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which timbuk2 bag?

toezter

toezter

macrumors regular
Original poster
i finally had the chance to fondle a small messenger bag. quite nice, i fell in love with the size, materials, fitting, pockets, ect.

one thing, i checked the timbuk2 site, and there are laptop made bags. the one i saw was a typical messenger bag.

question, would a messenger bag be "ok" for a laptop in a case (tucano)? what do you peeps use? is the tucano case well enough for small "bumps" when i put the bag down?

12" ibook
 
free bump 😀
got same question too, timbuk2 commute seems the best way out for laptop
but im in love with booq vyper xs too, so im planning to get timbuk2 massenger bag (not the commute, maybe something cheaper) with booq vyper sleeve

so same question, which timbuk massenger bag is the best for laptop with sleeve

btw, my laptop is gonna be a powerbook 12"

thanks
 
I've got a Timbuk2 Commute right now for my 14" Dell, and I love it to death - but the laptop bag sized for a 12" is a backpack type, and I prefer messenger bags. When I get my 12" PB this summer, I'm planning on buying a sleeve for it and a regular messenger bag from them. Timbuk2s aren't cheap, but they're incredibly durable; I've seen 2-year-old ones that look almost brand new, and I've carried mine through a thunderstorm without the contents seeing a drop of water.
 
My 2 cents

I actually bought a Timbuk2 Commute and the Brenthaven Flex Fusion (which I have yet to find a review.)

Timbuk2 was 99USD, While the Brenthaven was 79USD with student discount, while usually 129USD.

I bought the Brenthaven bc it is the toughest laptop messenger bag made. It's got tons of pockets, and is very well padded.

I bought the Timbuk2 Commute bc it is a good all around bag. It also doesn't look like a laptop bag.

The Brenthaven bag has a removable sleave while the Timbuk2 (T2 for now on) has a built in pocket

IMHO, The Brenthaven is better for travel, and the T2 is better for local travel ie college campus and coffee shop.

I will keep both.

The T2 has less pockets but more space for books and notebooks. The Flex Fusion (now FF) has alot of protection, but besides computer gear, you can barely fit anything in the bag but a couple of slim magazines despite 20+ pockets.


Test One
If I had to throw my PB out a 2nd story window, which case would i prefer?
Brenthaven, without a doubt.

Test Two
If I was a college student that wanted both my notebooks and PB in the classroom, I would pick T2

Test Three
They are both great, that is why i am keeping both. I can use the T2 as a normal bag too, magazines fit perfectly in the laptop pocket. Also Bigger books.


The Brenthaven Flex Fusion is designed to protect your PB.
The T2 is designed to carry your PB + other things

It all depends on your environment
 
Whenever someone in Norway starts selling this one I'll get it in a minute:
tecgte.jpg

Yes, I know I can order from abroad, but sales tax and customs fee here in Norway is murder for anything costing more than NOK200 (≈$31, €24 or £16.50)... 😡
 
i like the backpack made by the same people who make that vyper xs sleeve. But i'll probably go with that Targus because a lot of my friends have it and it fits their 17" widescreen PCs very nicely, and i know it'll be ample for my 12" PB and a few textbooks. Its a really nice backpack... but i would like to hear from some people about the booq...
 
I don't think my blue-and-silver Timbuk2 Commute is... girly. I mean, I'm on a college campus right now, and both men and women carry messenger bags almost exclusively. I think a lot of it is backlash against twelve years of grade school and carrying huge bookbags; of course, there's also the matter of not really needing all that much with you in college. Two notebooks and my laptop and I'm set for the day.
 
Also, the Timbuk2 bags have the huge advantage of not looking like a laptop bag. I'll never carry an all-black bag, or anything else that obviously holds a laptop because they just scream "I have very expensive electronics inside!"
 
posted by Mitthrawnuruodo

I also think most bags works very good regardless of gender... with some exceptions...
Click to expand...

Well you may laugh, but if you go with the pink one no-one will mug you in the hope of blagging a laptop, which might not be so if you have a bag that has an Apple logo on it....
 
stevep said:
Well you may laugh, but if you go with the pink one no-one will mug you in the hope of blagging a laptop, which might not be so if you have a bag that has an Apple logo on it....
Click to expand...
I think I prefer to get mugged rather then having my iBook in that pink bag... 😛

That said,... the Kensington bag has a very discreet apple logo, and muggers here in Norway are few and far between and as they're mostly stoned out of their mind they usually go for easier targets then full grown men in broad daylight and probably wouldn't know the apple logo from any other fruit (except oranges and lemons). And I usually take my backpack these days as I usually walk the ~5 miles home...

(After posting this I probably get mugged tomorrow when I, as I do a couple of times a week, go through the park where all the junkies in Bergen hang out...)
 
Incidentally, I saw a Timbuk2 bag yesterday physically in a store. The model was "Detour" (I think that's what it was called).

It's fairly unique in that it had hidden backpack straps. I personally have really been looking for such a thing, I want the versatility of a messenger bag that can also be worn as a normal backpack.

Unfortunately, it's the last one. Timbuk2 seems to have discontinued the "Detour" model, it isn't to be found on their website. And I don't see any more Timbuk2 bags that have this feature...

So the bag that I would recommend is unavailable. On the other hand, the "Mamba.XM" from booq appears to be just such a versatile bag, though it doesn't quite conform to the look of the trendy "messenger" bags that seem to be popular these days. But it's still a slick looking accessory.

-kev
 
holy resurections batman!

well i'll toss in another question..

has anyone regreted to buy the medium bag over the small? or vise versa?

i just felt that the medium was really big, and the small was just fine, but i never know what i need to carry. 🙄
 
design wise i prefer timbuk over crumpler....
i dont like the booq backpack, its just seems too big for me
so anybody used vyper xs with the timbuk masenger bag ?
 
yuck said:
design wise i prefer timbuk over crumpler....
i dont like the booq backpack, its just seems too big for me
so anybody used vyper xs with the timbuk masenger bag ?
Click to expand...

actually crumpler makes some pretty cool messenger bags too... I got one at first-- a navy/grey 'Roll-O-Notes' but I took it back because I really didnt want a messenger, I wanted a bag with 2 straps which is more comfortable...
 
I have a smaller bag, and I wish it was a bit bigger since I recently upgraded to a 15" powerbook from a 12". I think this thread is about timbuk2 bags, we've got a while stickied thread about all theo ther bags perfect for other bag recommendations.
 
I bought a timbuk2 commute in Nov and it works like a charm. I have my 12" PB in a marware sportfolio II sleeve/case and that slips right in to the timbuk2 laptop compartment. If you were going to use the medium commute with a 15" I'd definitely encourage you to get a really thin sleeve, but the compartment in the timbuk2 is pretty good. Some might say you don't even need a sleeve, but I for one believe that you gotta have a sleeve and laptop specific bag if you care about your machine.
 
eventhough I don't have a laptop anymore, my timbuk2 commute is great. it is my everday work bag.
 
Being a bike messenger at various times in my life I can say that all these mass produced bags suck. Timbuk2 has gone way down hill since the founders left and they shifted production to China. In the early 90s they were a lot better.

Here is a list of messenger bags still actually made by bike messengers or ex-messengers personally.

Bagaboo (http://www.bagaboo.hu)

BaileyWorks (http://www.baileyworks.com/)

Cocotte (http://wwww.cocotte-equip.com/english.htm)

Dank Bags (http://www.dankbags.com/)

PAC Designs (http://www.pacdesigns.com/firsts.htm)

Push The Envelope (http://www.pushtheenvelope.com/)

ReLoad Bags (http://www.reloadbags.com/)

Under The Weather (http://www.under-the-weather.ca/)

Zo Bags (http://www.zobags.com/)


In San Francisco Zo bags are the best (best elsewhere too, but impossible to get) however the problem is finding Erik Zo and getting him to make a bag for you - you basically have to be a bike messenger, and it really helps if he's your friend too.

In Toronto Push Bags are pretty good.

If you live in New York you have a decent chance of finding a Globe Canvas bag, which are no longer made and are really nice although pretty heavy.

Dank messenger bags are pretty nice, produced by Cory Bennion in Seattle.


If you can get a Zo bag, get a Zo bag. Otherwise just pick whichever of these that catches your fantasy.
 
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