My Dell E6510 15.6", charging cable, Ipad with charger, Bose headset (fits perfect in the sunglass holder on top), Dress pants, dress shirt, running shoes, baseball hat, 5xT-shirts, 3 pairs of socks, 2 boxershorts, 16 CD's, 16 3x5 pocket guides about 1/4inch thick each, magazine, Oakley glasses, My trusty travel coffee mug, and a small bag with travel approved bodywash, toothpaste, facewash, toothbrush, deoderant and electric razor.
I actually had room for an extra shirt and shotglass I picked up at the local Harley shop and still have a little room.
It's heavy but it works. After ripping through several "name-brand" laptop backpacks, I finally decided to spend the money on this monster and I could not be happier. I travel weekly, often on planes, and this thing looks and feels like it's brand new after 18 months of abuse. I load it up for almost every trip and it is always comfortable on my back even during long walks through airports. It is a little large for stowage under airplane seats, but I have not yet found a seat that it will not fit under. If it ever fails, I will most likely buy another one until someone can prove they build a superior bag.
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This bag is aptly named... almost The storage is very good including separate pouches for cell phones, iPods, or other digital devices to include up to a 17" laptop (although it might be harder to get to the laptop from the side access zipper if it is bigger than my 15" Macbook). There's even a hard pouch for sunglasses to keep them from being damaged. There are 2 reason I rated his bag 4 stars instead of 5. 1st off, there is not any protection from inclement weather (ie. a rain cover). My Lowepro slingshot bag that I use for photography has a built-in rain cover and you would think that a bag that costs as much as this Oakley bag one would include one as well. Secondly, the metal buckle is annoyingly loud when it is not being used. It jangles very audibly and this a distraction in class or at the library, although it is functional along with the chest strap. My old laptop bag did not have either and it dug into my shoulders, especially when riding my motorcycle.Read Best Reviews of Oakley Kitchen Sink Backpack Here
I've been a fan of Oakley bags for a long time before I bought the Kitchen Sink. The first impression after unpacking is that it's heavy, and it sure is. All the metal adds to the weight, but it does give a wicked look to the bag. I mainly use this bag for everything, and this is my weapon of choice during travelling. I've had this bag for about 2 years now and have flown around the world at least thrice with this on my back. Although heavy, this bag is extremely comfortable on the shoulders courtesy the padding and a little height adjustment. I have actually timed myself while carrying a full bag on my shoulders for about 3 hours plus before I became exhausted, but the shoulders were still good. The waist straps are full metal, which I simply tucked them away since I don't use them.As for the space, let me give an example of my travel situation. I prefer to carry all my belongings in hand baggage to whatever extent. So the Kitchen Sink holds 2 laptops 14'' + 15'' (in the laptop compartment), my bag of adapters, chargers, hard drives, cables (in one side pocket), my hair trimmer, electronic shaver and toiletries (in the other side pocket), my 160GB iPod Classic (perfect fit in the front padded pocket slot), a toothbrush, house + car keys (+ other small things in the front pocket), my passport, eye mask, headphones, glasses, sunglasses and loose change (in the top padded pocket), at least 3 t-shirts / shirts, a pair of jeans, trousers and shorts (in the main compartment) and a pair of slippers (in the bottom compartment). The bag looks like it's about to explode, but that's just an illusion, as there's always some space here and there.
For people who want to use this bag for air travel, two things to keep in mind the side zipper for laptop access and the hooks in the front. The side access for the laptop is really convenient for quickly getting the laptops out during security. As for the hooks, I really like them as I attach a small pouch from the hook, just for some extra space. Plus since I carry a rolling bag, I've made provision of attaching the extended handle of my bag to the centre hook. This is unbelievably amazing while running from one terminal to another to catch a flight, while keeping your hands free. It's a slight inconvenience because when the bag is full, the hooks stand in the way of getting the bag in the overhead bin. But a little shake here and there, and voila, it fits. Also I've been asked more than once during the security check to "remove" these hooks from the bag. Imagine asking Wolverine to lay down his adamantium claws!!
Now for some areas for improvement:
1. Due to the padded pocket on the top, the flap keeps falling down over the main compartment. This personally doesn't bother me much, but might be an issue for some.
2. There is a pocket on each the shoulder strap (very well placed I should mention). I would assume that this is for a phone and other trinkets. The only problem is that it's too small for a smartphone. I usually use it for keeping my iPod nano and an extra pair of earphones.
To give a rating to this bag (on a scale of 5):
Build quality: 5/5
Space: 5/5
Design: 10/5 (wicked cool)
Ergonomics: 4.5/5 (only because of the small pockets on the shoulder strap unable to fit a smartphone)
Comfort: 4.5/5 (need some time to adjust the shoulder straps to individual height)
Price: 4/5 (I did think twice before shelling out $200)
Value for money: 5/5
Overall, $200 well spent. First off as always Amazon service is tip top. I ordered this pack on friday with the standard free shipping (5 to 8 buisness days it said) And it arrived on monday. The bag it's self defies words. The closest I can come is that it looks like a futuristic tactical bag. The pouches on the waist strap are the perfect size for small semiautomatic clips. And if you remove the waist strap you now have a pass through in the bag which could eazily accept a baseball bat or machete. All of this and it has room to spare. This may not be the cheapest bag on the block. But it's well worth every dime.
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