Ridiculously huge. Seriously. I lost a family of raccoons in there for a week --turns out they were just hiding between the mini-fridge and my lunch-box collection I had stashed in one of the front pockets. Fixed the "it doesn't have a padded floor" problem that causes a bit of laptop breakage when tossing the Berlin casually on the ground by putting my entire XL Timbuktu bag INSIDE of the interior pocket. Absurdly giant. The new cross-strap rids you of the problem of your jacka$$ friends undoing your front Chrome buckle as a joke, leaving your right arm free to punch them directly in the face without having to save your 82 lbs. of whatever-the-hell-you-want-to-carry from crashing to the ground. Replace "punch them" with "mace", "stab" or "blackjack" and you get the idea: this bag turns you into a willful wrecking machine with a zombie-apocalypse worth of hillbilly-hideout gear stashed on your back. Be forewarned, though: turning in tight spaces will require more spacial judgement than your average NASA physicist has at their disposal; be prepared to knock everything in a 5-foot radius over if you decide to spin around suddenly. Mistakes will be made, and $#!t will get broken.
I used to own a Kremlin bag that Chrome made before the Berlin. Overall, I was happy with it, but there were some issues I had.
Apparently, the Berlin is Chrome's response to customer feedback on the Kremlin. They removed a few things and added some.
Among the differences:
1) the Kremlin had two layers in the main compartment and you were able to take the inner layer completely out if you needed to. The Berlin no longer has this feature, I guess because people were seldom able to put the inner lining back the same as before they took it out;
2) a large pocket is now available on the rim of the Berlin on the open side and it seals with Velcro;
3) the single pocket on the outside of the Kremlin is now two pockets on the Berlin, one of which has a smaller zipper pocket on the outside, which is good for carrying keys or a wallet. The two main pockets do not have closures. There is even a small slot for pens between them;
4) despite the large carrying capacity of the Kremlin, couriers reported that even though the Kremlin could hold a large, heavy load, the main strap wasn't always able to prevent the bag from sliding-around, which could result in a crash. The Berlin now features a cross-strap, so that it comes down like an X over your chest.This distributes the weight better and makes it more secure. The extra strap is ingeniously concealed in a compartment over one shoulder;
5) the Kremlin's "secret stash pocket" is gone from the Berlin. It was the first thing I looked for when my Berlin arrived; and
6) while the Kremlin came in a variety of colors, the Berlin is only available in either black or grey.
Chrome still has excellent customer service. When I've had issues with their products, my issues were quickly resolved with courtesy and professionalism.
The Berlin is an excellent purchase!
Buy Chrome Berlin Messenger Bag Black/Red, One Size Now
Chrome does great messenger bags in different sizes, this one is the largest I think, but even though it's really large an can contain a lot of stuff, it is still comfortable especially when riding your bicycle
Read Best Reviews of Chrome Berlin Messenger Bag Black/Red, One Size Here
I really like this bag. I used to carry about 4-6 programming books in my bag (language references -and those of you in software development know how heavy those are), and this bag can fit them easily. While it's not going to work miracles on the strain on your back/shoulders (now, I only carry one or two), but it's definitely going to allow you to fit a laptop, some books (textbook size), and a change of clothes (gym clothes, or regular) without really filling this bag up.
There are separate sections, though beware -this is truly a messenger bag and not an office tote. You'll need to maintain organization on your own (there is only one main compartment with a smaller sleeve style pocket (in addition to the miscellaneous pockets on the front). The additional strap is an awesome feature. Especially when you're carrying a lot of heavy stuff. It's also not padded for a laptop (it's not a laptop bag, but you can buy a sleeve to fit), but you can fit a good deal of stuff from Costco when you go shopping for bulk items (save on those boxes!).
The style is decent, but it's big. That's an understatement. It's huge! I'm a pretty big guy, and it spans about my entire back. That being said, it's not a fashion statement. It's not ugly, but it's large and I wouldn't call it the next big thing.
All in all, this bag is an all-purpose workhorse, and it does its job well.
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I am so pleased with this new luggage, I can't wait to take more trips (and I hate flying). I had seen spinner-style suitcases in the airport and decided it was time to get a set, but I wanted to get just the right set, and I didn't want to spend too much, so I did some research. These bags are much lighter than you'd expect, nothing like the old-school hard style that the gorilla would throw around in commercials. They are actually lighter than my non-spinner soft-side pieces. Their wheels are large and handle a variety of terrain in and around airports and hotels. Inside, they have various sections, many of which are optional, for easy organization. I find I can fit much more in the littler size than I expected -it was very easy to pack for a three-day weekend in just that very small carry-on. They are great, and I didn't break the bank to get them. Happy travels!
