Which Bag is right for me?

[Phrozenfx]

I was taking a look around the website and admiring the bags but without actually being able to touch and see the bags I have a hard time determining which one will be right for me.

I am a college student with a 14" iBook so i need something that I can put my laptop and 2 or 3 college text books in. I don't want to carry seperate bags since I bike to school. What would you guys recomend?

[Darcy]

The first bag that comes to mind is the Brain Bag with the Size 4 Monolith. The Brain Bag is a big backpack and can definitely hold your laptop, plus your textbooks, plus notebooks and other accessories. It has both a sternum and waist strap and is nice to bike with. Keep in mind that it is a big bag.

Our other backpack, the Smart Alec, could hold everything you described but nothing else. It also has a sternum strap and a waist strap and is great to bike with.

[nik]

Hey. I'm a grad student and a happy Brain Bag owner.

Think about it this way: You're NEVER going to just carry your laptop and a few books. You're also going to have your pens and papers, plus a sack lunch (or leftovers from Noodles and Co.), plus a water bottle (all that biking). Then you need your VITAL computer accessories, like a power supply, a few cords (ethernet maybe, an iPod charger, I dunno... I carry a mouse around all the time, myself), a burnable CD or two for backup purposes. You know... Then you'll have some bike gear that you won't want to leave strapped on the bike.

A Brain Bag will hold all this. I know, because I own one and I bike/scooter to school during the summer. My classmates call me "the tortoise" because of my huge bulging bag, but it sits comfy and compresses nicely for lighter traveling days.

The other thing you'll want is a Freudian Slip with a few plain' ol' manila folders to help organize. Best backback accessory ever. A must for any student. (And a Snake Charmer ain't bad either if you lack any other cable management systems that you're happy with.)

If you're really a light traveler tho, the Smart Alec's a really really nice looking pack. Very sleek and looks awesome on the back of a bicyclist. If I were made of $$$, I'd own both. One for light days and one for heavy days. (And an Empire Builder for presentation days and for the office... Ooooh yeah!)

Get a Freudian Slip for the 'Alec, too. Or if you get some other brand of backpack (horrors!), it'll fit fine in there too. It's great. Did I mention that already?

[Phrozenfx]

Well, Nik sold me. I guess I'll be picking up a Brain Bag and a monolith soon.