Newbie Needs Opinions Please

[flbikerman]

I want a bag that I can use daily to carry a 13" Macbook Pro,a GPS,a handgun,radar detector,ipod and a bankbag. I only fly about twice a year. I have looked at the Empire Builder, Checkpoint Flyer and Brain Bag. I have considered ordering all 3 and returning the 2 that don't work. I would prefer not to do that. Any and all opinions as to which bag might be best for me would be greatly appreciated.

[BPritchard]

I also considered a few bags when I was looking for a daily bag for work. It came down to the ID or EGO.

To help me determine how all my items would fit, I made mockups of the bags with newspaper. Not detailed mockups, just height, width and depth, enough to give me an approximation of how my items would fit.

I dedided on the Ego, mainly because of the water bottle holders and the fact that it deflates in size based on load.

I also Googled the different bags to read the reviews on how others used the bags. Also, this forum where users have shown what they put into their bags.

[backpack]

I would recommend the Brain Bag.

It has compression straps which can make the bag as slim or as wide as you need.

It is considered carry on size, comes in a variety of color and is very very strong, it is used by people in the armed forces, reporters and scientists in the field.

[dbradford]

That's one INTERESTING packing list!

Dave in the Philippines

[gmanedit]

Which do you prefer, backpacks or briefcases? I love the Brain Bag, but it must be hard to get a gun out of a backpack quickly.

[Darcy]

If only we made the Jason Bourne red bag!

[flbikerman]

Which do you prefer, backpacks or briefcases? I love the Brain Bag, but it must be hard to get a gun out of a backpack quickly.

Not sure as I never had a backpack. Most of the time the bag will just sit next to me in the van. I would like some organization of my things so not sure about the backpack with its two compartments...

-Randy