I need something put my junk in.

August 18, 2006 12:23 PM

ShoppingFilter: Anyone know where I can find a nice messenger style bag in southern Ontario/GTA? Extra points for independent makers/shops etc.

Thanks to this great AskMeFi I bought one of these cool cases. I love it and it provides good protection so I am no longer required to buy expensive laptop computer bags, I can buy any sort of bag I want... The problem is, I can't seem to find any.

I'm looking for a decent size bag I can throw my computer, some clothes, and maybe my SLR camera in too. Chrome Bags are really nice but rather expensive. Are there any other brands, preferably locally available to a south Ontarian (Ontarioist?), that anyone knows about?

Thanks!

posted by patr1ck to clothing, beauty, & fashion (12 comments total)

The thing about Chrome Bags is that, while they are kind of expensive, they last forever. In the long run, it's cheaper to buy a Chrome because you'll never have to replace it. I can't recommend anything else, because I've been seriously abusing my Chrome bag for many years -- commuting about 40 miles each day on my bike in rain and snow and throwing it around and getting it dirty -- and it's still in as good condition as ever.

Every other messenger bag I ever owned lasted for a year or two at most.
posted by dseaton at 12:37 PM on August 18, 2006

Modrobes on Queen West, Toronto.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 12:47 PM on August 18, 2006

Manhattan Portage is pretty awesome for the look, durability (mine looks exactly like new 2 years on), and selection. I was a nitpick on dimensions and they've got a wide range of pocket formats, volume, etc.

A little expensive, but worth it.
posted by cowbellemoo at 12:53 PM on August 18, 2006

Frankly I would look on etsy.com and locate a local vendor.
posted by verveonica at 1:00 PM on August 18, 2006

I love my Chrome. Two years of heavy use & nada has happened to it yet. I'm convinced its indestructable.

The one thing that bugs me about it from time to time is the button on the front to release the strap. Its way too inviting for [drunk/high] people to make a game of trying to press.
posted by devilsbrigade at 1:59 PM on August 18, 2006

under the weather bags are made in toronto and rock as they're made by couriers, for couriers. and they're less likely to be The Bag Every Hipster Wannabee owns (aka Chrome & Timbuk2 bags).

don't get a Timbuk2 bag. just... don't. ditto for Crumpler. neither are waterPROOF. both are trendy, dumbed-down marketing toy brands that will fall apart under normal use in about 18 months. besides it seems like every fourteen-year-old on the planet has a Timbuk2 these days.

as a former courier tho I'd have to say that Chrome bags are incredibly, incredibly worth the extra money. I have had my Metropolis for ages and it's taken some insane abuse. I recently got another Citizen (next size down) to replace the one I gave away to an x in a fit of insanity.

oh and don't underestimate the joy of having the split strap (seat belt buckle) when you've got thirty pounds of groceries, a buttload of laptop/books, and/or a case of beer in it too... no more Houdini-esque shoulder-dislocating geek-dance in the foyer trying to get the strap off over your head.
posted by lonefrontranger at 2:04 PM on August 18, 2006

oh and devilsbrigade? if you use the third leg strap on your Chrome bag correctly, you won't have that issue. just cinch it up snug under your armpit and bingo no more drunken stoner pwnage.

my roommate tried that once. exactly once. and I'm not a big woman either.
posted by lonefrontranger at 2:06 PM on August 18, 2006

Ah, interesting, I'll have to try that. The bag stays so well on my back when I'm riding anyway that I never use the extra strap, but I may start doing that. The split strap is amazingly nice, esp when you have heavy loads.

Another maker to try (I *almost* got one of these) is Bailey Works. If I get another bag, it'll probably be one of these (that's a big if, though).
posted by devilsbrigade at 2:22 PM on August 18, 2006

ok patr1ck, I knew I'd seen this somewhere but it took me awhile to find it again...

an exhaustive review of messenger bags, courtesy of fixedgeargallery.

/minor derail: devilsbrigade, you must be tall, broad chested or both. granted I'm only 5'4" and about a buck twentyfive but theres no way I can go down a steep hill at high rpms and/or brake hard with a loaded bag without keeping the bag high and tight and the third leg snug. I realise not everyone rides a fixed gear but... well it's just good form.

my apologies if this sounds... whatever, but in my circle we usually assume a cyclist has couriered for a living if he wears a tight bag and runs a tight drivetrain. low-slung bags, and/or slack in your gear are usually indicative of n00b or poseur status
posted by lonefrontranger at 3:27 PM on August 18, 2006

Please tell me all the euphemisms for genetalia in this thread are intentional.
posted by idontlikewords at 4:09 PM on August 18, 2006

/following the derail - I'm 5'10" & have a fairly broad chest, yeah. I always keep the bag high & tight. I have a 10spd road, & the only time that I have issues is when I need to use the strap is when I'm using a drop grip & have a lot of fast right corners, which isn't all that often in practice. I also only have a Citizen, so if you have a larger one fully loaded that may be a bit more unwieldy. It hugs my back like nothing else, though.
posted by devilsbrigade at 7:13 PM on August 18, 2006

I'll agree with devilsbrigade. My Baileyworks bag is the best I've ever owned. My bike is my car, so my bag is my trunk, and the Bailey is roomy, waterproof, has the split strap like a Chrome, but without the dorky seatbelt closure. My favorite feature is that the entire strap is modular, reversable (left or right handed), and replaceable. As somebody who is hard on my gear, that gives me peace of mind.
posted by TheCoug at 10:48 AM on August 19, 2006