bag suggestion please?

Hi all,
really looking forward to getting my hands on a bag as heard lots of great things about them on dot net rocks podcast :-)
Will be purchasing from UK, and not 100% sure what bag I need so thought I'd ask you advice rather than get the wrong one and have to deal with sending it back.

So here's what I want to pack.

17inch widescreen laptop
usb hard drive with power adapter for this and laptop
1 (may be 2) IT books
PSP

usual stuff, pens, notepad etc

If you could recommend something that'd be great, plus extras I'd need such as the brain bag? (dunno what that is! :-) )

Many thanks
Nick Swan

Hey Nick,
well a 17" widescreen laptop needs a larger bag, probably a Brain Bag (backpack), an Empire Builder (soft briefcase), or a Super Ego (sweet messenger bag)(I have one). The Brain Cell is a hard sided laptop protective sleeve in many sizes (look up yours here: http://www.tombihn.com/laptop/TB0730.html). I use a soft Cell (a soft protection sleeve) as my laptop protection. The many sleeves fit in the different bags Tom Bihn makes.
you can't get much better than the bags on this site. I own and use many Chrome bags (http://www.chromebags.com/) since they were made here in Denver, CO, as well as Spire bags (http://www.spireusa.com/) made here in Boulder, CO. But I always go back to my Tom Bihn bags, they just make me comfortable.

Good luck and read the site, you'll figure it out.

My beloved 17" PowerBook lives in a Brain Cell tucked into an Empire Builder. I also usually carry a 1TB LaCie Big Disc drive (wrapped up snugly in a Domke wrap), a Snake Charmer with the LaCie cables & cords, a second Snake Charmer (with all of the cables for connecting a USB sound mixer, a video camera, and a TV monitor), rundown sheets for the current show, shot lists for promos & vignettes, my iPod and its cables, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

With the Absolute Strap it is not unbearable to carry and I can't really think of anything negative to say about the experience (other than the controversial EB tipping conversation).

Highly recommended and I'm pretty sure that it will hold everything that you've described with room left over.

Hi Nick,

Welcome to the forum!

There are a lot of great bags that Tom Bihn makes to suit your needs.

Do you have a preference for a particular style of bag?

Do you prefer a backpack?

Or a messenger bag?

Or a brief bag?

If you're looking for a backpack, the Brain Bag can definitely accommodate your 17" laptop.

Don't forget to consider the Smart Alec. I have carried a 17" Apple Powerbook inside of it.

The Vertical Brain Cell will keep your laptop safe inside the Brain Bag or Smart Alec.

There is also the Horizontal Brain Cell to provide protection for your laptop.

This would work well if you were looking for a messenger bag, like the Super Ego

The Horizontal Brain Cell would also provide protection for your laptop inside of the Empire Builder brief bag.

How large (physical dimensions) is your laptop and the USB drive?

When you say IT books, I am thinking of the 2" thick paperback books. These could sit side by side in a vertical orientation if you go with the Empire Builder or SuperEgo. The hard drive could sit in front.

If you go with the Brain Bag or Smart Alec, they could sit vertically or horizontally one in front of the other. The hard drive could sit on top.

You're going to be carrying a lot of weight. For this reason, I think the two straps of the backpack design will allow both shoulders to burden the weight.

An Absolute Shoulder Strap will help you when you are carrying the SuperEgo or Empire Builder.

If you go with either the Smart Alec or the Brain Bag, also get the Freudian Slip to help organize cables, ac adapters, papers and other stuff you may carry.

I've used the Smart Alec and I think it will do everything you're asking for, btu it will be packed. The Brain Bag will also carry everything you're describing, but will give you more wiggle room.

maverick