Customer Reviews

Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag, Black/Gun Metal/Black, Large

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been using my medium timbuk2 messenger bag for the past 2 years. Frankly, I think large is way too big. Even medium is a bit much for my 5'3" frame. Let me give you an idea of how much a medium bag can hold: 2 thick textbooks, a 15" laptop in casing, lunch, portable mug/water bottle, gym clothes + sneakers. So in short, it's perfect for those who leave early in the morning and don't get home until the evening. It has enough various-sized pockets on the inside and outside of the bag to feed all my compulsive needs. It works also exceptionally well as a carry-on and overnight or weekend trips. The bag is certainly durable and stylish with an added bonus of having the option to customize the color blocks. I liked that about timbuk2 bags -- crumpler bags seemed a little boring. And to clarify, timbuk2 bags are waterproof in a sense that the contents of your bag will not get wet; but the bag will, because it is the inner lining of the bag that is waterproof, not the outer material. Once the bag dries, it's as good as new, but I now spray my bag with a water-repellent from time to time.

If you decide to buy a medium or large, definitely shell out a few more bucks for a padded strap, because while the strap is nice and wide, it provides zero cushioning for your shoulders.

I ordered this bag because of all the great reviews it had, but I didn't like it as much as everyone else did. First of all the bag came with different straps, and as a first time user of this product I had a hard time figuring out how to loop the main strap so it won't stick out (or should it?), so a brief instructions could have been included. Secondly, when i put the bag on it did not feel right on my back and it was also crumpled to the side due to the main straps, something i was not used to with my old Messenger bag ( this was with 1 extra large textbook, a calculator, lotion, notebook, and a lab manual with various pens and pencils). I like my bags to look neat on me and that definitely wasn't cutting it. I also would have liked that there was a back support instead of just the normal material, which probably would have prevented it from crumpling and feeling flimsy. And, although it has nice compartments for different things, it is a major hassle to open up the loud sounding velcro flap and push my hand into the side just to get to my metro card or id. Again, my previous messenger bag had the zipper compartment on the front so it was easily accessible. I guess I was too busy comparing it to my previous bag that I was blinded by the greatness everyone else sees in these bags. Maybe if I opted for the Laptop messenger bag instead my results would be better. But, I returned it to amazon and am currently looking at the Jansport Elefunk which seems to be in my taste.

I got the small one.

Pros
1) Heavy-Duty Construction
2) Lots of pockets inside
3) Detachable Reflectors
4) Detachable Cross Strap

Cons
1) The velcro can be disruptive in quiet situations
2) It might not be good for protecting things that get creased easily (e.g. loose sheets paper), esp. when it's relatively empty (as it has no structure)

I use it every day. Looks like a good investment.

I was tired of carrying a camera bag that screams out "expensive equipment inside!" After seeing a link on the Internet of another photographer that took a Tenba messenger bag insert, and placed it inside of a Medium Timbuk2 Messenger Bag, I imitated his idea. I've now been carrying my Timbuk2 for the past month, and am amazed by the amount of equipment I can comfortable carry inside of it. It has been through both a snowstorm and a rainstorm, and my equipment stayed dry.

The quality craftsmanship of the Timbuk2 is one of the first things I noted upon receiving this bag, making it obvious why this cost a bit more than the run of the mill big box store messenger bag.

As a grad student in computer science, I take my computer with me *everywhere*. I need bags that can take a light beating every day for a long time. When my old computer bag developed a large tear at the computer pocket, I wanted something that would be large enough for me to carry my computer, its accessories, a textbook, a notebook, and my digital camera, which is an oversized point-and-shoot that's just a little too large to fit comfortably into any bag. Needless to say I also wanted something that wouldn't rip open or have the clip for the shoulder strap snap and drop my computer onto the sidewalk, both unpleasant experiences I've had with other bags.

I was a little wary of carrying the laptop in a sleeve that could rattle around inside a larger bag, but many of my friends do it that way and seem to have no problems. One of them introduced me to Timbuk2's products, and after a lot of research and agonizing I ordered the Classic Messenger Bag and Timbuk2's Timbuk2 Wiki Laptop Sleeve.

The CMB is great, though it is basically "just a bag" with a few auxiliary pockets. The medium size -- which looks big and is actually a little bigger -- holds everything I need, with just a little room to spare, and if I ever want to carry other stuff (groceries, camping supplies) I can just take the computer out and have a pretty humongous bag. It's comfortable, the lining is waterproof, the strap has a nifty quick-release length adjustment, and it feels very, very secure. My girlfriend admired mine so much that she asked her family for one, and I got my brother one as a Christmas gift, as he frequently bikes to work.

Some caveats, all of which I consider minor points a buyer might want to be aware of, rather than real issues I have with the product:
- It took me a couple days of fiddling with the length of the main strap and how the bag sat on my back before it was really comfortable. I could tell when I first put it on that it was well-built and would be comfortable; I just had to spend some time and find the sweet spot.

- The top doesn't really close; it's just the main flap of the bag flipped across the opening. Things seem to sit so that the bag pinches shut at the top naturally, and there's a safe margin of overhang, but I've noticed that the main strap can pull the overhanging edge of the flap up, rather than down over the side of the bag. I've never had an actual problem with this, and neither has the friend who showed me the bags in the first place, but it seems worth mentioning.

- The cross strap -- yes, it can be a little confusing at first. However, it's not outrageously difficult either. I got it backwards the first time I tried it, reversed it, and had no further issues. Once you've got it it's pretty obvious, and you don't really need it unless you're riding a bike or something similarly athletic.

- The quick-release on the main strap seems prone to a little slippage unless you really clamp it down. I assume that's why it has a kind of double-loop system that allows you to adjust the amount of slack strap available for extending at any given time but that's a little tedious to work with.

- There are a lot of auxiliary pockets inside and a couple outside. They're all useful sizes and pretty much perfectly hold all my stuff, but the interior pockets are built of some much lighter material than the rest of the bag, and it seems to stretch and sag with use. I'd had a lot of pens in the pen pockets for a couple weeks until I noticed they were getting loose and slightly misshapen. I wouldn't rely on them to hold a lot of stuff, despite the apparent size.

- You can't really carry anything on the outside of this bag without buying some accessories from Timbuk2. This doesn't bother me, as I keep phones in holsters and keys in my pocket, but if you put everything in your bag it might be a hindrance.

- Word of caution: Despite being a righty, I wear my bag "left-handed," i.e. over my right shoulder. This puts the strap adjustment behind me, so I have to take the bag off to adjust it. However, if there's any weight in it, it seems that the bag might be difficult to adjust while wearing, regardless of which way you wear it. Timbuk2 offers an option on this if you custom order a bag.

Apart from these points, which are very minor, I really do love this bag. It's simple, it does exactly what I need (viz., carry stuff), everything seems very well-made (with the possible exception of those interior pockets), it's attractive, the size and shape are useful, it's comfortable to carry and wear. I look forward to long use from this bag.

Oh, and Timbuk2's Twitter feed gave me the answer to the issue of velcro noise: just take the velcro out of commission. Buy some matching velcro strips at a fabrics store, cut to fit, cover the bag's velcro with the loose velcro, and use the clips to secure the bag. This hasn't been a problem for me as I don't attend a lot of meetings and open my bag before classes start, but if it ever comes up, at least there's an easy way around it.

I got my first Timbuk2 (large classic messenger) back in college, and it's about 3 years old now. Still going strong and getting better with age i.e less stiff, more seasoned look and feel. Timbuk2 makes amazing bags in a wide range of designs, and the classic messenger is, in my opinion, the best of the lot.

I own a large sized classic messenger, and it carries everything I need to bring around (lots of junk) and more. The only thing that you have to be careful is not to be too happy tossing stuff in, only to realise that the bag is just wayyyy to heavy to lug around without causing sore shoulders/back. A strap pad is essential if you're carrying anything larger than a medium-sized classic messenger.

These bags are sturdy, practical (very well-designed pockets, slots, keyrings etc) and look good to boot. I've also got a small classic messenger and a large cargo tote that I bought for my mom who complained about her other bags not having enough compartments (typical women's purses) or being too small to hold all her stuff in an organized way.

While Crumpler bags are also an alternative in a similar price range, Timbuk2 bags seem more suited for serious messenger bag users, while Crumpler bags are more like casual, fashion accessories.

All in all, I seriously recommend Timbuk2 bags for their design and durability. Go Timbuk2!

---> Updated to add that I've added a limited edition purple retro messenger to the Timbuk2 family here :)

A great bag for birders:
1. It's very comfortable and rugged and holds just what I need without becoming a brush-navigation hindrance.
2. The strap is very wide, which I was put off by at first glance, but the result is a very comfortable carry when the bag is full. Unlike other bags I tried on, the strap on this bag is plenty long (although, I'm 5'2", so what does that mean?).
3. I can carry a midsize camera, field guides, small notebook, snacks, and water in the main compartment. The internal pockets hold a LOT of little stuff (ipod, pens, jots, bug juice, memory sticks, first-aid junk) without cluttering the bottom of the bag. All this gear is right at my fingertips...no more flushing birds while shucking a backpack in the brush.
4. It doesn't have TIMBUKTU plastered across the front. The attractive logo is visible, but it doesn't turn me into a human billboard.
5. I bought it for birding, but it quickly replaced the pack I (as a good Pacific Northwesterner) have long used as an everyday bag.

It loses a star because I hate velcro and this bag comes with two enormous strips of that noisy %#@!. My usual trick of covering the scritchy side with felt fixed that problem. The bag is well balanced when loaded (doesn't tip and spill), so eliminating the velcro hasn't reduced it's performance.

This model would NOT be an adequate size for use as a book bag. Try the next size up or stick with a pack to save your back.

awesome bag. I love Timbuk2. This is my 2nd bag, and I basically bought this one to have a smaller bag to use at different times when I don't want to lug my laptop around. It's made well and looks cool...what more could you want.

The Timbuk2 class messenger bag is great. Holds quite a bit for it's size. Very useful and good quality.

I bought this bag 11 years ago when I was in college. It has more than withstood the test of time - I still use this bag on a daily basis with only some mild wear on the inside vinyl waterproof lining that has affected its waterproof-ness (though based on what I read on the company website, this is covered as part of their lifetime warranty!). Pick your colors carefully because you'll never need to buy a new bag.