Bag Review

Booq Terralinq

On October 26, 2009, in reviews, by Brian

I was browsing over at at the booq bag site today and discovered Terralinq. The folks over at booq describe Terralinq like this:

If you ever lose your booq® bag with its valuable cargo, Terralinq may help reunite you with your lost bag once it has been located and reported to Terralinq. To make this possible, each booq bag with Terralinq carries a unique item number on a metal label. Registering links a product’s unique number with an identity – yours. Should a registered bag be reported as lost & found, Terralinq will attempt to contact you with a bag’s location and the finder’s contact information.

This sounds like a pretty great system that; if you were to buy some other manufacturer’s bag you would have to pay for. In fact. see i-Trak. That’s what they do. Looking around the Terralinq by booq site it includes a login that lets the bag owner update and maintain their contact information over time. Props to the folks at booq for providing this service when you buy one of their bags!

Organizing the small stuff… (edcforums)

On January 19, 2009, in news, by Brian

There is an interesting discussion going on over in the edcforums. This discussion is about smaller bags that go with your bag to sort out the smaller items. I know I use bags from a number of sources (Cabela’s) to keep my small tools, writing implements, cables and connectors organized. The edcforums (edc stand for Every Day Carry) have been around for a while and are almost completely donation supported. JonSidneyB (also known as J.S. Burly) is the founder and moderator. JS has surrounded himself with a great supporting staff. The forums cover a lot of topics and let the casual urban dweller be warned much of what is discussed about guns and knives and such won’t play well in today’s Homeland Security age. Check out his other site; J.S. Burly’s shop where you can find great flashlights, knives, and tools.

Traveling Overnight with the Computer

On January 4, 2009, in travel, by Brian

While my current laptop bag is great (Brenthaven Pro) I find myself regularly on the look out for an overnight suitcase type bag that will hold my computer and some clothes. If you’re like me every couple of weeks someone asks you to go on a short trip; like overnight or just 2 days. You don’t need a lot of clothes; but you do need clothes and the toothbrush, razor, and all that. Sure, you can take a small suitcase and a computer bag but why? Who wants two bags if you are catching cab or walking through an airport to a plane? If I had something that could hold two changes of clothes and kit AND my computer; I’d be good to go.

Briggs & Riley 20" Computer Carry-on

Lots of my luggage is by Samsonite. The only problem is that none of their stuff that I own or have seen is really great for moving anything AND my computer. I can put the computer in a thin case and put it in the bag but I don’t want to be opening the entire suitcase to get my laptop out. Good luggage though! I saw that Macys is having their annual New Year luggage sale but didn’t see anything special.

I have had my eye on a Briggs & Riley Baseline Computer Carry on (eBags). Briggs has intrigued me since I first hears about them a couple of years ago. You have to admire their warranty. You (or your airline) breaks the bag and they fix it for free. Forever. And the reviews of customers carrying clothes and a computer are great. the only problem is the Briggs bags are not covered by eBags coupons (the way they put things on sale).

Any readers have any ideas? The search continues.

Checkpoint friendly bags? Not so much.

On October 28, 2008, in travel, by BagAdmin

Now that the TSA has issues guidelines for “checkpoint friendly” computer bags I thought we’d look around the web and try to gauge the public reaction.

PC Magazine reviewed 8 bags back in August.

Laptop magazine says in their article that a PC in the bag was accepted at 3/4 airports without any query by TSA. At a forth airport the writer pointed out that the bag was “checkpoint friendly” when asked to remove the laptop; and allowed to pass.

The folks over at the TSA blog, “The Evolution of Security” have this good article. It’s an overall positive review of the “new laptop bag procedures” and features links to some press on the topic.

I guess what I found most interesting was that many folks are able to use their existing bag and work within the new TSA screening guidelines to get through US airport security faster.

The reaction to some of the new bags that are marketed as “checkpoint friendly” wasn’t at all what I expected. ZDNet has an article that includes a review of a great looking new Tom Bihn bag. What was most interesting to me was the reader feedback. As with anything reviewed; not everyone likes the bag. Other comments pointed out that some folks are just using their existing bags and finding that the new screening procedure is more friendly.

Looking for laptop bag warranty stories…

On August 20, 2008, in news, by BagAdmin

Calling all laptop bag owners! Some laptop bags seem to last forever. Others last forever because the manufacturer stands behind their product. We are starting work on a new section at BagReview that will compare some of the warranties that various bag manufacturers offer. We would be interested in hearing from folks who have had good, bad, and so-so experiences with their laptop bags. Drop a note to brian@bagreview.com. You’ll need to tell us the manufacturer, the type of bag, and approximately when you have to use the warranty. If you are a manufacturer and want to contribute or comment; please do!