As a grad student in computer science, I take my computer with me *everywhere*. I need bags that can take a light beating every day for a long time. When my old computer bag developed a large tear at the computer pocket, I wanted something that would be large enough for me to carry my computer, its accessories, a textbook, a notebook, and my digital camera, which is an oversized point-and-shoot that's just a little too large to fit comfortably into any bag. Needless to say I also wanted something that wouldn't rip open or have the clip for the shoulder strap snap and drop my computer onto the sidewalk, both unpleasant experiences I've had with other bags.
I was a little wary of carrying the laptop in a sleeve that could rattle around inside a larger bag, but many of my friends do it that way and seem to have no problems. One of them introduced me to Timbuk2's products, and after a lot of research and agonizing I ordered the Classic Messenger Bag and Timbuk2's Timbuk2 Wiki Laptop Sleeve.
The CMB is great, though it is basically "just a bag" with a few auxiliary pockets. The medium size -- which looks big and is actually a little bigger -- holds everything I need, with just a little room to spare, and if I ever want to carry other stuff (groceries, camping supplies) I can just take the computer out and have a pretty humongous bag. It's comfortable, the lining is waterproof, the strap has a nifty quick-release length adjustment, and it feels very, very secure. My girlfriend admired mine so much that she asked her family for one, and I got my brother one as a Christmas gift, as he frequently bikes to work.
Some caveats, all of which I consider minor points to be aware of, rather than real issues I have with the product:
- It took me a couple days of fiddling with the length of the main strap and how the bag sat on my back before it was really comfortable. I could tell when I first put it on that it was well-built and would be comfortable; I just had to spend some time and find the sweet spot.
- The top doesn't really close; it's just the main flap of the bag flipped across the opening. Things seem to sit so that the bag pinches shut at the top naturally, and there's a safe margin of overhang, but I've noticed that the main strap can pull the overhanging edge of the flap up, rather than down over the side of the bag. I've never had an actual problem with this, and neither has the friend who showed me the bags in the first place, but it seems worth mentioning.
- The cross strap. Yes, it can be a little confusing. However, it's not outrageously difficult either. You don't even really need it unless you're riding a bike or something; I got it backwards the first time I tried it, reversed it, and had no further issues. Once you've got it it's pretty obvious.
- The quick-release on the main strap seems prone to a little slippage unless you really clamp it down. I assume that's why it has a kind of double-loop system that allows you to adjust the amount of slack strap available for extending at any given time but that's a little tedious to work with.
- There are a lot of auxiliary pockets inside and a couple outside. They're all useful sizes and pretty much perfectly hold all my stuff, but the interior pockets are built of some much lighter material than the rest of the bag, and it seems to stretch and sag with use. I'd had a lot of pens in the pen pockets for a couple weeks until I noticed they were getting loose and slightly misshapen. I wouldn't rely on them to hold a lot of stuff, despite the apparent size.
- You can't really carry anything on the outside of this bag without buying some accessories from Timbuk2. This doesn't bother me, as I keep phones in holsters and keys in my pocket, but if you put everything in your bag it might be a hindrance.
- Word of caution: Despite being a righty, I wear my bag "left-handed," i.e. over my right shoulder. This puts the strap adjustment behind me, so I have to take the bag off to adjust it. However, if there's any weight in it, it seems that the bag might be difficult to adjust while wearing, regardless of which way you wear it. Again, Timbuk2 offers an option on this if you custom order a bag.
Other than these points, which really are fairly minor in comparison to having a trustworthy bag that holds all my daily necessities and is easily adapted to other uses, I really do love this bag. It's simple, it does exactly what I need (viz., carry stuff), everything seems very well-made (with the possible exception of those interior pockets), it's attractive, the size and shape are useful, it's comfortable to carry and wear. I look forward to long use from this bag.
Oh, and Timbuk2's Twitter feed gave me the answer to the issue of velcro noise: just take the velcro out of commission. Buy some matching velcro strips at a fabrics store, cut to fit, cover the bag's velcro with the loose velcro, and use the clips to secure the bag. This hasn't been a problem for me as I don't attend a lot of meetings and open my bag before classes start, but if it ever comes up, at least there's an easy way around it.Get more detail about Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag.
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