briefcase recommendations for broke student

[WetbehindEars]

Jt: why the knomo over the filson? I'm curious of your reasons.

Colonial: thanks for the heads up, it's always good to have a lot of resources and I especially appreciate that this one is budget conscious

 

[DSElliot]

Buy a Timbuk2 bag

http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/

#1. They are made in America (in San Francisco)
#2. You can customize it any way you want. http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/customizer
#3. It has a lifetime warranty. It breaks, they fix it : http://www.timbuk2.com/wordpress_cms/customer-service/lifetime-warranty/

This bag tends to go well with pretty much anything. It's understated enough to use for a business meeting, yet just snappy enough to look good with a sport shirt and khakis. This bag is amazing. I've had it for about two years and it still looks new.

I carry a lot of crap with me to work - notepad, laptop, lunch, coffee thermos. And I also have a flashlight, USB charger, small sewing kit, Shout! wipes and a few snacks in the bag at all times. (We once had a power outage at work - flashlights come in handy when you are in a conference room with no windows).

 

[archibaldleach]



Buy a Timbuk2 bag http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/ #1. They are made in America (in San Francisco) #2. You can customize it any way you want. http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/customizer #3. It has a lifetime warranty. It breaks, they fix it : http://www.timbuk2.com/wordpress_cms/customer-service/lifetime-warranty/ This bag tends to go well with pretty much anything. It's understated enough to use for a business meeting, yet just snappy enough to look good with a sport shirt and khakis. This bag is amazing. I've had it for about two years and it still looks new. I carry a lot of crap with me to work - notepad, laptop, lunch, coffee thermos. And I also have a flashlight, USB charger, small sewing kit, Shout! wipes and a few snacks in the bag at all times. (We once had a power outage at work - flashlights come in handy when you are in a conference room with no windows).

Not sure about a business meeting with this thing. I let a lot of sartorial stuff slide when I'm interviewing and meeting people (and believe me, I've seen some awful stuff), but this bag just wouldn't do it for me. I'm not saying it's terrible and think it might work fine for casual purposes, but not so much for business.

 

[chogall]

Not sure about a business meeting with this thing. I let a lot of sartorial stuff slide when I'm interviewing and meeting people (and believe me, I've seen some awful stuff), but this bag just wouldn't do it for me. I'm not saying it's terrible and think it might work fine for casual purposes, but not so much for business.

Chances are if he needs to carry around a laptop for interviews, he shouldn't worry about how the bag looks.

Looking too polished or refined is a negative for certain majors.

 

[WetbehindEars]

I've heard a lot of good things about the timbuk2 bags but I've never really been interested in them because they're very much messenger-bag style... Nothing against that, I just prefer a briefcase to a messenger bag (it's more versatile and also tends to have a bit less of a flap, which I personally find to get in the way when I'm trying to quickly get into my bag). Now that I see an actual picture of it though (instead of a stock photo, which usually don't represent the product very well), it looks pretty nice, I actually live 15 min from SF so I'll have to get over there and check them out... thanks for the idea.

I feel I should clarify what the intended purpose is for the the bag: I drag a laptop around quite a bit (to school, while flying, to coffee shops, etc) and I want a bag that will look good but will be appropriate for the setting. In shoe terms, I want a pair of suede wingtips; not quite a black cap toe Oxford, but far above a pair of running shoes. I won't be using it for business at all (my current job doesn't require my brain, much less a laptop ) and I'm studying nursing, so I won't need to bring a laptop to any future interviews either. This bag is just for travel, something that will look less nerdy than a nylon laptop bag and that will hold a charger and a notebook or two. That's why I like the knomo and filson bags so much; they're casual but refined. Pretty much anything made out of natural textile (no leather or nylon) that doesn't look new-englandish (like ll bean or lands end) is worth spitballing thanks once again for all the input.

Elliot, props for always being prepared, I've got a AAA flashlight on my keychain that's used every other day it seems, it's good to have the stuff you'll need.

 

[Hayward]

Timbuktu bags have a compartmented pockets panel suspended from the front part of the bag. If you load up all the pockets, it will weigh down the front and you will find it unmanageable.

If you want a messenger bag that is functional and somewhat sedate looking, I would recommend a Jack Spade bag. It is probably the definition of a modern styled business casual bag.

 

[Veremund]

For a business meeting?!?! No, not really. Not even a little.

 

[WetbehindEars]

I agree, depending on what business setting we're talking about (if I were working in a Berkeley food co-op it'd be fine, but definitely not for formal business). I'll check out some more jack spade, I know they're super popular and worth checking out.

Thanks guys.

 

[TheMangelo]

Wet,

I recently purchased a HEX Bristol Duffel bag from the Apple Store: http://store.apple.com/ca/product/H9688ZM/A/hex-15-bristol-duffel-for-macbook-pro

As an about-to-graduate-yet-tight-on-cash student my budget was about the same as yours. I'm quite pleased to have picked up an attractive (read: not made of black ballistic nylon) bag for less than half that.

The bag will happily hold my 15" MacBook Pro with power brick, iPad, a 1" binder for school notes, and pens and sundry. The wool is treated for water resistance and the box bottom of the bag is some manner of rubberized nylon, so it's relatively tough.

I can't speak to its durability but it seems well made for the price point. It might be worth looking into.

 

[DSElliot]

For a business meeting?!?! No, not really. Not even a little.

Ok, I suppose we are all in different lines of work. I run a division of a software company, but I don't do the hoodie thing. I'm normally a sportcoat, slacks and nice shoes kind of guy. I've often said that I dress to let other people know exactly who is in charge.

I did work in Lower Manhattan once for a commodities trading company, but again, I managed the team that wrote the trading and prediction software so it was quite common to come to work with a messenger bag.

I would never go to an interview with a briefcase or a messenger bag - it's awkward. When you are shaking someone's hand you have to put it down and you have to worry about carrying it with you as you move from office to office and conference room to conference room. If it's a lunch interview, you have to put it on the floor. In interviews I always carry a leather binder. If they want me to use a laptop, they'll give one to me.

One of the things I've noticed about Timbuk2 bags is that you get noticed by other people who have Timbuk2 bags and you discuss them - it's almost like a secret society.

For nursing, I think it would be a good bag for you. It's enough to carry all of your stuff and you can throw a light sweater in you think there might be a chill in the office (or the ward, I suppose).

Best of luck.

 

[WetbehindEars]

Mangelo: I have a particular love of herringbone, that's one slick looking bag. You just made my decision a whole lot tougher... thanks

Elliot: you're very right, it all depends on where you're working. I think a messenger bag would be perfect for a nurse, it's big enough to carry all the stuff you should have on you (sweater, basic first aid kit, water bottle, hand sanitizer, etc.) And timbuk2 sounds like the company to buy from... when I get a bit closer to actually having a nursing job I'll check them out (unfortunately I've got a couple of years before that'll happen).

 

[TheMangelo]

Mangelo: I have a particular love of herringbone, that's one slick looking bag. You just made my decision a whole lot tougher... thanks

Anytime.

I will say this: "duffel" is a misnomer. This is a relatively slim bag, about 4.5-5" wide.

 

[WetbehindEars]

Yes, it did seem to be more of a briefcase, thanks for the information. My only reservation is the rounded top corners; do they cut down on the internal space or is the case still big enough for a 15 inch laptop? Does it look strange in real life?

 

[NickFR]

Don't be that guy who brings a briefcase to class when that's the only place you're going that day. When you dress more formally, do it well. But know when to rock a hoodie...

ahahahahaha that had me laughing
Grad students do that

 

[TheMangelo]

There's a padded compartment on the back wall of the bag that fits my 15" laptop, but it is pretty snug. My only real wish for the bag would have been to have the zippered opening go down further either side of the bag to accomodate a wider opening, but then you'd have a problem positioning the D-rings for the shoulder strap. Today, I've got the bag loaded up with my laptop, a 1" binder (about half full), a relatively thick textbook, and the laptop's power brick; there's still enough room for a small pouch of accessories that I carry (flashlight, first aid kit, phone charger, &cet.) and my Stanley travel mug.