What I mean is laptop, chargers, portable wifi, tablet, maybe a few books, snacks. Going on an extended trip and want to ensure I have room, but a good layout inside the bag.
If you organize the inside using MOLLE-capable bags, then you can quickly and easily expand your storage by just attaching those bags to the outside.
But it's "tacticool", so it's not for everybody. My Dell XPS 13 and a whole lot of other things fit into it easily. Plus there is a hard plate on the back that protects the computer from impact from that side of the bag and gives it support (it's removable).
Nice. I have a bugout bag that's currently a Trager (defunct) day pack that I used in high-school umpteen years ago: have hauled 8 huge textbooks for months on end (we didn't have lockers because of pipebombs in the 1970's), car battery and other things that destroyed every other backpack.
Plus, I seem to be accumulating a number of MOLLE things from trauma kit to Leatherman to pepper spray.
Currently, my laptop messenger bag is from another defunct company, Hlaska, which is currently overloaded with a MBP 13 and minimal power/EDC stuff.
I should probably upgrade to a MOLLE bag so I can carry my backup HDD without using a reusable shopping bag AND messenger bag.
+1 on the MOLLE pouches. I have use a MOLLE-compatible laptop bag[1], and it's awesome to be able to snap on an external pouch for a camera or something. Like you mentioned, it's "tacticool", so it's probably not suitable for everyone. It fits with my personality, and I've only been subject to additional searches a couple of times because of it...
Second this or well third I have the 12/24/72 versions of this backpack (doubletap color scheme which is dark grey) and they are by far the best backpacks I've owned.
They are very convenient tons of storage space, everything is easily accessible, best back support I've seen outside of really high end trekking packs and they are durable as fuck.
I've had some expensive backpacks from the likes of samsonite, they look good but they tend to age very poorly (I might be abusing them too much) and they aren't nearly as comfortable to use at the 5.11 ones.
Australian Made Crumpler Backpacks are awesome.
They come with a lifetime guarantee because they literally stitch them from canvas. Strong bags with great design that really last.
> The first Crumpler bag was made in the early 90s when Stuart Crumpler couldn’t find a bag that let him cycle home with a slab of beer on his back.
Stu’s solution to this common problem was a tough, handmade messenger bag – he sourced the best materials he could find and even sought the expertise of a local parachute maker who pulled the prototype apart and showed him stronger methods of stitching.
During this time, Will Miller and Dave Roper ran a courier business and needed quality bags for their riders. Seeing the potential in Stu’s bags, the three of them founded Crumpler with a handshake and the rest is history.
This. I have owned a Crumpler DRY RED NO 5 for ages, highly recommend. Great laptop compartment (super padded), and heaps of other compartments to store things. I use everyday (laptop, lunch etc), but also use as my primary travel bag.
I ran across this backpack at wal-mart, it's a great travel pack/day pack. It has a sleeve in the back (padded to the outside) for a laptop or camelbak, lots of pockets/sleeves inside that would fit chargers, phones, small tablet.
Loops on outside are great for carabiners/gear on a hike.
I usually lug around 2 laptops, a huge USB battery pack, misc. USB accoutrements, snacks, Bose over-the-ear headphones, and occasionally a (slim model) game system in it without it being too overpacked or bulky.
I bought one of these https://www.ospreypacks.com/us/en/product/comet-new-for-fall... a couple years ago as a convention backpack after being disappointed carrying my TB2 messenger bag. It has a padded slot in the back for a laptop plus an internal pocket in that slot where you could slide a tablet easily. Separate from the laptop slot, it also has one large and one small pocket, with some smaller internal pockets in the small one. The straps are comfortable enough to wear for multiple full days, assuming breaks here and there and I've never been wanting for space inside of it.
I go through a lot of bags trying to find the perfect one. Quite literally one every 3-4 months for the last 4 years.
Finally bought the 30l Peak Design backpack. Best thing ever. Worth every penny.
I can fit:
Two laptops - HP 1040 and Lenovo Thinkpad S12
Two chargers for the laptops
1x 2 port USB charger for phone
8" Tablet
2 Moleskine notebooks
1 camera, either Sigma Dp1 Quattro or Sony RX100
2.5 USB backup drive
Several batteries for the Sigma camera
Audiotechnica m30 headphones
All the infernal RSA tokens I have to carry
USB cables, 2 ethernet cables
10000 mAh battery pack
Other odds and ends... mug, access cards and what not
The peak design bags have dividers they refer to as origami dividers. The majority of the volume of the bag can be customized using the dividers.
The is a laptop sleeve between the back of the bag and the main compartment. In that sleeve there is a divider. I believe the divider is meant to separate a 15" mac book and full sized ipad. The sleeve is large enough for my 14" laptop and my 12" laptop. Additionally, the sections you use to get in to the main compartment have padded organizers.
The bag is really clever and seems to be incredibly well built, time will tell on that.
I bought a DSPTCH Daypack a couple years ago and it's pretty amazing. I don't know if you'd get a good layout inside the pack (there's a couple pouches, a small zipped pouch at the top, and a couple bottle pouches on the side inside the main compartment, but that's all. That aside, it's only a couple pounds, super tough and comfortable, and not gaudy. The laptop pouch fits a new 13" MBP AND a ThinkPad x220, but it expands well so things don't just rattle around in there.
I love my Pelican S100 Backpack!
Has a watertight crushproof Pelican hardcase to protect my MacBook Pro and a decent sized pockets to carry iPad Pro, Headphones, Dongles, etc...
I've had my timbuk2 messenger for about 9 years now. The inside looks like it got mauled. Lots of tears. But it still holds up rather well. The strap and everything else is very comfortable.
I use it to get groceries once a week. It's come on every vacation I've gone on. I've moved with it. It is not a simple work backpack. It goes with me everywhere. Really great investment.
Second that, I've had the timbuk2 commute 2.0 messenger bag since 2010 and it goes everywhere with me. Daily to/from work, every business/personal trip, etc. Mine's still in excellent condition other than one broken zipper on one of the inner pockets.
My problem is strength of the bag. Once I put all of my gear into a bag, if I start adding documents or manuals, the bag begins to break down. The strap becomes worn, and the point of failure of where the strap connects to the top of the bag, usually goes first. I wish these bags had a weight rating.
Have one, and while spacious, I've never felt well organized with it.
These days I'm carrying an eBags Professional - laptop space, center tablet pocket that can be accessed from top, pocket for files/papers, bottom hard compartment for charger, reasonably well organized pockets for pens, usb drives, etc, and most importantly for travel, it has dual carry-on handle pass throughs.
The Brain Bag by itself is not well organized, but add a Brain Cell to hold the laptop, a Snake Charmer for cables, and a Freudian Slip for papers and you're getting somewhere. You're also getting spendy, so there is that. But the bags last forever and show great attention to detail in their construction.
(Another risk is that you'll soon find yourself buying a Bihn travel bag, briefcase, etc...)
If you organize the inside using MOLLE-capable bags, then you can quickly and easily expand your storage by just attaching those bags to the outside.
But it's "tacticool", so it's not for everybody. My Dell XPS 13 and a whole lot of other things fit into it easily. Plus there is a hard plate on the back that protects the computer from impact from that side of the bag and gives it support (it's removable).