I have been very happy with my Tumi messenger bag. Robust and stylish (in my opinion). There is also Tracer program to recover lost or stolen bags.

I don't carry a laptop, but lot's of other stuff: Filofax, Moleskine, usually couple of books, mobile + charger, etc.

The bulkiest things may be the mouse (if it's not a compact mouse), the power brick, and the camera. You might want to eliminate those to save space and lighten your load. You might also consider leaving out the iPod and just listening to your laptop instead.

My suggestion is to get a pouch that holds your iPod and earbuds, etc. A pouch or container for your pens, pencils, etc. Etc.

I find my "stuff" much easier to manage when it's in smaller pouches which I can then move from one bag to another easily, and can quickly spot when I need something. I've tried bags/attaches that have compartments built in and found them more trouble than they were worth. I usually had trouble figuring out the best configuration for putting things, and rarely remembered where things went so I ended up tossing stuff in loose and then hunting.

I'm particularly pleased with the notebook sleeve and iPod gearcase I got from WaterField SF Bags.

As for which type bag -- that depends on what is comfortable to you. I carry a much heavier bag than many people are comfortable with because I do tend to carry everything -- my laptop, iPod, camera, etc. I found that messenger bags are awkward for me, but bags that are vertically oriented are comfortable. I also don't mind shifting my bag from one shoulder to the other if it gets heavy, which I've discovered some of my friends consider to be a major negative.

I carry a messenger bag, and I wonder what it's doing to my back. Eep.

I like the look of the Tumi bag! I'm surprised no one brought that up when I was on my quest. Now, I'm torn between that and a Crumpler. Damn you people!

The best backpack I've ever owned is a Boblbee. I know their website sucks ass, but they really do make an awesome bag for nu-wave nomads.

I do put the pens and pencils in a pouch. I think I got it at Shopko. I dig it.

Right now I put all the cables and mouse, and power supply in a camera bag. I like the camera bag as a item for road trips. I travel a ton.

I think your right about the camera. That might be a weak link. The mouse too.

I will relaod and assess without those items.

As far as the ipod, I have the timbuk2 holder, and I love it. It attaches to teh strap of the messenger bag.

The TUMI thing, not really me. Though I am growing up each day.

Thanks though.

I used a Tumi for along time. Unfortunately, it belonged to the company. So when I left that job, I had to give it up.

Tumis are awesome, but expensive. However, I do think I will probably make a Tumi my next bag. At the moment, I use a Ogio City Corp. I really like it and it is perfect for me, but it does not sound like a good solution with some the things DINO is packing.

I use a Waterfield laptop sleeve and want to get a few of their gear bags. Check them out at http://www.sfbags.com. IMHO they are the *bestest* laptop sleeves on the planet. They make a Mac Mini sleeve too :).

You can find an assortment of zippered folders at Staples, Barnes and Noble and other places as a cheaper alternative to the gear bags.

I have so many bags I lose track. My favorites are my Jack Spade Messenger (http://www.tumi.com/backpacks_messengers/t3/category_search/kenmare_travel_backpack/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=66885">http://www.jackspade.com/greenest/messenger01/index.html[/url]) and my Tumi backpack ([url]http://www.tumi.com/backpacks_messengers/t3/category_search/kenmare_travel_backpack/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=66885 is pretty close to what I have). I just toss all my stuff in there and I'm off to the races.

I like that Jack Spade since it's a vertical. Very nice.