Bag Choices

[Version3]

We are talking computer bags here… so let’s focus.

What bag do you carry and what do you recommend? I have a hard time finding ones that I actually like, particularly at the low cost end of the scale.

For the last few years I’ve been carrying a Kata photo backpack. It was ideal when I had a camera in it, but for the last few years I’ve really worn it out stuffing all kinds of junk in it that doesn’t really belong. Now, It’s more like a sack… everything just falls to the bottom when I put it on.

For the last few months, I’ve been carrying a Ogio provided by the company I work for, but they have their logo all over it. It’s a pretty good bag, durable, comfortable, and holds a lot more than I thought a messenger style bag would, particularly with different compartments.

I’m not sure that I love it, and it definitely gets to be annoying on my shoulder. I think I like the comfort of a backpack, but the look of a messenger. Ultimately, I need it to not suck, be pretty durable and hold a lot of random shit.

Typically that’s a 15″ MBP, iPad, magsafe adapter, 2 2.5″ usb external drives, 3 display adapters, a small assortment of cables, a small assortment of a/v adapters, a few small screwdriver type tools, iRiver/mic, bluetooth keyboard and magic mouse.

So what do you guys use, or what have you used that you loved? I bought a SwissArmy shoulder bag last night, and I’m reasonably sure that I don’t like it. Especially not $55 worth of like it.

[Bucho]

We don’t have computer bags in NZ, we just carry them to and from the water hole balanced on our heads.

- Women sense my power and they seek the life essence.

[Newman]

I don’t move my laptop around much unless its a trip of some sort, in which case I got a Targus Spruce EcoSmart Messenger when I bought my Dell a few years back and love the thing.

http://www.amazon.com/Targus-EcoSmart-Messenger-Widescreen-TBM015US/dp/B0021AFO12

[Larkitect]

i’ve come to love Targus bags (not only the bag for my MacBook but also their albums for my optical discs as well). the one i have is well-padded and has a big mesh pocket for my power cord/cube as well as all sorts of pockets/slips for all kinds of goodies. even has a zipper on the side to pop out an attached netted water bottle case.

also has a big shoulder pad with nice length on the strap but takes a bit of doing to get it set “just right”.

http://www.amazon.com/Targus-CityGear-Messenger-Notebooks-TCG200/dp/B00024ENHK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1320378279&sr=1-3

My essence still senses Bucho's women.

[rob]

I’ve only bought two computer bags, and they were both Booq bags (http://www.booqbags.com). I just like the style of them. I bought a regular Boa bag when I got my PowerBook back in ’05, and then bought one of the Taipan messenger bags when I got the Air. They are more expensive than they used to be – I want to say it was $130 for the Boa back then (it’s $199 now). Even though I got rid of the PowerBook a long time ago, I am still using the bag – in 6 years of hard use, the Booq logo on the front came off, and one of the 1,500 zippers broke, but it’s still awesome. I don’t know how long other bags last typically, but the reason I went with Booq is because they consistently got glowing reviews for their durability and style.

So, uh, yeah.

[Newman]

A few co-workers have Booq laptop sleves and are very happy with them. They have probably had them for 5+ years now.

[Version3]

I like that on their site, when they feature the bags with ‘stuff’ in them, they are realistic about just having crap all in them. That’s pretty much how mine end up.

For the time being (I’m not spending $200 on a damn bag, at least not right now), I got one of the SwissGear backpacks. Most of them are pretty run-of-the-mill, but this one appears to have pretty solid zippers, and has pretty good storage.

Friday, I had mine loaded down with all of my usual crap (cables, power and such), my MBP, iPad, plus a Mac Mini, it’s cables, two HD webcams and plenty of free space. Not bad.

[Author]

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