Happy Bag Week everyone, and please kindly meet the Incase Alloy Series Compact Backpack. I’ve been reviewing this bag for a while now, and I have to say I much prefer it to anything I actually own. I’ll be sad to see it go. However, it happens to look like some sort of space pack you’d see in Battlestar Galactica with its metallic finish, so it’s definitely a love-it-or-hate-it design. Aside from the silver metallic finish (that you can’t help but notice), the backpack itself is pretty plain with no extra bells or whistles. Size-wise it was everything I could ask for. Compact enough to be comfortable and look like it actually fits my body, but big enough to fit most everything I’d need for a day on the job or at play. It fits up to a 15″ MacBook Pro, and still leaves plenty of extra space for an iPad, camera, change of clothes, or whatever else it is you tote around day to day. Made of nylon, the Compact Backpack (it doesn’t have a cool name like the Yalta) is super light, which made it that much easier to pack it full of gadgets.

Thanks to breathable mesh padding along the shoulder straps, back, and top-loading handle, this Alloy series pack was super comfortable for all-day use. The Incase Alloy Series Compact Backpack Type: BackpackDimensions: External – 18.5″ x 11.75″ x 4.3″ / Laptop compartment size – 14.8″ x 10″ x 1.8″ Pockets: Laptop sleeve, secondary sleeve, internal pouch, front pocket, wallet-sized “hip” pocketFeatures: Dedicated faux-fur lined iPod pocket, nylon construction, metallic lining MSRP: $99.95Product Page Accessibility, on the other hand, wasn’t such a breeze. To start, the Compact Backpack has more than enough pockets, one of which is severely misplaced. Incase included a dedicated iPhone/iPod pocket square in the middle of the top of the backpack. The problem is that an iPod or iPhone is something you get out and use frequently in your travels, but you literally have to take the backpack off and hold it in front of you to effectively get anything out of that pocket.

Another case of the bright idea gone awry. A bevy of other pockets await you with the Alloy Compact Backpack, including a faux fur-lined laptop sleeve, a secondary iPad/journal sleeve, that dedicated (poorly placed) iPod pocket, a wallet-sized pocket on the lower portion of the left strap, a small pocket on the front, and an internal pouch for pens and such. In fact, only one pocket is missing, though it may not be missed by everyone. I tend to walk or take the train everywhere (which means no cup holders), which means I really appreciate a water bottle pocket. Granted, adding one would probably invalidate the whole “Compact” bit, but it was still dearly missed. Who is it for? Anyone who wishes they were in any syfy series set in space. Anyone looking for a light, spacious primary bag that doesn’t necessarily go with everything (but you can’t see it when you’re wearing it so who cares, right?). Anyone who puts comfort and durability before style, or conversely anyone who has very, um, unique style.

Do I want it? The tell-tale question, no doubt, and one which I don’t have a very clear answer to. danier laptop backpackThe truth is I use this bag a lot, and get compliments on it all the time. maxgear laptop backpackIt does what I need it to (save for store my bottled water), and is pretty comfortable, too. ixchel backpackBut that one pocket up top (for your never-to-be-accessed iPod) really irks me. timbuk2 ram laptop backpack (carbon)I’d say 85 percent of me wants it, and the other 15 percent thinks I can do better.pmw mfg backpack

One of the many wisest investments you can make as a motorcycle rider is to get a motorcycle backpack. backpack system sampNo, we're not talking the school yard version. You'll need a strong, but lightweight, weather proof bag that affords convenience and easy use. A motorcycle backpack offers convenience and practicality for the work commuter or running small errands. Our line of motorcycle backpacks is extensive and we carry all the best known brands in the business that strap snug to your body offering freedom of movement and reduced drag. Depending on need, motorcycle backpacks can be multifunctional with a number of pockets and accessories including space for a laptop. Motorcycle backpacks vary in price and look, so check out our selection to see what best suits your style, budget and need: MotoSport is the best place to find a motorcycle backpack. We provide a 90-day return policy and most orders ship same day.

Call our toll free line 866-677-7338 or chat with an expert. MotoSport offers fast, free shipping on orders over $79. Sort by: best match Sort by: lowest price Sort by: highest priceFrom time to time, our X-Teamers do chat, share information and exchange ideas with each other. It goes without saying that it’s usually an awesome experience interacting with and learning from some of the world’s best known developers. Good thing is, since these X-Team developers work remotely, they can participate in the interactions from anywhere in the world and will still feel as though they were sitting across the same table in a physical office. And so the other day, there was an interesting backpacks recommendations chat going on at Slack between our X-Teamers. X-Teamers do travel a lot, some for business purposes and others, just to explore the great pulchritude of the world. After all, that’s just one of the many benefits of working remotely, freely—you get to choose where, when and how to work.☺

Backpacks are an important tool for every traveler. But what’s even more important is choosing the right backpack—make the wrong choice and you’d have to face the consequences throughout your trip. What’s the definition of ‘right’ in the backpack community? What are the best packs out there for seamless traveling? Well, with so many choices available, these questions could be some of the toughest for a traveler. So, in order to save you hours of research coupled with annoying ads from third-rate pack makers, we decided to bring you those backpack recommendations that our X-Teamers made. The Minaal Carry-on v2.0 is a 35-liter backpack designed for digital nomads who travel with lightweight luggage. Despite its size, this backpack is munificently packed with lots of features, which seems to be the reason for its $300 price. Just to have a quick go at the features, this carry-on has a rain cover, padded hip belt, five compartments, built-in 3-D packing cubes, outside pockets etc.

Minaal Carry-on opens wide as a suitcase There are both a laptop sleeve and a tablet sleeve; a document sleeve with a separate passport pocket inside and a compartment for holding pens etc. The straps can also be zipped away to give the pack a suitcase-style carrying option. Minaal Carry-on as a Suitcase Here, we have two Osprey backpacks recommended for you. One is the Osprey Porter pack which is a 46-liter, carry-on sized deluxe gear pack, designed using duffel. With structured walls and front-loading panel, Porter can be packed easily.  It has a sleek look with such features as: Porter goes for about $130 and also available is Porter 30 and 65. Another is Farpoint 55 which according to Osprey is “the ally of efficient packers who like to explore the planet while going light and fast.” But basically, this is a lightweight travel backpack with 3,400-cubic-inch capacity.  It’s a 55-liter, 2-in-1 pack made of: A 40-liter main body;

A 15-liter detachable daypack which can be fastened to the outside of the main pack. Apart from its classy design, Farpoint 55 has some really cool features which makes it stands out—unisex harness with spacer back panel and light wire suspension system, ErgoPull hip belt closure, removable sleeping pad straps, removable zip-and-clip daypack just to name a few. Price ranges from about $127-$230 based on options selected. Farpoint is also available in 70 and 40 liters. Here’s another wicked combo, Spire and Rogue, but this time from Timbuk2. Spire is a water-resistant roll-top badass advertised as being designed exclusively for Apple’s MacBook Pro and iPad, even though it can be put to some other backpacking uses, in my opinion. For instance, I feel this backpack would make a great bike commuting bag since it has external bike lock holder. Spire has an incognito back zip, great for easy access, amongst other great features. Spire’s price is somewhere around $99 on Timbuk2’s website, but I also noticed that the guys over at eBags are giving it out at a discount price of $79.99.

Not sure how long that’s gonna last though. On the other hand, Rogue is a voguish backpack styled after a military look. Its Velcro fold-over cover qualifies it for a messenger bag, while its externally-attached straps make it easy to customize. Rogue goes for around $79 which I think is kind of cool for a pack that can be used for pretty much anything. BTW, if you’re on a tight budget and need more options, you can check out Cabin Max Metz which goes for £25… Or eBags TLS Mother Lode Junior for $89.99… Or any of JanSport backpacks which typically cost between $30 and $90, though most of their packs seem to be designed for students. Aeronaut is a suitcase-styled travel bag which can easily be converted to a backpack with its zip-away backpack straps. It comes with 3 packing cubes and a minimalist bag for organization. Historically, the downside to most duffel bags is their lack of compartmentalization. But Tom Bihn has fixed that quite successfully with the Aeronaut—the main body of the bag is divided into 3 compartments using two zippered dividers.

You can go with Aeronaut 45 ($280) which is designed to qualify as a maximum-size airline carry-on bag. But its little brother, Aeronaut 30 ($270), is also available and is great for intra-European flights or über-minimalist packers. There are some regular laptop backpacks that can be durable and very useful. For example, the ASUS ROG Nomad backpack, though probably not as practical as some of those above, can definitely be more than just a “gaming” gimmick which is what it looks like at first sight. It can carry heavy loads such as a 17″ monster notebook. Choosing a backpack will depend largely on your personal preference, your purpose and a bit of common sense. But as a general rule of thumb, always think comfort, quality and awesomeness. We hope the above recommendations will help give you a head-start on what to choose. P.S: A special thanks to all the X-Teamers (you know yourselves) who contributed to this. It’s been awesome, really.