Saddleback Leather‘s newest addition is the Gadget Bag.  It’s boxier than your typical briefcase, and looks and feels incredible like all of Saddleback Leather’s products.  I recently got a digital SLR camera, so the Gadget Bag’s shape caught my attention.  Let’s take a look.

Saddleback Leather Gadget Bag in Medium (Chestnut)

When you first unpack your Saddleback Leather bag from the box, you’re greeted by that intoxicating leather aroma.  This is the real deal!  There is nothing cheap or cheesy about this.

If you’re unfamiliar with Saddleback products, here are a few facts about the Gadget Bag:

• 100 year warranty (you’ll understand when you get it)
• 100% thick full grain boot leather (but thicker)
• Insulates cameras and electronics well from the damaging heat
• No breakable parts, e.g. zippers, snaps, buttons etc.
• Industrial marine-grade thread
• Hidden polyester reinforcing straps
• Rivets at all stress points
• Sewn cap closure keeps out bad days

No snaps or plastic. Just metal and leather.

Closeup of the "new" Saddleback logo

The back is clean.

The medium bag has side pouches large enough for an iPhone, sideways.

A sturdy handle on top lets you get a grip.

The inside is plain and simple. No dividers, no Velcro, no pouches.

Interior view of the side panel. The thin strip of leather along the top edge gives the bag nice rigidity.

Closeup: Made in Old Mexico

Inside lining of the lid.

There’s no doubt the Saddleback Leather Gadget Bag looks, feels and smells great.  But how does it perform?  To test this, I tried feeding it with my Canon T3i camera with a 35mm lens and 430EX-ii flash.  In case you’re wondering, the EF 35mm f/1.4L USM lens measures 3.4″ long, and my sweet made-to-order tangerine-colored strap is from PhatStraps.

Feeding time!

As you can see in the following pictures, there’s plenty of room in the medium Gadget bag if you don’t carry too much.  If you need more room, you might want to consider the next size up.  You’ll also notice there are no dividers supplied with this bag to keep your equipment from knocking together.

Sample arrangement with room to spare

Another arrangement

I tend not to carry a lot in my camera bags – just a camera and a flash.  I would probably slip the flash into it’s own pouch to avoid bumping and scraping against the camera itself.  The leather is stiff enough that I don’t worry too much about damage to the camera, but I’m not so sure I’d want to drop a fully-loaded bag.  Daily bumps and lumps should be no problem.

One minor design issue I found was with the placement of the strap rings.  If you carry the Gadget Bag with the supplied strap, you’ll find the bag tends to “roll” like a log a little bit since the strap connects close to the center.  Of course, this depends on how you load your bag, but the strap can get caught on the lip of the flap.  If the lid isn’t securely closed, you COULD potentially dump your gear if you’re not careful.

Strap can get caught under the flap.

Design issues aside, the medium Saddleback Leather Gadget Bag is a handsome, well-made piece that is sure to give you a lifetime of use.  The only question is, what color?

Note: The links to Saddleback Leather on this page are affiliate links, which earns a small percentage of any sales that come from The Gadgeteer.

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

Tagged: Camera bag, gear bag, Saddleback Leather

Saddleback Leather Gadget Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 16, 2012 at 11:00 am.

When pants pockets just don’t seem to have the capacity for all of your personal gadgets and gear, what do you do? Backpack? Messenger bag? Those are fine and all, but if you don’t have that much indispensable tech and kit, then you want something a bit less bulky. The KangaTek GO just might be it. It’s a low-profile  ”personal holder” that slings over either shoulder and across your chest and back in bandolier style, and is adjustable in length. Made of water-resistant neoprene, it contains four separate, zippered pockets to hold small items of various sizes and the top pocket includes an earbud port. Available in Copper, Jet, Jade and Flamingo colors, $39.99 each. I’ve seen several items like this over the years, but the style of this one intrigues me. Ready to bandolier up?

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, News

Tagged: gear bag

Bandolier Your Gear with the KangaTek GO originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 14, 2012 at 11:00 am.

I was very interested to see these Filson bags while surfing recently.  Filson makes a line of fabric and leather luggage, travel accessories and wallets, briefcases and totes, and field bags (think daily-carry gear bags).  They use twill and wool fabrics in their bags, and I especially love the looks of the medium Wool Field Bag.  The medium field bag in blue/black plaid is shown, but the bag is available in a variety of plaid fabrics, camo designs, and solid black.  There’s a full-width slip-in pocket on the back and two pockets on the ends.  Open up the front flap to access two bellows pockets on the front and the main interior pocket.  The bag is lined with rugged twill fabric for strength.  At 14″W x 11″H x 5″D, it’s big enough to carry a smaller laptop or netbook, too.  The medium Wool Field Bag is $250.

Filed in categories: Bags, Backpacks, News

Tagged: gear bag

A Bag Indiana Jones Could Love originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

For years, I’ve been using a Levenger Bomber Leather zippered pouch to hold my cables, SD cards, and other small stuff.  I love the bag, and it still looks beautiful after years of use, but it has no organization inside.  The new Bomber Jacket Electronics Hold-All Case has the beautiful Bomber Leather that I love combined with organization pockets.  On the  outside, you’ll find a zipper pocket on one side and a slip-in pocket on the other.  The zipper pocket has two mesh pockets inside, and the slip-in pocket is great for receipts or notecards.  The main compartment has 2 mesh pockets and 3 neoprene pocket to protect devices from the cables and connectors that you can stuff inside.  Levenger’s bomber leather is a heavy, pebble-textured mocha leather, and the interior is lined with a sturdy plaid cotton twill fabric.  The Bomber Jacket Electronics Hold-All Case is $59.00.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: gear bag

Levenger Bomber Jacket Electronics Hold-All Case originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

The Jet Roller bag from STM Bags has a large compartment for packing your clothes for a 1-3 day trip, just as you’d expect from luggage.  The unexpected is that the Jet Roller can also act as your laptop bag.  The front of the bag has room for your computer (up to 17″) in the padded compartment.  The front panel unzips to reveal storage for cables, chargers, even a tablet.  The outermost compartment has room for your keys, some pens, and a ticket.  There’s a back slip-in pocket for files or a magazine.  It has an extendable handle and smooth rolling wheels to save your back and two padded grab handles to help you stow it in the overhead compartment.  STM says the bag is 22 x 12.6 x 13.4 in, so you should compare the dimensions of this bag to the maximum carry-on size allowed by the airline you most frequently travel.  The bag sells for about $180; check the STM Bags site for authorized online dealers.

Filed in categories: News, Travel Gear

Tagged: gear bag, luggage

STM Jet Roller is Luggage and Laptop Bag in One originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 4, 2011 at 9:15 am.

Phil Wenneck: You’re not really wearing that are you?
Alan Garner: Wearing what?
Phil Wenneck: The man purse. You actually gonna wear that or are you just *****’ with me?
Alan Garner: It’s where I keep all my things. Get a lot of compliments on this. Plus it’s not a purse, it’s called a satchel. Indiana Jones wears one.
Phil Wenneck: So does Joy Behar.                  The Hangover – 2009

Hokay, confession time. I love my gadget bags.  Call them what you will, man-bag, satchel, man-purse,  murse , there’s nothing more useful when you’re out an about, even as a bloke.  My three teenage boys give me hell over my satchels all the time, but I like the messenger  concept as you don’t actually have to stop, take it off, get something out, put it back on like you do when you use a backpack. You can just swing it around to access things, even on the move. This is especially useful during photographic expeditions.

Let’s see how the customizable Eula Messenger from Timbuk2  works out.

While I’ve owned bags by  Crumpler, STM, Saddleback Leather and others,  my currently used bags are all Timbuk2.  But with 2 ( larger )  Medium Classics that basically do work duty and travel duty where I need that extra bit of space  and one X-Small Classic which is basically my camera bag, I needed something a bit smaller. Something to just chuck my Samsung Galaxy Tab 7″, Kindle, Panasonic G2, Moleskine Cashier notebook, Fisher Bullet Space Pen, Leatherman Squirt PS4,  Saddleback Small Wallet, Hohner Blues Harp ( in Key of A ) and HTC Desire Phone in when I’m out and about. I can also just throw the bag  in the car ready packed so I can amuse myself while I’m waiting for the boys to finish their tennis, soccer, dancing, cricket, drama ……( the list just goes on and on ).

The Eula is a customised bag only, so no stock colours or materials. The Timbuk2 customiser works really well, and while it does cost a little more to do a custom build, you can personalise your own bag for that unique blend of materials and colours.   It is worth noting too that most of the  stock bags or products they sell are manufactured and imported from Asia, but any custom product you design and purchase is manufactured in their San Francisco factory.

With the Eula you’ve got a choice of 5 options:

• Front Flap Material and Colour
• Base Material and Colour
• Binding Colour
• Logo Colour
• Inside Liner Colour

While I know that ballistic nylon is the ruggedest and best-wearing material, in my old age I’ve started appreciating more classic materials like waxed canvas or leather. I really like the way that these materials “age”.  My two medium messengers are in Olive Green and Dark Brown canvas respectively so I figured I’d go for the Black Canvas for both panels, with Potrero logo and Grey liner. Surely this will result in a nice neutral and  ”manly” bag.

So how does the Eula differ from their standard X-Small Classic Messenger ? (  Click on the photos for larger images )

The Eula (on the left) is a bit more refined and looks a lot less “urban adventure” than their classic messengers primarily because there’s no clips or straps to close off the front flap.  Size-wise the XS Messenger is 12.8″ X 8.9″ X 5.1″ compared with the Eula at 12.0″ X 8.5″ X 3.5″ ( W X H X D), so slightly smaller.  It is worth noting however that the XS Messenger actually tapers width wise down to 10.4″ at the base while the Eula is consistently 12.0″. Why’s this important ? It means you can fit an A4 size magazine/pad/brochure ( 8.27 × 11.69 ) without having to bend the bottom edges like you do on with the XS messenger.

You can see the difference between the ballistic nylon (top) and canvas (bottom). To me the canvas is much more “old time” and  appealing.

The strap doesn’t include their signature quick release buckle or memory-adjust True Fit cam buckle (on the right) and is  made of a much lighter webbing.

No external pockets at all, and you can see here the closing mechanism…..more Timbuk2 Velcro heaven  The bag has Timbuk2′s standard TPU waterproof liner ( my other bags have kept stuff like my camera gear dry even through tropical downpours many a time ), and this coupled with the flat bottom means the bag stands by itself even when empty.  You can see here I’ve added the optional matching waxed canvas strap pad.

Inside the front is the Timbuk2 standard organizer, which by my count has 14 seperate pockets.  A couple of them are also lined in a soft grey material to stop scratching. Great to organise all those little bits and pieces.

There’s also the option to have a center divider pocket built in.  You can see that this gives you 3 discrete areas in the main bag ( albeit small discrete areas ) .   In reality it’s just two additional pieces of fabric sewn in to create the pocket.  Normally I use these to seperate out magazines, brochures or paperwork from the rest of the stuff in my bag.

Above is the stuff I’d normally carry around with me. ( Note: there’s 3 pieces of Saddleback Leather there…another of my obsessions….or if it’s leather should that be another of my fetishes ? )

 You can see everything fits in pretty well into the bag. I was a bit worried originally given the smaller depth to the bag, but it’s pretty much perfect.  The wallet, phone, notebook, pen,  Leatherman, and harp are in the front pocket. There’s still quite a bit of room for a water bottle, small umbrella, or similar.

And here she is all closed up.

So far the bag’s done me well. It’s discrete, fits everything in it, and (hopefully) doesn’t look too girly

In terms of criticisms:

•  It appears that the waxed canvas seems to catch dust and hair a bit, you can even see it in some of the pictures. My other bags don’t have this issue so it might just be the black. I’ll see how it goes as the wax coating wears down a bit more.
•  Having only the Velcro closure may be an issue for some noise-wise but there’s not much you can do about it since it’s the only mechanism to keep the bag closed. On my other messengers I’ve used more Velcro  to cover over ( at least one of ) the closures so you don’t get ( so much of )  that RIPPPPPPPP sound when you open your bag, but that’s fine because on the Classics you can close the bags with the clips. I think the old Velcro sound is something you either love or hate ( or at least tolerate ).Perhaps a magnetic closure might be better (or at least quieter).
•  You can see in the photos that on the front flap you can see lines where the Velcro is sewn in underneath. I’m not sure if this will get worse as time goes on, but again just have to wait and see.
• It’d be nice if it had the single pocket organiser with Napolean pocket on the front like their XS Messenger so you could have some storage you could get to without having to open the flap.

One of the biggest “issues” for International customers is that Timbuk2 charges a flat $30 base rate for International Shipping  ( then $5 per additional bag ) which can make it a bit expensive and often uneconomical if ordering single, smaller, and cheaper bags. But Australians ( and I’m sure other Internationals ) are used to this, and this time I ordered a few other things as well so the shipping “evened out” a bit.  I realize that vendors have to use reliable and safe methods of shipping, but I’d be more than willing to wait a bit more time for a lower shipping rate.  Using their standard UPS is fast and trackable, so you are getting extra value for the extra money. I must admit though that so far I’ve never lost anything on the long 12,500+ km trip from the US to Australia using USPS, which normally takes about 2 weeks, but then I’ve also had to wait up to 6 weeks for packages to arrive. ( Timbuk2′s  UPS expedited took 4 days. )  :P

Just as a final note on Timbuk2 , they’re a small company that still has an old-fashioned philosophy of supporting the products they sell. I had an issue with my existing bags, and even though I’m 12,500 kms away, they managed to solve my issue to my satisfaction in a quick and timely fashion, at a ( not unsubstantial ) cost to themselves (that’s how I ended up with the Eula ). It really does make a nice change from the way a lot of companies treat their customers these days.

No matter how much I’m ridiculed by my kids and wife ( guess where her shopping normally ends up when we’re on holidays…yep in my ridiculous man bag ), I find the use of a messenger both convenient and useful and the Eula looks like it’ll be just right for my EDC.  Anyway who knows, your satchel might just save your life one day when you have to  free your hands of that stolen idol so you can run properly while a giant boulders comes at you down the tunnel

Edit: With the Eula I purchased a XS Snoop Messenger Insert to go with my XS Classic Messenger.  The insert actually fits into the Eula as well.  I can swap the insert between the two to give me two different camera bags

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: gear bag, Timbuk2

Timbuk2 Custom Eula Messenger Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 30, 2011 at 9:59 am.

So you’ve spent all that money personalizing your new gadget bag, forked out for that rare once in a lifetime  unobtainium material. What’s the last thing you want to do? Put your new best friend on that dirty, icky floor.

Worry no longer, Workiture has you covered. Their el-bagped stand (shown with a Timbuk2 bag) is manufactured from sturdy eighth-inch cold-rolled steel, sanded, TIG welded, and powder-coated and protects your new baby from all that muck.  You can even choose from a number of (bag matching?) fabrics and patterns if you choose to have it manufactured with a shelf, as shown.  Some of these stands can even be flipped over and used as a stool.

Priced at $169 without and $199 with shelf.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: Bag, gear bag, Stand

Do you REALLY love your gadget bag? – Protect it with Workiture El-bagped originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 22, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

Regular Gadgeteers will know that Timbuk2 products are very popular on the site.  Those in Australia however have had to order from overseas with sometimes high shipping costs ( I should know I’ve done it 5 times ) .

Ship no longer Anaconda , an Australia wide outdoors gear store is now distributing a limited line of Timbuk2 products including the Maverick, D-Lux, and Amnesia ranges.

As is usual for Australia, the normal RRP price of the products actually still  make it attractive to ship directly from the US however currently Anaconda has some of the lines on sale which at least brings them back almost on par with US pricing without the pain of overseas shipping or the waiting time. Sale pricing is over.

Anaconda will start offering a wider range of  Timbuk2 product in 2012.

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

Tagged: australia, gear bag

Timbuk2 and Anaconda Team up for Timbuk2 Down Under originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 14, 2011 at 10:00 am.

Last year I told you about some multipurpose cases for the original iPad from Happy Owl Studio. I never got a chance to try one of their cases with my iPad, but I never forgot about them. I was happy to see they were updating their products for the iPad 2. You know how I love cases, so you know I was very happy when they sent a Clutch for iPad 2 for our review. Continue reading to learn more about the Clutch and about a special Happy Owl Studio discount just for readers of The Gadgeteer.

Some of the photos in this review are clickable for an enlarged view.

The Clutch is more than just a bookstyle case for the iPad 2. The designers know that you don’t just need an iPad as you go about your day at work or at home. The Clutch was designed to carry all your necessities with your iPad so you don’t have to carry a huge bag, or a purse and a gear bag for the ladies. It has a zipper compartment that’s big enough to hold a cellphone, some credit cards, pens, cash, keys, and more. There’s even room for a charging cable in there.

Happy Owl Studios actually has two of these carry-alls. The Clutch is the more feminine of the two styles. It has a pleated front that makes it look a bit more “girly”, but I guess there’s no rule that says pleats are not for men – witness kilts, for instance. The other style is called The Wallet, and it has a flat front. The Wallet apparently also is missing the shoulder strap that comes with The Clutch. Both cases are available in black leather only.

The leather is smooth, and it feels thin in the pleated area. The Clutch has purple topstitching on the black leather. The stitching is even and straight, with no loose threads.

The Clutch measures about 10.5” long X 8.4” wide by about 2” thick at the front loop, but the thickness could vary with the amount of stuff you pack in it. The empty bag plus strap weighs 1 pound, 1 ounce on my digital scale. The case is held closed by a 1”-wide leather strap that has a non-magnetic snap on it. This strap slides under a loop sewn on the front. This loop keeps the bag more securely closed, but it makes it slower to get to the contents of the zipper pouch. The male end of the snap is set in the middle pleat on the front. I can tell by feel that there is no reinforcement for this snap, and I’m afraid that it will eventually tear through the thin leather.

The only branding on the outside of the case is a silver-colored owl on the closure strap. I’m not sure, but the owl seems to be made of plastic with a shiny silver finish. Small black D-rings are sewn onto the front left corner and the back opposite corner. You attach the included shoulder strap to these rings, but the case can be used without it if you prefer.

The strap is also made of the same leather used for the case. It seems to be a double thickness with some padding or stiffener inside. The strap is about 0.6” wide. It has a silver-colored length-adjustment buckle and oval clips at the ends. It adjusts from 31.5” to 57” long, so it can be used as a shoulder bag or a crossbody bag.

The front half of The Clutch is a zipper pouch. There’s a plastic zipper with double pulls. The pulls have leather tabs; one side of each tab is embossed with the Happy Owl, and the other side is embossed with either Think or Happy.

The interior of the zipper pouch is lined with a reddish-purple fabric decorated with silver Happy Owls. The fabric feels like cotton or a cotton blend. The exterior wall has a full-length zipper pocket. The interior wall has a pocket for a phone or similar-sized device, two elastic pen loops, and five credit-card slots. There’s a center zipper pocket divider, but it doesn’t reach to the bottom of the main compartment so things can move from side to side. The sides of the main compartment are gusseted to prevent it from falling completely open and to keep things inside.

I attempted to replicate the photo on the product packing to show you how my things fit inside the main compartment. I have five cards in the slots, a Levenger pen and the Monteverde One Touch Stylus Pen in the pen loops, and my iPhone 4 in the phone pocket. I have cash in the exterior zipper pocket and a checkbook in the zipper divider. My keys are floating in the bottom. (I tried to take a picture of the contents, but my photo editor wouldn’t let me open it because you could see a folded $10 bill.) I had room for a few other things in there.

Thickness of Clutch loaded with iPad 2 and accessories in the zipper pouch

It can be difficult to get in the zipper pouch to grab my ringing phone. I found if I kept the zipper pulls zipped toward the top center, I could unzip half of the bag without having to first unsnap the strap and pull it out of the loop. It was a bit tight getting my phone back in with the pouch only partially open, though.

Open up The Clutch like a book to get to the iPad 2 compartment. The interior is lined with a dark purple fabric with a sueded texture. The iPad 2 is held in place with a leather frame that has cutouts for the front-facing camera and the home button. You slide the iPad 2 into the frame from the interior edge. There’s a Velcro tab to hold the iPad in place. It’s hard to see in the picture, but you can see a round magnet on the screen cover that triggers the iPad 2’s sleep/wake function. I found that the Happy Owl Clutch closes up tightly enough that the sleep/wake function worked only when I opened the case. I didn’t hear the sleep/wake click as I was carrying the bag.

There are cutouts for the docking connector and speakers. I was able to use the connector with no problems, and the sound wasn’t muffled. A single cutout for the volume rocker and screen lock/mute button allowed enough room to use these controls with no problem. I could use my headphones, and I could use the power/standby button with no problems. Happy Owl Studios forgot one thing in their design. They didn’t leave an opening for the microphone at the center top. I tried making a voice recording, and the leather didn’t interfere with sound quality at all.

The iPad 2 compartment is shaped to fit. The sides of the compartment are made of the thin, flexible leather. The back is stiffened; I can feel something between the sueded fabric and the leather exterior. The back side of the zipper pouch is also stiffened to protect your screen from the items you have in the pouch.

The opening for the power/standby button extends to the back of the case to expose the camera lens. The case didn’t cause any problems with using the camera other than making it a bit harder to hold steady because of the weight of the bag and its contents dangling down from the bottom of the iPad 2.

Contents of the zipper pouch keep the iPad 2 from laying flat enough in the typing position

You can flip the bag open and snap the strap “backwards” to convert the Happy Owl into a horizontal stand. This is a stable stand, but it has only one angle. You can supposedly use the Clutch as a typing stand, but the things in the zipper pouch keeps it from folding flat enough for comfortable typing, in my opinion. I do think this position works well as a second horizontal stand, though. I think you could even use the Clutch as a vertical stand on a stable surface.

I carried the bag when I went to the eye doctor last week; I always have a couple of hours to kill there and like to have my iPad for entertainment. I found the fully loaded Clutch a bit heavy to hold like a book during the time I spent waiting. It was nice to have my cards, driver’s license, keys, phone, and iPad 2 all in one bag, though.

The Happy Owl Clutch for iPad 2 is a nice way to carry your iPad 2, phone, and other necessities as you go about your day. You can fit most accessories you’ll need into the zipper pouch. The case should protect the iPad 2 from minor bumps and knocks. The shoulder strap keeps your hands free. The pleated design gives it a touch of femininity while keeping it suitable for the office.

Happy Owl Studios will begin shipping the Clutch this week. They very generously have offered a discount to readers of The Gadgeteer. They have created a code just for us that will be active for one week. Enter GADGETEER at checkout to receive a 10% discount on your entire order.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: gear bag, iPad 2 case and stand

Happy Owl Studio Clutch for iPad 2 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 18, 2011 at 8:00 am.

Front of Bodykit "BodyBag"

Some folks are “shoe” folks, some ladies are “purse” folks and many people who read this site are “bag folks”.  They love bags to carry gadgets in!  A company out of the UK called Bodykit is bringing some pretty unusual designs to the market.  Don’t think camping and back-packing with these.  These are considered “urban” bags for today’s urban explorers.

These bags are not like many of the other bags I have seen.  There really are just large compartments in the bag, but no smaller compartments within the bag for keeping your stuff sorted.  Everything fits together in whichever pocket you put it in, which I found a bit annoying as I tried to look for smaller specific things I had in the bag, such as headphones.

The back of the BodyBag- in red

There are six different bags in the BodyKit line.  Each are configured to wear two different ways, so there certainly is some flexibility in the line.  The bags are very well made of woven nylon with polyurethane weatherproofing and have smooth gliding heavy-duty zippers.

The laptop compartment in the bag I received is fairly well padded.  I used the bag for a week as my usual briefcase for work.  I think the bag would be ideal if you mainly carry your laptop and letter or legal size documents and/or folders, but I carry such a variety of things that as I mentioned the pockets ended up looking like the ‘rumpus drawer’ many of us have in our house; the one that ends up holding everything from old house-keys to the ticket stub from one of the Star Wars movies…  Also, I prefer to hold my files in a ‘landscape’ position so I can read the file names more easily.

On the plus side, the bag is made well, very sturdy and well padded. Like I mentioned, I used the bag for a week as a main briefcase and there was plenty of room for laptop, folders, accessories etc.  They were all just bunched up though.  The bag acted kind of like a blender, thoroughly mixing up my stuff.

In the picture you see a large zipper that goes around the entire bag.  This allows you to expand the size of the main compartment.   This bag contains two large compartments that run the length of the bag. One of them does have several separators in the pocket that would allow for separation of full size papers, magazines, catalogs or the like. You can see the separate zipper for one of the full length pockets at the top of the bag in this view.

The two zippers below this are smaller single pockets.

The several ways the bag can be worn; and the inside of the largest pocket in the photo below.

The inside of one of the smaller pockets is shown here.

If you are a “bag person” so to say, I would encourage you to check out the line Bodykit offers.  The bags certainly are  unique.  If one of them  would fit your needs, I’m sure you would be quite happy with the quality of the materials and construction, and you definitely won’t see everyone in town toting one, so you will likely get some looks.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: gear bag

Bodykit BodyBag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 29, 2011 at 3:29 pm.

Julie’s recent talk of wanting to design her own modular wallet system reminded me of a little bag I’ve owned for some time now.  When we got rid of our landline, I needed a way to keep my cell phone with me around the house.  Most of my clothes don’t have pockets, so I needed a pouch I could wear.  Baggallini, a bag and luggage company, had just what I was looking for.  I ordered a Teenee Baggallini from Amazon, and I used it for my running-errands purse for quite some time – until I got restless and needed a new bag, you know.  Anyway, let’s look at all this tiny bag can hold. 

All the photos in this review can be clicked for an enlarged view, including the top picture.

The Teenee is available in ripstop nylon or crinkle nylon.  Each fabric is available in several color choices; many of the color choices have contrasting interiors.  I purchased the ripstop in black, and unfortunately it doesn’t have a contrasting interior.  The black makes it a bit hard to photograph, but it is small enough that your things don’t get lost in the dark bottom while you’re using it.

I measured the Teenee at 6.25” wide X 5” tall X 0.5” thick.  It comes with a strap that’s just under 0.5” wide.  The strap is made of the same material as the bag, and it has silver-colored “dog leash” clips on each end and a silver metal adjustment slider.  The strap adjusts from about 30” long to about 56.5” long, including the clips.

Back vertical pocket

Back zipper pocket

The back of the bag has a zipper pocket.  There are two sets of metal rings for attaching the strap.  The top two allow you to use the Teenee as a shoulder bag or as a cross-body bag, depending on how you’ve adjusted the strap.  Attach the strap to the lower two rings and you can wear it around your waist, although many may find the strap is too long to wear this way.  The lower rings are attached to two vertical strips of fabric that can be used as belt loops so you can wear the bag on your belt.  You can even take off the strap and carry it as a wallet.  And note that there’s an open, vertical storage pocket between those two belt loops.

The front of the bag has a silver-colored metal logo badge and a nylon zipper with a silver metal pull.  You can see the ripstop fabric has a windowpane design woven in.  The bag closes with a hidden magnetic snap under the front flap.

Open up the bag, and you’ll see a clear ID pocket inside the flap.  Below this is an elastic loop that Baggallini says is for lip balm, but I found it held my Monteverde One Touch Stylus Pen perfectly.

Interior gusseted pocket

One of the interior flat pockets

Interior zipper pocket

Below the pen loop is a series of flat pockets.  The top one, with part of the magnetic snap, has a gusset so it can expand to fit a bigger item.  There are two dividers behind the gusseted pocket to make two more flat storage areas.  Finally, there’s a zipper at the back that opens up the full width of the interior of the bag.  The zipper opens up so that you can put things behind the pockets and/or up inside the front flap.

iPhone 4 in Bumper Case in interior zipper pocket

iPhone 4 with no case in the front flap exterior zipper pocket

I always keep my iPhone 4 in a Bumper Case, and I found that I could fit my phone easily into the back zipper pocket, the interior flat pockets, and the interior zipper pocket.  If I take the Bumper Case off, I can also fit the iPhone 4 into the zipper pocket on the front flap.  The iPhone will also fit vertically into the vertical pocket on the back, but I wouldn’t use it for my phone.  The iPhone fits very loosely in this open pocket, and it sticks up about 1.5” above the pocket opening.  I normally carry my phone in the back zipper pocket.

I can easily carry a stack of 10 or 12 cards in the interior zipper pocket.  I put my keys in the gusseted pocket, and I could carry folded bills and coins in the front flap zipper pocket.  I could also fit my Plantronics Bluetooth earbud in the front zipper pocket, but it would only fit in the Teenee without the charging case.  I still had room to fit in receipts or other small papers in the flat interior pockets.

Side view of the loaded bag

Even loaded up, the bag is light enough that you can throw it across your body and wear it all day.  You’ll forget it’s even there until your phone rings or you need your keys or cash.

All in all, the Teenee bag from Baggallini can pack in more than enough stuff to serve you well as a “going to lunch and running errands” bag.  It’s small enough, and comes in dark, neutral colors so that some men may find it works well for them.  And it’s small enough that you can toss it into your bigger bag when you need to carry a gear bag or a handbag.  Considering how much bags can cost, the Baggallini is a cheap way to combine a wallet, phone case, and key pouch into one tiny bag.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: gear bag

Baggallini Teenee Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 14, 2011 at 10:00 am.

Billed as “The manly solution to an unsightly fanny pack,” is the Gadget Shoulder Holster from ThinkGeek.  Looking very undercover cop-ish, it holds your phone, keys and other gear within “quickdraw distance” and can be worn over or under layers of clothes.   Fits up to a size 44 chest and made from a super-stretchy “space-age” material (they do know the space age was the 1960′s, right?).  $49.99.  Alright, ready to cross gadget-hauling with cop dramas?

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: gear bag

Concealed carry gadgets holster originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

The Noon Solar company was started by two Chicago-based women in 2002.  They began using recycled vinyls, but they soon realized that using naturally-tanned, vegetable-dyed leathers better fit their desire to reduce the reliance on petrochemical-based products.  They make a line of bags with this leather and hand-dyed hemp canvas that incorporate solar panels to keep your small gadgets charged.  A 3 oz rechargeable battery inside the bag takes about 6-8 hours to charge; only sunlight will work to charge.  The solar panel’s output is 7.2 volts, 300 mA-400mA.  The Logan Bag (shown) is 12″ X 14″ X 4″ – big enough to hold all your gear and even a netbook.  It has a shoulder strap and a grab handle outside and organization pockets inside.  It’s available in black or brown.  You can purchase the Logan for $482 at the Evolve online shop.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: gear bag, solar charger

Get a Charge from Noon Solar Bags originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 5, 2011 at 2:32 pm.

All types of people love Molekine notebooks – writers, artists, tech-lovers, and everyone between.  Moleskine eventually realized that people even wanted a way to make their electronic devices look like their notebooks, and they issued official covers for iPad, iPhone, and Kindle.  Now they are introducing gear bags that are inspired by their iconic notebooks.  The Moleskine Messenger Bag is made of black polyurethane and has a molded base so it can sit on its own.  It has a double flap – held closed by an elastic strap, of course – that can fold under itself to hold an umbrella, newspaper, or the like.  It has a divider inside that can accommodate Moleskine multi-purpose cases, and the optional Moleskine Storage Panel “which offers padding and compartments for complete organization.”  It’s 16.5″ x 11.75″ x 3.25″, so it can hold up to a 15″ laptop.  The Moleskine Messenger Bag can be ordered from the official website for $129.95.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: gear bag, Laptop Bag, Moleskine

Moleskine Messenger Bag originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 5, 2011 at 1:30 pm.

I consider myself a personal electronic device transportation solution enthusiast.   OK, I have a gadget bag fetish, alright?  Like many of us, I’m constantly on the lookout for a better way to haul my must-have gear.  When I stumbled upon the Transport “urban bag” by Setgo, my interest was piqued.  With its low-profile, over-the-shoulder design, it reminds me of the ammunition bandolier sported by a certain Wookiee co-pilot.  Front features include two quick access pockets for phones or pods, an inside zip-up pocket and slide-in metro card.  Back features include three internal pockets for gear storage, a large main zip-up pocket.  Nylon and available in black.  $80.00.  Rrraaawwrr!

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News

Tagged: Bag, gear bag

Setgo Transport: Chewbacca’s gadget hauler? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 18, 2011 at 9:26 pm.

Do you tend to carry all your daily “stuff” inside your laptop bag, then you find yourself carrying your phone and wallet in your hands when you want to run a quick errand?  Timbuk2 has a small bag that may free up your hands without loading you down with another heavy bag; it may be small enough to stow in your laptop bag when you aren’t using it.  The Minnie Rae shoulder bag is about 6″ X 8″ X 1.6″, and it has a ballistic nylon exterior and a shoulder strap.  There’s an organizer pocket inside for your phone and a key fob to keep your keys at the ready.  The bag closes with a Velcro strip.  It’s available in gunmetal, black, menthol, potrero (taupe), and alcatraz (blue) for $25.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: gear bag

Go to Lunch with Timbuk2′s Minnie Rae originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 21, 2011 at 7:30 am.

I like gadgets. I like to keep my gadgets with me, so that means I like bags, too. I go through phases – sometimes I want everything I can possibly carry with me, so I need a big bag. Sometimes I’m in a minimalist phase and want a small bag. I’m in a minimalist phase now, and I’m very frustrated with the small bags I own. It seems that most small bags have no organization in them. I want a bag that’s small so I can carry just the necessities, a bag that has a lot of organization so I can easily find my phone or my keys when I need them, and I want a bag that doesn’t cost so much that I can’t afford more gadgets. I happened upon a fabulous little bag that looked perfect for me recently. The CMB100 Mini Messenger Bag from Cocoon has a Grid-It organizer inside – it’s the very definition of “organized”. I placed my order and waited. Was it worth the wait?

Click the photos in this review for an enlarged view.  Also please note that the bag is actually a very dark black.  Photos were lightened so that you could see detail in the bag.

I like a wide range of styles, but I usually prefer a daily-carry bag – purse, handbag, whatever you want to call it – that doesn’t look like a traditional laptop bag or a piece of luggage. The Cocoon Mini Messenger bag doesn’t look like luggage or a laptop bag.  It doesn’t even look like a traditional messenger bag. It’s not soft-sided, it doesn’t have a flap, and there are no exterior pockets.

The Mini Messenger bag actually looks more like a small, cloth-covered box. Inside is a hard, molded, shock-absorbing plastic case; the exterior is covered with a heavy-duty twill fabric. The interior is lined with what seems to be a dense, knit fabric. The Mini Messenger is available in black with a dark gray interior, midnight blue/dark gray, java brown/light gray, racing red/light gray, gun gray/lime, high-rise gray/light gray, and powder gray/red. I ordered the black with dark gray interior.

The bag is 8.5” X 2.5” X 7” and weighs 1.13 pounds. Cocoon says the Mini Messenger is perfect for an iPhone, iPod, or Blackberry. I personally think it’s much too big to use just as a phone case, unless you always carry a lot of cables, chargers, and other accessories with it.

The Mini Messenger doesn’t have a “grab” handle, but it does have a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap. The strap is made of a very soft, flexible belting material. It has a soft edge that never feels like it’s cutting my throat as I wear the bag. The strap is adjustable from 31” to 54.5”. All hardware for attaching or adjusting the strap is plastic, but it seems sturdy and strong.

The strap also has a cushioned strap pad for comfort. The pad slides along the strap so you can move it where you need it when wearing the bag. Unfortunately, the pad is narrow, and it cannot slide over the adjustment buckle. That means the pad can’t be used when the strap is shortened because it won’t slide over the buckle to the center of the strap. The pad is comfortable enough, but I don’t like it because it never seems to be where I need it when I’m wearing the bag. I took pictures of the strap pad for this review, then I removed it from the strap. The pad won’t slide over the clips, so I had to cut it to remove it. Fortunately, the strap itself is very comfortable.

There are no exterior pockets on the Mini Messenger. The only branding is a small, black, rubbery tag with “Cocoon” in raised white letters sewn into the zipper seams. The Mini Messenger zips around three sides and about 1” (on each side) into the fourth side. The nylon zipper has double teardrop-shaped pulls.

The bag has a fabric “hinge” on the fourth side, and it unzips to open like a clamshell. It is gusseted to prevent the bag from falling completely open and dropping the contents to the floor. One side of the gusset is stretchy black netting. The other side of the gusset is a non-stretchy fabric.

Envelope-style pocket on the divider board. (Being held open to show size.)

There is a stiff divider board in the middle of the bag. One side of the board has a simple envelope-style pouch with a Velcro closure. The other side of the divider is a Grid-It organizer.  The divider is permanently attached to the bag.

This photo courtesy of the Cocoon website.

The Grid-It organizer is covered with interwoven elastic straps. The horizontal and vertical straps cross and intertwine randomly. The Grid-It board allows you to organize cables, phones, USB flash drives, pens, headphones – you name it. You simply slip the items under the straps, and the rubbery threads on the surface of the straps grip the item and hold it in place.

The Grid-It side has the stretchy mesh gusset, so you can pull that side open far enough to see and access all the things you’ve stored in the elastic bands. I have my LG enV3 phone, iPod nano, Swiss Army knife with USB flash drive, Arctic Cooling earbuds, and a pen stashed in the Grid-It. There’s a little more room on the board that could hold a couple more small items.

The side of the divider board with the envelope-style pocket has the non-stretchy gusset. I find this side a little hard to access; I wish it would open just a bit more. I have a thick card case, checkbook, hand sanitizer and a couple OTC medications, a comb, and my keyring in that side. I keep my money – bills and coins – and a microfiber cleaning cloth in the envelope-style pocket. I don’t think I could fit anything else in that side of the bag.

Complete contents of the Mini Messenger bag.

I really like the CMB100 Mini Messenger from Cocoon. It’s the perfect size when I’m in a minimalist phase. The Grid-It keeps my things organized. I can easily grab my phone and I don’t miss calls anymore. My iPod nano isn’t floating around in my bag getting scratched by my keys or pen. And the panic button on my car fob isn’t getting accidentally triggered while I’m digging around in my purse. This bag may not be feminine enough for some ladies, but I think it’s a great unisex style that would work as a daily bag for men or women. I may get a couple more colors while the bag is discounted at Cocoon.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: gear bag, Grid-It organizer

Cocoon CMB100 Mini Messenger Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 19, 2011 at 9:30 am.

Since 9/11 there has been increased popularity in military-inspired products.  Known as ‘tactical’ gear (or ‘tacticool’ by some), many of these items go beyond merely inspiration and are in fact quite well designed and built and are functional and rugged.  Civilian Lab, a company in this tactical gear this category, has a growing portfolio that includes the Hazard 4 brand of products.  I had the opportunity to review the Hazard 4 Tonto mini messenger bag, and to put Hazard 4′s motto “progressive tactical” to the test.  Let’s see how it fared!

Inside the Box

Opening the shipping box, I found the Tonto bag itself, the shoulder strap, and a 2010 Hazard 4 product catalog.  Everything looked very professional and well built from the start.  From the outset, the bag had a nice, hefty feel to it, which is important to me in making a good first impression.

Shipping box contents

Overview and Dimensions

I found Tonto’s name to be interesting.  Fans of classic TV from yesteryear will remember the name Tonto as the Lone Ranger’s sidekick, forever faithful and often pulling the ol’ Ranger’s fat out of the fire.  The marketing folks at Hazard 4 must have had something similar in mind with the Tonto bag.  The Tonto bag is classified as a mini messenger, presumably due to its fold-over flap with buckle fastener design, features which are common to all messenger-style bags.  The Tonto I reviewed was in ready for night ops in all black color, and it is also available in a desert scheme coyote tan, both of which are popular ‘tactical’ colors.  The majority of its construction is from DuPont® Cordura® 1000D, a water-, stain-, and rip-resistant nylon.  Tough stuff indeed.  Its approximate external dimensions are 7.5 x 10 x 5 inches (19 x 25 x 10 cm).

Carry Handle

Starting at the top of the bag is a carry handle with an interesting design.  The core of the handle is a nylon strap that traverses from the left side of the top of the bag to the right side.  This nylon strap is surrounded by a flexible rubber outer layer.  The top of the rubber portion has small circular holes, while the bottom is a bit more exposed. All this in combination results in a strong, ventilated handle with a nice, grippy texture.  One of the finest I’ve evaluated.  Just feels great in the hand.

Carry handle - top

Carry handle - bottom

Front Flap Pocket

Moving down the front of the bag is a zipper pocket that is actually integrated into the front flap.  This pocket has two zipper pulls (as do all the zippers on this bag) and inside is a strip of Velcro loop material for mounting modular accessories and also a divider with Velcro strip closure.

Zippered pocket on front flap

Velcro Patch and Flap Bottom

Continuing on down, in the top portion of the front face of the bag sits a rectangular section of Velcro for affixing IDs, morale patches or other items.  The bottom portion of the front face, which is the bottom of the flap, is made from a tough material that has a vinyl-like feel, presumably because this is a high-use area where one would tend to routinely grab when opening the flap.  A nice touch.

Front of bag showing Velcro patch and tough material on flap bottom

The rear of the bag has two notable features, a belt-strap and a concealed pocket, each described in greater detail below.

Back of back

Belt Strap

The back of the bag has a short strap that is stitched at the top and attached with Velcro at the bottom.  I presume this is a belt strap, but this bag seems a bit largish to have hanging from my belt.  Perhaps it could also be used to attached the bag to a MOLLE-style modular webbing system that is found on many other tactical-type items.

Back showing belt strap

Concealed Back Pocket

The back of the bag also has a long pocket that is secured at the top with Velcro.  This pocket runs the entire width and almost the entire length of the back of the bag, but is rather thin and might be best for papers, maps and so forth.  However, it is nearly concealed, and that might come in handy, perhaps for packing a small pistol.  This is a tactical bag, after all.

Rear concealed pocket

Buckle

Also at the bottom of the front of the bag is the main buckle, used to secure the flap.  This is one of the most well-designed buckles I’ve encountered.  It is large, robust and feels very solid.  It can be operated one-handed, sliding home with a tactile and audible click.  It also includes a slide button that indicates “Lock” and “Open.”

Buckle with locking slider

The buckle is on a wide nylon strap that has some excess length that can be loosened or tightened depending on the volume of the bag’s contents.  There is a plastic D-ring attached to the end of the strap’s loose end so that an item can be clipped to it.  The loose end of the strap can also be tucked into a smaller strap on the bottom of the bag, to keep it from flopping around:

Tucking the strap underneath

Under the Flap

Under the front flap is an elastic strap that connects via Velcro on end.  I have to admit I’m unsure of the purpose of this feature.

Mystery Velcro strap under flap

Another concealed pocket, this one under the flap

The entire flap itself actually has a pocket in it that closes with a strip of Velcro.  Like the thin, concealed pocket on the back of the bag, this one might be good for maps, notebooks, and so forth.Also under the flap, on the front the bag, is an array of MOLLE-style modular webbing into which can be clipped all different types of items.  I’ve placed a few different types of pens and one of my EDC knives in the view on the right as a demonstration.

MOLLE-type webbing under flap

Front Fold-Down

There are two double-pull zippers under the flap.  The zipper towards the front of the bag accesses a fold-down panel that contains several organizer pockets of various sizes on the vertical side, and a large, transparent pocket with a Velcro closure strip on the fold-down side.  There is also a narrow strap on either side of the fold-down flap that only allows it to go to horizontal, and no farther.  My assumption here is that the transparent pocket can be used to protect a map from the elements and when the fold-down flap is opened, the two straps keep it level so that the user can read it hands-free.

The front fold-down, loaded with pockets

The organizer pockets can be used for all sorts of things like notebooks, flashlights, batteries, rulers, chop sticks, Pixie Stix…you get the idea.

Organizer and front fold-down detail

I’ve included a close up of the logo patch because, well, it looks pretty cool.

Hazard 4 logo patch

Main Compartment

The  main compartment of the bag is accessed through the second double-pull zipper.  Incidentally, all of the zipper pulls on this bag are knotted paracord, which cuts down on sound for operations in which silence is essential.  They are also easier to grab, in my experience.

Under flap: main compartment access

The main compartment of the bag has several interesting features as well. The main body is padded, which affords a level of protection to the contents.  It’d like to report that the main compartment has enough space for an iPad, but alas, it does not.  Though iPad compatibility may not have been one of Hazard 4′s design considerations for the Tonto, I consider this to be somewhat of a miss, considering the popularity of the iPad.  Perhaps this can be updated in Tonto 2.0.  The main compartment also has a thin pocket on either side into which items can be placed.  These pockets are thin enough that they can be pushed out of the way to accommodate larger items in the main compartment if needed.

Main compartment

Along the back wall of the main compartment are two horizontal Velcro strips that can serve two purposes.  The first purpose of the Velcro strips is that they can be used to retain modular Velcro items.

Main compartment divider, tucked aside till needed

The second is that the Velcro strips can work in conjunction with a fold-over partition located on the inside front wall of the main compartment.  This partition is sewed into the bag on one end like a hinge and attaches to the bag with Velcro on the other end to keep it out of the way.  When needed, the Velcro end of the partition can be removed from the front wall of the bag interior and attached to the corresponding Velcro strip on the back wall of the bag interior, thus creating a divider to separate items in the main compartment.  The divider is padded to keep the contents from being damaged by bumping into or rubbing against each other.  You might use this to separate your DSLR and a lens, or a bottle of water from your bag of Doritos.

Main compartment divider in action

Sides

Not to be outdone, the sides of this bag contain several features as well.  First, there are two sets of suspension rings, two along either side of bag, and two on either side of the top of the bag, to allow the user some flexibility in how they wear it–high and tight or low rider style.  The right side (when the bag is viewed from the front), has more horizontal MOLLE-style webbing for attaching modular items or holding small items that you may want to access quickly.  In the image below, the right side of the bag is show with several items for demonstration.  The left side of the bag has a vertical strip of MOLLE-webbing over a zippered compartment.

Left and Right outside

The zippered compartment on the left side of the bag has a thin pocket (similar to the two in the main compartment) that can be sued to hold items or as a divider.  The compartment also is large enough to hold a can of soda or a bottle of water.  And by Jove, it actually does.  Look at that!

Left side zipper pocket

There is a also a small spring-loaded hook attached to the outside front of the zippered compartment for keys, a small flashlight and the like.

Left side spring hook

Shoulder Strap

This bag has one of the most comfortable shoulder straps I have ever used, and it also has several integrated features.  The strap itself is made from a durable nylon material, wide enough to feel comfortable by distributing the load.  There are not only one but two buckles to adjust the length of the strap.  The hooks are swivel-type, durable plastic with metal spring-loaded latch mechanism.  In addition, the shoulder strap includes a separate stabilizer strap which can be used to help keep the bag in place while you are out on maneuvers.  The stabilizer strap is fully adjustable and can be removed and repositioned easily via a Velcro connection to the main strap and a hook to the bag.

Shoulder strap

Shoulder strap pad

The strap pad is removable and slides along the strap to adjust for comfort.  The top of the strap pad has yet more MOLLE-style webbing to attach gear.  The strap pad is thickly padded for weight distribution and comfort and the bottom of the pad has a mesh texture that helps grip and also allows moisture to dry.

Actual Use

The bag is easily adjustable for various heights and preferred wearing styles.  I tend to wear my gear bags across my chest and slung behind me in the classic messenger bag style rather than over one shoulder and hanging beside me in, well…purse style.  I found that in my preferred mode of carry, both with or without the stabilizer strap, it rides quite comfortably.  I like to throw in my camera, some protein bars, pen and notebook and still have room for other stuff.  I can also report that on a weekend trip to the Indiana Dunes, my 9-year-old daughter wore the Tonto while hiking.  It adjusted down to accommodate her size quite well and she enjoyed using it.  One other thing to mention here is that some may make comparisons between the Tonto and a purse-like or Euro man-bag.  Although I can understand this perception, with the color, style, and ruggedness of this bag, I see this as a weak comparison.  This bag looks much more hard-core than haute couture.

WITHOUT stabilizer strap

WITH stabilizer strap

Final Thoughts

Hazard 4′s Tonto 4 mini messenger bag is the real deal.  It is very solidly built from high quality materials and well constructed.  Many features have been packed into its small size, and it has been well designed to include not only lots of pockets and compartments to stash gear of all shapes and sizes, but placement of the features make ease of use intuitive.  It can be adjusted for multiple wearing preferences to suit the user’s preference.  The only drawbacks I could find are that it is not large enough to accommodate an iPad and its remotely purse-like appearance (though a very manly, hardcore purse).  It’s a great kimosabe to accompany you on missions, whether they be of the tactical, urban, or rural variety when you don’t want to lug your ginormous gear bag.  I’m looking forward to trying out more of Hazard 4′s products.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bag, gear bag

Hazard 4 Tonto Mini Messenger Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 8, 2010 at 12:00 pm.

Booq has just announced their new line of Cobra gear bags for laptops and the iPad. The iPad bag is the one that catches my eye most. I like vertical oriented bags, so Cobra courier XS fits that criteria nicely. Each Cobra bag is made of Black 1680 denier ballistic nylon with a water-repellant coating and trimmed with Nappa leather inside and out. Buckles and loopholes are made of gunmetal. The Cobra XS has a non-scratch, padded interior compartment for the iPad and a main compartment with pockets for the charger, a phone, wallet, or pens. There is also a front zippered pocket and a back pocket for additional accessories. It’s in stock now and priced at $145.00

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: gear bag, iPad, Spotlight Gadgets

Booq Announces new Cobra line of Gear Bags originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 23, 2010 at 1:27 pm.

I’ve looked for years to find just the right daily purse or gear bag.  I want a bag big enough to hold all my normal pocket stuff and the gadgets that I can’t live without, but I don’t want to spend so much money for it that I can’t afford to buy gadgets.  I have had an obsession with Vera Bradley bags for a while.  I like the fun look of Vera Bradley, but many of those bags are unstructured and don’t have organization pockets.  Lately, I’ve been in a minimalist phase.  I have a tiny little Vera purse, barely big enough to hold my wallet, keys, and phone.  That worked well until I got my iPad.  When I want to take my iPad along, I have to have a separate bag to carry the iPad or I have to stuff the iPad and my purse into a bigger bag.  After reading Julie’s recent review of her new vinyl Timbuk2 custom messenger bag, I thought a similar bag in a smaller size could be my perfect one-bag-fits-all solution.  I found Timbuk2 had just what I was looking for – the FreeStyle Messenger, sized for netbooks and ebook readers.

Timbuk2 had introduced the FreeStyle at the end of 2009, before the iPad was released.  However, if it’s designed to hold a 10” netbook, it should hold an iPad.  I was disappointed to see that I couldn’t customize my own FreeStyle.  These bags aren’t custom-made in San Francisco when you order; this style is actually imported.  The color combinations that were available on the Timbuk2 website were okay, but I was able to find a combination that I liked better from another online retailer.  I placed my order and had my bag in my hands in just a couple of days.

The FreeStyle bag is essentially their laptop messenger in an XS size.  The exterior dimensions are 12.8” wide X 8.85” high X 5.12” deep, and the bag weighs 1.67 pounds. The bag is made of ballistic nylon, and it’s lined with a waterproof TPU coating.  You can see the exterior of my bag is blue/black/gray.  The logo is done in red embroidery.  I was happy to see that the TPU interior coating is white; things are hard to find inside a dark-colored bag.

The bag has a 1-7/8” wide black webbing shoulder strap.  The strap is very firmly sewn on.  One end has a thick, sturdy plastic D-ring at the bottom so you can clip on small bags or accessories.  The other end of the strap has the quick-release buckle so you can easily adjust the strap length.  The maximum drop for the strap is about 18 inches.  This strap is stiff, with a rather “sharp” edge.  It came with a coordinating strap pad in the blue nylon.  The pad wraps around the strap and has a Velcro closure; it is 11.5” long and has a dense padding inside.  This padding makes the strap pad rather stiff, but it does keep the strap from “sawing” at your neck while you wear the bag.

A big, glaring omission from the FreeStyle bag is a grab handle.  I would really prefer this bag – and all messenger and backpack-style bags – have a grab handle.  Also, there is no Cross Strap with this bag.  The Cross Strap is used to stabilize larger messengers on your back, but a bag this small doesn’t really require one.

The front flap closes with two heavy-duty plastic clips.  The tails on the adjustable straps for the male ends have reflective plastic patches with the Timbuk2 logo.  Under the flap, there are two strips of Velcro for extra security.  The Velcro is very strong and makes a lot of noise.  (It’s loud enough that it startled a man in the coffee shop in a busy Barnes and Noble bookstore.  He was sitting about 8 feet away from me, and he was listening to music through earphones when I rrrriiiipppped open my bag.)

Note the loop of excess strap on the side of the bag (left). You can also see an adjustment buckle hidden inside the loop.

The back of the bag is plain.  There is no slip-in pocket.

Under the front flap, there are two pockets.  These are the width of the black band.  There’s a zippered pocket in front; inside is the sewn-in red key tether.  The zipper pocket is just big enough to hold my keyring with my over-sized car key.  Behind the zipper pocket is an open pocket.  This pocket is about 4.5” deep; I use it to hold the two straps for my camera.

Netbook pouch with my added padding (top), organizer panel (bottom)

Inside the bag is a large organizer panel on the front wall.  This panel has a total of ten storage slots and pockets.  On the front, there’s a large pocket with a flap with a Velcro closure. This pocket could hold a larger smartphone, but I have a bottle of hand sanitizer and another small bottle in there.  Beside it are two “stacked” slip-in pockets made of a soft, flannel fabric.  My LG enV3 phone fits perfectly inside the back pocket.

Behind these pockets is a zippered pocket.  This pocket extends the full length and width of the organizer panel.  I have a wallet, checkbook cover, pen, and a few other small items in there.  Inside this pocket are 4 credit-card pockets and three deeper pockets.  You can just see the credit card pocket above the red card case in the above picture.

There is a padded, closed netbook pouch on the back wall.  It’s sewn into the bag’s side seams, but it is completely free at the top and bottom.  The pouch is covered by a flap; it’s held closed by Velcro.  The pouch has a thin padding and is lined with a red, fleecy material.  There is more than enough room inside for my iPad encased in the Belkin Grip Vue case.  The iPad in the Belkin is almost the same width as the netbook pouch, but there is extra depth available.

Because the padding in the netbook pouch is thin and there is no structure or padding on the back wall of the bag, I decided to add some padding along the back wall.  I slid a piece of dense foam between the netbook pouch and the back wall.  I put my iPad into the pouch with the screen facing the back wall.  I feel this arrangement offers the best protection for my iPad screen while it’s in the bag.

You can just see the piece of dense foam I added behind the iPad sleeve.

I have a lot of stuff in the bottom of my FreeStyle bag.  There’s a medium-sized digital camera (in brown polka dot case), an iPod touch in a Vera Bradley Tech Case, a Plantronics Discovery 925 bluetooth headset in its pink charging case, a folding mirror, a couple of bottles of OTC meds, a Vera Bradley card case, my Arctic Cooling E361 earbuds in their case, comb, and my sunglasses clip-on in its case.  There’s still plenty of room inside the bag for charging cables and other things.

Complete contents of the bag

Fully loaded with the iPad, the Timbuk2 FreeStyle is heavy.  If you wear it on your back as shown on the Timbuk2 website, the bag is surprisingly light and comfortable.  My daughter Rachel is modeling the bag for me.  For reference, she is 5’1”.

I like the Timbuk2 FreeStyle messenger bag, and it’s going to be my daily bag now.  I do wish the strap were a little softer and narrower, but the strap pad does help protect my neck.  I like the color combination I found, but I do wish I could have completely customized my bag.  I would have loved a black/navy/green bag.  The one thing that I really, really miss is a grab handle.  Add a grab handle and make the shoulder strap out of seat belting, and the bag would be nearly perfect.

Update:

After I wrote the review, I have been carrying the FreeStyle every day. I love the organizational features of the bag, and it really is the perfect size for all the stuff I carry daily.  But because I really, really miss the grab handle and because the shoulder strap is wide and scratchy, I found myself regretfully thinking of putting the FreeStyle aside and trying to find another bag.  I decided to try an experiment with the shoulder strap before giving up, and you’ll see the result in the picture below.

I simply shortened the strap as much as I could – until the strap pad was laying flat across the top of the bag.  This left me with a very long loop of strap hanging down off the side of the bag – sure to get caught on everything I walked by.  I used the adjustment buckle (hidden under that hinged adjustment lever) to shorten up the loop of excess strap.  This resulted in a “cinnamon bun” loop sticking out from the side of the bag.  I then tied a strip of elastic cord (originally used to attach the product tags on the bag) around the loop to make it as tight and flat as possible.  I absolutely love using the bag this way.  The strap pad makes a very comfortable handle to hold in my hand or to slide up onto my arm.  I consider this my Birkin bag for the gadget girl.

None of these adjustments are permanent, so I can easily convert it back to a messenger bag when I need to have my hands free.  I find the FreeStyle bag has moved just a bit closer to “perfect” for me now.

Filed in categories: Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: gear bag, iPad bag, messenger bag

Timbuk2 FreeStyle Netbook Messenger Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 29, 2010 at 12:31 pm.

When I find something I like, I tend to stick with it for a long time. Case in point, the Timbuk2 messenger bag. I reviewed their classic messenger back in 2005 and carried it everyday till I reviewed their laptop messenger bag in 2008. You guessed it, I’ve been carrying that one for the past 2 years. I noticed that they had updated the design with different materials and more pockets, so I asked if I could take another look. They agreed to let me create a custom bag for this review. Let’s check out my creation. My previous messenger bags have been ballistic nylon. As you can see from the image above, I decided to go with their new shiny vinyl fabric. At the time I went through the custom creation process, Red was an available color. Unfortunately, that color isn’t available now… but they have lots of other choices including some new vinyl colors.

The exterior of this bag doesn’t differ much from the previous version. It has a grab handle at the top and the same standard 3 panel design that Timbuk2 is known for. If you decide to create your own custom bag, you can make each panel a different color. You can also choose the color of the piping around the edges, the interior color and the logo color.

The main change to the outside of the bag is the new shoulder strap adjustment lever. It has the same job – to allow you to easily shorten or lengthen the shoulder strap while you’re wearing the bag. The new design is just a bit easier to grab than the previous version.

Lifting the flap will reveal a panel of pockets on the outside of the main compartment.

Click for larger view

This new grouping of pockets is quite a bit larger than the previous version of the laptop messenger. There are now 3 flat zippered pockets and a roomy open topped pocket at the top. I like to store my wallet and company card key in the open pocket and lesser used items in the zippered pockets.

There’s a new vertical zippered slot behind the panel of pockets. It’s kind of hidden, which might make it a better location for a wallet.

Click for larger view

Check out the roomy interior. I went with the Medium sized messenger, which continues to be the perfect size for me. There’s plenty of room for all your gear and then some. I decided to go with Pebble as the interior color, to make it easy to see small items at the bottom of the bag.

Click for larger view

The new love glove laptop sleeve as Timbuk2 calls it is a nubby foam sleeve with a webbed Velcro tab to secure your computer. This sleeve is quite a bit thinner than the padded corduroy sleeve that was used in the previous version of this bag.

Click for larger view

Although it accommodates my 15″ Macbook Pro with no problems, I prefer the old sleeve. It was thicker and was attached the back wall of the bag by strong Velcro on the sides, bottom and sewn along the top edge. The current sleeve is only attached by the sides.

The laptop sleeve does have some handy straps on the front that you can use to clip things too. What, I’m not sure…

Click for larger view

The main storage area (other than the laptop sleeve) in the main compartment of the bag is sewn into the front wall of the bag. It’s been redesigned from the previous version to include several new pockets.

Click for larger view

There’s a velcro flapped pocket, 3 pen / pencil slots with an open topped pocket behind them. There are also two soft lined open topped pockets for your cell phone, MP3 player, etc. They are large enough to hold an iPhone and lined with soft material that won’t cause scratches.

Click for larger view

A zipper behind those pockets and slots reveals another large pocket with more open topped pockets. When it’s all said and done, this bag has 21 storage compartments (counting all pockets, slots and the laptop sleeve). You can never have too many pockets right?

Whoo, flashy right? I like it though For a size perspective, this is the Medium sized laptop messenger bag and I’m 5’5.75″ (every quarter inch counts when you’re height challenged ok?).

Timbuk2 bags are comfortable to wear, their wide shoulder strap doesn’t cut into my shoulder even when I am carrying a laptop along with other gear. Timbuk2 sells a shoulder pad as an option for this bag if you like that kind of thing. I just like it plain.

Other than the laptop sleeve (and I’m being really picky there), I can find anything to complain about with this bag. It’s made really well and if my 2 prior Timbuk2 bags are any indicator, they continue to look brand new for years to come. The only worry I have is that vinyl might get scuffed on the bottom after day to day use. I’ll add an addendum to this review in a few months with an update on how well this particular material is holding up. If you go with the ballistic nylon, I know for a fact that it looks new even after a couple years of carrying it every day. Timbuk2 continues to be a favorite of mine for classic messenger style bags.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: gear bag, messenger bag

Timbuk2 Custom Laptop Messenger Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 29, 2010 at 8:48 pm.

Messenger bags have been around for close to 200 years. Booq’s new Mamba Catch takes the classic style and kicks it up several notches to bring it into the 21st century. The Catch is a unisex laptop messenger bag with pockets galore (over 20 of them!). The one thing it doesn’t have though, is a main flap. The interior is accessed by zipper. It comes in two sizes and is priced at $129.95 – $149.95. It looks cool, but I’m not sure about the no-flap feature. I likes me a nice flap.

Filed in categories: Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: gear bag, messenger bag, Spotlight Gadgets

Booq Reinvents the Messenger Bag originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 24, 2010 at 7:15 pm.

Got a lot of running or gym gear you find yourself lugging about?  Have a look at the Endurance Ultra from Endurance Bag Company.  Though it’s designed for runners, it’s got a ton of compartments that any fitness enthusiast would find useful.  Vented shoe and wet clothes compartments, two insulated water bottle pockets (with a spot between for an ice pack) and more, so you can keep your energy gels, heart rate monitor, race bib, energy bars, sunscreen and all that other stuff organized.  Winner of the 2007 Endurance Bag of the Year.  Available in Midnight Blue, Black, and Burnt Orange each for $49.99.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: Bag, gear bag, Sports, sports gear

Endurance Bag has spots for all your fitness stuff originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 18, 2010 at 8:44 am.

Women who carry a gear bag will often just put a wallet, cell phone, and other small essentials in the gear bag.  This works great while getting to work or school, but it may be a bit cumbersome when going to lunch or running errands.  The ID Pouch from Eagle Creek might be a good ”going to lunch” bag.  It’s 7 X 5 X 0.8 inches, weighs 5 oz, and is made of ripstop nylon, so it’s small enough to fit in your gear bag.  It has a variety of zipper pockets and slots, so you can put your phone, keys, and a small wallet in there, or you can use it as a wallet and still have room for a phone.  Use the included strap to wear it on your shoulder or crossbody.  Don’t think this bag is just for women;  men can wear it on their belts, too.  It’s $25, and it’s available in black, chocolate, or palm green from eBags.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: gear bag

Eagle Creek ID Pouch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 6, 2010 at 6:54 am.

It’s been mentioned before on this website many times: one of the curses of technology is the problem of always having to carry it around in order to use it. In a rather unique take on the fanny/bum pack, UrbanTool has designed the icaseBelt. It’s a wide belt that contains an iPod controller, as well as pockets for your wallet, keys, and other items. I was challenged to put it to the test, and it was a challenge I was looking forward to. Here are the results.

The UrbanTool icaseBelt, locked and loaded.

First, I’m not a skinny, young, hip guy like the folks on the UrbanTool website. They may not think of me as being in their demographic, but if they cast that net in terms of gadget usage and needing the touted benefits of their product, they might think again. The icaseBelt is a wide, nylon and leather adjustable belt. The pockets and iPod controller area takes up about 24″. There is about 30″ of webbing attached to the end of this area, ending in a 2″ heavy plastic clip. You can wear it as a belt or a bandolier, and quickly switch between the two. The sliding adjustment ring holds the chosen length tightly, yet slides easily if turned against the pull of normal wear.

The icaseBelt with an iPhone being inserted into the iPod pocket. The controller is to the right. It is attached via a standard iPod cable connection.

Looking from the front, the left side (the wearer’s right side) has a controller for iPod with fast forward, play/pause, previous/review, and volume up/down buttons. These controls are connected to a standard iPod cable that is sewn into the pocket next to the controller. My iPhone 3G fit into the pocket easily without being attached to the controller connector. With that connector, it could be placed in the pocket, but it was a little more of a challenge. But it would fit, and the controller worked as expected. The problem came when I tried to attach earbuds to the iPhone. There is not enough room to place the controller and a standard earbud plug on the iPhone and insert it into the case. I even tried finessing it into the case and plugging in the cables afterward by working through the fabric, but the dimensions of the case are just too small. I really wanted this to work. There’s even a small zippered pocket on the back just behind the iPod pocket, perfectly sized for a set of earbuds.

My fingers are on the seams that define the size of the iPod pocket. There is no way to get an iPhone into this pocket with the controller and regular earbuds attached.

The next pocket over is meant for a wallet or datebook. I carry a Levenger card file that’s 6″ x 3.5″ and about .75″ thick, and it fit easily. In the far reaches of this pocket, there is a retractable keyring.

A small ring of keys attached to the retractable cord pull.

I’m not really sure how you’re supposed to get your keys past the wallet that takes up the rest of the pocket, but the mechanism is attached well, and retracts reliably. On the back side of this pocket is another zippered pocket, which could be used for hidden cash, a Metro card, or even a passport. It’s very flat, but has an opening almost 5″ long. It will hold a small stack of 3×5″ index cards, but you’ll have to put them in one side at a time.

The cable for the keyring holder extends about 25" or so. I don't know if you'd want to drive teathered to it, but it's easily long enough to open your door while attached.

The materials are of really good quality. The leather over the iPod controls is smooth, with the functions subtly hot-stamped onto a nylon patch below them. The pockets are made of a stretchy, jersey knit nylon that feels like silk, but easly stretches over whatever is being inserted, yet snaps back into place. The seams are all tight and heavily reinforced.  I don’t think anything on this belt pack would wear out or fray with normal use.

That being said, normal use is tough to do, since the placement of the pockets’ features are so irritating, as mentioned above. I wanted to test this with my iPhone, but can’t have music playing from my waist without earbuds – it’s not a good listening experience, and irritates those around you. And the keys aren’t accessable stuffed back on the other side of my card file.

So, for materials and workmanship, I give it five stars. For design and useability, however, I give it one star. Over all, that’s three stars, but if you’ve got an iPod Nano and a phone to put in the other pocket, it may work better for you.

Filed in categories: Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Case, gear bag, iPhone accessory

UrbanTool icaseBelt Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 5, 2010 at 11:04 am.