Comments on: A Tablet Bag for the 7'' Masses

Question: A Tablet Bag for the 7'' Masses

Apropos of Something — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:55:35 -0800

I've got a Nexus 7, and now it needs a nice bag to carry it and the things I take with it. Snowflakes follow.

What's going in it:

* A 7'' Nexus 7 tablet. Preferably this'd have a padded compartment
* The Nexus 7's charger.
* Logitech's Tablet Keyboard for Android:
* Some sort of notebook, perhaps a Moleskine (since it's about the tablet's size).
* Two or three pens
* A paperback book, of average size.

What I want to avoid:
* Stuff that feels like crap. More specifically, I tend to dislike that standard neoprene or pleather that makes up most computer or tablet cases.

What I like:
* Most of my bags are waxed canvas. I like canvas and leather. I like tweedy wool. I tend to dress a little formally, and want something to match that asethetic.

Ideally, this bag comes with a shoulder strap, but I can see being game for handles too. Both new products and ideas for vintage products repurposed work too.

By: teststrip

teststrip — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:05:43 -0800

Not sure of your budget (care to share?), but I've been gawking at hardgraft.com's awesome bags lately.

By: Apropos of Something

Apropos of Something — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:35:15 -0800

I'm probably around the $100 range. My sensible default in this arena are the bags from Frost River, and their iPad Case would probably fit what I need, even if there's a bit too much wiggle room for the smaller tablet.

By: CrystalDave

CrystalDave — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:38:22 -0800

I've been loving how my Nexus 7 fits in the Timbuk2 bag I've had for about a year. It's spacious, durable, and it looks great to me.

By: Apropos of Something

Apropos of Something — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:43:10 -0800

CrystalDave: Got a model name, by chance?

By: mlo

mlo — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 15:34:37 -0800

Rickshaw bags makes bags in something called performance tweed, which look dandy but don't have a dedicatedtablet compartment. 69 bucks for the small.

Etsy also came up with a nice iPad bag in canvas for $97 and a 11" leather bag for $44. Though the latter doesn't have a compartment either for a tablet.

By: CrystalDave

CrystalDave — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:18:02 -0800

I believe it was a Classic Messenger (Medium, I think, though I've misplaced the packaging, so I'm not certain)

It comfortably fit my netbook + ~2 good-size textbooks + a Kindle + a legal pad + associated tools (I'm a bit of a tool packrat, so I've been in the habit of carrying more things than I need on any given day), and adding the Nexus has shown no problems so far. It does have a dedicated pouch that works excellently for tablets (though I prefer to leave a hard-backed notepad there, since it's closest to my body, as just that much more insurance against anything happening to the more-precious stuff in the middle).

Also, so far as I've seen from personal experience (Buttressed by reports from people I know), they aren't kidding when it comes to the durability of the materials they use. Mine is ballistic nylon (though they do offer canvas as an option), and it's held up better than any bag I've had yet (I tend to be pretty rough on bags).

If there's any other questions I can answer (I can only speak to my own experience), I'm also available through MeMail.

By: Slap*Happy

Slap*Happy — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:35:17 -0800

I'd normally recommend the Moop #4 Messenger, as it's a very small messenger bag designed for toting around tablets and accessories, but they only have waxed canvas models in stock rather than the brushed canvas. The waxed canvas looks fantastic, but $185 is a bit steep - if you like that look and are OK with the price, I can attest the bags are well built.

I have their #1 Messenger with the normal brushed canvas for my everyday briefcase, and have been impressed - lots of small details done right. They're lined with water-resistant cordura, so the waxed canvas is more for show than weatherproofing. They rotate their stock fairly frequently (because the bags are handmade, it's a small-volume kinda outfit), so they may have the non-waxed #4's in stock soon, drop them a line.

By: evoque

evoque — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 05:48:40 -0800

It's out of your price range, but Filson's small field bag sounds like it fits with your aesthetic. More affordable options include Herschel Supply's Scottie messenger bag and Tom Bihn's small cafe bag.

By: evoque

evoque — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:01:12 -0800

And here's another one to consider: Airbag Craftworks' Chicago bag.