Gear Bags

Skooba Checkthrough Bag Review

Ever since 9/11, air travelers have been forced to take their shoes off, take their laptops out of bags, and…well you know the drill.  Now the TSA has worked on developing a standard for letting us keep our laptop in its bag as we go through through the checkpoint.  I got to take a look at Skooba Design‘s version, called the Skooba Checkthrough. The bag is actually a lot smaller than it looks and a lot larger than it looks.  I know; how can it be both?  Well when all zipped up, it’s a little thinner than the backpack I…


Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer Review

I’ve got a thing for notebook bags and over the years I have collected quite a few. This was, however, my first experience with a Tom Bihn bag and boy am I impressed. This is among the first of the new, TSA (Transportation Safety Administration) approved notebook bags that do not require removal of the device while winding your way through  the security checkpoint gauntlet. The new TSA rules allow a notebook to remain in its case as long as there is an unobstructed view for the x-ray machine. That means there can be nothing blocking the notebook and that…


Reviewed: Tom Bihn Organizer Pouches

It never fails that when I pack my gear, there are always small items which will sift to the bottom of my bag’s cavernous pockets. This doesn’t even take into account all of the times when I have needed a particular something, and no matter how neatly I thought I had it packed, I couldn’t find it when it was time. Well, no more. Tom Bihn makes a variety of Organizer Pouches, and I think that it would be safe to assume that there is something for everyone. Let’s take a look… Cordura Organizer Pouches


The Tom Bihn Yarn Stuff Sack Review

Don’t let the name of Tom Bihn’s Yarn Stuff Sack throw you off. While it’s true that this Japanese-made Dyneema rip-stop fabric bag was created to work perfectly with their Swift knitting bag, this approximately 9.5″ wide x 8.25″ tall drawstring bag can also manage all sorts of loose gadget peripherals. Let’s take a look…


The Naneu Pro Adventure K3L Camera and Gear Bag Review

I don’t travel as much as I used to for work.  But I still remember traveling enough to know what a pain it has become.  With extra security measures and fees, flying hardly seems worth it anymore.  Now, when I used to travel a lot, I would frequently have a backpack with all of my necessities and gadgets, and also a separate camera bag with my photography and video gear.  This worked fine at the time, but anymore it would create several problems.  First, I have considerably more photography gear now than I used to (not to mention nicer and…


Review: Proporta Gadget Bag – Asus Eee PC

When Asus brought out the Eee PC, they did think to include a case.  The neoprene case holds just the Eee PC itself, but if you need to carry the Eee PC and a few things, you’ll need something else. Enter the Proporta Gadget Bag. As you can see, it’s barely as wide as the Eee PC itself.  This case is the most ideal carrying solution that I have found for the Eee PC 701.  It is lightweight, very durable, and each compartment is padded so you won’t have to worry about bumps damaging your Eee or anything else.


The Kensington Contour Balance Notebook Case Review

During Jerry’s and my meeting with Kensington during CES, I had ample opportunity to admire their new Contour Balance line. As described on their site: With lightweight microfiber materials, sleek organization, Contour features to minimize strain, concealed pockets and DropShield® notebook padding for protection, these cases doesn’t compromise form for function and style. One of my wistful complaints at the time was that a bag was not available to fit my 17″ Toshiba. While there still isn’t a bag large enough for “value-sized” laptops, it no longer matters quite so much to me since I now own a 15″ MacBook…


LAbesace CLASSIC Laptop Bag REVIEW

Trust me, I’m really trying my best to quit hauling around so many gadgets in my backpack. A 13” MacBook, power cable, mouse, 2 pens, iPod, iMuffs wireless headphone, JawBone headset, a smartphone of the week, Tekkeon battery charger, various cables, business cards and a legal pad are my bare minimums. Oops! I forgot the digital camera! What was I thinking! I stuff all of these items in my Swiss Army backpack to and from work. Of course I throw in a couple of books, a brown bag lunch, gloves, stocking cap, and many more items. The other day, I…



The Naneu Pro Military Ops Sierra Small SLR/Laptop Bag Review

Most of the photography bags I have reviewed in the past have been very functional, but they also…hmm, how can I say this? They looked like casual bags which were camouflaging the fact that they could safely hold many thousands of dollars in equipment — which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn’t feel that any of them exactly stated “I’m a professional photographer, so yeah…take me seriously”. Of course, that might also be because I am not one, and I don’t play one on TV. However, the bag I am going to look at today does look…


The Mobile Edge / Maddie Powers Cutebug Laptop Messenger Bag Review

I was eager to review the Mobile Edge /Maddie Powers Cutebug Laptop Messenger Bag, because it is one of the most original I’ve ever seen. Combining the extremely well executed features we have come to expect from Mobile Edge with the sassy iconic images Maddie Powers’ designs borrow from 1940s and 50s pulp fiction magazines, the Cutebug Laptop Messenger Bag is one hot tamale. Check it out… photo courtesy of Mobile Edge


The Skooba Design Skooba Satchel 2.0 Luxe Review

It’s not often that I get to do decidedly “girly” laptop bag reviews, but this week I have two of them to write about…lucky me! And lucky for all of you women who come to Gear Diary, as well as your significant others. Need I mention that Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, and nothing says “I love you” more than a gift that will be used every day, one that celebrates and accentuates the feminine goddesses that we are. Well, jewelry works, too, but I digress. Today we are going to take a close look at the Skooba Satchel 2.0…


Lighten That Load: the Skooba Shuttle Backpack REVIEW

As a downtown worker, I have to make a daily jaunt of several long city blocks to my office. It’s not because I choose to walk, but rather, it’s because the expense of downtown parking. Thus, I carry the necessities of mobile computing on my back like a modern day beast of burden like everyone else I see whether it’s downtown, at the universities, or the tourists. Of course, all of the gadgets along with the related materials such as books and assorted odd and ends need to be compartmentalized in an orderly fashion, while keeping weight and comfort in…


The Spire 17? Mojo Laptop Bag & Atom Accessory Bag Review

I’m pretty sure that at this point there is not a single person who has not used a backpack or satchel. Generally speaking, you usually find yourself wishing you had more space. Then, later on you find yourself wishing you didn’t have more space, but instead find yourself wishing you didn’t have a bag that keeps trying to tear to shreds on you. Then, along comes Mojo. This bag is quite possibly the most durable bag I have ever seen, with the most space I have EVER seen in a satchel. Ever imagine a bag that has pockets inside of…


The Crumpler Whickey and Cox Photography Bag Review

Yeah, I know that the title states “Photography”, and the bag I’ll be reviewing today certainly has the proper fittings to hold more photographic equipment than I will likely ever own, but it would be unwise to simply pigeon-hole the Crumpler Whickey and Cox Photography Bag as a mere camera tote. It is a well planned laptop bag, it is a comfortable backpack, and yes – it is a camera bag suitable for carrying an SLR and many of its accessories. Crumpler sells three different photography backpacks: the Keystone which can handle an SLR, its accessories, and a 12? laptop;…


RoadWired Cable Stable Review

I regularly commute to work with my laptop in tow, so I am always on the lookout for new solutions to carry my gadgets, accessories, trinkets and gizmos. My latest stop found me at the RoadWired Deluxe Cable Stable, an impressive looking gear bag, which features an assortment of pockets, cords, loops and cubbies to tie down and secure everything you need to support your mobile habits. For ease of access, the Cable Stable unzips on three sides, to lie flat when open, revealing a plethora of flexible spaces in which to store your gear. Although it is called the…


The Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home Photography Bag Review

If you are at work when you read this review, do not – and I repeat, do not – click on the Crumpler link until you’ve turned your computer’s speakers way down. With that said, you just haven’t lived until you’ve clicked on the site and experienced the unintelligible hillbilly yodeling which could have made it onto the Deliverance soundtrack! Using your mouse to slide the pig, devil, horse – or whichever critter is showing – to the screen’s right will reveal the bag menu on the lower portion of the screen. The first option is computer bags, a topic…


The WaterField Cargo Mambo Combo Review

It’s been five years since I helped review the WaterField Designs Cozmo bag, and two years since I reviewed the VertiGo. While I eventually grew out of both bags, to this day I still use the Gearpouch and SleeveCase (with flap and D-rings) that I received along with the Cozmo in late 2002. The Gearpouch goes with me every time I travel (I keep it loaded with Gomadic cables and tips, card readers and other assorted small items), and the SleeveCase still holds my aging Fujitsu P2110 – which I am always threatening to sell or give away, but will…


The Proporta Gadget Bag Review

If you carry anything more than a pocket camera, PDA and mobile phone, then you might have decided that adding one more thing to your bat-belt will be all it takes to drag your pants down to your ankles. Well, there’s no need to scare little children while toting your gear, Proporta has come to the rescue with their new Gadget Bag. Smaller than a laptop bag, but larger than an accessory pouch, the Gadget Bag offers options for days when your gear load is heavier than usual, but you don’t want to be weighed down by a full size…


Roadwired Skooba Satchel Review

Two weeks ago I started my university course studying for a Bachelor of Creative Technology (Digital Television Production). The reason I bought my MacBook Pro late last year was in preparation for this course, so of course I wanted to take it with me every day. Problem was I didn?t have a nice bag to carry everything in. My laptop backpack was too big and my laptop bag looked pretty lame. Roadwired sent me one of their Skooba Satchels to try out, and it was my hope that it would be up to the task. It needs to be able…


The Tom Bihn ID Messenger Bag Review

Back in 2003 I reviewed the Tom Bihn Absolute Shoulder Strap, and while I may have thought that it was a nearly perfect bag at the time, Tom Bihn and company were not content to rest upon their laurels. The ID Messenger Bag has recently undergone some major renovations, and now we’ll get to decide if the updated version is a worthy successor. While some things have definitely changed since 2003, other things have thankfully remained the same. Most of Tom’s products are still manufactured in the Pacific Northwest at their Seattle factory. But don’t worry: those that aren’t made…