I've had this bag since Christmas and it's served me well for everyday and travel use. I don't have back fatigue like I've had with courier or other backpack style bags. The laptop compartment can accomodate a laptop plus an iPad and the outer compartment can hold my t shirts, an audio interface and all of my cables. There's plenty of pockets to store miscellaneous items. The two side pockets double as water pocket and zip-able compartments. Very handy for last minute grabs of keys, wallet and all the other things I forget on the way out the door.
I like this bag a lot. I'm a high school senior, and unfortunately it doesn't have enough pockets for most of my stuff. It has the laptop pocket, but not enough space to put a charging cord. It has a books pocket, but it's hard to fit two to three textbooks, plus papers and a binder. There's not really anywhere for a brown bag sized lunch, which is a bummer. Still, the construction so far is top notch. It's very cool looking, and I like that. The metal zippers are a great touch, and all the materials feel high quality. The laptop portion is great for a smaller computer, 15" and smaller, but not much in terms of cable management. Overall, for $30, I think this is a good choice for a slim, quick, bag that gets the job done, if you don't have that much to carry.
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The straps are a little small and the water bottle holders need to be redesigned. When a laptop and books are in the bag the bottle holders are almost useless. Other than those 2 things this is a great bag.
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This is the best backpack I have ever owned. The two best qualities are the myriad number of pockets and how comfortable it is to carry. I walk a lot throughout the week while carrying my backpack, and I rarely feel any soreness in my back or neck. I usually don't even notice that I am carrying it. In addition, if you want to ensure that your backpack stays dry in the rain I also suggest buying the Camelbak Raincover. Camelbak Raincovers for Hydration System , Size: Sm/Md 60113
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You can look up my review of the STM Revolution bag here on Amazon, I got it as a replacement for my Evolution bag which finally split wide open after about four years of VERY heavy use. RIP Evolution, you will be sorely missed. The Revolution (newer design of the Evolution) is a fine bag in many regards but not even close to being a replacement for the Evolution. For my intended purpose, it's a horrible bag and I was left hunting for a replacement.
I went through several bags (thanks to Amazon Prime, I got to try them out risk free with two day shipping and hassle free returns) including the Timbuk2 Zeitgeist, Timbuk2 Q, Incase Campus and a few others I can't remember. Again, these bags had their pros and cons but none of them fit the void left by the venerable STM Evolution. After much Googling on the subject, I found a site that mentioned BBP Bags, a company I had previously never heard of but got some pretty serious praise from those who had bought their bags.
BBP makes mostly messenger and convertible bags, I think the Industries Backpack might be their only backpack. Out of the box, the first thing I noticed is that it's built like a tank. Not in the sense that it's heavy, bulky or overbuilt but just that it's made from materials that mean business, has chunky zipper pulls, fully taped and sewn seams, all the hallmarks of a bag designed to be carried every single day. It's got a great selection of compartments, TWO water bottle pouches (you hear that Timbuk2, Incase, STM and others?!?!?), high contrast white lining so you can find your stuff in poor lighting, well padded interior (more on that in a moment) and comfortable straps. Lastly, it's a seriously understated bag with a clean, industrial design. You won't grab unnecessary attention carrying this bag, no one is going to identify you as someone who might be carrying $5,000 worth of electronics on your back.
I do have a couple complaints:
The padding in the bottom of the laptop compartment is far from sufficient. I supplemented with a high-density foam pad I had been using in my STM bag so it's all good in my hood, but less MacGuyver-y folks may not be happy with the drop protection.
The shoulder straps aren't the most comfortable one's I've had. This is one area where Timbuk2 bags really stand out, and other bag makers need to rip off their strap design. BBP's sternum strap is great, but would be nice if it had some elastic to it like the STM does. I might actually swap them, now that I think of it.
Because of the way the zipper seams are sewn and taped, it can make it hard to open and close the zippers. This is seriously critical gripe, and some folks are rolling their eyes right now, but I'm in and out of my bag so many times a day that it does amount to a meaningful annoyance. This is one of the ways in which the STM stood out but I have to give BBP props for using a MUCH more durable design. I had to refuse the zippers on my STM twice in four years because they pulled away from the bag material.
So would I recommend the BBP? Would I buy it again? Absolutely on both counts, assuming I couldn't find an STM Evolution on eBay or Craigslist :-)
[UPDATE 3/25/13]
I managed to find a used STM Evolution bag, and not a moment too soon because the top handle on my BBP bag has started to disintegrate. More specifically, the synthetic leather material that's wrapped around the top handle has started falling apart, which makes the bag look kind of cheap.
I also had a zipper pull break, but BBP replaced it immediately. Their customer service was excellent.
The rest of the bag has held up fine. Ultimately I've got no regrets, but it's not my absolute ultimate bag (sorry, STM still takes that cake).
My grandson is 3 and a half, so this size was too small. I kept it rather than sending it back.
