DAKINE Men's 101 Pack

After searching for the perfect backpack for a long period of time, I finally found my backpack.

I have found several features that I have found quite handy.

Features:

For travel, I have really enjoyed the "back panel security pocket". This pocket is located in between the

user's back and the back of backpack. While I am traveling oversees, I use this area for my passport. This pocket is pretty much only accessible when the bag is off the user. I also like the handy water bottle pocket on the left side of the bag that keeps the water bottle tight in its place by surrounding the bottle with elastic and a very well-made mesh-like pocket with a thick strong base of the pocket. Another great feature for traveling is the pocket made for a camera on the bottom right of the backpack. This pocket is located opposite to the water pocket. This pocket is lined with soft fleece-like material and is easily accessible for users that are "on the go." The sunglasses pocket is located on top of the bag underneath the top handle. The pocket is made out of the same fleece-like material that the camera pocket is made out of except that it is more exposed to movement within the bag. This feature is really handy if the user is aware to make sure one doesn't place items on top of the sunglasses pocket. I will write more about this when I discuss the cons of this product.

For School or Business.

The conveniently placed side pocket for the laptop is very easily accessible, well padded, and has a protective "pad/flap" that moves when the zipper is opened but once the zipper is closed the pad goes between the pocket and the zipper protecting the laptop from damage. Having two big compartments is very useful when separating books from other items such as the plug laptop charger, some twizzlers and maybe a small emergency first aid kit.

The pocket for the phone and MP3/media player is also lined with fleece-like material which has kept my blackberry curve and my mp3 player unscratched and well protected.

Overall, the material of the backpack seems to be tough, well supported, and durable.

The only possible cons that I could think about this backpack are that I haven't found anything about weather resistance. This can probably be solved with some water resistance spray McNett ReviveX Spray-On, 5oz,. Previously had mentioned that I was a little uncomfortable with the pocket for sunglasses. Though it keeps my glasses from staying unscratched, I am always careful when it comes to placement when packing the bag so I don't ruin my expensive sunglasses. This problem can be solved with a cheap 3 dollar option Smooth Black Case W/black interior (AS179) One can place the sun glasses in the pocket and then place the case over the fleece pocket and glasses. This solution is great especially when traveling long distances.

I saw two different colors first-hand; brown with green words, inner-lining, and zippers and all black with gray words and gray inner-lining. I liked the black the best because it matches the most.

The dakine website is useful

I hope this review was helpful:)

Have both the older and newer model of this bag.

The current version has much smoother zippers which don't jam or snag and a little revised design in the front and back compartments which honestly is not any different except the passport pocket zippers no longer gouge you in the back.

The large padded laptop compartment is separate from the other compartments, so your computer is safe from scratches, bumps, and the elements.

Still get just one beverage pocket which can take from a coke can to a 24 oz water bottle. The back is breathable, but when worn on a bike there are bags that vent air much better. The large and comfortable straps make this a great commuting bag, because like any good sport pack, it conforms itself to your body very well and doesn't jostle around.

It's not waterproof, but bike rides in downpours didn't manage to wet the insides.

At 40 bucks it's a great value for such a large and durable backpack that can be used for bike commutes or travel, or just carrying stuff to school or work. At 75 it's far overpriced.

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My husband and I both have this bag and love it. It gives you all of the pockets you could possibly want without being too bulky. Plus, it doesn't sream "laptop inside!" for those of you who considering this bag for travel or taking to class. Definitely a nice-looking bag, too.

This bag is incredibly durable. The company I work for handed these out as Christmas presents two years ago. I use it every day, and it still looks brand new. Same for my husband's, which he got for Christmas last year. He's 6' tall and usually has trouble finding a bag with long enough straps. I'm 5'4 and usually have trouble not looking dwarfed by my bag. We easily adjusted our bags to fit our body types. Also, the straps and back are padded, so you can wear it as long as you need to without getting uncomfortable.

Really, you can't go wrong with this bag!

Oh, and for you guys out there, this pattern/fabric is gender-neutral.

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The Dakine 101L is a nice bag, but not geared for the professional.

While I wanted to like this backpack, here's the deal-breakers for the professional (not in any specific order:)

1. Comfort

2. Laptop Protection

3. Lack of Management

Comfort

I did not find this to be a comfortable backpack when loaded simply with a laptop. This was due to the lack of back padding and ultimately made it feel like I was carrying a board strapped to my back.

Laptop Protection

I did not feel as though the laptop was properly padded/ protected in the sleeve. See above in "Comfort"

Lack of Management

While the bag boasts a dedicated laptop sleeve, tablet sleeve, and a few other features, there is one critical feature missing: Cable / Accessory Management!

I carry very few accessories, consisting of a mouse, power chargers (laptop, tablet, generic USB charger,) Bluetooth headset, phone, mass memory device (external hard drive or stick,) stylus, and a few business cards.

With the Dakine 101l, there's not even an area to secure your laptop charger... I was forced to place the cables in the open, main, compartment. The end result was all of the chargers and accessories floating around in one area.

Yes, there are small pockets integrated into the bag, but the pockets are designed to hold even a mouse. They are designed for thin devices such as phones or music players...

Summary

I have little doubt that the Dakine 101l would last quite some time for most people who purchase it (the material feel and stitching are very nice.) Unfortunately, this bag is not designed for the professional (even those who carry minimally.) This bag is likely a better for the full time students or those who carry a laptop infrequently.

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I was a bit worried that this backpack that "fits most 15" laptops" wouldn't fit my work lap top which has a 15.4" display and dimensions of (w x d x h) 14.02 x 10.46 x 1.32 in (356.0 x 265.4 x 33.6 mm), but it fit with room to spare. Even nicer, the laptop section of this backpack has enough room to fit my laptop with a laptop sleeve for added protection/padding. I can even squeeze my personal laptop in if I really had to and carry both laptops in a pinch. For reference I used laptop compartnemt dimensions (from ebags) of 15" x 11" x 1.75".

Compartments/zippers:

Lots of space, good main section compartment which is the full size of the backpack. There are also several smaller, almost hidden pockets, and a nice, "felt" material lined top section for glasses/phones/mp3 players. The security pocket in the back is a really nice feature, perfect for travel documents etc. and easy to get to. The "organizer" pocket is really nice as well, with spaces for pens, calculator, etc. The zippers are all high quality YKK, while only 3 of the frot pocket zippers on my backpack were a nicer, "DK" initialed zipper pull tab, the rest were regular YKK pull tabs. The lap top section zipper is vertical on the side. This makes taking your lap top in or out really easy, but I dont know if it will also make it more prone to open on its own unintentionally.

Straps:

The straps are nicely padded, and offer good comfortable support. They also have a front latch across the chest which is nice for extra security when. There is no waist strap, which I prefer, as I don't use it on the Dakine hydration pack I also own.

Color/design:

Awesome. I got the kerrigan the red plaid design. It is actually a darker, more saturated red color than the online image, and looks even better in person. It looks great without being too bold or noticable, its just right to pick out of a pile or crowd yet not overly attention grabbing like a full bright red would be.

Overall, this is a great backpack for carrying a lap top, used for work, school, or travel. Its first rate quality, as is every Dakine product I have owned. The zippers are high quality YKK, which is really important in any bag or backpack. Dakine has great customrer service and great products that they stand behind.

UPDATE:

Just drove down home for the holidays and packed my Dakine 101 with my XBox 360 S, XBox Kinect, 2 controllers, 3 games, and all necessary cables (standard AV, power 'block' and cord, HDMI, and Kinect power/input cable), and a bottle of water. Everything fit just perfectly.