I purchased this bag at JC Penny rather than ordering it; because I need to see how the bag is prior to purchasing it. Anyway I purchased this to replace my old messenger bag. My first impression is that it is a fairly large bag with two large inner compartment and one outer one. I like how it has two netting to hold two bottle of water or whatever 20 oz bottle that you want to carry. The two pockets on the inside are almost big enough to hold my Kindle2; however, the Kindle does stick out about an inch to an inch and a half. So that should give you a fair idea as to what type items you can put into those two pockets.
The two pen holders in the center of the two pockets are big enough to hold two Bic pens in each (total of 4)
I like how there are two zippers for the main compartment; the pocket for the cellphone is ok; I carry my cellphone in my pocket. Since my falls classes have not started yet; it is hard to say how much books I''ll be able to stuff into this messenger bag.
The shoulder strap is good; although I think that they could have made it a bit shorter; then again, I''m only 5''6".
Overall, I think that you''ll be glad to have purchased this type of messenger bag; especially if you are the type of person that like to carry a lot of books at one time for classes.
Updated:
OK three weeks into my fall classes and so far this messanger bag has held up and most importantly; it has been able to carry a majority of my books. It is able to fit (main compartment)four 3subject notebooks, three small but thick text books and two large textbooks. Also I was able fit my netbook in the other pocket. Granted it is heavy carrying all these books but this bag has been able to fit them.
I absolutely love the color of this bag! The plaid also adds detail to an otherwise plain bag, something I was looking for, among all of the plain bags on the market today. It was a little larger than I expected, or wanted, but its size can be attributed to it being very wide and thin. I can fit several text books side-by-side and my laptop inside, yet I don''t feel like I''m carrying a bulky backpack around with me. I really like the two mesh pouches on the sides; it''s very convenient for carrying multiple drink bottles. The quality is excellent. I''ve only had it for a few months, but it has not started to show signs of wear yet.
This is an excellent bag for someone looking to carry around a large amount of stuff with them. If all you plan on carrying with you is a notebook and a few pens, look for something else that''s smaller. If you were like me, and looking for something to carry several books and a computer in, then this bag will suit your purpose to the letter.
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I have purchased from High Sierra before and their bag lasted from highschool on into college before I the zipper failed on me and some of the stitching on the shoulder pad was ripping out. This bag is great, fits several books, several notepads and a small binder. I have plenty of room for my calculator, pens, pencils, tissues, sunglasses, two water bottles, and a pack of gum for when I start to fall asleep in class. I use it everyday and everywhere I need to go, whether it''s school or I''m off to another country. High Sierra uses rip-stop fabric that holds up incredibly against the day-to-day grind.
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This is really a combination messenger bag/laptop bag. The outer flap has a VERY roomy, zippered compartment for easy access to smaller items, but which will easily fit a standard compact umbrella and still zip shut. It secures closed by both a velcro strip and two robust snap-close clips.
Lift up the flap and you''ll find two vertical, velcro-close pouches, about the dimensions of a checkbook, but much larger and fuller. Perfect for storing all your USB cables, connectors, small notebooks, whatever. In between them are two slots, each of which will hold a regular pen or pencil or even a Tide pen! (I have one of both!)
On either side of the bag are two net bags, just the right size to hold a travel coffee mug (without handle) and an aluminum screw-top water bottle.
At the very bottom corner of the bag is a small velcro-closure pouch, perfect for holding a phone, Ipod, or, in my case, a multi-tool and LED flashlight!
Now for the inside. You have one non-closeable large main compartment, which will fit an 11x17 ream of paper without batting an eye. Plenty of room.
Immediately behind that compartment is a reasonably padded, zip-close compartment that will hold a laptop, power brick, CAT-5 cable a router, several instruction manuals and lunch! Seriously, the interior of this bag is YUGE! You''ve got a lot of room here, and I like it this way.
The bag has both a carrying handle for holding it like a briefcase, and a strap for carrying over the shoulder; the strap has a nice, thick pad for cushioning the weight of the bag on your shoulder.
My only real issue with this bag is that the carrying strap is not mounted on swivels, so it''s very easy for the strap to get twisted, and the pad can get flipped around. Other than this minor inconvenience, if you''re looking for a messenger bag that holds more than the average, has plenty of compartments for your stuff and is ready for foul weather, a hike in the mountains or a commute to work, this bag works!
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I wasn''t too sure about this when I started using it, but I realized over time I was just having "new bag" issues, i.e., learning where to put/find things as compared to the bag it replaced.
I''ve decided I don''t love the flap-over buckle design as much as the soft briefcase style I was using prior. If you pick this bag up without the flap buckled, you''re almost certain to lose anything tucked in the front flap. I think a zipper or other closure on that front space would be useful. I''m also mixed on whether I like the single, big open space in the bag versus a design with compartments, but I essentially solved this by using a series of drawstring bags to organize items within the single large space.
The mesh outer pockets are perfect for holding a water bottle, or small items that you need ready access to. The strap, handles, and zippers are all of decent quality; I''m pretty hard on bags, and this one has help up quite well for the past few months.
Other than some design modifications that would make more sense for me personally, this is a decent bag and worth the price.
I''ve had my Nathans bottle for a little over a year, and received the Bottle Sling for Christmas 2011 from a friend. It''s now been 1.5 months and the stitching in the zipper is coming out causing a big hole in it. Given that I only use this at work and at the gym I''m really disappointed by the poor quality. If I''m already having these problems after 1.5 months, I hate to see what kind problems it has a year from now.
