Every tech nerd needs a tech nerd bag for carrying all our gear!!! And I have long had a trusty TimBuk2 messenger bag for all my gear carrying needs... and that trusty brown bag lasted nearly 10 years of hard use and long travels! I also had a smaller one for lighter gear and shorter travels that didn't need a full sized gaming laptop to travel with me...

... but when I purchased a new TimBuk2 bag... with a new design and a new company leadership... well, it was okay, but it was missing things that I really liked in the old bag. So, it was okay... but it wasn't quite the perfect fit that I was hoping for.

And at some point, I must have backed a Kickstarter for a different sort of tech-nerd bag by Rollacrit ages ago... because one showed up a few weeks ago... and I had no idea what the hell was in that box, until I opened it up!

... and so, after a few weeks of use, I am almost ready to make this my regular carry bag! With one little unknown and untested caveat... and I will mention this now, because I will likely forget to mention it by the end of the post! The potential problem is that this looks and feels a little bit larger than your regular laptop messenger bag... and that might or might not be a problem for air travel. Now, most people... it won't be a problem... but when you are a violinist, you are already skirting the goodwill of the check-in crew. And the larger your "extra" carry on... well, the harder things might become. Now, technically, it only needs to fit under the seat in front, and this would have no problem with that... but again, carrying a violin case does make you a target for potential problems!

From the front, you see a nice sturdy handle... and a zippered flat quick access section. Also reinforced corners on the bottom four corners...

What a tech nerd really needs in a bag is storage for lots of things... there is nothing more annoying than having everything dump into a single large compartment which makes it hard to find things on the go... things need to have their place and for that you need multiple segmented areas.

Secret pocket!!?!?!?!?!... I haven't found that yet!!!

Tough and durable... yes, that is a big must... my old Timbuk2 soldiered on... even after getting a rip in it! Nothing could stop it... and it is still going strong, but the rips are now big enough to warrant a change as they do let in water... but it is still repairable, when I have the time to stitch it.

The canvas does seem pretty durable, and the stitching also seems to be done well. From the side, you can see that it does have the possibility of starting to look pretty thick... and that would be the sticking point if some check-in person decided that they wanted to have a go at the bag.

On both sides, there is a drink/map holder. Secured by toggles on the top and bottom, I would have preferred a design that was fully sealed on the bottom, as I don't tend to need to carry maps or tubes... but it is still strong enough to carry drink bottles.

oh man... this is one of the killer features. The backpack straps that allow this bag to function both as a backpack AND a messenger bag. I do prefer the side slinging of the messenger bag, especially when I have a violin case on the other side to balance it out... but after a while, the weight does start to pull unevenly on my back. So, being able to wear this properly as a backpack does make for an easier and more evenly distributed load on my aging body!

The canvas is NOT waterproof, unlike the TimBuk2 bags... but it is water resistant (I did test it with a glass of water...), and it can probably be treated to be slightly repellent as well. At first, I thought that this would be a big down side... as I am often caught in downpours and drizzle whilst travelling... but no! There is a waterproof cover that is attached to the bag and has its own dedicated zippered compartment on the bottom of the bag... it stays attached to the bag on the inside, but drapes and covers the rest in a waterproof layer! WIN WIN WIN!

The back section that houses the laptop also has a second smaller zippered pouch that is a dedicated section for the messenger bag strap. Handy to have that in a seperate section so that it doesn't get lost, but is easily accessibly to clip on when needed.

The main part of this section is a single area that is large enough for a 16inch laptop... and there is no issue with fit, it is quite roomy due to the top mounted zipper. My current Timbuk2 has the zipper located lower down, and it makes for a tighter laptop fit.... both good and bad, it doesn't move around, but it is more difficult to get it in there in the first place! Foam padded on the inside, but less so on the outer side.

At the back, there is a dedicated open area that has a couple of pouches that is easily accessible whilst wearing it as a messenger bag. It is loosely secured by a button clip. My old TimBuk2 bag had one of these, but it was missing in the newer design... and I really really missed this quick-access storage area. It would be the place to drop loose change or to have on hand travel tickets... the things that you would want to get to easily without opening up the bag properly! Yay for the inclusion!

The main inner section houses a thin separator... I think that that would be a decent place for my e-reader, with the backing against the foam and the firmness of the laptop chassis to prevent bending. Very few pouches in this area, it is mostly a dedicated large component storage area.

Thankfully, it does have two large pouches on each side... a good fit for my newer Anker batteries that have that thicker oblong shape instead of the thinner wafer-like shape. Easy to access for those pieces of kit and they hold quite snugly as well!

Moving to the front zippered compartment... and here you have three dedicated pouches and a smaller sleeve alongside the regular compartment area. Lots of room for all the small stuff, mice... keys, lockpicks, Flipper... you know the sorts of thing that nerds like to carry around!

... and lastly, the front buttoned compartment... this is slightly more accessible than the rest of the compartments, but still lies under the main covering flap that would also still need to be unbuttoned. For this, I do wonder if the clip design of the newer TimBuk2 for the covering flap would have been a better choice... easier to unlatch and secure with one hand instead of the buttons... but on the other hand, you do need several loops to secure at different lengths instead. Pros and Cons...

Smaller pouches for usb stuff I guess, but I do keep most of my little tech stuff in little pouches already!

... and speaking of pouches, there was a Kickstarter bonus of this lined tech pouch... not sure what I will use it for at the moment, it might replace some of the other pouches that I have... or perhaps I will use it for kit that needs to be quickly removed for airlines. Sharp stuff and things like that... Easily taken out and left at home sot that I don't accidently end up at the airport with them!

... and that secret pouch... still looking!!!

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