Choice of Messenger Bag?

Started by scotttennis
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scotttennis

scotttennis

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I'm trying to decide on a messenger bag for the start of medical school in the fall. I've heard good things about the Chrome Messenger Bags, in particular the Citizen and Metropolis. The Citizen bag is 1200 cu. in, while the larger Metropolis is 2000 cu. in. Does anyone have one of these bags and could make a recommendation? I'm mostly concerned with its size. Thanks!

Also, there are a few other messenger bag companies out there (Timbuk2 and BaileyWorks). Anyone use one of these?

Link to Citizen bag
Link to BaileyWorks
Link to Timbuk2
 
Ok I'm obsessed with Timbuk2's computer bag. It's amazing. Not only it is amazingly durable, (I treat it like $h!t), but it looks cool and has a snug little compartment for my lap top. Best investment ever. I think I paid a little over 100 for it and it has a lifetime guarantee! 👍
 
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i love my timbuk2 bag.... just my $0.02, as they say... i live in oregon and it's very waterproof, which is nice. dont know much about the others though
 
scotttennis said:
I'm trying to decide on a messenger bag for the start of medical school in the fall. I've heard good things about the Chrome Messenger Bags, in particular the Citizen and Metropolis. The Citizen bag is 1200 cu. in, while the larger Metropolis is 2000 cu. in. Does anyone have one of these bags and could make a recommendation? I'm mostly concerned with its size. Thanks!

Also, there are a few other messenger bag companies out there (Timbuk2 and BaileyWorks). Anyone use one of these?

Link to Citizen bag
Link to BaileyWorks
Link to Timbuk2
Click to expand...

I actually really like my "professional" backpack from Brookstone. Shapely, stylish, with lots of useful places to put papers and also a nicely padded computer slot. When you put it on the ground it actually sits up by itself like a rollerboard suitcase. And it's light. It's like a briefcase for your back. I bought it in the Salt Lake City airport at a layover on my way to an interview. My backpack's zipper broke, so I needed a new one right away, and it was the only backpack for sale in the entire airport. But it's actually very nice. I don't know why you'd go for a bag that you have to wear over a shoulder -- hurting your back unless you switch shoulders a lot -- when there's adult-looking backpacks out there.
 
Personally I'm a HUGE fan of Tom Bihn bags. I have the ID. For my purposes it's great, although I do sometimes wish it was bigger, but it prevents me from carrying junk I don't need as I tend to be a bit of a packrat. I could see a number of my classmates being unhappy with it, as they seem to prefer to carry every book in the library with them at all times.

Tom makes other great bags though (and bigger ones too), and his customers seem to be extremely loyal once they recieve the bags and see how great they are. It was a tad expensive for me... but the craftsmanship is amazing. I know this thing will last me well past medical school, plus combined with a "Brain Cell" I feel very very safe carrying my laptop around in it. (The brain cell has a neat feature where the laptop is actually suspended inside of the a hard outer shell.)

I am diggin that citizen bag though...
 
www.reloadbags.com

Expensive but amazing messenger bags and backpacks. Every little thing is fully custom and if you go to their little shop in Philly you can actually see them making the bags in the front of the store. Pretty cool process.
 
Does anyone know where I could find a nice, brown leather, messenger bag? I like the messenger bag, except I am having a hard time finding one in leather.
 
Also looking for messenger bag input - backpacks are kindof out of the question mainly because I have a broken spinous process in my back that makes backpacks painful.
 
Patagonia Half Mass Bag

Timbuk2

These two are the only way to go in my mind. Both have laptop compartments...

Rainwoman
 
Go with a Timbuk2 bag and you'll never regret it. I have had mine for two years, use it hard every day, and it looks about the same as when I took it out of the box.

Awesome quality.
 
PreMedAdAG said:
Ok I'm obsessed with Timbuk2's computer bag. It's amazing. Not only it is amazingly durable, (I treat it like $h!t), but it looks cool and has a snug little compartment for my lap top. Best investment ever. I think I paid a little over 100 for it and it has a lifetime guarantee! 👍
Click to expand...

How do you find the size to be: too big, too small, does it offer your laptop enough protection?
 
stopper10 said:
Go with a Timbuk2 bag and you'll never regret it. I have had mine for two years, use it hard every day, and it looks about the same as when I took it out of the box.

Awesome quality.
Click to expand...

One of the things that I'm especially looking for is comfortable, ergonomic shoulder straps. The Chrome bags seem to have this...how are the others?
 
yanu said:
Does anyone know where I could find a nice, brown leather, messenger bag? I like the messenger bag, except I am having a hard time finding one in leather.
Click to expand...
these two are quite nice:
http://www.bananarepublic.com/browse/product.do?cid=10835&pid=375296
http://www.bananarepublic.com/browse/product.do?cid=10835&pid=353983

I have the latter one, it's luxurious and the brown tumbled leather is great... very high quality craftsmanship. It's smaller than the first one (but can hold my laptop) ... but both are great.

I also really like Jack Spade bags (www.jackspade.com) -- constructed REALLY well, and stylish. Tom Bihn bags are excellent as well.

As for pure ergonomics + coolness factor, go for Crumpler, it's an australian company that mainly makes camera bags, but they also do computer and messenger bags too. (www.crumplerbags.com) -- it's kind of a weird website, but the bags are nice.
 
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anon-y-mouse said:
these two are quite nice:

I also really like Jack Spade bags (www.jackspade.com) -- constructed REALLY well, and stylish. Tom Bihn bags are excellent as well.
Click to expand...

I checked out the Jack Spade site and at first only saw the upper messenger bag link. Wow, those are expensive!!
 
rainwoman said:
Patagonia Half Mass Bag

Timbuk2

These two are the only way to go in my mind. Both have laptop compartments...

Rainwoman
Click to expand...

Patagonia Critical Mass Bag is about the size of a Chrome Metropolis and also has a laptop compartment within.
 
anon-y-mouse said:
I also really like Jack Spade bags (www.jackspade.com) -- constructed REALLY well, and stylish. Tom Bihn bags are excellent as well.
Click to expand...

I have the jack spade day bag. Bought it on sale at Nordstroms. Really like it. The CD/MP3 pocket with headphone hole is a nice touch that I use a ton.
 
To the people with messenger bags, what are all of your experiences with carrying your heavy textbooks around? Painful? I'm also on the fence about these bags vs backpacks.
 
autoimmunity said:
To the people with messenger bags, what are all of your experiences with carrying your heavy textbooks around? Painful? I'm also on the fence about these bags vs backpacks.
Click to expand...

If I have to lug around a ton, I stick to a backpack. If I'm carrying 1-2 books and a binder, the messenger feels fine.
 
ND2005 said:
If I have to lug around a ton, I stick to a backpack. If I'm carrying 1-2 books and a binder, the messenger feels fine.
Click to expand...

I agree. Not the best type of bag to lug around tons of heavy textbooks. Stick to the backpack unless you're not carrying much weight.
 
Iwy Em Hotep said:
Can you give approximate dimensions for those Banana Republic bags?
Click to expand...

The big one is a standard-size messenger bag... the same size as 'normal' bags of that format, perhaps a little less wide. It's about the size of my Jack Spade day bag.

The small one ("camera bag"... though it could hold a lot of small cameras) is just the perfect size... it's about 14"x10"x4.5"... there's a sleeve in the back that accommodates a magazine or two, a pocket in the front that fits my entire tablet pc! and the inside is surprisingly roomy... nice lining on the inside, a button clasp for a keyfob, and an interior pocket suitable for a wallet or passport.

Jack Spade -is- somewhat expensive, at about $100, but you get what you pay for... very durable construction, nice style, you can buy from www.ebags.com too... fairly inexpensive there, and no tax in most states. However, you don't get the huge padding for the shoulders and so on. If you need that, you're probably carrying too much in your messenger bags.

As for carrying textbooks, it can be done. I carried my thickass orgo textbook in my jack spade bag for a year.

I wasn't really interested in padding and so on... I figured that if the bag was too bulky and unwieldy, I wouldn't carry it at all. When I got my first laptop, I got a giant samsonite messenger bag that seemed to fit everything, and more. Big mistake. Don't go for overkill, or you'll end up being one of those people from high school who carried everything they owned in those giant LL Bean backpacks.
 
http://www.rei.com/product/47814904.htm

This is the one I have...it's perfect for school and can easily hold my computer, plenty of papers, and a review book or so. It's kind of big, but I got it for travel as well as the clinic, and it's got a nice spot for my checkbook, cellphone and computer charger and stuff. I recommend the black/black one because it looks a little more professional without being leather.
 
You know what I find interesting about the Jack Spade bags?

They're sooo much cheaper than Kate Spade bags...and yet so much better made (metal buckles as opposed to plastic, better clothe, etc).
 
I like how this thread has made me want to go buy a messenger bag despite the fact that I had no idea what one was before reading about it here. Either I'm far too good of a consumer (already have a strike against me here; hell, I didn't even know what a messenger bag was) or you should work for ad agencies. 😉
 
Do ANY messenger bags have a zipper across the top of the compartment in addition to the flap that goes over the top? I don't trust those flaps, things fall out at the sides, especially if you drop the bag or scrunch it up under an airplane seat.
 
autoimmunity said:
To the people with messenger bags, what are all of your experiences with carrying your heavy textbooks around? Painful? I'm also on the fence about these bags vs backpacks.
Click to expand...

i agree that heavier favors the backpack... UNLESS you're riding a bike, in which case it pisses me off because it screws with your momentum when you pedal if you have a heavy backpack flopping behind you... in that case, messenger might be better, especially if you have one (again, plug for timbuk2) that has a second strap that runs around your opposite hip to the front of the bag to stabilize its position on your back
 
Cinnameg said:
Do ANY messenger bags have a zipper across the top of the compartment in addition to the flap that goes over the top? I don't trust those flaps, things fall out at the sides, especially if you drop the bag or scrunch it up under an airplane seat.
Click to expand...

i've never had that problem... when you lock the buckles up, there's not much room for something to sneak out of

congrats on ohsu by the way, it's a cool school. i might have considered it more if i wasn't from oregon. the students up there are way cool though, and i know a lot of the people in the '10 class that are great
 
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scotttennis said:
Link to Citizen bag
Link to BaileyWorks
Link to Timbuk2
Click to expand...

hmm... what does your messenger bag have to say about you?
choice 1: hipster!
choice 2: nerd, but not in a hot way
choice 3: lame

(i'm just kidding of course! i love msg'r bags! i have a northface one. it's durable. but based on what you've listed, i'd pick the chrome bag because of how big it is, the convenient way it opens up, and its comfortable strap)
 
Cinnameg said:
I actually really like my "professional" backpack from Brookstone. Shapely, stylish, with lots of useful places to put papers and also a nicely padded computer slot. When you put it on the ground it actually sits up by itself like a rollerboard suitcase. And it's light. It's like a briefcase for your back. I bought it in the Salt Lake City airport at a layover on my way to an interview. My backpack's zipper broke, so I needed a new one right away, and it was the only backpack for sale in the entire airport. But it's actually very nice. I don't know why you'd go for a bag that you have to wear over a shoulder -- hurting your back unless you switch shoulders a lot -- when there's adult-looking backpacks out there.
Click to expand...

I like it:
466359_p.jpg


http://www.brookstone.com/shop/thum...&search_type=subcategory&cm_sp=Exit*NAV*Bread

And I agree, from a purely functional perspective, backpacks are better than messenger bags, especially if you're carrying a heavy load.
 
Cinnameg said:
Do ANY messenger bags have a zipper across the top of the compartment in addition to the flap that goes over the top? I don't trust those flaps, things fall out at the sides, especially if you drop the bag or scrunch it up under an airplane seat.
Click to expand...

The ID (from Tom Bihn) has the zipper you seek. It's nice. makes my laptop feel safer from the rain, not to mention that everything is heavy duty canvas thats mostly waterproof (assume you don't plan on throwing your bag in the pool).
 
ND2005 said:
You know what I find interesting about the Jack Spade bags?

They're sooo much cheaper than Kate Spade bags...and yet so much better made (metal buckles as opposed to plastic, better clothe, etc).
Click to expand...

This is definitely true... all the stitching and seams are reinforced as well. Very easy to clean too. They had a line of cotton waxwear messenger bags maybe 5 years ago which were like $250 or so, and I got one on ebay for $50 -- that material is so easy to clean, just wipe off and it looks brand new again. Dunno if that's still a line they carry.

If you're going for pure esthetics/quality, go for the Banana ones -- the tumbled leather ones are made in the same factories as Prada and Gucci, if that makes a difference to anyone. "affordable luxury" and so on.

As for zippers, if you get a satchel-style bag, it's going to have a zipper.

The Brookstone bag is nice, but it looks so heavy and bulky. I guess I'm too vapid to value functionality over form.
 
kupono3 said:
i agree that heavier favors the backpack... UNLESS you're riding a bike, in which case it pisses me off because it screws with your momentum when you pedal if you have a heavy backpack flopping behind you... in that case, messenger might be better, especially if you have one (again, plug for timbuk2) that has a second strap that runs around your opposite hip to the front of the bag to stabilize its position on your back
Click to expand...

If I was riding my bicycle, I'd use this:

http://www.arkel-od.com/panniers/backpack/overview.asp?fl=1&site=

Let the bike haul the weight for you.
 
Labslave said:
I like how this thread has made me want to go buy a messenger bag despite the fact that I had no idea what one was before reading about it here. Either I'm far too good of a consumer (already have a strike against me here; hell, I didn't even know what a messenger bag was) or you should work for ad agencies. 😉
Click to expand...

Great. They're called messenger bags because bicycle messengers use 'em to haul around their deliveries, in case you didn't know 😀
 
I know this is going to sound excessively nerdy, but why doesn't anybody ride their bike with a rack on the back of the bike. Then you just put your backpack, or bookbag, or whatever, on the bike's rear rack. And off you go. No messing around and no heavy weight to carry slung over your shoulders.
 
red dot said:
hmm... what does your messenger bag have to say about you?
choice 1: hipster!
choice 2: nerd, but not in a hot way
choice 3: lame

(i'm just kidding of course! i love msg'r bags! i have a northface one. it's durable. but based on what you've listed, i'd pick the chrome bag because of how big it is, the convenient way it opens up, and its comfortable strap)
Click to expand...

Truth is those were the only bags that I knew existed before reading this post (besides the Crumpler Bags, though their terrible website forced me to take them off the list). I'm leaning towards the Chrome Citizen right now. However, a store in town has a large selection of Timbuk2, so I'll try those for fit first. Lastly, I've always loved L.L.Bean stuff in the past so their messenger bag is pretty appealing too.
 
I noticed that you guys were considering wether the messenger bag has space for the laptop. Just wondering, does everyone have to take a laptop to class?
 
BlondeCookie said:
I know this is going to sound excessively nerdy, but why doesn't anybody ride their bike with a rack on the back of the bike. Then you just put your backpack, or bookbag, or whatever, on the bike's rear rack. And off you go. No messing around and no heavy weight to carry slung over your shoulders.
Click to expand...

Um yeah...did you see my post above yours? 😀 🙂 🙂

http://www.arkel-od.com/panniers/backpack/overview.asp?fl=1&site=
 
DocInDaHouse said:
I noticed that you guys were considering wether the messenger bag has space for the laptop. Just wondering, does everyone have to take a laptop to class?
Click to expand...

Well, in some medical schools, laptops are required, so it might be a good idea to get a bag with a laptop compartment.
 
DocInDaHouse said:
I noticed that you guys were considering wether the messenger bag has space for the laptop. Just wondering, does everyone have to take a laptop to class?
Click to expand...

It must depend on your school-- I'd say I take my computer to school 1 day a week, if that.
 
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I love the Tom Bihn bags, but, I have one problem with them. I ride my bike everywhere so a deal-breaker for me is a quick-release adjustable strap. When I'm riding or walking I tend to get very hot so it is nice to get the bag off as quickly as possible. It is nice to have a strap mechanism that allows me to do this. The chrome and timbuk2 bags have this option. I have both of these bags (yeah, I'm a messenger bag-*****).

Edit: I have two different sized bags, one for light trips and one for heavier ones. I end up using the heavier one (timbuk2) more often.
 
kupono3 said:
i've never had that problem... when you lock the buckles up, there's not much room for something to sneak out of

congrats on ohsu by the way, it's a cool school. i might have considered it more if i wasn't from oregon. the students up there are way cool though, and i know a lot of the people in the '10 class that are great
Click to expand...

Congrats to you on getting in to Stanford! I did undergrad there, and worked in psychiatry. The hospital is a little run down but the med students and doctors are wonderful people, and the campus as a whole is very nice. The new cancer center is beautiful. Also, there are a ton of graduate students from various departments living on campus so there's a good community of mid-20-somethings.
 
scotttennis said:
Truth is those were the only bags that I knew existed before reading this post (besides the Crumpler Bags, though their terrible website forced me to take them off the list). I'm leaning towards the Chrome Citizen right now. However, a store in town has a large selection of Timbuk2, so I'll try those for fit first. Lastly, I've always loved L.L.Bean stuff in the past so their messenger bag is pretty appealing too.
Click to expand...

It's nice to see someone use their actual face for their avatar. But I suppose they only do it if they are good looking, like you. 😉
 
Cinnameg said:
It's nice to see someone use their actual face for their avatar. But I suppose they only do it if they are good looking, like you. 😉
Click to expand...


Thanks.

I'll be trying out the Timbuk2 bags and then probably order a Chrome Citizen and the L.L.Bean messenger bags, try them on for fit, and then keep the one that I like the best. I'll post my findings here.
 
timbuk2's look great and are durable -- but they're expensive.

honestly i don't bring that much stuff to school. you'll come to realize that reading tons of heavy textbooks is really a thing of undergrad, and you'll be burying your nose in paperback board review books from the first month of med school (except, of course, for the colossal robbins textbook) ... so a messenger bag is perfectly fine.
 
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