It’s tough being a bag in Los Angeles. Or at least my backpack thinks so.
Every day that I have been in Los Angeles so far I have been out walking or riding my bike. Usually I have my backpack with me, to hold my laptop, some books, and other items. My backpack is one of those padded computer backpacks—in specific, the Dell C8882 Inspiron 17″ Laptop Backpack
For a while the backpack worked well, as it had lots of padding, held the laptop plus lots of books, had numerous pockets to hold odds and ends, and was comfortable to wear. But under extended use, especially since I have been out in Los Angeles, the backpack has not aged well. In specific, the padding in the shoulder straps has started to slide around, all the seams started looking fuzzy, like the material was wearing out, and a seam on one of the straps actually split open. So rather than be caught off-guard by a total backpack malfunction one day, far from home, I decided to look for a replacement.
My criteria: I wanted a bag that could hold my laptop, several books, and a few extra odds and ends; was waterproof (the backpack was not); and that would be comfortable and secure while walking or riding a bike. More subjective criteria included having a smaller form factor than the backpack and being more stylish. When loaded, the Dell backpack could easily knock someone over standing next to me if I turned around suddenly, and it also had a major Forrest Gump vibe going—something that doesn’t compute in style-sensitive L.A.
And my wife imposed the criteria that the bag had to be less than $100.
So I headed to a large mall on Santa Monica and stopped into the Tumi store. Their [T-Tech Pulse
Eldridge Computer Messenger Bag](http://www.tumi.com/backpacks_messengers/t_tech_pulse/category_search/eldridge_computer_messenger_bag/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=66887) seemed really nice, except that it was not waterproof (the sales lady said it is not waterproof, but that it resists water). As nice as the bag seemed, I couldn’t see spending $195 for a bag that could not keep my computer dry. Plus, it was about twice my budget.
The sales lady suggested I check out the Louis Vuitton store. They had Very Nice Things, but their $1,300 messenger bags would not fit my laptop. I am also not convinced that their bags would feel comfortable or be appropriate when riding a bike. As for being waterproof, I never got around to asking that question about these bags. I mean, I guess what I am trying to say is that someone in the market for a Louis Vuitton messenger bag would have a different set of criteria than the ones I listed above.
So, just about to give up on my quest, I happened to stop into my local bike shop and they had exactly what I was looking for.
The bag that fit all my requirements turned out to be the Timbuk2 Commute Messenger Bag
For many years Timbuk2 has made quality messenger bags, and the Commute was designed for the professional who wants something different than the traditional boxy briefcase, and who needs a rugged and travel-friendly bag that can hold a laptop.
This bag has a ballistic nylon exterior and a molded padded back panel (shown above). The bottom is double-padded and has an extra rubberized bottom layer (not shown).
The inside has a padded compartment for the laptop (the X-Large Commute bag fits the 17″ Apple Powerbook) and the bag itself is waterproof. It has a handle for convenient hand-carry and comes with a second strap to secure around the waist for when riding a bike (or running to catch a taxi).
And, though the bag retails for $120, you can likely find it for less (I did, and it met my authorized budget).
All in all, the Timbuk2 Commute is a quality bag that seems to be very durable, to be useful and stylish, and to have enough features to make the price seem more than reasonable.