My cheap no-name Chinese backpack is finally falling apart, after over 20 years of absolutely solid service.
I want something that will last at least another 20 years, will hold a modern 16" laptop (e.g. Macbook), and will also let me toss a pair of jeans and light jacket in, when I ride home from work in the spring and fall afternoons.
I’d like to avoid American brands if possible.
Looked online at the SwissGear 5698 and Endure, but don’t know how well they’re built, or if they’ll hold my junk.
Any recommendations?
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I have a 20 years old caselogic shoulder bag which does what you need and still looks fine.
Company belongs to Thule group AB, not american.
I have a Camelbak that I got as I was ETSing from the US Army in 2005. There are a few threads starting to come loose, but it has survived very well out in the field.
Ortlieb is expensive as hell but extremely thick, waterproof (resistant?) fabric. I have just a bike bag Urban Roller Plus I think. It is a nice fabric texture instead of smooth dry-packish and it has a nice insert to organize everything and protect my laptop.
My girlfriend has the Various which you can flip the cover over to switch between backpack and bike bag and it is awesome, but more expensive.
Fjallraven is also good, but the strap padding wears out rather quickly. Every teenage girl in Belgium had a Fjallraven pack back when they were in style and every one has the strap pads completely flattened and useless lol.
Dutch company Newlooxs has a couple bike and backpack switchers. The material is thin though and mine ripped open on a fall during my commute.
Its going to be pretty pricey but the commuter bag from LTT is probably exactly what you are looking for. Canadian company that’s mostly tech centric but they have a consumer goods portion of the company that focuses on making high quality items that are built to last.
Honestly, if it were 5L larger, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
20L is pretty tight for clothes - and their next model up is 35L. Something, ANYTHING in between those would be ideal.
But I’m sorely tempted…
If you’re going to be riding a bicycle, then I highly recommend using a pannier - being able to carry stuff on the bike as opposed to on the body is fantastic.
I need it for general commuting - on the train, walking, and also biking. I just mentioned the bike because of the need for clothing space. In Spring, it might be +5 in the morning (need something on my arms and legs) and +25 in the afternoon (shorts and short sleeves baby!).
You could look to pannier/backpack hybrids, these may be appropriate for your use-case. Personally, I solve this issue by having two different bags - a pannier for cycling and a backpack for other times.
Panniers can come in pretty large sizes, I’m usually able to accommodate a laptop + accessories + a change of clothes. Pannier racks fit two of them, so you can always double the carrying capacity when it’s warranted.
Can you recommend any panniers or features to look for?
This is probably going to run a bit counter to the spirit of the community, but I am quite happy with the pannier I bought off of AliExpress from a brand called Rhinowalk. It cost me a bit under $30.
I had a set from Lidl before which were not at all as nice (obviously).
Some of my favourite features with my current panniers are:
- They come with a securing clip that keeps the pannier in place even when riding over bumps
- They adjust to the amount of things packed in them, with a horizontal strap and a roll top
- It handles rain pretty well
I’ve never had one myself, but a few of my friends have had Crumpler bags for years and they swear by them.
Crumpler is an Australian company started by some bicycle couriers who couldn’t find really sturdy bags that suited them. I believe that the story goes that one of them was trying to carry a slab of beer (24 cans packed in one flat layer) to a friend’s party when his bag broke apart, and that was when they started making bags for themselves.
They’ve been around since 1995, and have quite a range of bags and backpacks now.
I’m a simalar boat to OP. Their messenger bags look pretty cool, might get one as well
For the laptop, you will want to ensure that the bottom of the laptop compartment is not at the bottom of the bag. A good design puts a few cm air gap between the bottom of the bag and bottom of the laptop compartment so that when you set down the bag, no shock reaches the laptop.
Maybe it’s common… not sure.
That’s an excellent feature! My existing bag is well-padded, but the padding is at the bottom of the bag. Moving it up even a centimetre would be a great safety feature.
I know you said not MiUSA but I have to shout out my favorite brand, Timbuk2. I had a Swiss Gear break on me at a bad time and went with Command laptop backpack. It’s been over a decade and it still looks like I’ve owned it for maybe 2 years, and I’m not easy on my stuff. Taken it all over the country, out of it, and always packed with tech. Almost no issues with the petty despots in the airports, and I keep it pushing.
It doesn’t look like they make the same model, but closest might be an Authority or Commuter. I can’t suggest them highly enough, and anyone I’ve know that’s bought them has felt the same.
Thanks for that. Their stuff looks pretty solid, and I appreciate the smaller companies making great stuff. Unfortunately, the US government is negotiating a half TRILLION dollar loan to destroy my country, so I’m going to pass.
Completely fair. I think the other reply to my comment looked good though, might suggest to check it out
The OP is in Canada.
The Canadian version of Timbuk2 would be PAC Designs, but PAC Designs are much higher quality and a bit more expensive also. They are professional level products. Literally every element on a PAC bag is higher quality… Fabric, stitching, hardware, straps, padding etc. PAC is literally top quality possible.
Getting ahold of these bags is a bit of a dark art (always has been) but I think they have a Facebook contact.
I think this bag might be what you’re looking for. Solid bag.
Is that a parody site? It can’t be real, can it?
Funny
Saw the bag for two seconds, horrible thing by the way, and then got this, which is pretty incredible.Oh that makes the joke even better.
I have a Hedgren backpack and it’s lasted through the toughest of outdoor drinking trips and daily use for more than 30 years.
I’d suggest them, but I have no idea whether the company has the same values anymore and if the new backpacks are even comparable.
Hedgren looks great - the “Trip” might be the perfect backpack!
…except that they apparently aren’t sold in Canada. :-(
Just got a Fjallraven Skule 28 for exactly this. I like it so far.
