Gear Bags

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…


The Booq Mamba L Vertical Shoulder Bag Review

Are you still holding out for your perfect laptop bag? Perhaps you’ve been looking for one that isn’t too fussy, one that has plenty of large storage compartments, one that is made of strong durable materials, that uses a minimum of Velcro, one that has many pockets of all sizes…and most importantly, one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. If 2007 is the year you have vowed to find your perfect laptop bag, and if you are open to trying a vertical messenger style, then I may have discovered one you would do well to consider… The Booq…


The RoadWired Pod Review

It’s so easy to get caught up in the “bigger is better” trap, and nowhere does this trend become more evident than when taking a look at what passes for some people’s gear bags. I’ll be the first to say that it is easy to understand this phenomenon, because as geeks one of our inherent traits is that we never want to be caught without the right tool. But if it’s just going to be a day spent at the zoo with the kids or hiking along a nature trail, is it really necessary to bring along everything but the…