I travel every week for work. I carry a bag full of gear including a 15.4″ MacBook Pro, camera, cords, iPhone, iPod (for digital
recordings),books, and a host of other junk. I have come to the conclusion my best bet is to stick with backpack style case since I am on the go so much.
Currently I have a Targus bag that I like but the zipper is wearing out, the zipper pulls are coming off, and the elastic for the front flap has stretched and I have tied it back together. I actually look like a vagabond and am only a piece of duct tape away from looking like a digital hobo.
So I am on a mission to find the ultimate laptop bag. eBags has a good laptop search and I found a few candidates. Then I went to Google for more options. I was really looking for something that was durable, somewhat cool, and still okay to drag into a business meeting. That’s a tall order and here’s my short list of which bags I think are the best options.
Brenthaven Expandable Trek
I read an article on About.com that recommended this brand. Even though the bags have good reviews when I visit the Brenthaven site I wasn’t provided a good tour of the bag. I get a small link to a PDF that didn’t give me a decent view of the internals of the backpack. There is a link to a video on how great their product is but it was too busy trying to be quirky and cool it wasn’t useful.
[ Marketing lesson: If you are going to use video like Brenthaven does...try to provide the audience with the content they expect and make it informative, even with broadband it takes a while to download. I watched in vain hoping for some information but didn't present an online tour of the inside of the bag which is frustrating and should be obvious. In comparison, eBags has of the best websites with smart comparative features, pictures of the inside of most every bag, they even suggested similar products, and gave me tools to compare them.]
Ogio Metroid
I have an OGIO golf bag and used to have an OGIO messenger bag that was pretty awesome. I looked at the Ogio Metro and everything looks perfect but I don’t think their handle/backpack strap combo is conducive to wearing slung over a single shoulder. I saw one on the plane this week and was tempted to ask if I could try it out but the owner didn’t seem to be the most friendly of chaps so the jury is still out on this one. 
Chrome Dumas Bags
I was attracted to the Dumas Bags by Dumas mainly because of the idea of Kevlar and carbon fiber sounded like the kind of beating I give my laptop bags. I figured this was definitely the way to go since I am so hard on my bags, what better material then carbon fiber. Unfortunately the Dumas didn’t have the internal pockets I was looking for. Though it does have an undeniable cool factor.
Timbuk2 Custom Bags
I have always wanted one of these bags but their design never quite fit my mold. What is very cool about Timbuk2 is that you can design your won bag. I looked long and hard but have come to the conclusion despite the customization options their bags aren’t going to meet my needs.
Oakley AP Pack
I spent a lot of time in the Oakley store checking out their backpacks. I liked the AP because it was loaded with external pockets. I looked at a couple of other models including the Flak Pack and the O. All very cool and they looked to be very durable but at the end of the day I decided that they were all a little too punk rock cool for me.
Booq Python XL
The front runner of the group is the Booq Python XL which is more than big enough for my 15″ MacBook Pro. As far as
durability goes the Python has waterproof zippers, weather-resistant ballistic nylon exterior, seat-belt nylon straps, a rigid-frame laptop compartment, lots of padded pockets, a dedicated iPod pocket with non-scratch lining, and a stand-alone removable accessory bag. The Python also has a removable waist and sternum straps.
Unfortunately this is the most expensive all options but probably the closest to my ultimate bag. I like the ballistic nylon, and the laptop and iPod cases. I also think it’s going to last a long time, but
That’s my short list but any suggestions are welcome.
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What about the Kensington Contour backpack?
I like it, with the exception of two things:
1. Fully loaded, the bag is a bit too fat at the base to slide neatly under an airplane seat. You can get it in there, but you need to give it a bit of a shove.
2. The zipper is curved such that pulling the laptop out requires that you remember to hold the zipper aside or else you will catch on it. You get used to this after a few short weeks, but it could be a problem that is designed out.
Don’t forget Maxpedition’s Gearslinger lineup, either.
I like the Kensington back but it is sort of egg-shaped and as you say it won’t fit under the airplane seat easily.
Swiss Gear is padded, roomy and ergonimically accomidating to airport travelers! They make several models to meet various needs, this is just the model I settled on.
The Wenger site is almost useless but retailers such as Tiger Direct (below) or Best Buy have a decent selection and virtual tours of Swiss Gear products.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1650448&Sku=A137-1004&SRCCODE=GOOGLEBASE&CMP=OTC-GOOGLEBASE
I have an Ogio Metro, and it is very good, but after lugging stuff through airports recently, I’m thinking about going to a backpack style piece of luggage (with lots of pockets for books, files and stuff that I don’t need access to) and a much smaller laptop bag that goes over the shoulder with just the computer, some paper, some files to work on, index cards, iPhone, and a book.
Any thoughts on that strategy? Or recommendations for small-type laptop bags? I found an interesting piece of luggage at REI for the other part.
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