Introducing the Cadet laptop briefcase

[jeffmac]

I'm keeping the Cardinal. It's something that is unique and I without a doubt will be able to find my computer bag quite quickly from now on!

I bought my Tristar in Crimson for exactly the same reason...no one has ever tried to walk off with my bag!

Looking forward to the full video!

[mjo]

Hey Katy, will the Cadet fit in the center section of the Tristar?

hi jeffmac, congrats on your purchase, and thanks for the really good picture. I presume you have a tristar...Cathy was saying the 15 cadet will not fit the middle compartment of the tristar (I am wondering why), can you maybe try and fit it in the back compartment? Still doubting wether to buy 15 or 11 cadet. If it fits in any of them I would buy the 15 cadet with padding, otherwise I will buy 11 cadet and just squeeze mbp 13 into it withou the padding...perhaps you can share your thoughts on the padding in the 15 cadet?

[misterN]

hi jeffmac, congrats on your purchase, and thanks for the really good picture. I presume you have a tristar...Cathy was saying the 15 cadet will not fit the middle compartment of the tristar (I am wondering why), can you maybe try and fit it in the back compartment? Still doubting wether to buy 15 or 11 cadet. If it fits in any of them I would buy the 15 cadet with padding, otherwise I will buy 11 cadet and just squeeze mbp 13 into it withou the padding...perhaps you can share your thoughts on the padding in the 15 cadet?

I do not own a Tristar, however the middle compartment is about 2.5-3 inches wide, while the Cadet is 4.5 inches wide. I can answer about the padding though. The bottom, back side, and front side are padded (padding is between the main compartment and front compartment for the front side padding.) The sides and the top, however are not padded. I guess Darcy said that a 13" MBP could fit into an 11" version naked--I wouldn't recommend it--but to each their own.

[jeffmac]

hi jeffmac, congrats on your purchase, and thanks for the really good picture. I presume you have a tristar...Cathy was saying the 15 cadet will not fit the middle compartment of the tristar (I am wondering why), can you maybe try and fit it in the back compartment? Still doubting wether to buy 15 or 11 cadet. If it fits in any of them I would buy the 15 cadet with padding, otherwise I will buy 11 cadet and just squeeze mbp 13 into it withou the padding...perhaps you can share your thoughts on the padding in the 15 cadet?

I think it is a height issue as well but I will check it this evening...

[Katy]

I think it is a height issue as well but I will check it this evening...

That's the issue I was having. It's a bit too tall to fit without smooshing it down.

[mjo]

That's the issue I was having. It's a bit too tall to fit without smooshing it down.

Hi katy, sorry for mispelling your name earlier. The reason why i am asking is that I make 2 to 3 flights a week on european budget airlines and they only allow 1 bag. Now I dont want to check in any bag into the hull to avoid delays ie waiting at carousel etc. When I come into the hotel I want to leave the tb tristar in the hotel, and take out a laptop bag to go to various offices. I am talking about 3 day trips tri star is great for that, but would love to see the cadet fit the tristar to allow one bag travel.

[jeffmac]

I had to slim down what was in the cadet but I did get it inside the Tristar. Only the laptop and the cache and a Freudian slip in the main section of the Cadet with some minimal accessories and nothing but a pair of shoes in the Tristar main section. Also a 3d Clear cube in the front zippered pocket for toiletries.

The cadet takes up a LOT of space.





Same thing with a filled medium packing cube in the front next to the shoes and a medium filled packing cube in the back section with the tie down straps...




The Cadet gasping for air as it tries to escape the Tristar.

So I would say it sort of works. A three day trip would be tight in the summer, and really tough in the winter but is probably doable if you are disciplined...really disciplined.

[Tlacltme]

All of these beautiful, useful items! I want it all- in every color!! Congrats on the Cadet, jeffmac. The navy is beautiful too. I'll be curious to hear how you like it as you use it. Be sure to update us!

[Maria]

Hum? Thought provoking, and this opens the possibilities / benefits of getting TWO Cadets - one in each size, and I suppose that means I'll have to get another Mac too, to fit into the smaller Cadet.

Oh and a winning lottery ticket too.

[mjo]

Thank you! Looks perfectly acceptable to me. That tristar rocks....and so does the cadet.

[Jenne]

It's a Schwinn Jenny. I love it! (This is a reply to backpack's question about which bike I got.)

Bummed about the current lack of ultraviolet.

[Tlacltme]

Anyone have the little Cadet (the 11/ipad version) yet? Thoughts on it?

[Climb14er]

I've got a Horizontal Brain Cell for my 13 inch Dell Latitude. Does anyone know if this will fit in the Large Cadet? Any additional room for a leather portfolio (pad holder)?

I could go bigger like a Zephyr briefcase but trying to stay slimmer.

Additional thoughts?

BTW, I have a Co-Pilot that I absolutely like and use a lot of the time I'm not taking a laptop. I take a large expandable Tumi briefcase when I take the laptop but still have trouble putting the Brain Cell into it.

Appreciated!

[maverick]

i am totally loving my new forest/steel cadet!

inside the main compartment, i have:
* my 13" macbook air in the cadet cache.
* my ipad 2 inside the ipad cache.
* some files.

inside the front compartment, i have:
* lip balm.
* two pens.
* a rodia pad.
* canon s90 camera.
* tom bihn organizer wallet.
* ear phones in a mini padded organizer pouch.
* cables and adapters in a small clear organizer pouch.
* keys on the key strap.
* ac adapter for my macbook air.

inside the phone pocket, i have my iphone.

it was cold this morning, so i wore my hat. as i came into the office, i took it off and put it into the open back pocket of the cadet.

video coming soon...

[ncb4]

i am totally loving my new forest/steel cadet!

video coming soon...

Congratulations on your new Cadet! I cannot wait for your video, maverick. I'm thinking of getting this same Forest/Steel Cadet for my son's Christmas gift; green is his favorite color, and I've already got a Forest/Steel Aeronaut hidden away for him as well. He is an academic who commutes about half an hour each way into the city of Geneva, Switzerland, for his post at the university there. Sometimes he takes the bus, sometimes he bikes, and he has even walked it, so he needs a bag that could function well in different modes of travel. He has a 15-inch MacBook Pro in a HigherGround Flak Jacket (that's not quite as thick as the BrainCell, but larger than the Cache for sure). Though maybe he would use the Cache with the Cadet if instead of the FlakJacket. He may also be carrying an iPad, files, a cell phone, etc. There could be a book on occasion too, though I'm not sure about that; he tends to do most of his research online. I don't think he carries his lunch, since he's mentioned a low-cost university cafeteria on campus. Right now he's using either an ancient REI backpack or a floppy Timbuk2 Messenger bag he's had since college to lug things around, and I'm not sure how professional either one of those bags look. (Especially since the Timbuk2 is bright yellow and black.) But he's only gotten his first paycheck last month after years of being a starving grad student, so I thought he might appreciate the Cadet as a gift. That's why I'm looking forward to your video; to see how much of a TARDIS or Hermione bag the Cadet is, by which I mean, how much it will magically hold!