Get a Cable Guy from Waterfield (sfbags.com). Tell Gary I said whattup.

What other bags did you try?

I will never give up my Boblbee as a daily grind bag but I sometimes like a smaller shoulder bag for scooting around town. I'm looking at Waterfield's psuedo-messengers at the moment. Currently my "around town" bag is a canvas bag from Element that seems to do alright.

I second the SFBags recommendation.

Dino, want to tell us which bags you tried and returned? I did the same when I was looking for one a couple of years ago, and was glad I did. Sometimes you just don't know until you try them out.

OKay...for me it was not so much about rejecting bags, but realizing the functionality and durability of the one I had in front of me.

So I rejected...this one. It felt terriblly complicated. I dont know the point of half of it. Plus I just thought it was ugly.

I also sent back...this one. I mean I think it is an amazingly brave bag. A real fashion statement, but the hardness just seemed less than durable. Hard stuff can break. It really can.

I also sent...this one back. It was so close to staying though.

So for me, it was less about rejection, as there are no real specifics as to the why, except for the hard case...but rather an embracing of something. I have been a timbuk2 fan for 100 years, and now I have a chance to really get functional with there tool.

And I liked the look of it.

I, too, am a Timbuk2 fanboy. I’ve had three of them now. Here in the Pac NW, it’s a common sight — they are sturdy, functional, and just cool.

My new bag of 2 months I love, is the DataDump backpack. I often end up carrying my Mac and my employer Dell, along with cords, cables, drives, books, files, magazines. My wife about killed herself trying to pick up my old Timbuk2 messenger bag and encouraged me to get something with more back support so that I can continue to work and support her. Plus, I knew I was overstuffing it, and that wasn’t good.

So I bit the bullet and went to the backpack. It comes in the “pro” black-grey model if you look online, though it only appears to be in blue on the Timbuk2 site right now. The built-in 17” laptop zipper slot and vast main cargo compartment sealed the deal for me. Timbuk2 is just good stuff.

I like the Booq brand, especially the new Exo style. Perfect for airline travel, and they carry more than you’d think. Plus they are well protected, made out of the same ballistic material that the Vyper sleeves are.