Customer Reviews

Heavyweight Classic Messenger and Travel Bag -- Unisex

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My bag arrived several days ahead of the scheduled delivery date. It was in excellent condition and almost precisely as advertised. The color is slightly darker than the product images indicate, and more grey than OD-Green, but I actually like it better that way.

The bag is made of very sturdy materials and has plenty of space. I suspect it is going to last me a very long time. I ordered a version with artwork on the flap, and the quality of the heat transfer is excellent. It even endured being folded while shipped...something that cheaply done transfers don't do well.

There is a lot of space in this bag, and it easily holds my 15" laptop and several other items. Since it is a basic, military, messenger-style bag there is no padding (something I knew prior to purchasing). So while the bag is sturdy and can take a lot of abuse, electronic equipment on the inside will not. You may want to consider getting a neoprene slip-cover for your computer if you're prone to tossing the bag around. It will give a bit of extra cushion, and protect the casing from scratches and dents.

My computer fits perfectly with many other items, however 17" or larger notebooks may have a tight fit if you're planning on carrying a lot of other things with it. The outside pockets are huge and can carry pens, pencils, iPods, cellphones, even a water bottle or two. No wonder Jack Bauer had everything he needed to save the world....he had enough room to pack it!

Very good product, very good service (when I don't have to contact the seller for any reason, I consider that the best service of all). Highly recommend this bag to anyone looking for a large, durable messenger-style bag.

I have uploaded several product images to show actual color and relative size, so be sure to check those out.

I thought this bag would be just what I wanted, cheap and functional, but now I'm planning to throw it away and spend $39 for a better one from LLBean. The problems I had:

1) After only a few months, seams are tearing apart in several places. The main seams that hold the bag together are okay, but the edging of the bag is coming off in places and there's a hole getting bigger in one of the dividers inside.

2) I thought having three separate compartments inside the bag would be very useful, but one of the dividers isn't sewn all the way down to the bottom, allowing the smaller stuff to swim around from one compartment to another.

3) The shoulder strap is too thin, which is quite uncomfortable when I load the bag down with books. The thin pad on the shoulder strap is insufficient, and it's always sliding down or around anyway, so I have to adjust it nearly every time I pick the bag up! Now I'm getting a bag with a shoulder strap that's broad and padded its entire length so I can swing the bag on without having to think about it.

4) I got the khaki bag with white Guadalupe decal, and it was already beginning to peel off *when the bag arrived*. Now after a few months, it's flaking off in tiny bits all over, and it's also gotten dirty. I can see that washing the bag will only make it flake off faster. It's just going to look worse and worse.

5) With no padding, the bag doesn't keep its shape unless there's a big stiff folder inside. That gets annoying after a while, because it's harder to root around for your stuff in a big shapeless bag.

I give the product two stars because at least it was very cheap. It would be fine if you only wanted to carry lightweight stuff and didn't mind the decal shredding off. But if you need to carry heavy books I'd definitely cough up for a higher quality bag.

This bag is GREAT. It is a heavyweight fabric and super durable...this will last forever. The perfect size for my books and PC. Plenty of pockets for my pens and other stuff. Also the same bag used by Jack Bauer on the TV show 24 on Fox....if you want to see what it looks like. I ordered it with the Andrew Christian Vintage Pin which is really cool and a great accent for the front of the bag!

Very roomy but not hugely oversized bag, lots of useable space and good pockets. Sturdy and seems well-made, holds a lot of stuff. Well worth the price.

If it wasnt apparent from the pictures, there are two different bag types (at least).

I liked the velcro bags more (they have the two piece of material on the outside flap). They have one giant pouch, with a small one on the inside that closes by zipper. Also has two bottle pouches on the outside, very nice... as well as two smaller pockets on the front that are very roomy.

The other bag, the one with the latch... i dont even use the latch myself, though i guess it's more secure. It also seems flimsy. The bag has three dividers in it that dont connect to the bottom, its strange. No bottle pouches, a strange strap, and the outer pocket, well, if you put anything that bulges (like an apple) in there, the whole bag poofs out (but the velcro bag does not... much).

Go with the velcro bag, i love it.
Check my pictures.

I purchased this bag as a replacement for my purse and as a way to carry my notebook, planner and some reading materials. I like the fact that it doesn't look too huge to carry around and yet it has tons of room! I can't imagine ever filling it up all the way, but I'm sure it is possible. I have been very impressed with this bag so far. It is made of very sturdy materials and feels like it should last for years. The view of the inside in the photos looks kind of rough, but the actual product is very nicely finished inside and the whole thing looks well-made. I did notice the occasional stray fiber woven into the fabric that looks like burlap? They aren't very noticable and I think they add to the rugged charm of the bag. I like the fact that there isn't a zipper to the main conpartment which makes it easy and quick to access my stuff. The front pockets are really roomy and hold all the stuff I used to keep in my pocket book plus a few extras. The side compartments are nice and have snaps at the tops to keep things more secure. I do wish it had a few more inside compartments for cell phone, wallet, etc. but it works fine as it is. It might loose some of its charm if it were more complicated.

The actual color is nothing like the photo, which in my opinion is ugly. I was looking for a servicable bag, and wasn't overly concerned with its appearence so I ordered it anyway. I was very pleased to see that it wasn't drab brown. It is actually a very classy gray-green color, leaning on the side of a stormy sea-green in my opinion. Its quite pretty, a much prettier color than Army green and more unique. The strap is wide and comefortable, and has a wide adjustment range. I have problems with my back so I prefer bags with long straps so I can carry them with the strap across my torso, and this bag is very comefortable to carry that way.

If you are like me and have the need to carry a notebook and/or school books along with your wallet and cell phone, this would be a good choice. It can be filled as little or as much as you need and looks great doing it to boot. I love it! I usually buy used gear, but I couldn't find a used bag that had what I needed. This one has lots of charm and the potential for customization. This was definately a good investment.

I bought this courier bag because I was in dire need of something that could transport all my junk around campus; this was defintely not the bag for me. It can barely hold my bio, psy, and music books without looking like it's going to split, I have no idea who that one guy stuffed 5 laptops into it.

Then there's the strap, how on Earth can anyone over 5'6 find this comfortable? I'm 6'4 and this thing looks (and feels)like a purse on me, I had to pull a strap off one of my travel bags just to make it hang past my chest!

I guess if you're housed in a small-bird like frame then this is the bag for you; for everyone else I recommend looking elsewhere...

This is a very durable bag that has lived up to--and in some cases, exceeded, my expectations.

First off, it's very roomy. I can easily fit 2 of my 2 1/2" binders plus a textbook in the main compartment of the bag and still have the four pockets to stick stuff in. (Two in the front and one on each side) The front pockets are also bigger than they appear in the picture. I can easily fit my 6" x 9" writing notebook in one of the pockets without fear of it falling out. Also, it is difficult to see in the picture, but the side pockets have metal snaps on them which are actually pretty useful.

The canvas material the bag is made of is a heavyweight canvas, which means this bag will stand up to most anything you can throw at it without developing any holes in the fabric.

The weird brownish-color bag displayed in the picture is not at all the color of the bag. It is more of a Foresty-olive green. (Which makes sense considering it was originally a military essential)

Some people have mentioned that it would be nice if the bag were waterproofed. While this is true, it is not waterproofed, you can easily fix that by buying a spray-can of camp-dry, or other similar waterproofing spray.

In fact, the only thing that disappoints me about the bag, and I knew about it BEFORE I bought it, is that it does not have a padded shoulder strap. However, I have found this also easily fixable--I just purchased a seat-belt strap pad and put it on the bag. Voila! Instant padded strap.

All in all, a good, long-lasting bag for the (Twenty-something dollar) price. It's definitely a better choice than cheap book bags that fall apart after two or three months of normal use.

(As an added bonus, the large front flap is perfect for embroidery--making this an easily customizable bag as well.)

Be warned, don't expect the color of the bag to resemble what you see online. The khaki bag I ordered looked brownish in the pictures but its actual color was cream. I didn't mind it but just remember, what you see may not be what you get.

The bag itself is a bit smaller in size than typical nylon or business style messenger bags. Because of this and the fabric material, it doesn't keep a perfectly rectangular shape either which makes it look more like a man-purse than a bag. It also looks rather cheap compared to other bags. The thin, flimsy strap often gets twisted out of shape.

Inside are two main compartments for storing your stuff. The pliable fabric allows it to accommodate my 15.4 inch laptop with neophrene case. Something which my larger messenger bag had trouble with. You can fit about 2-4 heavy textbooks in it without a problem. It's designed however for light to medium loads and you will feel the tension on your neck/shoulder if you test its limits.

An outside pouch holds your smaller belongings. Mine didn't have a zipper which makes me a little concerned that things might fall out but so far so good. The clasp that secures the bag is a real pain to open. I would have preferred a button or velcro instead.

Overall I was disappointed by the look and performance of this bag. It did not look at all like the depiction on the website. It does the job if you are seeking a cheap bag and packing light. After an aggravating few months, I ended up ditching it for a better bag from Eddie Bauer that cost a little more but is much better suited for every day use.

While not as "heavyweight" as it appears in the picture, for the month I've had it the bag has proven to be pretty durable. The only thing that disappointed me was it's lack of "shape". It really has no structure. Other than that it's a wonderful bag that holds plenty without looking overly large. It's attractive, has many pockets and holds up well.


***EDIT***
I've had the bag for almost a year now and it's holding up great! No rips, tears or problems and I am HARD on my things. Still don't like the fact that it has no shape or sturdiness to it but all in all it was well worth the inexpensive price!