Found my new EDC bag!

[inthedark]

Finally, after 3 years of looking, I finally found something to replace my current EDC bag.

Timbuk2 Underground (http://www.ebags.com/timbuk2/underground/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=74249)

I was switching off between an Oakley Sandbag and various other backpacks/shoulderbags before finally settling on this one. I probably went through a few dozen bags over the years, and looked at probably every single bag on the market. While it's not absolutely perfect, it's the closest to my idea of perfect that I've found so far. What i was looking for was something i could carry around everyday, at work, on weekends, maybe an occasional impromptu hike (I have regular dedicated hiking bags for hiking), and for daily carry in foriegn cities (when traveling). I had some idea of what I wanted, but it wasn't until I found this one that they all came together.

1) Backpack style - tried various shoulderbags and slingbags, but they always tire out my shoulder after more than a few hours of carrying stuff. My ideal bag would have the option for both, but if I had to choose, I like the backpack style better. I can always carry it on one shoulder if needed.

2) Around 1500-2000 ci. Smaller bags wouldn't hold enough for a full day, larger ones were just too cumbersome. Most of the time, my bag not only holds my EDC items, but during an average day I might also have items coming and going in it (when buying stuff, holding stuff to drop off somewhere, extra change of clothes, etc). The Sandbag was fine for holding my stuff, but I couldn't even carry a sweatshirt in there, and absolutely sucked for carrying papers, books, boxes (basically anything rectangular or boxy).

3) Simple design. I used to like all the buckles and straps on my bags, but as I get older, I find them just too irritating. Plus, I feel a little self conscious carrying my hiking bags into work, they just seem too out of place and unprofessional. Even though my company is pretty casual, I'd rather not call too much attention to what I carry. I wanted something that just "disappeared" in my cubicle, so nobody gives it a second glance. Plus, I don't like bags with a lot of zippers (easy target for pickpockets)

4) Lots of organizer pockets to keep everything organized. I don't have a list of items i carry, but I'd estimate there are at least 30-35 items of varying size that would just clutter up a pocket.

5) Decent quality

The picture on the ebags website makes it look a lot larger than it really is, I'm guessing that model or mannequin must be the size of a 10 year old kid judging by the relative size. What I really like about this bag is the clean looking design. Not a lot of extraneous straps and buckles or zippers cluttering up the outside. Most all of my EDC pockets can fit on the side pockets, without making the bag look overly bulky. The pockets are cut so that the exterior doesn't bulge out when stuffed. This does encroach on the inside room, but that hasn't been a problem so far. One of the outer pockets is even large enough to hold a 1 quart nalgene bottle, with a little bit of room left over. Plus, the bag itself is a little wider, but shallower than other backpacks in that size range. This means going through crowds is easier without bumping into people. And it's a Timbuk2, so quality of workmanship isn't even an issue.

Even though it's a really great backpack, there are a few things I would change.

1) add option for removable shoulderstrap and/or hipbelt. They could easily attach D-rings to the bottom of the shoulderstraps, to give a place to attach either one. The shape of the bag would make it very easy to adapt to a shoulderbag. All they would need is a false back to tuck the shoulderstraps away to make it into a nice horizontal carry bag.
2) Add 2 way zippers to the side pockets
3) I'm debating whether I would want a sternum strap or not. I like them while hiking, but other times I just think they get in the way.
4) Add internal organizer pockets inside the main compartment
5) Add a small hideaway zippered pocket near the top, to hold smaller items.

Overall, I'd rate this bag 4.5 stars out of 5 stars. There isn't much that I can't live with, and I'm a pretty critical person when it comes to bags. With a few changes, it could definitely become near perfect for me.

Oh yeah, I forgot the best part. I picked it up on sale, regular $70 for $20 at REI. ;D. If they had more in stock, I would've bought them all.

[loveit]

That was a great deal! Nice grab, and enjoy the bag. I am a big Timbuk2 fan. Enjoy!

O0

[dowtech]

I work in a different culture, so can get away with a lot more. But I enjoyed your review, and your points are certainly thought-proking!

O0 +1

[KeyGrip]

I've seen those bags cropping up around here often lately. They look very high quality, and I like the color customization. I know of at lease one other member here who has one, perhaps he'll chime in. :-X

[milkyspit]

Very handy review, thanks! :angel:

I'm taking a closer look at this bag as my next 'portable office' daypack.

[inthedark]

It's been almost 3 months, and I've pretty much carried this bag every day since this review, so I thought I'd give a quick update. It's been hiking in Hawaii, stuffed under aiplane seats, riding shotgun in my car, used for quick overnight trips, and basically goes with me wherever I go. I probably average about 7-10 lbs of stuff in it at all times, but sometimes as much as 25+ lbs when fully packed for something.

I still like this bag a lot. I'd go out and buy it again today if i needed to. There are a couple of things I would change

1) Needs some sort of small, easily accesible pocket. Rather than the 2 way zippers that I thought would be a good idea, A couple of flat, half height pockets on the either side, with the zipper opening running vertical against the backside, would be a good place to quickly toss change or other small items into without taking off the entire backpack.

2) Definitely want a sternum strap. Didn't think I'd need it, but it does help a lot when carrying it for a while. I don't know if it's because of the design of the current straps, but they have a tendency to want to slide off your shoulders when heavily loaded.

3) Even though I typically don't like any type of frames on smaller packs, I think this one might benefit from a lightweight framesheet or stiff material in certain areas. Because there are no compression straps, anything thrown into the main compartment tends to pull the bottom of the bag down, which causes either side to fold inward. What this means is the bag rarely looks like the neat package shown in the pictures, but usually has a large crease running right down the middle with the bottom sagging downward, almost like a fortune cookie. To avoid this I try to put as much stuff as I can in the padded laptop comparement which holds it right against the back, and leave the smaller items in the main compartment.

4) Needs an attachment point for a hipbelt. Doesn't really need a permanent, heavily padded, hipbelt, but a couple of D-rings would be nice to a attach a simple 1 1/2" strap when needed. An option for a shoulder strap would be nice too.

5) An organizer panel on the inside would be really nice also. Not so much for small items, but a couple of larger pockets would prevent everything from shifting downwards

6) I love the main zipper opening. I didnt' realize how useful it is until I really started using it. It is a bit of a hybrid between a top loading backpack and panel loader. When it's sitting on the passenger floorboards, it's nice to be able to unzip just the top and reach in, without pulling the whole bag onto the seat. If it's sitting flat, you can just unzip all the way and use it somewhat like a panel loader. Often, on longer trips, it wedged in between other bags, so I can still partially unzip the top opening and reach in without having to move everything else like you would for a panel loader. Heavier zippers would be nice on the main compartment, but they show no signs of wear so far.

7) The dual side pocket design is really nice. I can keep most of my EDC stuff organized in there without being very obvious.

Not so Favorable things

1) The shoulder straps are already showing signs of wear. The left strap is starting to come unraveled at the attachment point at the top, which make me questions the durability. To be fair, I don't think the strap itself is in any danger of coming apart, but there's a narrow nylon egding on either side of the strap that has already frayed, so it looks like the strap itself is pulling out. I almost always grab the bag by the left strap, so this isn't the first bag that this has happened to.

[parnass]

Thanks for the followup review.

You mentioned that the chest strap helped keep the shoulder straps from separating. I, too, like a chest strap when carrying heavier loads. It helps distribute a pack's weight across the chest as well as the shoulders.

[inthedark]

Another Update. Well, I think I finally killed it. The shoulder strap that had started fraying had finally turned into a tear. It's still attached, but it's only a matter of time before it rips out completely. I'm not sure exactly what caused it, but I happened to be standing on top of the Great Wall of China when I noticed it. Good thing it didn't let go then, cuz it was quite a hike coming back down. I'm a little disappointed in the Timbuk2 quality, I would have expected better considering that their shoulder bags seem to be pretty good. I wouldn't classify it as a manufacturing defect either since the stitches are fine, but rather the material making up the shoulder straps just isn't strong enough and started ripping. I know Timbuk2 has a great warranty policy, but I was surprised to learn that they don't do any repairs, but they will replace it if there's a problem. I suppose that's probably good enough for most people, but to me personally that almost sounds like the bags are just to cheap to bother with repairs, it's just easier to get a new one. Not that I have any emotional attachment to this particular bag, but it's easier for me return it to REI and get a new one than to pay for shipping back to Timbuk2.

A couple more thoughts about it

1) It's not a very comfortable backpack. It makes a great city pack, or general use backpack, but definitely not anywhere close to being a hiking backpack. It's a tradeoff between the light weight of a frameless vs. the comfort of a suspension. I think for now, it's fine for what I use it for, but in a few years I'll probably be wanting more padding and suspension

2) Again, the shapeless form makes packing it more critical. Just randomly throwing things into it makes it take the shape of a giant pumpkin on your back. The somewhat hidden zipper on the back bulges out with even the slightest load, making it look like it's overpacked.

3) I still like the general design of it. Organizer pockets are useful, without being overly specific for any one item.

4) Laptops are a tight fit inside if the outer pockets are filled.

5) Zippers show no signs of wear, but I'm almost positive that would be the next thing to fail.

I'll probably keep using this one until I can find a bag that fits my needs better. I'm tempted to try a Maxpedition, if only they made stuff that didn't look like I was heading off to a war zone.

[shrap]

Wow. I never did care for their foreign-made backpacks, but that just takes the cake. I'll just stick to their original messenger bags.

[parnass]

I think you will get more than 5 months use from a Maxpedition pack should you elect to buy one.

[dowtech]

I can identify with the left shoulder strap carry. It's usually the way I hoist my pack, and often the only strap I use to carry it if it's just for a short time.

I carried a North Face Recon for several years and saw no signs of stress (still have it). Since I got my Maxpedition Falcon II several months ago, I've been watching that left strap carefully. So far not a hint of a problem.

BTW, have received no suspicious "that's tactical' glances with the F-II, and mine is in black.

I also like the F-II's pockets for better organization. With 2 compression straps, I don't have the "fortune cookie" problem (nice analogy!), but I'm thinking of adding a closed cell foam pad to the reservoir pocket, both to stiffen the back and to have a handy seat/first aid pad.

Thanks for the continuing reviews -- sometimes we post in the thrill of initial ownership and then fail to update when reality sets in! O0

[ppfd]

I too would stick with the U.S. made messenger bags. Bags that pop up on ebags, zappos, REI, etc. Appear to be mass produced for easy money.

Get a Maxpedition, Kifaru, or a custom made bag if you are planning heavy duty use. Timbuks messenger line is of great quality for school and work use.