Customer Reviews

Classic Messenger Bag

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I bought this bag my last year in school and it was great for carrying books and notebooks, pens, water bottles, flashdrives, and all those other things students carry around.

Then life got weird.

Over the past two years this bag and I have been to sea. I've carried it across Europe. We've explored the caves and jungles of Cambodia, and rowed down the fjords of Denmark. This bag has become one of my most trusted possessions.

When emptied it can be squeezed into a ball and tossed in a corner, or stuffed in a larger bag. It's roomy and comfortable, machine washable.

My criticisms are few and forgivable but worth mentioning. The zipper on the inside pocket broke just a few short months after buying the bag and hasn't worked since. As one reviewer also mentioned, the forward metal loop (the loop that connects the strap to the bag where it hangs under your arm, depending on how you wear it) twists lenghtwise. This will not cause the loop to open, but it wears into the canvas of the bag itself. It's not a huge issue, I've had this bag loaded to the brim and walked miles in it, but after over two years I expect the canvas to tear very soon. It's frayed about 60% of the way through.

The buckle on the strap squeaks a little on occasion when walking. It has gotten on my nerves from time to time, but for the most part it doesn't squeak, and when it does a simple shifting of the bag solves the problem.

But seriously, I've never had a bag put up with so much and be so useful.

It's not waterproof and not the best bag for a laptop. My laptop fits nicely in the bag and I have carried it many times, but it isn't padded or waterproof and as a result isn't the best bag if you carry your laptop regularly without a laptop sleeve.

Despite all that I highly recommend this bag. I mean, this is just a green canvas bag and I could write another 20 pages on how trusted it's been. We've been to museums in Paris and ridden elephants in Asia, soaked in the rough waters of the Atlantic and carried groceries home from the store.

This is a great bag.

I've had this bag for about three months now and pretty much adore it. I take it back and forth with me to work, it's a good size to hold snacks, purse, couple packets of paper, and the front pockets work well for my cell phone and chargers. I even keep my keys in the side pockets.

A few things I'd change, though. It's completely open, so I'm glad I don't travel by foot or bus or somewhere crowded where someone could just reach in and pull things out. And the one side of the handle likes to twist the bracket holding it to the bag, I'm afraid the metal is going to bend at some point and open so that I'd have to find a new bracket. Oddly, just the one side does that.

I can see how this might be a useful bag for some. For everyday use, I think it's fairly heavy (especially with a book or two inside), and flops around/flops open. The color was a medium to dark grey, rather than the dark green/olive in the description. There were also two snags in the fabric on the front - I'm sure they're inevitable, but I'd prefer to start clean and do my own snagging.

I've returned this produc.

I am very impressed with the quality of this bag. I use it mainly for carrying my things to work and back. It easily holds my lunch, drinks and cd's. Would recommend this bag to anyone and will most likely deal with this company again.

I've had this bag for just over five years. I'm ordering a replacement tonight simply for aesthetic reasons, as the bag definitely fades over time, especially if exposed to sunlight.

Aside from the eventual fading the bag has two downsides:

1 - The bag is very soft and doesn't hold much of a shape; I keep a large cardboard mailing envelope in mine to stiffen it up.

2 - If you're going to primarily carry a laptop, the bag offers little in the way of protection so you'd better get a sleeve.

Beyond that, I don't have one bad thing to say about the bag. I have used it almost every day for the last five years and it has never failed me. I read that some people have had problems with the small pouch zipper and the buttons, but my bag has never experienced those issues. It's worth noting that over this time period I have lived mostly in walking cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco, so the bag has definitely gotten some abuse.

This bag has outlasted pretty much everything it has carried and about four girlfriends. Can't recommend it more highly.

I am a person who frequently pays top dollar for items of high quality.
Though I certainly wish the material quality of this bag was a bit better, it is still more than worth the price.
I have several bags that I use for college, from makers ranging from 'Fossil' to 'Kakadu', but this one gets twice as much use as all the rest.
It will hold my computer, notebook, and textbook perfectly.
Extremely valued by me, I will most certainly buy another in the near future.

I got this as a gift for my boyfriend to replace his old one which was very similar, so needless to say he liked it. It seems pretty sturdy and is able to carry all his books. As long as you're okay with velcro where the flap connects to the bag, there shouldn't be a problem.

i purchased this bag, initially, to look cool as it is the original "Jack Sack" (the bag used by Jack Bauer in 24). now, i find it is an indispensable part of my repertoire! it holds everything i decide to carry, from my wallet, calendar, kindle, monocular, leatherman multitool, various pens, diabetes meds and monitor, phone, camera (flip type), audio recorder, gloves, duct tape (you always need duct tape) and may other little things. And they all fit!
i am planning on going overseas for christmas, and this is definitely going to be my carry on item! when done, or not in use, it can easily be emptied and stuffed into the bigger suitcase.
love this bag.

This bag has tons of space, and is heavy duty. If you like purses that are compatible with everything this is the one!
I put a makeup bag in a front pocket and the other front pocket I put my wallet, there are 2 side pockets and I usually put glasses or a brush and comb in each. The inside is roomy, my iPad,bible,books,lunch.

As it is, this bag is a good value. The canvas fabric is acceptably sturdy but it could be heavier; it should stand up to a few years of heavy use, but we'll see. The main compartment is large enough to take a full bag of groceries or a few large (11x14") sketch books. The strap cinches up easily so the bag doesn't get in your way when you're riding a bicycle. One VERY good design feature: the side bottle pockets, which are exactly-sized to take 32oz Nalgene bottles. They also handle travel mugs well. Another good feature is the two loops on the outside of the flap, which are ideal for mounting bike lights on.

Downsides are the pathetic interior zippered pocket, which is destined to be chewed to ribbons by pens and any small metal items you put in it. Similarly, the front pockets don't have snaps or velcro, rendering them unsuitable for loose items.

Given the popularity of this type of bag, the manufacturer should consider a revised or "deluxe" version, with a zippered main compartment; a thicker, possibly removable strap, heavier fabric, a better interior pocket, closeable front pockets, and maybe small pockets on the outside of the bottle compartments.