail” on either of the shoulder straps.  In addition, there is a small length of gray webbing on both sides for attaching carabiners or other items.

But that’s not all.  There’s also a waist strap that can be deployed then employed for additional support.  By that I mean this: near the bottom of the bag, just behind the foam back pads is a pocket on either side into which can be discretely tucked the two halves of a waist strap.

This waist strap is adjustable from both sides and has a very beefy quick-release buckle.  The straps themselves are wide enough for you to attach items like a knife, multitool, flashlight cargo pouch, or other necessities that you may want handy, but don’t want to attach to the belt holding up yer breeches.

Below is a shot of the fully-deployed waist strap.

The right shoulder strap also contains an elastic mesh pocket designed to hold a phone, music player or other device you may want to have within easy reach and near your noggin.  It’s shown below, and on the left with my wife’s iPhone 3GS in Speck Candyshell case stuffed into it—a bit tight, but still fits fine.

Features – Internal

Now, let’s dive into the belly of this beast.  Once again, it’s features o’ plenty.

Front Compartment

Unzipping the front compartment reveals a multi-pocket organizer along with several other pockets for keeping gadgetry in its proper place.  To demonstrate, I’ve stocked it with several of my own daily office commute essentials: keys, pens, Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000, and my Timbuk2 In Flight Case slid into the pocket in the front.  Two minor beefs I have with the setup here.  One is simply…needs more pockets.  I’m an unapologetic pocket-a-holic.  I like lotsa pockets for all my stuff, and I don’t like to throw all of my small items into one or two large “bins” and let them rattle around while I’m out and about, only to find a jumbled mess when I open the pack.  Also, the wide pocket along the inside of the compartment’s flap, though having a nice capacity for tossing in items, could use some improvement.  Although the location is OK, when opening the flap, items tend to slide out of it because there is no closure.  A zipper or strip or two of Velcro would have been good here.

The zippered pocket in the organizer has a mesh panel at either end, providing a bit of visibility to the contents.  Another couple of shots below to show additional detail.  That’s a standard-sized Moleskine notebook in the shot on the right, to give some scale.

Main Compartment

As with the rest of the pack, there’s quite a bit going on in the main compartment.  Unzipping to peer inside reveals the main compartment to actually be further subdivided into three  areas.  The first, shown below, is what I would call the main main compartment—an open space into which the user can either haphazardly toss or neatly stack lots of stuff, whatever may be your style or mood.  Show below left in the empty state and at right with a few items thrown in—my iGo power brick for my work laptop and my Timbuk2 In Flight Case.

In addition to the wide-open main main compartment, the second area is a pocket that is intended to slip in an iPad or other tablet device.  Like the front-access zipper pocket, this pocket is lined with soft fleece to protect your tablet’s screen.  STM bills this as a “unique fingerprint-removing brushed nylex.”  I’m not so sure it would actually remove fingerprints without pressing on the tablet and rubbing vigorously, and even then it may not remove those pesky fingerprints.  Still, a nice touch.

Pulling on the loop above the tablet pocket reveals the third area, another whole compartment which as been designed to hold your laptop safe and snug.  This compartment is fairly well concealed, but I’m not sure there is a point to concealing it when it is already inside the main compartment.  Concealment aside, I found it to be a fairly intriguing design.  One thing to note here is that, unlike most laptop backpacks designs that place the laptop up against the back of the pack, this laptop compartment is actually more towards the front of the pack.

The laptop compartment has a 2-inch wide lip that covers and wraps around the edge of your laptop.  The lip is actually made from an elastic material, so it has some stretch, which makes it easier to insert your laptop down into it and capture it.

Closing and securing the flap via Velcro strips encases your laptop in a protective cocoon, the inside of which is lined with the same ubiquitous, fleecy material as the quick-access zipper pocket and the tablet pocket.  Look how snug my Big Black Brick Bulletstopper (my 15.4″ Lenovo T60p work-issued laptop) looks all tucked in there.  It’s a pretty beefy laptop, and fits with just a bit of room to spare.  It could probably fit two or three MacBook Airs.  However, the Velco strips, while allowing quick access, don’t really secure it all that well.  I found that I had to consciously and firmly press the Velcro pieces together to get them to attach, and even then it felt a bit weak.  Upon opening the pack, I frequently found that this flap had worked its way open.  Still, with the laptop compartment situated where it is, it may not really matter, because it seems quite secure.

Here’s a shot to illustrate how to access the laptop with other cargo.  In the main main compartment, I’ve stuffed the iGo, the Timbuk2 In Flight Case and a fleece pullover.  Still got some room to spare, and it’s not that difficult to access the laptop compartment.  One thing to note here is that this pack is extremely front-heavy.  Even when loaded with a few items but without the laptop, it tends to fall forward, but insert the laptop and forget it—it does a faceplant every time.  I definitely prefer my packs to stand upright on their own if possible, but this guy is never going to do that.  You’ll have to lean it against something.

OK, here’s a feature that baffles me a bit.  On one side of the pack is an elastic access port from the main main compartment to the outside.  At first, I thought it was almost certainly a headphone port.  Then, I thought it might be a drinking tube for a water bladder, as with a Camelbak.  But that doesn’t seem too logical on a tech-type pack like this.  So, I guess you can use it for whatever purpose you like.

Rain Cover

The last feature to cover is well…the cover.  The tuck-away rain cover, to be exact.  This little baby is tucked into a hidden pouch in the bottom of the pack.

To deploy the cover, just open the pouch, which is secured closed with a little Velcro strip, and pull it out.  It stays attached to the pack via a small strap, presumably so it doesn’t get lost if it should be blown loose while you trudge through gale-force winds or the like.

The cover is made from a material that certainly feels waterproof.  It fits over the pack and has some elastic around the edge to keep it in place.  One thought I had here was, why not just make the pack itself waterproof?  I suppose it is, to a point, but this cover seems like it would really protect your stuff in the event of getting caught in a pretty heavy downpour, and it doesn’t take that long to deploy and get in place.

The cover also has an elastic strap with toggle that you can cinch down tight, to further secured it in place.

Here you can see the little strap that secures the cover to the bottom of the pack.

In Action

Below are a few shots of yours truly wearing the Revolution M.  On the left are the empty pack, on the right are the pack loaded with a good portion of my daily commute gear.  [Also not sure why I look like a bobble-head on the first shot.]

Final Thoughts

I’ve been giving the Revolution Medium Laptop Backpack a test drive  as my daily work pack for a while now.  Although, as stated above, I’m a laptop messenger bag fan, and will probably ultimately return to that style of gear-hauler, I do like the Revolution Medium.  It’s extremely comfortable to wear, its design has great functionality and attention to detail, and the quality of materials and construction are top-notch.  And it looks cool and yet doesn’t scream “HEY!  LAPTOP IN HERE!  STEAL ME!” as with some packs.  Considering all of these features and advantages, and comparing to other tech-type laptop backpacks, I actually think this pack is a steal for $99.00.  The only real nags I have are the weight of the pack and its front-heaviness; however, I think the benefits far outweigh these two relatively minor drawbacks.

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Backpack, Laptop Bag

STM Revolution Medium Laptop Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 14, 2011 at 10:30 am.

For your average and sundry backpacks, it makes sense to find one that’s going to hold your gear and not kill your back at the same time.  It also helps to find a backpack with the padded pocket for netbooks, laptops, iPads, Macs, whatever you’re toting these days to keep connected.

Cheaply made backpacks will not help you with either of these issues.  Now, you may be able to find a Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus imprinted backpack and some may question your sanity (and musical tastes as well) but that won’t help your back, shoulders or whatever electronics you’re lugging around.

Let’s face it, whether you are a school kid lugging around books, a college student lugging around books, or an average strap hanger lugging around life, you need to forego expressing your support for either Team Edward or Team Jacob on your backpacks and settle down to something smarter.

eGuann makes just such a backpack.  Actually eGuann sells four different types of backpacks.  The “Engineer” is their top of the line backpack that also comes with a detachable smaller bag, Breathable nylon, seriously strong mesh straps, a padded pocket that will hold a laptop up to  15″ and soft, comfy shoulder straps.

The "Engineer" has a detachable bag for easy carrying of other items. It is attached using secure Velcro straps and smaller straps adhering it to the main bag. It can be used for pretty much anything.

It’s almost a pleasure to wear this backpack.  I packed some books, (despite my Nook, I am always carrying a ton of books, magazines, et all), my new Inspiron netbook, cords, lunch… pulled it on to my back, and off I went.  It honestly felt comfortable and good.  No pulling on the shoulders, no lower back strain.   This thing felt great.

The "Engineer" holds plenty of materials and a full sized laptop. Even when full, the backpack is still comfortable when pulled on.

eGuann backpacks are not going to set the fashion world on fire nor are they meant to.  They come in four earthtone colors and they’re meant to be functional and practical, not make the cover of Useless Bags Today.   I’m a practical kind of girl and while I like my girly -girl things, I appreciate the no nonsense ruggedness of the “The Engineer” and the comfort of it as well.  You’ll pay 89.90 from the eGuann website, not sure where else you can find it.  It’s worth the price though.

Do your back a favor.  Forego the loud, garish bags and pack it with  eGuann.

Filed in categories: Gear, Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Backpack

eGuann “The Engineer” Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 30, 2011 at 10:40 am.

Designed for kids ages 8 and up, the iSafe backpack has a built in security system, which is powered by batteries and can be activated by the wearer pulling on a cord. Once the cord is pulled, the bag sounds off as loud as a car alarm and can run up to 2 continuous hours on a fresh set of batteries. The alarm system only adds about .5 lbs to the backpack, which is available in boys and girls styles for $59.99.

Filed in categories: Kid Gadgets, News

Tagged: Backpack, Kids, Security, Spotlight Gadgets

Keep your kids iSafe with an alarm enabled backpack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 25, 2010 at 9:03 pm.

The SLAPPA M.A.S.K. is a serious backpack.  It even comes in its own bag!  I’ve had a lot of backpacks over the years but this one tops them all. Last weekend I went on a business trip and used the bag as my suitcase and was able to get all my stuff in for this short trip.  Granted, it is Spring and the clothes I packed were not too bulky.  If the bag were used as a carry on or extra bag on a trip the amount of “stuff” you could pack in there is basically endless.  Pocket lovers rejoice. Besides the two main compartments, this baby has at least 13 other pockets/storage areas.

When you order your backpack, you have a choice of several “models”, with slightly varying design.  There are two options for the configuration of the front of the backpack, shown here.  Then you have a choice of three different lining colors. Lastly, you have a choice of one of 12 “liners” which I will discuss later.  The company touts this as the ultimate “laptop+gear” backpack, and I think they’re right.

One of the two main compartments has a large laptop pocket. The company calls this section a “quick-scan laptop and peripheral section that allows you to keep your laptop inside the bag when you go through airport security”. This is done by opening this section of the backpack and laying it flat.

Shown here is the half of the section that holds the laptop. My 10″ acer is shown on the compartment and my 12″ Macbook inside.

This is the other side of  the “laptop” pocket.  It of course has multiple smaller pockets.

The face of the backpack actually zips right off the larger pocket, as shown below, and can be replaced by another style face.  The company currently lists two different faces on their website, but I imagine more will follow. Removing the face also allows you to change the liner inside the backpack.  They currently have 12 different liners; all of which resemble what I imagine an LSD trip to look like. The one included with mine, shown above, is the liner my 8 year old son calls the “Snazzy Girls.”  Velcro snubly hold the thin liners in place.

This is a view of the larger pocket, with the face zipped back on the backpack.  Plenty of room in there. Hello Ladies!

The outer pocket of the liner opens up as shown here, revealing even more storage pockets. The backpack straps are well padded and very comfortable, and the back of the pack is also padded, so it rests very comfortably on your back! I’m not sure what else the company could add to make this backpack any better.

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Backpack

SLAPPA M.A.S.K. Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 10, 2010 at 12:00 pm.

It has been more than 20 years since I have regularly carried a backpack (college to be exact). It was a ratty (at least by the time I got done with it) old JanSport with mediocre construction, little comfort, and zero accommodations for tech-stuff, being the 80′s and all . Jumping to present day, today’s backpacks not only need to protect and carry all of our fragile technology and miscellaneous stuff, but do so in a much more ergonomic way. After using the Boa Flow M for a few weeks, I can definitely attest to the fact that this backpack by booq has evolved many quantum levels since (way) back-in-the-day.

The booq Boa Flow M is an all black bag with orange and gray trim and stitching.  Like the Boa Slimcase XL and XL90 laptop bags I reviewed a few years ago, the materials are top notch and the workmanship is very well done. The exterior of the backpack is made of a heavy-duty black ballistic nylon with a water-repellent coating. The ‘high-performance YKK’ zippers will withstand countless openings and closings.

The shoulder straps are nicely padded with both a waist and a chest strap; all adjustable to give a well-carried, comfortable ride. The front of the backpack has two zippered, exterior pockets. The back of the backpack is padded as well. Even fully loaded, it is comfortable and distributes the weight well.

The top allows access to the two main compartments designed to hold a majority of your stuff (front) and laptop (back). Between the two pockets, there is  a handle for carrying the bag horizontally.

The main front compartment has a large number of subpockets, of various sizes and shapes, for holding a multitude of tech-stuff. The picture on the right is devoid of any gear, the one on the right has all my tech-stuff within. My point is that, the Flow has a deceptive amount of space to carry stuff in and pockets-galore to keep it all organized (although, sometimes I have to search many pockets to find what I am looking for). Even loaded with everything I typically drag with me there is tons of room for extras.

The rear compartment is for your laptop. It is well padded and my 13″ MacBook easily slides inside. This compartment is large and lined with a soft material providing an ideal, protected place for your laptop. Designed to carry a laptop that is 13-15″ in size, or 13-17″ if you carry an Apple MacBook. This specialized pocket holds the laptop separately from the main pockets, placing the laptop directly against your back, providing even further protection.

Specifications:

• Fits: 13-17 Mac, 13-15 PC
• Max Laptop Size: 14.5″ x 10.5″ x 1.5″ (368 x 267 x 38mm)
• Exterior: 18 x 14 x 9 (457 x 356 x 229mm)
• Weight: 4.5 lb (2.05 kg)

Features:

• Ballistic nylon exterior with water-repellant coating
• Oversized YKK high-performance zippers
• HD foam laptop compartment for optimum protection
• Intelligent interior layout optimized for laptop accessories
• Side pockets for phone, music player or water bottle
• Limited 5-year Warranty

Both sides of the Flow have a moderately sized vertical, zippered pocket. Perfect for a small water bottle, rolled up magazine, or power brick and cords.

On the top/front of the Flow there is another compartment with several pockets, slots, and keyring holder to carry even more stuff.

Like a majority of booq’s bags, the Boa Flow has a metal tag with a unique ID number. And once registered, booq’s Terralinq service may be able to help you find your bag if lost.

The Boa Flow has a collapsible bottom compartment, which serves as a protected, separate place for your camera (or large headphones), specially sized for a DSLR camera. When the pocket is not in use, it can be collapsed to maximize space in the main compartment.

The Boa Flow sits nicely on my shoulders and is extremely comfortable. Back in the 80′s (at least in Renton, WA), few people wore their backpacks on both shoulders. Instead, we use to sling it over a single shoulder….pretty much as bad as it gets, ergonomically speaking. But either way, booq has engineered the Flow to distribute the weight of your load extremely well. Enabling you to carry a bunch of stuff along way.

Best thing of all is how well this backpack looks and fits my motorcycle gear. It is perfect for getting my laptop, gear, and lunch to and from work.

Overall, I (& the Gadgeteer Kid) really like the Boa Flow (he is trying to sweet-talk me into letting him use it (he likes black and orange lately)). This backpack is well made with high quality materials. It has a good amount of space to carry your laptop and gear around. booq has put a great deal of thought into the Boa Flow’s interior layout with protecting your laptop as this backpack’s primary concern plus a specially engineered compartment for your DSLR camera. At $200, the Flow is not inexpensive, but in this case you are getting what you pay for.

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Laptop

booq Boa Flow M Laptop Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 27, 2010 at 2:27 pm.

The Vandal backpack by Mission Workshop. The first, best and last backpack you will need.

There are backpacks and then there are BACKPACKS.  I love backpacks, always have.  I’m the ultimate Bag Lady in that I just love all kinds of bags.  I’m not “fashionista” in that I carry around a Coach bag with all the Cs all over it or a Louis Vuitton with the tapestry logo.  No. Seriously, I’m over that.  The older I get, the more practical I get.  Where other women have all kinds of designer handbags, I go for the laptop bags and backpacks.  But rather than the “showiness” aspect, I’m looking for one that can hold as much stuff as I feel necessary to haul about.

Backpacks are great for kids’ schoolbooks, lunchboxes and artwork.  I’ve always used them at work to schlep the kinds of things that a woman just has to have handy just in case. Cloth and reusable grocery bags are another necessary item for obvious reason so long story short; I gotta lotta bags.

The Vandal backpack by Mission Workshop changes most of that.  Essentially, this is a serious backpack.  I don’t have to carry anything except The Vandal to do anything and go anywhere. It’s also the best travel backpack I’ve seen yet. And it’s virtually indestructible.  Good luck trying to destroy it.  This pack is solidly made. It contains three weatherproof compartments, two accessory pockets on the outside, undo the outside waterproof zippers and the bag expands so that you can, seriously, carry anything and almost everything in it.

I’ve looked for a number of ways to test this pack.   I took it upstairs to my laundry room and waited until all of the family wash was clean, dried and folded and packed it into the pack and brought it downstairs.  I got four loads in before I started with the towels.     I also contacted the producers of CBS’ The Amazing Race reality show to ask what their contestants use in the race.  In this show eleven teams of two travel the world looking for clues and trying to finish each leg of the race in a favorable position.  All they are allowed to carry with them for the three to four weeks they are competing in this race is what they can carry in their backpacks.  They never know where they are going to go but must pack smart enough and comfortable enough to hit warm and cold weather countries. Plus toiletries et all.  I asked the producers for a list of what the contestants should or should not bring.   I was told that the contestants, outside of a strict list of “Can Not Bring” items like cell phones and cameras, could bring anything they wanted.  As long as it fit in the pack.

The Vandal backpack can and will fit enough stuff for 30 days on the go.  If you go to the farmer’s market, it will carry all of that, it will contain and carry bottles for recycling, it will carry books, newspapers, computers, and your favorite pillow.

At $239.00, you’re going to need a serious reason to purchase this besides carrying laundry down from upstairs.  If you’re a hiker, bicyclist, kayaker, camper, all around outdoors person, this backpack is the Gold Standard. Throw out what you have.  This is the backpack to use.  If you’re a college student traveling home or backpacking through Europe, if you are competing in a television reality show, if you’re competing in a triathlon, or if you want something that stows in an airplane overhead compartment or under the seat, this is your Go To bag.

See it in Action

Filed in categories: Gear, Laptops and Gear, Outdoor Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Outdoors, Waterproof

Mission Workshop Vandal Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 21, 2010 at 11:30 am.

Do you have problems with your laptop and gear bags holding up to all of the every day wear and tear that you subject them to? The Saddleback Leather Company makes gear bags that are super rugged and are built to last a lifetime. To back that up, they offer a 100 year warranty on each bag they sell. Let’s take a look at one of their latest bags, the vertical messenger.

FYI: Most of the pictures in this review are thumbnails that can be clicked on to see larger sized versions.

I know that this bag doesn’t look like what most of us picture in our mind when we think of a classic messenger bag. To me it looks like the big brother to the Saddleback Leather Explorer’s Satchel. And in a way, that’s exactly what it is. It’s made of thick rugged full grain leather and is available in 5 colors: Carbon Black, Chestnut, Dark Coffee Brown, Dark Tobacco Brown, and Light Tobacco Brown. I was sent the Dark Tobacco Brown version of the Messenger bag for this review.

This is a vertical oriented bag with a buckle down flap and a wide comfortable grab handle on top. If you click on the image, you’ll notice a lot of scuffs and scratches in the leather. No, I didn’t test the ruggedness of this bag by dragging it behind my car before taking the review shots. Scratches and scuffs are just the nature of bags like these and are not to be considered a defect or a problem with the workmanship. I think of them as character making battle scars.

If you flip the bag around to see the back, you’ll find a large vertical pocket that can hold several standard, large format sized magazines or file folders. You’ll also notice several D rings that can be used to attach different items to your bag. The large ring below the grab handle is used to convert the messenger from a shoulder bag, to a backpack. The Saddleback Leather Briefcase bag had this same feature.

It only takes a minute to unhook the shoulder strap, run one end through the metal ring and the attach the clips to the bottom D rings.

You’ll notice that the strap is adjustable and has two shoulder pads.

Each side of the Messenger bag has a open topped pocket that is large enough to hold a phone, compact umbrella, water bottle, etc.

As I mentioned earlier, there are several metal D rings positioned in different areas of this bag. These rings are handy for hooking different items such as keys, flashlights, etc. The hardware is nickel plated metal, which normally used for dog collars and horse tack, making it feel very strong and rugged.

The buckled flap lifts up to reveal one large compartment.

Inside, you will find an open topped pocket on each side and a key holder attached to a leather strap. This compartment can also be customized by clipping in the included divider.

The divider is made of thick leather and has metal eyelets riveted into each corner.

Matching clips are riveted into the main messenger bag compartment.

It takes a bit of blind wrestling to clip in the bottom edge of the divider, but once installed, the bag now has two compartments instead of one. The divider does wiggle around a little, but I think this is a nice feature nonetheless.

Here we see my 15″ Macbook Pro in the bag. Since the messenger isn’t padded, I suggest that you protect your laptop with a padded sleeve before placing it into the messenger bag. With the MBP in the bag, there is still plenty of room for the AC adapter, a mouse, other cables, etc.

I had to chuckle a bit when I read a comment on the messenger bag page on Saddleback Leather’s site. They mentioned that this is a light weight sleek bag. I wouldn’t call any Saddleback Leather bag ‘light weight’. When empty, this messenger bag weighs in at 6 pounds 2 ounces on my electronic scale. For me it’s too heavy to use for my everyday bag, but then I’m only about 5’6″ and 130lbs. Most guys probably wouldn’t even blink at the weight though.

Here’s what the messenger looks like when worn as a shoulder bag and as a backpack. For me, the bag felt more comfortable worn as a backpack as the weight was evenly distributed instead of just wearing it on one shoulder.

When you see one of these bags in person, you immediately know that it’s been built to last for a lifetime. The materials and construction are top notch. I couldn’t find one defect with this bag no matter how hard I looked.

If the price and weight of this bag doesn’t bother you, then the Saddleback Leather Messenger bag is a terrific gear bag that will last for years and years to come. It will serve you well on your next adventure down the Congo, or during less exciting adventures on your commute to the office. Either way, you’ll turn heads when people see you with this great looking rugged classic styled bag.

(Note: The link in this review to the Saddleback Leather Company website are an affiliate link.)

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag, Shoulder Bag

Saddleback Leather Company Messenger Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 14, 2009 at 10:17 am.

Gear bags are all the rage these days, most sporting voluminous cc’s of storage space and a plethora of pockets and compartments for storing our gadgety goodies.  The BUILT Laptop Backpack follows a bit different philosophy.  Looking like a cross between a sport parachute pack and a bullet-proof vest, this über slim and contoured carrier is minimalism at its finest.  Made from lightweight, water resistant neoprene with a breathable mesh back panel, it features 3 compartments: on the back, a larger main one for your portable electronic baby and a smaller one for essential accessories, with the third located on a shoulder strap for easy access to tunes, etc.  Also has an adjustable sternum strap.  Available in black, olive and orange and in medium (up to 15″ laptops) and large (up to 17″ laptops), each for $80.00.

Filed in categories: Gear, Laptops and Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Laptop Bag

Low profile laptop backpack from BUILT originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 5, 2009 at 8:55 am.

Just in time for the holiday season, the fine folks at SLAPPA have released a new series of gear bags with the Aura PRO-TOUR laptop backpack.  In the past, I have reviewed CD cases, laptop bags and sleeves from SLAPPA and I have always been impressed with the quality of their products.

SLAPPA markets this backpack as specifically targeting the “gear-head” and “2-day travelers”.  Let’s see how their Aura PRO-TOUR laptop backpack stacks up.

Photo provided by SLAPPA

Specifications / Features:

Dedicated padded laptop compartment for up to 15.4″ notebooks
1700 cubic inches of storage space
Water and tear resistant 1680-D ballistic nylon
Inner bag with adjustable compartment sections, with 3 zipper pockets and carry handle
Retractable heavy-pad carry handle
2 molded under-belly runners for additional laptop protection
Molded alloy zipper pullers
Multiple storage compartments, including e.z. access chord storage
Epoxy domed logo
Removable inner bag with customizable sections
“Top Load” flap for quick and easy access
Dedicated compartments for storing laptop accessories
Super comfort adjustable shoulder straps
Manufacturer-direct 360 Day Extended Warranty
Available in Black/Grey version and Brown/Beige version.

When I removed the bag from the shipping box, I was impressed with the look and feel of the bag’s exterior.  The 1680-D ballistic nylon and molded alloy 1 ¼-inch zipper pullers give an instant feel of strength and durability to the container, while the number of storage options immediately accessible in view represents flexibility.  Both are critical to sway potential buyers.

I received the black and grey version of the bag for this review but it does come in a brown and beige version too.  The grey nicely accents the black, which predominately covers the bag.

Photo provided by SLAPPA

The edges of the backpack shoulder straps are covered with a 1/4 -inch of silver reflective material to add an element of safety.  The straps and retractable top carry handle are both nicely padded to provide extra comfort.

The trend of comfortable padding continues with the huge, roughly 8-inches, SLAPPA logo on the back of the case, which is raised by approximately 1-inch of padding.  Now if you are familiar with some of my previous reviews, I have expressed my displeasure over manufacturers over-branding their products.  The reason why I am not knocking the Aura PRO-TOUR laptop backpack for this large brand is the fact that it is integrated with the padding which provides comfortable relief.

Photo provided by SLAPPA

Two molded runners, roughly measuring 11-inches by 1 3/4-inch, provide stability and added protection for the contents of the container.

A top zipper pocket and a lower mesh, Velcro secured pouch reside on each side of the backpack.  These are nicely sized exterior storage options for jump drives, keys, cables and miscellaneous items that you need to be quickly accessible.

The straps that secure the main front-flap pass through a loop on each side.  This design allows those straps to secure tall objects that extend out of the mesh pouches on the bottom.  Objects like an umbrella or a small tripod.

Accessing the top zipper compartment, located by the handle, exposes the most unique feature in a bag that I have seen in a long time.  Inside the large, top-load compartment is another bag.

This “bag within a bag” concept is SLAPPA’s response to feedback from their loyal customers who requested “application flexibility” in their products; flexibility to carry a laptop, gear, gadgets and/or extra clothes in one bag.  I must admit, this is a creative way to give users extendable options without compromising the other storage selections in the bag

The inner bag is a semi-rigid structure with a nylon exterior and opens through a clam-shape dual zipper top.  An attached handle makes the inner bag easy to carry and remove from the main bag compartment.

Photo provided by SLAPPA

Two small pouches secured via Velcro flaps and a large zipper pocket exists on the underside of the clam-shape zipper flap.  These are great for miscellaneous items like cords, jumpdrives, and other small items.

The main cavity of the inner bag is lined with material that allows the Velcro separators to divide the section into as many as eleven sections.  There are ten soft, padded sub-divider Velcro walls; two large ones, six medium size walls and two small walls.

Photo provided by SLAPPA

The ability to divide and sub-divide the cavity of the inner bag gives the users a great amount of flexibility.  You can store a SLR digital camera with numerous accessories, a small game console with numerous games or miscellaneous digital gear.  You can even use the inner bag or the compartment from the mother ship (main bag) to store a day or two or extra clothes.  The possibilities for use of this “bag within a bag” concept are fairly significant when considering the backpack.

Moving back to the main bag and pulling back the front flap which is secured via two hard plastic slide clips, I see a large curved corner zipper section with a smaller straight-line zipper just below.  The lower, straight-line zipper exposes a shallow pocket that is ideally sized for the small gadgets like jumpdrives and memory cards or pens.

Photo provided by SLAPPA

The large curved corner zipper unlocks the large padded laptop section.  There seems to be more than adequate padding for protection.  I was easily able to fit my laptop, a pad of paper and a file folder in this compartment.  If you are without a laptop, this section could be used from books, paper and files.

Two small metal rings flank each side of the large curved corner pocket’s exterior.  These are ideal to connect objects using carabineers.

Below the two pockets that lie beneath the front flap is a large zipper section which opens towards the bottom.  Inside this compartment you will find nicely sized Velcro flap covered pockets for cellphones, mp3 players and other miscellaneous devices.  Each pocket is lined with a soft material for added protection.  Between these two pockets are two pen/pencils holders and a key holder.

In conclusion, the engineers of SLAPPA have done a superb job of creating a backpack that delivers what their customers wanted, flexibility.  The “bag within a bag” concept offers truly innovative applications, especially for the day traveler and the digital device enthusiast.

Photo provided by SLAPPA

The Aura PRO-TOUR laptop backpack continues the tradition of excellence in craftsmanship that I first noticed with the Ballistix line of laptop bag and sleeves.  Durable material combined with heavy-duty hardware and inventive designs are the traits that make SLAPPA’s products appealing and this backpack is no different.

The negative of Aura PRO-TOUR laptop backpack is that it is not what I would describe as an everyday bag.  It definitely fills a niche of a light traveler or a gear-head, but I am not sure how big this niche is.

My other negative relates to this niche too.  At a price of $135, will consumers on the periphery of the niche desire the backpack enough to pay this price.

That said, I would definitely recommend Aura PRO-TOUR laptop backpack to anyone who needs the innovative flexibility it offers.  I am confident that you will not be disappointed in the purchase.

Photo provided by SLAPPA

Manufacturer: SLAPPA

Price: $134.99 (use the discount code: gadgeteer to receive 10% off your order)

Pros:
Flexibility from the “bag in a bag” concept
Rugged, durable exterior material
Nicely padded sections for great protection
Manufacturer-direct 360 Day Extended Warranty

Cons:
Not an everyday bag
Price

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Laptop Bag

SLAPPA Aura PRO-TOUR Laptop Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 25, 2008 at 7:57 am.

Introduction

In January I reviewed Tom Bihn’s Aeronaut and a gazillion and one little packing cubes, pockets and organizer pouches. As you may have gathered from the review, I was very keen on the packing cubes. Over the last year I’ve used these accessories, in many combinations on every trip I’ve done. I also use them to corral cables in my desk drawer.

About a month ago another package arrived from Tom Bihn; their Convertible Packing Cube/Backpack. I’ve used this little gem on three trips since, and its extraordinarily useful. The idea is simple. Tom has combined his “Large Packing Cube” with an “End Pocket,” and added some shoulder straps. The result is a small daypack and a dual-size packing cube.

Detail

All Tom Bihn’s packing cubes are made from an attractive charcoal grey and silver-checked material and use No. 5 YKK zippers. This one has a small webbing carry handle, and simple webbing backpack straps. The straps are adjustable. Inside, and at the top end of the main compartment is a d-ring for keys etc.

The pack weighs 255 grammes, and the material is soft and flexible but still built to Tom Bihn’s usual “bullet proof” standards. As I’ve said before, I think flexibility is important; when you are not using the pack its handy to be able to fold it up tight and compact. In backpack form the pack is: 44.5 x 34.5 x 10.5 cm (17.5″ x 13.5″ x 4.25″). That’s just over 16 liters.

In use

On the back, with light loads its surprisingly comfortable, though you have to be careful to avoid sharp-edged contents.

As a packing cube you can use it in many ways. The large compartment takes trousers and shirts for example – pack them in fairly tight and you’ll avoid creases. The end compartment will take a pair of business shoes (mine are UK 10.5) but is a little small for my gym shoes.

You can reverse the main compartment and the pack becomes pretty much a standard large packing cube with dimensions: 34.5 x 34.5 x 10.5 cm (13.5″ x 13.5″ x 4.25″).

I found this pack to be very useful for trips to the hotel gym or pool. Shoes, shorts, t-shirt and wash-bag went into the main compartment, and I used the small compartment for my towel / swim-kit. Its handy to have this wet stuff separate from shorts and shirt.

Coming back through Brussels AIrport the other day I bought some very heavy Belgian Beer. I whipped this pack out from my Aeronaut and in went the beer, saving my hands on that long trek to the gate.

Summary

If you are going to buy a Large Packing Cube and End Pocket from Tom Bihn, then seriously consider this pack as its just $5 more than the price of the two combined. For that $5 you get lots of extra functionality. My only gripe is that the end pocket could have been a little bigger – to accommodate some muddy running shoes. Overall though, nice work again Tom Bihn. Well done.

Filed in categories: Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag

Tom Bihn Convertible Packing Cube/Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 6, 2008 at 7:00 am.

I mentioned to Julie a few weeks ago that I’ve been looking for the perfect laptop backpack. Since I started my new job, I’ve been
using the Ice Red Drift messenger bag. Even though it’s
not a laptop bag, it worked pretty well, seeing as my Dell XPS M1330 came with a very nice sleeve. I also really liked this bag. Its
one major problem is that it’s a messenger bag. I sometimes have to make the mile and half trek home from work by foot (mostly when
I lose track of time and miss my last bus home), and a shoulder bag eventually starts to hurt my back and shoulder from the
unbalanced weight. I already have a couple laptop backpacks, but neither were exactly what I want.

I used the Targus Groove during much of my college years –
it’s got a large capacity, which is pretty handy when you’re carrying three classes’ worth of books and papers around all day.
But at over three pounds empty, it’s too big and too heavy to use on a daily basis for work. My discontinued Samsonite
laptop backpack was much smaller, but I didn’t like its shape very much, or the fact that the side pockets were made of mesh.

MobileEdge is a company that designs and manufactures laptop bags, many specifically geared toward women. I wasn’t too thrilled
with most of their choices, but the Express model seemed to be one to consider for my needs. We’ll see if it hits the mark.

For reference, here’s what I generally carry in my backpack every day:

I carry a number of little things, and I have things that I need quick access to, like my wallet, keys, and cell phone. I don’t
carry a purse to work, so I need my laptop bag to do double-duty as a business bag and a purse during the day.

The bag itself is pretty nice-looking. The women’s version of the Express has two fabric options – pink and brown polka dots or a
pink and black ribbon design. I do have a little criticism for this – I’m all about bags that look a little out of the ordinary,
and I’m disappointed that the only color options for this backpack are pink-centric. I would have liked to see a spectrum of color
options – maybe some green or blue designs. The design itself, however, is pretty decent.

The patterned design on the front of the bag is, unfortunately, normal cotton (or cotton-blend) fabric. I don’t think this is a
particularly good idea for a backpack. I carry my backpack on a dirty bus every day, and I sometimes have to expose it to rain or
snow. I want a bag that can be wiped off or cleaned up easily. A polyester or nylon blend fabric would have been a better choice,
especially considering that it covers most of the front of the bag. The grab handle at the top of the bag is pretty standard – it
has a thick rubber grip on it, and it feels quite sturdy.

The back of the bag is pretty nice. The straps are well-placed, which can be a problem for me, since I’m pretty small at 5’5″ and
around 105 lbs. These are spaced nicely, and fit to my body well. The padded area around the bottom half of the bag was a little
rough and stiff at first, but it softened up quickly and provides a nice cushion on my lower back (excellent when the bag is
bouncing around as I’m walking downhill). The left strap has a small mesh pocket. Seems useful, except that the opening is
very small (about 2″ wide), and I don’t have anything that actually fits in it. If I take my 8GB Zune out of its case, it fits, but
it’s very snug. I would have liked to see a pocket big enough to hold a cell phone. Another downside is that the mesh of this
pocket is a little rough – it’s scratchy on my upper arm when I’m only wearing a sleeveless shirt.

There is only one main interior compartment, with several pockets and a padded laptop section. The two pockets near the top are
big enough to hold my pillbox and the case I use to hold my thumb drives, and the mesh pocket has enough give to store small
items. The laptop sleeve is quite large (my XPS M1330 is on the small end of current laptop designs), so my notebook isn’t too
tight in it. I would have preferred to see the securing strap made of a wide elastic band instead of nylon, so that it could be
stretched to more securely hold whatever size laptop is in the sleeve. As it is, the velcro patch on the strap is just big enough
to secure my laptop, because it’s not very wide.

One thing I really like about this bag is how roomy it is. I’d like a stiff divider inside, so I can keep my documents separate
from the rest of the bag’s contents, but overall I like the interior a lot. There’s space above where the opening is, so additional
items can fit up in there. I have plenty of room for my laptop, random accessories, a jacket or sweater, an umbrella, and all my
document portfolios for my different projects. The weight stays evenly balanced across my back, making a full bag quite
comfortable to wear over somewhat long distances.

Opposite the main compartment, on the inside of the flap that zips open, are a series of pockets. The mesh pocket at the top is
roomy, but the flat angled pockets below it are too tight to be very useful for anything. They could hold documents or mail, but
that’s probably it. The pen loops are fine for your run-of-the-mill pens, but my Papermate
PhD Multi pen is too thick. It’s definitely something to consider if you prefer larger writing utensils.

There’s a fairly roomy secondary pocket near the top of the bag. Surprisingly, it doesn’t make the zip-open flap too top-heavy.
It has plenty of room, along with a rubber-covered opening for a pair of earphones. I’ve found it handy for my rather large set
of keys and other small things I want to keep accessible.

The front of this pocket has a very large MobileEdge logo below the headphone port. This is slightly annoying, especially given
that they’ve plastered their logo all over this bag. It’s not like I’m trying to show off a designer brand (most of Chanel’s
flagship purse line has a giant Chanel logo on the side, so that everyone knows you can afford a Chanel bag) or anything!

The side pockets are pretty roomy, as well. The right pocket has an additional smaller outer pocket, with a mesh pocket inside
that. It’s big enough to hold my Zune and earphones, which keeps them from getting tangled up in anything else.

The larger side pocket is still big enough to hold my sunglasses case and my Nintendo DSLite. Like the main compartment, there is
space on both sides of the zipper, so the pocket is a little bigger than it looks. The rivets along the pink mesh are actual holes,
so you’ll want to make sure you don’t put anything in there that can’t be exposed to any moisture at all.

The side pocket on the left side of the bag is a little bigger – the area where where the smaller pocket would be is part of the
large pocket, so it adds some extra room. It’s big enough to hold my checkbook-size wallet and my cell phone.

I really like the side pockets. They’re very roomy, and the fabric is sturdy enough that they don’t bulge out a lot when they’re
stuffed with goodies. I’m not really a fan of the large MobileEdge logo on both pockets, though. One thing I really like about the
design is that they’re easy to reach while wearing the backpack straight on your back. I can reach around and get to my phone or
my DSLite without having to take the bag off.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with this bag. It’s comfortable and fits my small frame very well. It seems to be pretty high-quality
construction, and the padding on the back of the bag makes it easy to wear.

There are a few things I think could be better, but it has a lot of the features I look for in a good laptop bag. The one feature
of my Ice Red Drift bag that I miss is the tarpaulin bottom. It makes for a very durable, waterproof coating, which is excellent
when I have to put my bag on the dirty floor of the bus.

My only major complaint about this bag is the fabric used for the design panels on the front. I just don’t know that it’s going to
hold up to heavy, long-term use. Otherwise, I like the aesthetics of the bag. I hope MobileEdge will come out with some different
color and design options in the future, to add a little more variety to their women’s collection.

I can certainly recommend this bag, if you’re willing to pony up the $60 for one. I have yet to find a laptop bag that doesn’t come
with a high price tag, so I’d say that the Women’s Express is about in line with the competition on the market.

Filed in categories: Gear, Laptops and Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag, Laptop Bag

Mobile Edge Women’s Express Laptop Backpack Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 19, 2008 at 4:21 pm.

As I read Julie’s review of the Timbuk2 messenger bag, I couldn’t help but think of my own choice in gear-hauling. The ’2′ is a fine bag and the design possibilities are unlimited. I looked at such bags while I was shopping for a new hauler. I knew I didn’t want just a backpack or rucksack; they get tangled on furniture as you walk by and they are too big for everyday carry. I need room for a book, a sweater and a water bottle, not a sleeping bag and a tent.

The Timbuk2 line is great for what it is. However, it is ‘a sack on a strap’- you put stuff in the sack and it hangs off the strap! That’s about it. If your shoulder gets sore, you can switch it to the other shoulder. A heavy load will end up feeling like a buzzsaw at your neck after a few hours.

The colors are unlimited and lovely- but I’m slightly color-blind, so colors are less important to me than some other folks.

I looked at (literally) sixty bags before I went for the Mountainsmith Day lumbar pack (actually, a discontinued variant of the Day, the Backcountry Office; most of the specs and details are the same) and have had the same one for a decade. I don’t work for them in any way- I just love these bags.

What are the things I like?

The most important factor was the carrying system. Mountainsmith’s Delta Compression System allows you to cinch a light to medium load right into the small of your back, near your center of gravity. When you move, it does not flop or swing- it moves with you. Sometimes I forget I’m wearing the bag (and in this mode of carrying, you do wear the bag) until I sit down. I further outfitted the bag with Mountainsmith’s Strappettes, shoulder straps that attach to the Delta system. I can now carry twenty lbs. or more, and the load is split between my hips and my shoulders.

In Italy over the holidays, my girlfriend had to constantly think about the souvenirs and snacks she would buy- was she willing to carry it all around in her messenger? Once she realized how much I could carry in comfort…I was a very good sport about it. In a hurry, I could use one of the Strappettes to improvise a ‘messenger-bag’ style method of carrying. There are even grab handles for suitcase style carrying.

Another great feature is the ‘stuffability’ of the bag. The secondary pocket forms a U-shaped pocket supported by more compression straps, creating a quick hole for a sweater. The bungee cord on this pocket allows another place to stash something when your hands are busy. As a last resort, the water-bottle holsters on either side are a quick place to stash a phone or camera (my holsters are mesh, the newer pack’s are solid nylon). The bag itself has a compression system unrelated to the suspension, cutting down the bag to the size of your load at the base. This is very helpful when you’re carrying a laptop and you don’t want it to shift. Dividers and a small, zippered sunglass/ticket pocket add to the possibilities. With 854 cubic inches of space, sometimes it just all fits.

I like the look of the bag. It is a serious-looking bag! My girlfriend has complained about how the shoulder straps, waistbelt and bungee-cord can be alarming as you pass people in a crowded airplane- but she sure didn’t mention this when I was carrying a statuette of Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and 2 kg. of bread sticks…. In the plain black-on-black that I carry, it can be fairly unobtrusive…except for the yellow Mountainsmith tag and the bungee-cord. Isn’t that what boning knives are for? Not to mention that the tag is reflective, offering an added touch of safety at night. A new bungee cord is less than a buck! If you’re considering the Timbuk2, the color combinations probably won’t shock you, but they have 35 choices available. The inside of the bag is bright yellow, allowing you to see the contents better at a glance.

Drawbacks- there are a few

If you are carrying the bag without shoulder straps, you’d better keep the load under 20 lbs. or your stomach will regret it. However, carrying 20 in a messenger bag is so painful, the comparison isn’t fair.

You really should carry a spare 2-inch buckle for the waistbelt – buy one when you buy the pack!- because if it blows, you have a very nice…lunch-sack. In ten years, I’ve swapped out the buckle twice, never had one break.

When you use the Delta system, you quickly learn to take off and put on the bag the same way every time: loosen the Delta straps, then undo the waistbelt. If you do it another way, the bag won’t ride correctly.

For those of you used to the ‘messenger bag swing’ to get at stuff, you’ll get pretty quick at adjusting- like any new gear. Unless Vogue does a ‘Survivor’ edition, this bag will never be a fashion-plate.

At $80, the Mountainsmith is in line with the Timbuk2 (between $65 and $105, depending on size, although your tester was- yikes!- $196!) and they wear like iron. I picked up my Strappettes for $10 on Ebay. My bag has been all over the world and has carried everything from bricks to a live kitten (there was a fire. ‘Nuff said). The other bags sit in my closet- this is the one that gets picked almost every time. The only reason I’m thinking about a replacement is because Mountainsmith has introduced a new line of bags: same sizes, same shapes, but with recycled fabrics. That’s pretty noble (although using my bag until it dies is the best form of protecting the environment, IMHO).

Filed in categories: Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag

Mountainsmith Day Lumbar Pack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 4, 2008 at 8:34 pm.

Introduction

Last October I received a pile of cases and accessories from Tom Bihn. Over the years I’d reviewed several Tom Bihn products, all bought with my own hard earned cash – no review samples. Tom Bihn’s products are very good value I think, but a little expensive. When reviewing a case that represents days of toil in your day job, even the most tolerant of reviewers is likely to be a little more harsh. Tom Bihn’s stuff has always come out shining – not perfect, but always well worth the money.

The two main items in my box of goodies from Seattle were the Empire Builder laptop case and the sublime “Aeronaut” carry-on bag. However, being a sad little luggage fetishist, what excited me most were the accessories. Tom Bihn sent a range of organizer pouches, and packing cubes. Though not essential, the packing cubes and pouches make traveling with the Aeronaut a whole lot easier; so this review looks at both Aeronaut, pouches and cubes as one system.

I had four trips coming up where I thought I would test the Tom Bihn luggage. First up, a business trip from the UK to Chicago, and after that another to New York. Both would be four-night stays, traveling with carry-on luggage only, but for the New York trip I had to move on directly to a two-night conference in Nice. After that would be two back-to-back trips; first ten days in Hong Kong, then just over two weeks in South India.

For the trips I generally flew business or premium economy class on the long-haul legs, but coach on the shorter legs. This pattern imposes particular constraints on carry-on luggage. Long haul business is pretty relaxed about the size and weight of carry-on bags, but the budget carriers (BMI especially) seem to take every opportunity to charge you for stuff. If a budget carrier charges for checked luggage, this seems to be an incentive for check in clerks to ensure you check something! So, weight and bulk would be important!

I decided to take the Aeronaut on the business trips, with my Macbook Pro tucked into its Brain Cell, in turn stuffed into the Aeronaut. I would need a suit, but packing the suit jacket would wreck this. So, this would be carried, but all the other business clothing would be packed into the cubes within the Aeronaut.

The Aeronaut

The Aeronaut is a carry-on bag. Having had my luggage lost twice on business trips I go carry-on whenever possible. It takes a little thought and discipline, but its the way to travel for shorter trips.

My review sample was in a beautiful 1050 red ballistic nylon with black detailing.

The interior fabric is a very nice checkered material which appears in much of Tom Bihn’s gear. It is described as “200 denier nylon with a Dyneema (like Spectra) ripstop fabric” on their website. Besides being used as a liner for the Aeronaut as well as several other Tom Bihn cases, it is also the main constituent of their packing cubes.

I’ve never seen the pattern on other brands so I guess it was commissioned for Tom Bihn. In practice its a lightweight and flexible but tough nylon fabric which looks great – charcoal grey with silvery ripstop checkers. The Aeronaut is 56 x 35 x 23 cm / 22″ x 14″ x 9” and sans shoulder strap my sample weighed 1.24 kg / 2.73 lbs.

Like Tom Bihn’s other cases the Aeronaut has lots of “organic” curves. Its designed for human beings rather than just to optimize a production process. The front panel has its main compartment accessible via a large u-shaped zipper.

On each end are two smaller compartments accessed by zippers going from the base around over the top.

One end (the end that would be uppermost if your were carrying it vertically) has a diagonal zipper over a smaller pocket. In here is a key lanyard.

The Aeronaut has several carrying options. The main grab-handle is constructed from 2” webbing pulled together with a lightly padded grip. At each end is a handle designed for pulling the bag out of luggage racks. This last is red ballistic with black edging and is also useful for carrying the Aeronaut vertically (For example in crowded queues like O’Hare security!).

The optional “Terra Grip” shoulder strap clips to a couple of black metal d-rings. The Terra Grip has a rubbery pad which is very comfortable and sticks to your shoulder quite well. Its not rubber, but is apparently made of UV-stable “soy-based soft-touch polymer.” It works pretty well, though the grippy pad can ruck up a suit jacket. I tried the aeronaut with both the Terra Grip and the Absolute Shoulder Strap (< Empire Builder review>>). The more you are going to carry, the more I think you should consider the latter. Tom Bihn recommend the Absolute Strap for loads much above 7 kg (16 lbs) and I would agree. The Absolute Shoulder strap also has the advantage of one slippy side and one grippy side. The Terra Grip is $18 and must be purchased separately to the Aeronaut.

Finally there is a fully padded harness which zips away into the back of the case.

When the harness is stowed, the back of the Aeronaut is really smooth. Even the “receivers” for the harness straps retreat neatly into a pair of recesses.

Under the main flap is a zippered mesh pocket. Also in the main compartment is a means of modifying the bias of interior space to either the main compartment or the end compartments.

It took me a while to figure this out, but by popping the studs inside the main compartment you can allow the walls of this area to “relax” into the end pocket space. Do the studs up and you get the end pockets back. A neat way to get a bit of flexibility.

The zippers are splash-proof YKK #10 Coil zippers and all the metal hardware is black steel. The Tom Bihn logo is on the main flap; “portable culture.”

The packing cubes

Packing cubes are nothing new. I’d bought a few small ones of various brands for corralling cables and accessories, but had never tried the larger kind for clothing, shoes etc. The Tom Bihn packing cubes are made from the same attractive charcoal grey and silver-checked material that lines the Aeronaut. Each cube uses No. 5 YKK zippers, and some also include polyester mesh panels. The cubes have a loop of webbing to aid removal from cases etc, and each has the blue version of Tom Bihn’s new logo. The cubes are very light, around 75 grammes on average, and the material is soft and flexible but still built to Tom Bihn’s usual “bullet proof” standards. The flexibility is important, when you are not using the cubes its nice to be able to fold them up tight and compact. I have some Eagle Creek packing cubes and these are more rigid.

One is sometimes required to empty a case for inspection. Its much easier to do this, and more to the point, easier to re-pack it with cubes rather than a loose pile of stuff. On my India trip I was rarely in the same hotel for more than a night and so it was hardly worth unpacking everything. I also had to secure stuff in my main bag whenever I left the room. Again, packing cubes make access when “living out of the case” so much easier.

Aeronaut end pocket – fabric / fabric $15
Smart business shoes look a bit naff with travel clothing; jeans, zip-offs etc.. So I usually pack these in a supermarket carrier bag. No longer. I now have this nice opaque packing cube which I am dedicating to shoes (else the polish and dirt rub off on clothes).

I don’t want the shoes to rub on each other, so they are separated by a shoe cloth. Tucked inside the shoes are some socks and underpants. (My shoes are US mens size 11.) Its 34.5 x 20 x 8 cm / 13.6” x 8” x 3”

Aeronaut end pockets – mesh / fabric $15
When you reach up to remove something from your carry on, you don’t want your manky underwear spilling out for viewing by your fellow passengers. This said, you want to identify what’s in there. These packing cubes have mesh sides and / or edges to allow you to see the contents without opening.

The mesh also allows damp items to breath a little, for example, stuff that comes back from the hotel laundry not perfectly dry. Again these cubes are about 34.5 x 20 x 8 cm / 13.6” x 8” x 3”.

Convertible packing cube $15
This one is pretty cool. The cube has d-rings at either end and a diagonal zip picket on one face. Obviously its a plain packing cube most of the time but converts into small shoulder bag by simply clipping the strap from your main bag into the d-rings.

I used this on some trips to carry my swimming kit around. It was also pretty handy for the beach or for shopping and for pulling together all the organizer pouches (see below). Its size is 34.5 x 20 x 8 cm / 13.6” x 8” x 3”; the same as the other Aeronaut cubes.

Clear Quarter Packing Cube $20
I used this double-sided cube for medical kit and washing kit on the long vacation trips, and on the business trips it served as a gadget case. Its 20 x 17 x 8 cm (7.8″ x 6.7″ x 3.1″) and weighs a tad more than the other cubes at 125 g / 4.4 oz.

Large Packing Cube $18
On all trips the large packing cube was used to store folded shirts and trousers. As long as its reasonably full (about five shirts) the cube does a fine job maintaining your clothes in a reasonable state of press.

On the business trips I wrapped my trousers around the shirts.

These emerged at the end of each trip just fine – no pressing needed. The large cube is 34.5 x 34.5 x 10 cm / 13.6” x 13.6” x 4” and 105 g / 3.7 oz.

Passport Pouch $10
On the vacation trips I used the passport pouch to carry my room key, passport, cash and cards on those party nights where I could not trust myself to look after a wallet.

I also use it daily at the gym to hold my car and locker keys, some change and my gym membership card. Its 13 cm x 16 cm / 5” x 6”.

Organizer Pouches
Tom Bihn make a range of organizer pouches. They come in plain cordura or Dyneema ripstop in clear and padded forms. The cordura color range is large (about 11 colors I think), and you can check it out on the Tom Bihn website. This said, you do not get to choose your colors, you can just indicate a preference when ordering. The clear form has the front panel in clear plastic, a plastic zip (with plastic slider) across the top and a small plastic snap-hook for clipping to d-rings on and in larger bags, key lanyards … etc. The padded pouches have light padding – its not too bulky but just right for protecting and organizing power adapters, portable disk drives, a pda etc. All pouches come in three sizes: mini, small, and medium. They measure as follows: mini; 14.5 x 10 cm (5.7″ x 3.9″); small; 18 x 12.5 cm (7″ x 5″); and medium; 26 x 18 cm (10.3″ x 7″). The price for the cordura pouches is: mini ($5.00), small ($7.00), and medium ($9.00). For clear pouches its: mini ($6.00), small ($8.00), and medium ($10.00). Padded comes at: mini ($7.00), small ($9.00), and medium ($11.00). I was sent a selection of padded and clear pouches.

Mini Clear Organizer Pouch $6
This blue backed pouch was an obvious container for my earbuds. I have two sets in here, plus some adapters. The black set are my motorcycling earbuds and are custom made for my ears. These were staggeringly expensive and so I’m glad of; a) a bright colored case, and; b) a snap-hook to fix them into larger bags.

Small Clear Organizer Pouch $8
This one is perfect for flip-chart pens, OHP pens etc.

Small Padded organizer Pouch $9
I have a pair of Sony in-ear noise reducing headphones. These are small, dark, expensive and easy to misplace. This small padded pouch provides the buds with an ideal home.

Medium Padded Organizer Pouch $11
Last, but perhaps most useful of all has been this medium padded pouch. I use this for my Macbook Pro power adapter (this is the smaller, 85W adapter by the way)

The system in use

Here you can see the contents for the business trip spread all over the bed.

The next view is the same stuff partially wrapped into the packing cubes.

Then we have it all ready to go in the main case. The organizer pouches are on the middle left, stacked in the convertible packing cube.

Finally some views of it all going into the Aeronaut.

I also tried to squeeze in my Macbook Pro and some other gadgets. These in turn are protected and organized by the Tom Bihn Brain Cell and organizer pouches, the latter being tidied up by the convertible packing cube (see below).

The last shot shows everything in, with the flap about to be zipped up. This whole lot weighs 13.5 kg / 30 lbs and a complete listing of the contents is in the box below (the numbered items in my master list). The pics at the start of the review show me holding the Aeronaut in this state – fully loaded.

Click on thumbnail to see full size image

On the shoulder and in the hand its surprisingly comfortable. With the “Absolute Shoulder Strap” (see Empire Builder review) its more comfortable still! With the harness deployed and on the back its perfect for those long treks between transfer gates. I’m 6’2”. If you are vertically challenged try the “breve” version of the Aeronaut – its the same size bag but with straps modified for people under about 5’8”.

Packing the Aeronaut with the help of the cubes is very easy. Everything just slides in there; nice and neat. I don’t know why it took me so long to get into packing cubes – life changing! Most of the time I carry it using the shoulder strap. To reduce my “footprint” in crowds I might carry it vertically using the lug-handles. These last make it very easy to remove from racks.

Comfortable or no, the perceptive will have noticed that problematic figure of 13.5 kg all up weight. This is about 3 kg more than many budget airlines will tolerate for carry-on luggage. There is a solution for the uber-geek but for the complete story you will have to wait until we post the review of my Koyono “Black Coat Classic.” The Black Coat is what I’m wearing in the opening pics of this review – this baby has 14 compartments to secret away all sorts of junk! Just think of the potential – slip those organizer pouches away onto your person and suddenly your carry on bag is 3 kg lighter!

Any problems with the Aeronaut?

One thing I found odd was the orientation of the main zipper. I found it a little frustrating when I had to remove the laptop for security checks, especially when I had to do so while waiting in a queue. I wrote to Tom Bihn to ask about the logic behind the main flap orientation. Tom explained that with early prototypes of the Aeronaut, when he came into a hotel room and flung the bag onto the bed, it would typically end up with the handle (top edge) nearest him. After unzipping the main compartment, Tom wanted the flap – the unzipped hatch closure – flip back towards him, so that the zippered mesh pocket in the flap was handy. If the closure to faced 180 degrees from its current orientation, the hatch would flip away and the pocket would be far less convenient. This all makes sense; the Aeronaut is not really a laptop case and it was not designed to address my predicament. This said, with carry-on rules as they are, many travelers are stuck with one bag and the laptop has to be – at least for security checks – tucked away somewhere. I could imagine a modification that would deal with this though – another zipper running longwise on the top panel perhaps an inch or so from the back edge, plus some webbing to anchor the bayonet clips of a Brain Cell inside the case. In this way the Brain Cell could just hang there behind the packing cubes, accessible from the outside via the new top zip if needed. However, if this is done the Aeronaut starts to become more like Tom Bihn’s new “Western Flyer” case. Perhaps I want the case to be too many things.

On the shoulder the bag looks far less bulky than bags of equivalent volume. Before the Aeronaut my carry-on was a RedOxx “Air Boss.” The Air Boss was a nice case, but it would flex so that the contents made the case bulge out, and look very big and heavy. By contrast the Aeronaut flexes – unless its brim-full as in these pics – so that it sort of, wraps around you. Its hard to describe but this has the effect of making the bag look smaller.

I was worried that the red ballistic fabric would be a dirt magnet, but it still looks pretty clean after six trips. I did get a dirty smudge on the bottom of the bag, but this cleaned up fairly easily with some washing-up liquid and a nailbrush. This said, if I was forced to check the Aeronaut then it might not fare so well. What would be handy would be some sort of lightweight spray cover, perhaps in a lurid color that I could wrap around the bag. Ideally this could be locked shut. Not so much for real security, but to provide evidence of tampering. If I was really worried about the case getting dirty I’d probably buy the black or grey versions.

Summary

Overall then, as you probably gather I like this suite of gear. Its so easy to criticize luggage on the basis of “its not the way I would design it.” Often I read reviews that are positional statements about the reviewer’s design philosophy. I’m not going to go there. Its really hard to fault this kit from Tom Bihn. I list some items as “cons” to be consistent with the format of other Gadgeteer reviews, but really these are minor suggestions for improvement. The Aeronaut is a very nice looking, elegantly simple and very practical bag. It does what its designed to do very, very well. Add in some packing cubes and organizer pouches and you have a great system for one-bag travel. The cubes are by no means the only ones out there in the marketplace, but they are some of the most lightweight and strong, and pretty to boot. The organizer pouches are straightforward, they do the job well, at a very keen price. Overall, beautiful work Tom Bihn. Well done.

Aeronaut Price: $175
Packing cubes: From $10 to $20
Organizer pouches: From $5 to $11

Filed in categories: Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag, Laptop Bag, Shoulder Bag

Tom Bihn Aeronaut, Packing Cubes and Organizer Pouches originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 28, 2008 at 5:05 pm.

If you saw the Ladies Madison Laptop Tote review, you knew there was a second review coming your way. Samsill graciously sent the tote and the Microsoft Summit Laptop Backpack for my use. For the last 3 months, everyone in the house has used the backpack. My husband and I tried it in multiple environments. He used it at school and for work. I used it to consolidate my purse, diaper bag, and independent contractor equipment into one bag. We split the time using the bag and carried it everywhere we went. Want to know how the Summit Laptop Backpack held up over these months? Keep reading the review!

Specifications per Samsill’s website

Holds most laptops that are up to 15.4″ wide
Protective padded laptop compartment with Velcro security strap
Zip down pocket for media storage and accessory panels
Side pocket for water bottle
Two front zipper pockets and large center storage compartment
Fleece lined side MP3 player pocket with headphone exit port
Air-flow padding on back and shoulder straps
Light-colored lining to find items fast
Water resistant bottom
Quick drop pocket for keys and coins
Product Dimensions: 15.25″ x 8.25″ x 19.5″
Product Weight: 6 lbs
Material: Lightweight 1680D poly

When selecting the bag for review, what caught my eye were a number of features. The overall size, business casual look, and the multiple-use compartments would easily meet the needs of a student, professional, or even a multi-role mom like me. It also was trendy and looked convenient. Once the bag arrived, my online assessment was further proven.

In the case of Ronnie, he just finished his MBA in July! Congratulations!!! Besides towing his typical student gear, he also carried his laptop from work, engineering documents, SIRIUS radio equipment, and miscellaneous items (keys, phone, parking pass, etc.) in the backpack. He found it was a great way to carry everything and have it readily available. To spare you pictures of diapers, wipes, and unmentionable gear from my purse, I am using pictures from when Ronnie used the backpack. So, lets take a look at the backpack!

Starting at the top of the bag, the carrying handle joins the wide shoulder straps. This convenient feature allowed me to balance the load when lifting and carrying it like a tote. As you move down the padded straps, there is breathable, mesh fabric on the straps and along the back of the bag. At the bottom of the straps are fasteners to snap along your chest.

Moving around the bag, you will come to the first set of three compartments. By the way, each compartment on the backpack has a Microsoft labeled zipper. The first compartment is a fleece-lined pocket with a mesh holder and a headphone exit port. The concept of this pocket was great, but I did want more padding on the exterior. The mesh prevents my accessories from scratching but does not give enough padding for the bag being bumped or dropped.

Just below the MP3 player pocket, there is an accessory pocket. I did not use this one as frequently as the other pockets. For organizational purposes, I just need two small pockets. The MP3 one and a pocket I will detail in a moment, were my prime choices since they offered convenience and easy access.

On the opposite side is a pocket specifically designed for the beverage of your choice. It fits a water bottle, Diet Coke, and even a good ol’ Boulevard Wheat.

A feature I particularly liked on this tote was the waterproof and cushioned bottom. If you recall from the Ladies Tote, there was not much padding to the bag and made me nervous stashing a laptop. With the Backpack, the concern is lessened with the thick, vinyl bottom and extra padding inside. These features not only add protection, but keep the bag standing upright.

Look at the grey and black material for the exterior of the bag. They are a woven 1680D poly like the Ladies Tote. The only difference is that the poly was used for the edge piping, too. After 2 months of using the backpack every day, the piping frayed. Although the material showed wear on the piping, it stayed in good condition everywhere else.

Moving back to the top, there are six pockets along the front. Here are pictures with them all unzipped.

The back pocket measures 18″ deep x 11″ wide. It secures a laptop with a Velcro strap and padded holder. The space for a laptop measures 15″ deep by 10″ across. Directly across from the laptop holder are slots for disc storage. Between these two areas, there is ample room to store books and writing materials.

As you move to the next compartment, you will see it is a shallow spot measuring 7″ deep and 5″ wide. The pocket provides quick access to your keys, USB port, pens, etc. Making it even easier to find your gear is the orange parachute material inside. This fabric is found inside each of each compartment except two side pockets. By the way, this was my second most-used pocket since it easily held my wallet, cell phone, and keys.

The third compartment measures 16″ deep and 10″ wide. It has a catch-all mesh pocket with an elastic band, and the pocket measures the full length of the compartment. Overall, this compartment gives you plenty of room for more reading materials, your lunch, or things you do not want stored next to your laptop. What I liked about this compartment is that I could open it to get my gear, but not expose my laptop. The mesh pocket also held my Canon camera; and, being in the middle of the bag, there was some added protection.

The fourth and fifth compartments are also multi-use pockets. The fourth one measures 16″ deep x 9″ wide and has slots for pens, pencils, calculators, business cards, and other gadgets. Of the smaller pockets, Ronnie used this one the most. He put everything he would normally carry in his pockets here.

Just in front of this panel is a compartment measuring 6″ x 6″. It opens out and allows for you to quickly stash gear. Ronnie liked using it for his badge for work and parking pass. I was not as much of a fan of this pocket, since I did not like providing quick access to my stuff…to a potential thief or mischievous kid. It never failed, that was the first pocket the kids would open.

The final compartment was one neither of us used. With nine total compartments, we just do not carry that much stuff. Plus, when we would have the bag on the floor, we would typically just want to reach things from the top of the bag. But, this pocket might provide convenience for your high-maintenance-gadget-toting-friend. The mesh pocket within this compartment is split in half, and the pocket measures 9″ deep by 10″ wide.

For one final feature of the backpack, I need to discuss its bulkiness. The overall size is 19″ long and 15″ wide and makes it difficult for someone with a small frame to use. In contrast, it is ideal for a 6 foot or taller guy. Here is a picture of Ronnie (6’2″ with 44L coat) wearing the backpack. As you can see, it spans the width of his shoulders and most of his back.

Although it is bulky, the bag is compact for the amount of things it holds. When fully packed and unzipped, the bag measured approximately 13″ from the top view.

After taking this picture, I zipped up the bag. Check out how it compressed to 9″.

Overall, Ronnie and I enjoyed using Samsill’s Microsoft Summit Laptop Backpack. He liked it so much that he will continue to use it. And, I will keep carrying the Microsoft Ladies Tote. The backpack was easy to test everyday for the last 3 months. It met the needs of a student, a professional, and an on-the-go mom. It is a stylish backpack and an affordable solution to consolidating all your gear into one bag.

Bags available through Amazon.

Filed in categories: Articles, Gear, Laptops and Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag, Laptop Bag

Samsill Microsoft Summit Laptop Backpack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 24, 2007 at 9:45 am.

I love leather gear bags. Not the froo-froo kind though. I’m talking about the more rugged style of leather bags. The kind that Indiana Jones might appreciate if he was a real person. The kind of bag that might be able to tell stories if it could talk. The kind of bag that isn’t made on an assembly line, but in a more personal setting. Bags from the Saddleback Leather Company of Texas fit this criteria and according to owner Dave Munson, these are the kind of bags that your grandkids will fight over when you’re dead. Sounds good enough to me, let’s take a closer look…

The Saddleback Leather Company sells four types of leather products. They sell briefcases, satchels, suitcases and messenger bags. I was sent their medium sized Light Tobacco Brown briefcase to review. This style of bag is available in four sizes (S, M, L, XL) and four colors (Light Tobacco Brown, Chestnut Reddish Brown, Dark Coffee Brown and Carbon Black).

Upon first seeing this product, I was struck by its robust look and feel. I had an overwhelming urge to beat my chest like Tarzan or something… I resisted that urge though as I’m a girl and it just wouldn’t look right ;o) This bag has been built to last. I mean really last. Saddleback Leather bags are constructed of 4-5 ounce full grain leather, which comes from the top layer of the cow hide (the toughest part).

You’ll notice if you look closely at my pictures, that you can see scuffs, scrapes and blemishes on the surface of the leather. If you like your bags to look perfect and pristine, you probably won’t like these bags. Personally, I think they look very cool and give the bag character.

The briefcase has a large flap that is held closed by three straps with buckles. You don’t have to fasten all three buckles though. I would leave the outer straps tucked under and would just fasten the middle buckle. You’ll also notice an adjustable shoulder strap and a convenient grab handle at the top of the bag.

The flap straps wrap around the bottom of the bag, to give it stability. If you like, you can stow an umbrella, newspaper or tripod under these straps. You can even remove the straps completely. It’s up to you.

There are only three pockets on the exterior of the briefcase. One on either end, that can hold items such as your cellphone. My Treo 680 fit fine. The other pocket is located on the back of the bag and can accommodate a standard sized magazine (the top of the magazine sticks above the flap by about 2 inches with my Medium sized briefcase).

You might notice the extra metal rings on this bag. You can use them to attach key rings and other items. Three of them are also used when you convert the bag from shoulder style to backpack style. More about that in a bit.

All of the hardware used on the briefcase is super sturdy. From the buckles to the rivets, these bags are made to last a lifetime. In the picture above, you can also get a good look at the quality stitching and the thickness of the leather.

I really like the grab handle which is made of a large comfortable roll of leather. Once you have a gear bag with a grab handle, you’ll never want one without it. It makes taking the bag in and out of a car so much easier.

Unbuckle the main flap to gain access to the interior of the bag. As you will notice, there aren’t any pockets on the exterior, under the flap. I kinda wish there was at least one flat pocket for papers or other thin items.

The interior of the Medium sized bag is separated into two main compartments. The back compartment is completely open and can be used for a laptop, books or other larger items. A 10 inch strap of leather with a spring clip for your keys is riveted to the divider wall. There is a false bottom in the back section. A leather flap lifts up so that you can hide flat items such as your passport or extra cash.

The front section of the bag has four open topped pockets sewn into the sides. One on each outside edge and then two on the center divider wall.

Here’s what the briefcase looks like loaded with some of my stuff. My 15″ Macbook Pro fits in the back slot. It’s a snug fit though and would not allow for an additional protective sleeve. In the front section, I have a couple of my favorite Waterfield gear pouches, along with a Waterfield Design wallet in one of the pockets. In the other pocket, I have a checkbook and my iPhone. The side pockets have pens and other small items.

Here I am wearing the bag bandolier style. For reference, I’m 5’6″ and weigh 125lbs. It looks great doesn’t it? It’s an eye catching bag, that’s for sure. But here’s the thing… This bag is heavy. Empty, the bag weighs in at 6 lbs. 11 oz. That’s with absolutely nothing in it at all. Load it up with your gear and it’s going to give you a work out. At least it did for me… Maybe I’m just a shrimpy wimp though. ;o)

You can convert the bag to wear like a backpack. For heavier loads, this may be more comfortable. To convert it, you detach the shoulder strap, reattach one end to the bottom metal D-ring, pass the other end of the strap through the large metal ring near the grab handle, then reattach the end of the shoulder strap to the opposite bottom D-ring.

The shoulder pads can then be adjusted for just the right fit. Adjusting the straps to wear this bag backpack style is a bit tricky though and might not work for everyone, depending on their size.

Although I am able to wear the bag this way, I couldn’t quite get the fit just the way I wanted it. I almost wish there was another strap to go across my front.

I’ve been extremely impressed with the materials and workmanship of the Saddleback Leather Company Briefcase. I have no doubts that it will last longer on this planet than I will. It has a classic simple style that catches eyes better than all those other lame looking designer bags on the market. The only complaint that I have is that it’s heavy. But I suppose if you want a bag made with the kind of materials that will last forever, you will have to deal with the bulk. This issue keeps me from using this briefcase as my every day bag, but on those days when I want to be noticed, I strap it on and bask in all the envious looks I receive.

Small (12 x 10 x 6 inches) – $410.00
Medium (14 x 11 x 9 inches) – $485.00
Large (16 x 12 x 9 inches) – $520.00
Extra Large (18 x 13 x 9 inches) – $545.00

(Note: The link in this review to the Saddleback Leather Company website is an affiliate link.)

Filed in categories: Gear, Laptops and Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag, Laptop Bag, Shoulder Bag

Saddleback Leather Company Briefcase originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 31, 2007 at 5:20 pm.

Cory at Spire USA contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their latest product : The Torq – a laptop backpack. Although I currently use a backpack bag for all my camera gear – the Crumpler Karachi Outpost backpack – and I only have one back, I thought I would give it a try. What could it hurt (aside from my back)?

At first glance I thought this bag probably wouldn’t work for me. Aside from my aforementioned concern about having only one back, this bag looked too small to house all the stuff I carry with me on a daily basis. When I took it out of the box it was compressed flat. This was misleading.

The bag/backpack actually has three full length vertical pockets – each with considerable space. The center pocket comes with a variably sized laptop sleeve. You select one of eight boot sizes to fit your laptop when you order the Torq.

I typically carry two laptops and I found that both fit easily into the center pocket. I put the Toshiba I own inside the laptop sleeve and slide the Dell machine provided by my employer right in there next to it.

In the front-most vertical pocket I carry the two laptop power bricks and a mouse. There is plenty of room in there for more stuff!

The front vertical compartment also has a nice selection of mesh, nylon, and zippered pockets to help you organize your equipment.

In the rear-most vertical pocket, I carry my 6×8 Wacom tablet, a mouse pad, and a fair stack of papers, CDROMs, etc. Again, there is room for a lot more stuff here.

There is also a roomy front pocket which will expand to carry smaller items like card readers, office supplies, etc.

After you get everything packed into this expandable pack, you can bind everything together with the dual sets of straps on the sides. Each side has a permanent adjustable strap located about a third of the way up.

Each side also has another set of adjustable straps with quick disconnects located about a third of the way down from the top.

Spire has done a good job creating a flexible design which allows you to expand to contain your gear while still keeping everything tight inside so it doesn’t shift around when you are moving. I think I could reasonably double the amount of gear I am currently carrying, but this is not necessarily a good thing.

Let us talk about straps. The Torq comes with four different strap systems. You can choose which way you prefer carry the bag and stow away the unneeded straps in the pockets provided for this purpose.

The removable laptop sleeve is held in place inside the Torq by a Velcro pad on the back of the sleeve mating to the solid Velcro backside of the center vertical pocket. You can just pull it out and attach the included nylon strap to the two D-rings located at the top of the sleeve.

Of course the Torq comes with standard padded backpack straps. These straps are fastened at the bottom with quick disconnects. This allows you to quickly stow the straps away inside the gap between the bag and the rear padding.

The standard backpack straps are easily adjustable. They also come with a sternum strap which is adjustable vertically as well as for tension. Each has a small horizontal nylon strap and one has a medium sized D-ring where you could hang small items.

Spire has also included a padded waist strap with a large quick disconnect buckle which can be used to take some of the load off of your shoulders. This strap can also be stowed in the gap between the pack and the rear padding when not in use.

Finally, the Torq comes with a fairly wide, padded shoulder strap which can be connected to the bag in a number of ways. The bag has metal O-rings located at all four corners. I prefer to connect my shoulder strap to the two O-rings at the top of the bag. You could carry the bag on its side – or even upside down if you are feeling wild and crazy!

Note – carrying a fully loaded Torq backpack upside down is not recommended by either the author of this review or The Gadgeteer. Please do so at your own risk.

This shoulder strap allows me to carry my Crumpler Karachi Outpost backpack simultaneously with the Torq with minimal discomfort – said discomfort having more to do with the overall weight of my gear than any design issue with either bag. The amount of gear I carry around with me is really ridiculous and seems to grow over time. I am like the old woman in the Labyrinth who has accumulated a lifetime of junk on her back.

This is not your problem and I apologize for bringing it up.

The bag also includes two nylon mesh side pockets with synch straps. These are suitable for water bottles, cell phones, etc. I use one of mine for my PDA. At the top you will also find a round, hard rubber, nylon covered grab handle.

Now it is time for specifications. The backpack’s external material is primarily 1680 Denier Ballistic Nylon. The interior pockets are lined primarily with 210 Denier light gray nylon. The bag weighs appx. 2.9 pounds and has overall dimensions of 19.5″ x 14.5″ x 9″ unexpanded (49.5cm x 37cm x 23cm). As mentioned earlier, the laptop sleeve, included in the price of the bag, is variable — based on the size of your laptop.

You can purchase the Torq for $170 in one of the following color schemes: Arctic Gray/Black, Chili Red/Black, Midnight Blue/Black, Stealth Black (as shown in review pics). I prefer the ‘stealth’ plain color schemes as I am not trying to draw the attentions of any would-be thieves out to run away with my gear.

Filed in categories: Gear, Laptops and Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag, Laptop Bag

Spire Torq Backpack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 25, 2007 at 11:30 am.

Sometime back in May or June I decided to try a different approach for my
photography business. Rather than the traditional portrait stuff, I
decided to see if I could make a nickel selling action shots. So far my
little endeavor (iphotsports.com) seems to be paying off
pretty well. Anyway, getting round to the point, in order to properly
shoot action shots, I had to purchase a digital SLR (Canon 20D), lenses,
and other accessories. I very quickly found that I was outgrowing my
Roadwired Photo/Video Bag.

After looking around at potential replacements, I decided that what I
needed was a camera backpack. The folks at Crumpler
had just the ticket in their Karachi Outpost backpack. Before I go on
about the backpack, I would like to talk a bit about Crumpler’s rather
unique website.

The site is interactive with an interesting, to say the least, soundtrack.
This is certainly the only site that I have ever visited that provides the
visitor with a way to fling mud (at least I hope it is mud) onto their
page. You just press the button in the lower right hand corner. Press it
repeatedly and the site will look like this.

Of course, none of this serves any useful purpose, but it is fun. You pull
the chain on the right side to reset and start all over. I found the
overall design of this site to be so unique that I ended up visiting the
site of the ad agency (The Sputnik Agency) that
‘handmade’ it. I ended up killing an hour or so downloading video clips
from some of their TV commercials (the commercials for the Predator
Australian Rules football shoes by adidas were a scream). OK, so now that
I have completely bored you to death — on to the review!

Now I am REALLY going to start writing about the Karachi Outpost
photo/video pack. First, let me show you a couple of shots of the bag.
Here they are as modeled by my son at the “Run Like Hell” 5K run in
Indianapolis last Halloween.

A fine looking individual, but enough about my son. The bag looks pretty
solid, too. The firmly padded shoulder straps set nicely on the shoulder.
Note the cross strap which ties the two straps together across your chest.
There are also handy d-rings for clipping small accessories.

On the opposite side there is a fixed band, as well as an adjustable band
with buckle that could be used to stow a tripod or possible to slip over
the extendable handle of your suitcase at the airport. Speaking of
airports, Crumpler states that this bag will fit all but the smallest
overhead compartments.

The two zippers you see a little over midway on either side of the bag
allow access to the expandable pockets on the exterior of the bag. These
pockets are fairly thin-walled (no padding), so they are not suitable for
fragile electronic gear. I stow small items like my mini tripod in these.

Now lets talk about the zippers. Inside and out, this bag has the
sturdiest most durable zippers that I have ever seen. The pull tab feels
solid in your hand and sports the Crumpler logo.

One more external detail before we move inside. The ‘back’ side of the
pack — meaning the surface that presses against your back when wearing
the pack, is very nicely padded and includes what Crumpler calls a “spine
slot” which basically prevents any pressure from being applied to your
spine. Your nervous system will really appreciate this feature. This
padding will also help to cushion the equipment inside when the pack is
off your back.

Let’s take a peek inside (you have been so patient). Here is the inside as
configured for my equipment. Like most photo/video bags, the layout is
customizable using the included velcro panels and compartments.

In fact, you can actually removed the entire inside compartment –
effectively converting the Karachi Outpost into a simple backpack.

This removable compartment is heavily padded to augment the padding built
into the backpack. I actually had the whole works, fully loaded with my
camera and accessories, roll out of my van and onto the blacktop shortly
after I started using the pack and I was not even worried about damage.
This pack makes me feel very secure about my equipment.

Here is a picture of the pack fully loaded. Note the heavy mesh cover over
the main compartment. This keeps the individual pieces in their proper
compartments.

This mesh cover comes with a double zipper of the same heavy construction
as the zippers on the exterior of the bag.

The bag comes with two dividers with flaps to help hold their contents
(you can see them on the right side of the photo below.

On the left side of the photo above you can see the internal zippered
compartment, although it is partially obscured by the cap of my Lumisphere
flash diffuser that my friend Lee out in New Jersey provided. The zipper
on this compartment is a smaller version of the heavier zippers found
elsewhere on this bag. I keep all of my smaller items in here.

As if carrying all of you photo equipment wasn’t enough, the Karachi
Outpost also comes with a laptop sleeve large enough for a 17″ laptop.

As you can see, the laptop sleeve is removable and includes a six pocket
organizer.

The sleeve is held in place inside the lid of the main compartment by a
velcro loop strap and large velcro patch.

To give you a sense for Crumpler’s attention to detail, the large velcro
patch used to secure the laptop sleeve has a velcro flap to cover it when
the laptop sleeve is not in use.

Here is a shot to give you an idea what the Karachi Outpost photo/video
pack can carry (Minus the Canon 20D I used to take the picture).

The overall dimensions are as follows:
15x22x12in [external] 10.5×15.5×1.5in [laptop sleeve]
38x56x30cm [external] 27×39.5x4cm [laptop sleeve]

Materials: Water resistant 1000D Nylon shell & 420D Ripstop Nylon lining

I have now been using this backpack for over three months (as Julie has
been reminding me on a daily basis for quite some time — “Where’s my
review?”, she asks). For my purposes, this is the perfect solution. I
carry everything I need to do professional photographic work on my back,
excepting a method for printing. There is actually room in there for one
of these new mini portable printers, but I don’t have one. Julie?

The pack provides excellent padded protection for valuable camera gear,
looks nice. As an added bonus, it does not ‘look’ like a photo/video bag,
which should reduce the chance of theft. I carry a pretty heavy equipment
load comfortably (yes, I sometimes carry it myself rather than using my
son as a pack mule) with the Karachi Outpost bag. I highly recommend it.

List Price: $350.00AUD -> $260.00US Dollars as of 28 Nov 2005
Available in Dark Brown/Light Oatmeal/Oatmeal or Gun Metal/Black/Mid Grey
Julie found it at Adorama for $225.00

Bonus pic of my son and I in costume at the “Run Like Hell” halloween 5K
run in Indianapolis.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Gear, Laptops and Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag

Crumpler Karachi Outpost Backpack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 28, 2005 at 6:00 pm.

You’ve got to love a bag from a company named Bumbakpaks. Come on, it’s just fun to say. Bumbakpaks, bumbakpaks, bumbakpaks. Ok, now that I have that out of my system, I can tell you about their Urbanomic Hamptons Chocotango bag which the company refers to as a messenger bag. But to me it looks more like a satchel that a teacher might carry. Regardless as to what it looks like, this bag has the ability to hold all of your gear and your laptop. What makes the Urbanomic Hamptons Chocotango bag different than other bags is its ability to go from a backpack to a shoulder bag.

This bag is available in the Chocotango (Green/Orange) color, as well as Khaki Stone. Similar bags (those without compartments on the outside flap) are available in other colors as well. The exterior is constructed of 1680D military ballistic nylon with a polyurethane coating. The main interior area is made of a heavy gauge PVC tarpaulin. Sized at 16.5 x 13 x 5 inches and weighing in at 4 lbs empty, this bag is not a light weight.

The front flap has 3 compartments sewn on the outside, along with 4 metal D rings as attachment points for keys, or other items. The leftmost compartment is a 3 x 5 inch flapped pocket. The flap is held closed with a magnet clasp. The middle compartment is a 3.5 x 6 inch zippered pouch with a mesh pocket sewn on the outside. The rightmost pocket is a vertically zippered 3 x 5 inch pouch.

Having the ability to put some of your gear on the outside flap is a nice benefit, but it has its drawbacks as well. The problem is that the flap is already a bit on the stiff side. So, when you fill up the front pockets, it makes the flap heavy and awkward to open and flip back behind the bag.

I don’t want to forget to mention that I really like the clips used to secure the flap. Unlike typical pinch style clips, these are finger friendly. They are large with a large circular area that you can press and slide out of the latch.

There’s a hand grip (not padded) sewn into the top of the bag, and 2 elastic mesh bottle holders on the right side. Another pocket is located on the opposite side of the bag as well. It’s a ballistic nylon pocket, not mesh.

The back portion of the bag has two large mesh covered pads that match up pretty well with your bum when you wear the bag backpack style. Hence the name: Bumbakpak ;o) A removable and adjustable waist strap stabilizer attaches to the back of the bag via 2 metal D rings.

Photo courtesy of Bumbakpak

The bum pads are sewn on top of a compartment that can either be used as an extra pocket, or as a pass-thru for luggage handles. If used as a pocket, it is large enough to hold a standard sized magazine without it sticking out the top of the pocket.

Also located on the back of the bag is the dedicated padded and velour lined non-scratch laptop compartment. This is a zippered area that has a capacity up to 14 x 10.5 x 1.5 inches. An FAQ on the Bumbakpak site gives additional size info. The pocket does fit most newer laptops with 12″, 14″, and 15″ screens. According to the site, it will fit the Apple 12″ and 15″ G4 notebooks. Velcro adjusters inside the pocket allow it to hold small laptops securely. In the picture above, I’ve just placed some magazines in the pocket. I’m between notebooks at the moment…

Opening the flap reveals the eye popping orange tarp lined main area. On the underside of the flap are two adjustable umbrella or newspaper holders.

The sides of the bag are constructed in such a way that when the flap is folded in the closed position, rain and snow can not gain access to the interior of the bag.

Under the flap are several organizer pockets. There are 4 pen/pencil slots, with a vertically zippered pocket to their right. These pockets are sewn on top of a 9 x 6 inch zippered pouch which you see above. This pouch has a detachable key ring leash that you can barely see in the picture above.

Behind that zippered pocket is a larger zippered pocket that has 2 other pockets sewn into the back wall. You have to admit that this bag as quite a bit of organized storage available.

The main compartment is pretty large. I’ve just placed an iPod at the bottom to give you an idea of the size. A flat zippered mesh pocket is sewn into the back wall of the bag.

I was able to stuff my usual assortment of Waterfield pouches into this bag with room to spare.

The bumbakpak is a backpack style bag that isn’t quite like an ordinary backpack. As you can see from the pictures, it hangs lower on your back that a regular backpack. It may look odd, but it’s actually quite comfortable due to the bum pads and the nicely padded shoulder strap. Even carrying the bag fully loaded down with gear was comfy.

To convert the Bumbakpak from backpack to a single strap shoulder bag, you just unsnap the folded shoulder strap, unhook one end of the strap from the bag and re-hook it using another D ring. A nifty animation on the Bumbakpak site shows you step by step how to do this.

As a single strap bag, it hangs lower than is comfortable to me. The strap can’t really be adjusted for length… I’m not very tall though (5’5″), so it would probably not be an issue for someone taller.

The Bumbakpak is a very nicely constructed bag. I found no defects in materials or workmanship. The style of the bag is a personal preference issue though and although there are many features that I appreciate in this bag, it isn’t one that I would like to carry as my every day gear bag. At this point, I’m still more fond of the freeform Timbuk2 messenger bag that I reviewed not long ago. I find the Timbuk2 easier to get into and easier to throw over my shoulder. I would love to see Bumbakpaks make a similar bag in the future. If you are a fan of satchel style bags and want one that will hold a lot of gear, this rugged bag deserves consideration.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag, Laptop Bag, Shoulder Bag

Bumbakpaks Urbanomic Hamptons Bag originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 11, 2005 at 6:32 pm.

Product Requirements:
Daily gear that needs a bag, a smaller
sized laptop (up to 11.5" x 9.5" x 1.5" / 290 x 240 x
38mm)

One of my favorite gear bag manufacturers is
Tom Bihn. This unpretentious and friendly company has a past record for
producing some of the best looking, hardest working and longest lasting bags
that I have personally encountered. Even so, some of you may have found that
their backpack style bags can be a little too large for daily excursions,
especially if you are not the type that needs to carry an entire supply closet’s
worth of gear. Since I often find myself in that category, I was very interested
when Darcy wrote me
about their new, smaller sized sling bag called

The Buzz.

Available with a black body accented with a steel (deep gray) side panel and your choice
of either a crimson, plum or spruce front, the Buzz offers a color splash for
those that would rather not go with the also available solid black. All of the
bags, except for the solid black, have a light gray piping between the steel and
color panels which will reflect light at night. 

I was sent a bag with the plum front panel, which according to the
accompanying letter was the "very first completed bag," sewn by Tom, himself.
For those of you that didn’t know,
Tom Bihn is an actual person, and he really does have a hand in the
manufacturing process. There is a "Tom Bihn Portable Culture" tag on the front
panel which is tastefully done and features deco lettering and a red plane.

  

Pictures courtesy of the Tom Bihn website

At first glance, it might be possible to dismiss the Buzz as a typical sling
bag, but doing so would be a mistake. The Buzz is distinguished from others of
this style because of its superior design, materials and craftsmanship. Let’s
take a look from the outside in…

The Buzz’s exterior is composed of 1000 denier Cordura. All of the zippers
are YKK and coated so as to
be "splash-proof." Instead of having a standard zipper-pull on each of the
substantial metal YKK sliders, there is an easy to grip 2" loop of cord capped
with a plastic tab.

The bag weighs 1.64 pounds when empty, and it measures approximately 17" tall
x 12" wide x 4" thick. On the right side of the bag, there is a side pocket with
a wide elastic inset panel suitable for holding up to a 750ml bottle of water,
can of soda, or a portable umbrella. Two adjustable straps will secure any item
held within. I don’t necessarily recommend it, but I have been known to slip my
Cannon PowerShot in this pocket, since it is so accessible and since the top can
be more or less cinched shut.

There is a woven nylon handle near the top of the shoulder strap. What I
would ordinarily say at this point is that I wish it were more padded. However,
I found that when using this sling bag, I never once reached for the loop – it
was just as easy to grab the strap. So for once, I am not going to consider this
a con, and I will just make note that there is a loop, for those that
like there to be one.

The sling strap is padded throughout its entire length, but not overly so. It
is comfortable without being bulky, and one of the features I most like is that
there is a heavy-duty plastic quick-release clip so that you do not actually
have to lift the bag over your head to wear it or take it off. On the strap is a
flap pocket that closes with a tab of Velcro. The flap and pocket are cut so
that it will hold just about any phone with either a right or left side antenna.
If you’d prefer, you can carry an iPod or other similarly sized MP3 player
securely in the same pocket. There is another "Tom Bihn Portable Culture" tag on
this pocket’s flap.

   
Picture courtesy of the Tom Bihn website

The back wall of The Buzz is padded with 0.25" of foam. When the bag is not
being worn, it should protect the contents from ordinary shocks – but certainly
not a major fall.

Now let’s move to the bag’s interior…

The front compartment is secured with two #8 YKK zippers, which open to
reveal its top and left side. Inside, the back wall is comprised of a
contrasting blue Cordura. A detachable key-clip dangles a plastic loop on the
top left, and a sectioned pocket comprised of blue Cordura with gray trim rises
to the right. The first two pockets are sized to hold pens, the next is perfect
for a PDA (shown is a CLIÉ NZ90 in a Vaja case), and the last pocket can hold ID
or business cards – or in this case, a Starbuck’s card.
☺

The rear compartment of The Buzz is divided into two sections and is very
adaptable. It is accessed by opening two #10 YKK zippers. On days when you need
to carry your smaller sized laptop, you can slide it right into the padded rear
section. Due to the previously mentioned padded rear wall of the bag and an
additional padded interior divider wall, your laptop should be safely sandwiched
for commutes. The only improvement I would like to see would be a bit of
additional padding on the bottom of the bag. As it is, there is a lightly padded
bottom that feels as if it is lined in soft polar fleece. In front of the padded
divider wall is an open section which can hold larger items, such as books or
8"x11" files and folders. This is where I carry my extra cables (inside a pouch)
when I am toting my laptop.

The Buzz is not a large bag, yet it is sufficient to carry necessary daily
items without a lot of overkill. If you are someone that tends to carry
accessories just because you have a pocket in which to place them, then this
might be a good way to help you lighten your load. Conversely, if you are
someone that needs to carry as many accessories as possible because you will
most likely have to use each and every one of them, then this is probably not
the bag for you. The Buzz is extremely well made, and should hold up for
many years under heavy use.

Price: $90 The Buzz is available in in solid black,
black/steel/crimson, black/steel/plum and black/steel/spruce

Pros:
Extremely well made from quality materials
Can hold a smaller laptop in the lightly padded interior
Strap is easy on, easy off
Come with one of the best
guarantees you’ll find anywhere
Made in Port Angeles, Washington, USA

Cons:
Would like more padding in bottom of computer section

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Backpack, Bag, Laptop Bag, Shoulder Bag

The Buzz Sling Bag by Tom Bihn Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 2, 2004 at 12:00 am.