Cool Backpacks for Men
It certainly is hard to find cool backpacks for men. I mean they are a dime a dozen, but they’re rarely actually “cool” looking. A lot of them are made with children in mind, so they look overstated, are cheaply made, and just not “cool” looking.
Now Enter Tucker & Bloom!
Based out of Nashville, Tennessee, with over 30 years in the bag business, Tucker & Bloom make some of the nicest cool backpacks for men that I have ever seen.
All of their products are designed with today’s professional in mind, and Tucker & Bloom realize that just because you commute to work, that doesn’t mean you want to look like a fifth grader while doing it. They make cool bags for men that are as tough as they are cool.
Dig That Construction!
Tucker & Bloom Bags have large, zippered main chambers with strong taslan nylon backings, while the external shells are made of heavy 1680 denier waterproof ballistic nylon. No matter what you put them through, these cool custom made bags for men are going to stay put together.
The front pockets feature U-zip designs that have an easy-access organizer panel for iPod, phone, sunglasses, etc. Additionally, adjustable straps, ending in quick-release buckles, make it simple to swing the bag, in order to access the main chamber.
There’s nothing worse than zippers that wear out, so Tucker & Bloom uses heavy, “self-healing” #9 nylon coil zippers that have lockable pulls. This ensures that whatever you put into your cool totes for men will stay put, and you won’t have to worry about cheap zippers anymore.
And How Fashionable, Too!
Tucker & Bloom make several different cool style for the fellas, so that it doesn’t matter what your personal style may be, you’ll be able to buy a bag that fits your character.
On top of different styles, Tucker & Bloom offer each bag in different colors, with some even being available in other fabrics, too. The bag you pick will be one-of-a-kind, and made just to your specifications.
Also available are laptop sleeves, if you choose. Padded well to protect your investment, the laptop sleeve will help to ensure your data is safe and sound, and protected from drops, as well as from your other stuff.
Depending upon how you move through your day, Tucker & Bloom’s bags allow you to maneuver in cramped quarters with different straps. The super-strong shoulder straps are made of heavy-duty nylon webbing, with comfy felt backing, while a low profile handle is attached to them for use in tight quarters.
Simply the Best Around!
Tucker & Bloom make cool custom made cases for men that are both exceptionally durable, as well as waterproof, ensuring that whatever you carry will be protected from the elements. Their bags are functional, yet fashionable, and can easily make the jump from office to classroom to on the town with stylish ease. They are simply the best around!
My battle to find cool styles for guys
Even though most people won’t admit it, it’s almost impossible to find cool backpacks for guys available on the market today.
Some of them have been designed for guys and made to look like they just stepped off the battlefield – built with military style construction materials, over engineered to ridiculous tolerances, and would look foolish when stacked up with any outfit that isn’t completely camouflaged.
Many others that have been designed for men on the market right now take a different approach completely. They offer you this super luxurious, ridiculously silky smooth, and almost feminized masculine bag (if that makes sense at all), basically an overblown purse that is supposed to be designed for men simply because it’s “bigger”.
At the other end of the spectrum, you have some designers that feel as though guys can use backpacks that are basically larger versions of the totes that they used as children – sporty looking bags that make men look like an oversized kid stuck in some sort of weird Hollywood comedy.
But not the folks at Tucker and Bloom. When I was searching for cool backpacks and this was a brand that continue to come up in conversation – both the real conversations that I had with people who had already bought fantastic ones as well as many of the conversations that I “eavesdropped” on that were happening online.
These were actually built from the ground up to look fantastic but also serve a real purpose – perfectly blending form and function in ways that I didn’t think anyone was still paying attention to.
The perfect backpacks for men
Basically relying on 30+ years of business, it is Nashville, Tennessee based business has been pumping out small batch hand crafted American custom made products for years and years now – though they are just now starting to gain the kind of recognition and acclaim they deserve.
There’s just no other way to put it than that these are very cool backpacks for every man, especially guys that want to retain their masculinity while cruising around town with one strapped to their backs. You’re going to find elite level construction materials – some would even say luxurious construction materials – designed to be ruggedly masculine without being cartoony, the kinds of bags that most people strive to make but never really hit that perfect note.
At the same time, these bags have been designed to be ridiculously functional. With messenger bags and even just traditional styles are available – and so much more – functionality is always critical in each and every one of their designs.
I know, because now I own three or four different Tucker and Bloom bags – and am considering ordering three or four more to boost my collection. These are just that good, and I have since recommended them to each and every one of my friends and family members looking to invest in a new back.
Construction that is off the charts, design that is amazingly attractive, and a price you just can’t beat
The reason that I think these are the very best of the best when it comes to cool accessories for men is simply because they blend all of the key criteria you’re looking for in a bag so seamlessly.
The attention to detail that has been spent on every aspect of construction is off the charts, but something that you would anticipate from a small batch shop that does much of their work by hand. Design is never to “freely” or fancy, but is instead a very rugged, very masculine, and very durable. Top that all off with very reasonable prices, and it should come as no surprise to you why so many people consider these to be the very best on the planet.
Record Bags
Record bags made for DJs or record buying folks. DJ Backpacks and messenger bags meant for holding 7” records, 45's, LPs, 12" singles, and virtually any other vinyl record format you can think of.
DJs require a specific type of bag, and that’s why we make our bags to the specifications and needs of working class DJs. Large enough to hold all types of vinyl, and padded enough to provide peace of mind that your precious LPs will make it from one gig to the next, without a scratch. From our larger 45 bag, made to hold a large assortment of records, to our dj backpacks and dj messenger bags, that are able to hold records and other necessary items, like cables, and laptops, we’ve got all the needs of a working class DJ covered.
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The Backcue: Tucker & Bloom North to South Bag Review
August 13, 2015
Traveling can be a pain. When you’ve got to lug a set’s worth of vinyl and a laptop and drives, it doesn’t get any easier. For a while now, I’ve been able to survive carrying all that with the UDG creator bag. In the past couple years I’ve booked more gigs that require me to get on a plane and traveling with such a large backpack has grown to be a pain. Although it fits the airline’s sizes for carry-ons, I still had trouble getting through crowds at the airport plus a few zippers had worn out. I started looking for a new bag a little over a two years ago and came across the Tucker & Bloom North to South Bag. I decided to give it a shot.
Tucker & Bloom is a bag company that has operated out of Nashville for the past thirty year under the watch of father and son team, David and Case Bloom. The latter is also a working DJ. For the record, I’ve never been given anything from Tucker & Bloom and outside of a few FB messages with Case, I couldn’t say I know him very well. I say all this just to insure that this review is unbiased.
First of all, the North to South bears little in common with a lot of other DJ bags that seem to be going for a look that Marty McFly Jr. would love; Lots of mesh, 3M reflective bits, and neon yellow. It seems to be modeled after classic English bespoke game bags more so than contemporary messengers. Simple black ballistic nylon shell, leather trim, sturdy metal buckles. It’s something you wouldn’t be embarrassed to have on your shoulder if you ever find yourself in a job interview or a fox hunt at an English estate, which is great since we know that either of those things are equally likely to happen for a plenty of DJs.
This eye towards classic fashion runs across most of Tucker and Bloom’s bags. Everything has a clean, understated design. Any eyes it catches are earned honestly from good craftsmanship, not obnoxious colors or gimmicks. Their bags are a pair of Allen Edmonds in a sea of Ed Hardy sneakers.
I had my eye on it for a while, then a couple yeara ago I copped it while it was on sale for a day at the Tucker & Bloom site. A couple weeks later (each bag is made to order), I received it, and the next day I got on a plane for a nine day trip to California. First stop was San Francisco, which turned out to be the perfect testing ground. Every day I was there, I spent a good twelve hours on the MUNI or walking around town so I needed to carry everything I might possibly need while away from the hostel. In SF that included:
It held up well and never felt felt any discomfort even when it was weighed down by the aforementioned burrito. The leather and shearling shoulder strap broke in quickly to the shape of my shoulder, within a couple of days at most.
It’s become my go to bag for when I’m biking around town. Toss my u-lock in, my handytrax and I’m out for a quick record dig. The included bike cross-strap keeps the bag out of your way and it can be stowed against the side of the bag or removed when your off your bike.
I’ve had to put leftovers in it after biking around a couple times and as you might expect, there have been accidents. Turning it inside out and wiping down with a wet cloth was all it took to clean out all remnants of whatever juice comes out of a container of Mongolian beef. I’d still not recommend carrying food in your bag, I’m just letting you know it’s possible.
There’s one large compartment that is not padded for your laptop, records or larger items. This may be a concern for some but I keep my laptop in a separated padded sleeve regardless so it hasn’t been an issue for me. This is a bag small enough to be kept close to you at all times so I feel padding would be a little overkill anyway. For a larger bag that might get stowed away or handled by others, I can see the need for padding but not in this case.
Within the main compartment there is also a smaller, mesh zippered pocket. Good for pens, a phone, 45 adapters, small tools for fixing your electronics, business cards, etc.
If you’re someone that needs a thousand dedicated pockets for every single tool, this isn’t the perfect bag for you. You get about three pockets that are a pretty tight fit to hold your smaller items and a metal snap on the inside. I’m always afraid of something falling out or getting out of place if my bag tips or turns over but so far, that fear is unfounded. It gets tossed around a lot but things stay in place.
There is an unintended advantage to having the pockets be such a tight fit. Not having the dedicated pockets does require you to take a couple extra minutes and think about where you want things to go but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Being forced to think about your loadout really helps to pare down your gear by eliminating the things you never use. Once you find a packing strategy you’re happy with, you have little to worry about.
Everything is always in easy reach. This is huge when I’m traveling through the airport. It can just hang on my shoulder when I have to quickly unload getting through security. There’s also several places to put your documents that you can get to without ever opening the bag.
The Cosmo Baker edition, which is the one I went with, features two added inches of depth and about a half inch length. It also has a leather badge with Cosmo’s logo and a wolf. If you have qualms about another DJ’s name on your bag, I personally think it’s worth it for a little more room, especially if you’re the type that prefers at least a few extra 12″ records outside of your control vinyl and laptop. Also, a fuckin’ wolf bro. Honestly, you’d have to be quite the narcissist for a stamp sized logo to be enough to bruise your ego. I’ve found the leather badge to be very useful with the addition of a carabiner. Day to day, I attach my keys to it and for events, I attach my headphone case.
For a typical DJ gig, this is what I pack:
Since I’ve purchased it a couple years ago, I’ve used it for numerous gigs, both local and around the country plus nearly every time I leave the house. Other than some natural fading on the leather, it looks as good as the day I bought it. It’s held up perfectly and better than any other DJ bag I’ve had. I don’t plan on getting another DJ bag anytime soon and if I do, it will probably be another Tucker and Bloom.
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What I look for when choosing laptop bags
December 20, 2013
What I Look For When Choosing Laptop Bags
Deciding upon which to choose, from a group of laptop bags can be quite a challenge, especially if one is picky about certain technical features. Choosing the wrong one will ensure a real pain, in more ways than one, when it is truly time to use it.
For me, there are only a few qualities that I look for when I look at totes. I chose a Tucker & Bloom, for these reasons. They may be few but these things are still very important to me and, if my backpacks are not just exactly perfect, I am very liable not to ever use them again.
Construction
It’s very important what material they are made of! Construction and materials are the first things I look at when choosing the right one. Is it made of nylon? Or, maybe leather? Does it include foam, in its construction?
The material they are made of will give an idea of whether they will hold up to repeated use and abuse. Strength and durability are qualities that laptop bags get from how they are made and what they are made from. I prefer mine to be made of heavy ballistic nylon, because I treat all my gadgets as if they are weapons in my arsenal.
Capacity- What Can This Bad Boy Really Handle?
The next quality I think of when choosing the right tote is what can this thing hold? The capacity is immensely important to me! All of my totes and tools must serve more than one purpose. My case should have multiple pockets; one for my computer, one for a cell phone, and one for a notepad and pens, one for change and tickets, passport, etc. It’s the 21st century, folks, get with it.
Access and Ease of Use
This one is so very big- I need to have the ability to grab items from my tote quickly, while I’m on the go. What’s the use in having a cell phone pocket, if the phone isn’t easily reachable?
A lot of this has to do with good design of the laptop bags, in the first place. Placing that cell phone pocket on the strap with a little padding, at just the right location, can make all the difference upon whether the end customer just “likes” or genuinely “loves” their backpacks.
Where and who made them?
I know it may be a little strange, and it goes for tons of other items I purchase, not just laptop bags, but where these items are made- as well as who made and designed them- really makes a huge difference upon whether or not I will purchase them, as well. Does a company, or designer, that I’ve heard of, make the item in America? I want to ensure that the totes that I buy are well constructed, in places that are close to home. Tucker & Bloom makes laptop cases that fit all of these qualifications.
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Bicycle Bags play a huge roll in the bike messenger community
December 20, 2013
Bicycle Bags
Bicycle bags are very important to messengers in the city of Philadelphia and, without them, many crucial deliveries would not get made. They are typically well made of strong materials. Some bicycle totes can have different features that help the rider in their different daily tasks. The different colors and styles allow the user to express individuality.
The best are those that are hand-made of heavy ballistics-grade nylon. This material gives them high durability and strength, that helps the totes withstand heavy use and abuse. Many riders like bicycle backpacks that have leather trim and aluminum-alloy clips and buckles. Some kind of water resistance is also important, so that large rolls of drawings and plans do not get wet.
Another important feature of the best is multiple pockets, for holding all the essential items that a rider carries. A well-positioned cell phone pocket on the strap, or on the side, can make all the difference. More pocket space for an iPod, note pad, and headphones, as well as optional padded pockets, for laptops and such, are all very important choices to make when choosing a tote.
Some will look like classic messenger backpacks. Other styles are in different sizes, depending upon what the rider is going to use them for. Small, medium, and large size's even allow for different sized users. Different color choices for the internal and external fabrics offer the rider a chance to make own.
Hipsters love hand-made stuff, these days, and it is important to many of those people for the products that they buy to be made in America. Heavy nylon bicycle totes are in style, and many men carry them to work, to school, and then use them during recreation. Many people bike everywhere.
Tucker & Bloom are a company based in Nashville, TN. They make all sorts of different bags in various styles, including bicycle bags and messenger bags. They make and design all their bags in the USA, from quality materials, with old-European craftsmanship. Tucker & Bloom are a family business that makes high-end bicycle bags with style and great design.
One of the best things about Tucker & Bloom is that they make multi-use products. They make everything with cell phone pockets and built-in laptop cases. Laptop cases that also carry records. Theirs are totes that also carry laptops and cell phones. All products made by Tucker & Bloom are made from top-quality materials. All materials used must meet their high expectations for quality, durability, and aesthetics.
Lastly, all products should come with some kind of back up plan. What if you spend a bunch of money on it and it rips? Well, Tucker & Bloom have that all covered with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Tucker & Bloom will replace or repair your tote if it gets damaged or falls apart. That’s a real comfort, knowing that your belongings are safe from defects in materials and workmanship.
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