Messenger Backpacks
In a city like Philadelphia, lots of people have opted to not own cars. Most people travel via public transportation, on foot, or on bicycles. One thing that most, if not all, of these folks have in common is their use of messenger backpacks to carry their belongings with them.
Being on the go, in this day and age, can require us to carry a lot of gadgets and stuff from home with us when we leave home. This is especially true for those living in the city. Everywhere you look you can see people carrying courier totes under their arm, or slung across their shoulder.
Bike messengers are still quite visible in Philadelphia; riding around precariously on fixed-gear bikes, weaving in and out of traffic. They are still very important when businesses want to get plans and contracts from one location to another, very quickly. All of these riders still use courier totes to carry those time-sensitive goods.
People travelling around on foot use these types of bags, too. When slung across oneβs shoulders, they free up both hands for carrying other things, such as a phone or cup of coffee. These totes keep all of your belongings ready to grab, at all times, but safely stowed on your back.
When riding the subway or the El, a backpack keeps a personβs stuff out of sight, and safe. The adjustable straps can help to tighten the bag, so it is form fitting in tight, crowded spaces. You can hold on to the overhead handle, yet no have to worry about the bag sliding down your arm, because it is held tight across your shoulders. A good bag will keep a laptop stowed so that, when you can sit down, it is easily accessible and can be pulled out onto your lap.
Stylistically, the most well designed messenger backpacks come in every color of the rainbow. People may carry similar bags, but individuality can easily be expressed through color choice, as well as offering a variety of sizes of each bag. Not everyone is the same size, nor do they all want to carry the same amount of gear. Some people want a square bag, and others may want a shorter, wider one.
Totes for the urban traveler need to be constructed of super durable materials, to ensure the user does not have a βblow-out" on the street. Itβs sad, but weβve all seen someoneβs bag break in a crowded place, belongings getting dropped and trampled. Materials like ballistic-grade Taslan nylon, waterproof duck canvas, and tanned top grain leathers give messenger backpacks the strength to go everywhere the user goes.Β Β
Almost everyone in Philadelphia carries a bag or backpack of some kind. Itβs a modern age, when people are using more gadgets and multitasking, so it is very important to have hands-free messenger backpacks, so to speak. Tighten the strap across the chest, carry a cell phone with one hand, and a latte in the other.
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What to look for in the best messenger backpacks
While the βsuper popularityβ of the traditional messenger bag has probably faded a bit from its high point in 2005/2007 (when even Jack Bauer was using a messenger bag or βman purseβ), Courier Totes have continued to stay popular over the last few years thanks to their incredible form and functionality.
Really a great hybrid between all of the benefits that a traditional bag offers as well as the stylistic benefits that a messenger bag brings to the table, finding the right one can be a little bit of a headache and hassle β if you donβt know exactly what you should be looking for.
I should know. I spent literally 18 months trying to replace what I thought was the perfect choice (it ended up ripping in the bottom and spilling my brand-new MacBook on the floor β but thatβs another story altogether), and have probably investigated all of the different options that are out there right now.
Here are just a handful of the things that I thought were important when trying to find the very best backpacks to purchase.
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Price wasnβt everything, but it was definitely important β just not in the way I thought originally
I know that youβre going to see a ton of different prices out there as far as courier bags are concerned. At the same time, most manufacturers of messenger backpacks are in a βflight to the bottomβ of the market, so to speak β more interested in offering rock-bottom rates then innovating their products and making sure they are constructed out of high quality materials.
This would be a mistake. Obviously, youβre going to go into this purchasing decision with a very specific budget β and you should do everything you can to stick to it β but youβre also going to want to decide just how important this messenger backpack is in your day to day life.
If, like me, youβre using courier bags every single day (whether at school, work, or just on trips around town), itβs well worth spending a little bit more money than you would have otherwise to get your hands on something fantastic β something thatβs going to last.
If youβre not going to be using backpacks on a daily basis and are just trying to kind of add something to your wardrobe, then youβre still probably going to want to look at something a little bit more on the expensive side β nobody wants to get caught with cheap looking things when theyβre trying to look their best.
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Construction material and attention to detail makes all the difference in the world
One of the biggest mistakes you can make β and a mistake that I made twice (yes, TWICE) β was not paying attention to the quality of construction materials used in the attention to detail paid during the construction process.
Two of the backpacks that I ended up purchasing β and then instantly demanding a refund on β were built out of cheap nylon like materials that promised amazing waterproof properties but never really backed up their big talk. Combine that with weak, ugly, and erratic stitching, and I had a real recipe for disaster on my hands.
At the same time, I ended up purchasing a high quality bag from Tucker and Bloom and couldnβt be happier with the purchase that I made. Not only are the construction materials used throughout high quality and high caliber, but you can see in all of the little details that this is a company that cares about the products they produce.
Record Bags
Record bags made for DJs or record buying folks. DJ Backpacks and messenger bags meant for holding 7β 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 thatβs 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, weβve got all the needs of a working class DJ covered.Β
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Also in Testimonials
The Backcue: Tucker & Bloom North to South Bag Review
agosto 13, 2015
Traveling can be a pain. When youβve got to lug a setβs worth of vinyl and a laptop and drives, it doesnβt get any easier. For a while now, Iβve been able to survive carrying all that with the UDG creator bag. InΒ the past couple years Iβve 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 airlineβs 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, Iβve never been given anything from Tucker & Bloom and outside of a few FB messages with Case, I couldnβt 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. Itβs something you wouldnβt 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 Bloomβs 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.
Itβs become my go to bag for when Iβm biking around town. Toss my u-lock in, my handytrax and Iβm 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.
Iβve 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. Iβd still not recommend carrying food in your bag, Iβm just letting you know itβs possible.
Thereβs 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 hasnβt 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 Β also a smaller, mesh zippered pocket. Good for pens, a phone, 45 adapters, small tools for fixing your electronics, business cards, etc.Β
If youβre someone that needs a thousand dedicated pockets for every single tool, this isnβt 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. Iβm 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 thatβs 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 youβre happy with, you have little to worry about.
Everything is always in easy reach. This is huge when Iβm traveling through the airport. It can just hang on my shoulder when I have to quickly unload getting through security. Thereβs 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 Cosmoβs logo and a wolf. If you have qualms about another DJβs name on your bag, I personally think itβs worth it for a little more room, especially if youβre the type that prefers at least a few extra 12β³ records outside of your control vinyl and laptop. Also, a fuckinβ wolf bro. Honestly, youβd have to be quite the narcissist for a stamp sized logo to be enough to bruise your ego. Iβve 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 Iβve purchased it a couple years ago, Iβve 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. Itβs held up perfectly and better than any other DJ bag Iβve had. Β I donβt 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
dicembre 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
Itβs 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. Itβs 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 Iβm on the go. Whatβs the use in having a cell phone pocket, if the phone isnβt 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 βlikesβ or genuinely βlovesβ 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 Iβve 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
dicembre 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. Β
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. Thatβs a real comfort, knowing that your belongings are safe from defects in materials and workmanship.
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