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A couple years ago I bought a pair of messenger bags, intending to use one or both as a laptop bag. Neither one worked well for the intended purpose, but I hung onto them anyway. Somewhere along the way I disposed of the Odessa Retro Bag because it was basically a big purse, with no real organizational capacity for all the stuff I might choose to carry.

The Classic Messenger Bag, though, has become something I use almost daily. It's big enough to accommodate a large amount of stuff, and has three distinct storage areas: the big main section, and the two front pockets. The front pockets easily fit a paperback book of reasonable size, and even fit my Thermos if I need to bring some coffee with me. My big complaint about the Velcro in my original post was actually a short-sighted one: the Velcro is extremely well positioned and does a fine job holding the flap closed. I originally complained about the vertical orientation of the fasteners on the bag, stating that it didn't provide much surface area on which to make a connection. But the vertical orientation makes it possible for me to secure the flap even when the bag is stuffed full of stuff and therefore bulkier than normal.

My father-in-law declared that my bag is a Claymore bag: the kind of bag used in Vietnam to carry Claymore mines: a charge in each front pocket, and a spool of cable and other assorted bits in the main pouch. Indeed, I think my bag does match that general profile, though mine is a bit more rounded.

As stated above, I use the bag almost daily. I ride the bus to work in the morning, and the bag makes a perfect vehicle to transport whatever book I'm currently reading, along with business cards, tissues, paper notebook, pens, and other miscellany. It rides comfortably either slung over one shoulder or across my chest.

The bag also makes an excellent diaper bag when I want to travel light with Josie. Diapers and wipes fit nicely in the front pockets, and the main compartment stores snacks, a change of clothes, a sippy cup, and maybe a book or toy. It's rugged, not too heavy, and makes for quick assembly and departure.

After several years of solid use (including several international trips), the Classic Messenger Bag is holding up extremely well. There's no visible sign of it wearing out. No threads are loose. The should strap is still secure and functional. I'm extremely pleased with the quality of the construction.

My only current complaint about the bag is that it's just shy of a good gym bag. My gym does not offer towel service, so I need to lug my own towel to and from the gym. The bulk of the towel usually exceeds the storage volume of the bag. Also, unfortunately, my gym shoes do not fit in the front pockets.

I currently use a traditional gym bag on those days I go to the gym, but I'd love to find something with a smaller profile for this purpose. If only my manbag was sufficiently all-purpose...

In response to my post about my quest for a new laptop bag, Bob suggested the Jack Bauer manbag as something to consider. I followed the links and found the Rothco Classic Messenger Bag at CampingSurvival.com. The price was right, so I ordered it. I also ordered the Odessa Retro Messenger Bag, because it was cheap and looked like it might make a nice supplementary bag for when I'm riding around on my bicycle.

Both bags arrived yesterday, and while they're both decent enough bags for the price, they both have just a few shortcomings. The Classic Messenger Bag (hereafter referred to as the Jack Bauer manbag) provides a single main compartment, along with two small pockets covered by the flap and two small pockets along each edge of the bag. There is no padded section on the webbed shoulder strap, but it seemed comfortable enough in the little time I slung it over my arm. There is no padding whatsoever inside the bag, so it likely would not do for any long-term travel with a laptop inside.

The most troubling thing about this bag, though, is the placement of the Velcro pieces used to keep the main flap secured. Take a look at these photos to see what I mean:

The flap itself has a single long piece of Velcro along the length of the flap, but the interior pockets have vertical strips of Velcro. This doesn't provide much surface area for the hook-and-loop fasteners to make a strong connection. Moreover, it seemed to me that the perpendicular orientation of the strips made it hard for the hooks to grab the loops, and the flap never really felt secured. It was extremely easy to open the flap, and I worry that the flap wouldn't be sufficiently secured to keep stuff inside.

I honestly wonder if perhaps this is a manufacturing defect on the bag I received. It makes no sense to me why such a long strip of Velcro would be used on the flap, and then such small pieces would be so poorly positioned on the inside.

The Odessa Retro bag does not have a flap, and instead has a zipper along the top that closes the main compartment. There is a large exterior pocket on the back side of the bag that is fastened with a single button, two smaller front pockets with buttons, and two even smaller pockets along each side with buttons. The webbed shoulder strap does have an adjustable padded section for greater comfort over time. The shoulder strap is adjustable in length, but there's not much length to it. I'm a tall guy, and it sits comfortably enough, but I would really like to have a little more slack available. The interior compartment has a number of smaller little pockets along one side, which look like they'd be handy for the variety of small accessories I would like to take with me: extra batteries, battery charger, USB sticks, etc. None of the interior pockets fasten in any way, though, so there's a good chance stuff might spill out into the main compartment. I would actually prefer this bag over the Jack Bauer manbag for carrying my laptop, except that the zippered opening doesn't easily fit my laptop! I can work it in, but it's not easy. I don't want to wrestle with my bag to get access to my laptop, so I don't expect I'll be using this unless I get a smaller laptop.

I want a new laptop bag. I'm somewhat particular though, in that I want a laptop bag that doesn't look like a laptop bag. I don't want to carry something that screams "I have a laptop!". I want to avoid the black, fake leather exterior. I want to avoid the traditional laptop bag form factor. I want to avoid a name brand logo emblazoned on the straps or flaps. I'm also a miser, though, and don't want to pay a lot of money.

I've looked at a couple local shops, but they all seem to carry the same lame selection of laptop bags that look like laptop bags. I refuse to buy online because I want to inspect the bag with my own eyes and hands before purchasing. I want to check the relative size and strength of the straps and handles and fasteners. I want to feel the external surface, and evaluate the internal padding. I want to eyeball the storage capacity of the various pockets for my laptop, its AC adapter, and any miscellaneous gadgets I may want to lug with me. I want to see how it'll feel on my shoulder.

I have a STM 13" Loft bag for my old Averatec laptop. I like it well enough: it doesn't look completely like a laptop bag and it fits the laptop comfortably. It's a little cramped when I add the AC adapter, and there's not a lot of room for many other gadgets. I almost bought a 15" grey Loft bag recently, but decided to wait a little longer to see if I could find something superior.

I also have a LowePro CompuDaypack which is great for taking both the laptop and the DSLR camera, but that's not always what I want to do. Further, the backpack form factor isn't the most convenient for many situations. For example, it was entirely too bulky for me while walking around the IFA consumer electronics show. The CompuDaypack makes for a nice travel accessory, keeping all my precious electronics close at hand in the airport, but is way more than I need for going to meetups and similar events.

I think I would like a laptop bag that looks more like a messenger bag -- something reasonably amorphous that doesn't necessarily declare that there's a laptop inside -- provided it could comfortably hold the laptop secure. Along with the laptop and AC adapter, I also want to be able to carry with me my Flip video camera, possibly a point-and-shoot camera, a few spare batteries for the previous two items, and possibly even a battery charger for the batteries. I'm sure that there are all manner of other things I'll find that I want to take with me at different times, so I want to make sure that my laptop bag is sufficiently accommodating. I don't need crazy iPod integration, or an included laptop cooling pad -- both of which I saw in bags last night at MicroCenter. I want high quality materials and construction that will last me a while (I don't want the shoulder strap or clasps breaking any time soon!), and I want it to look halfway decent so that I can take it with me to business meetings without looking like some kind of dolled up bike courier, but also not so fancy that I look like a corporate stiff when I walk into a coffee shop. I'd like something that's comfortable on my shoulder, and easy to access for when I'm on an airplane.

Nicholas from Crunchgear recommends Crumpler bags. They look like decent enough bags, but a recommendation from a trusted source just isn't sufficient for me: I need to see the bag with my own eyes before I'll buy it. Plus, the Crumpler bags are more than I really want to pay. Jorge Castro recommends Tom Bihn, but Tom Bihn laptop bags are also more expensive than I really want to pay. (I did say I'm a miser, right?) Jorge highlights the lifetime guarantee, which is a nice selling point, but to be honest I've never had a laptop bag break on me before.

What laptop bags do you use and recommend? What are the chances of me finding a local retailer for them, so that I can kick the tires before purchasing?