What bag do I need?
October 22, 2015 11:16 AM   Subscribe

I am looking for a messenger bag that is waterproof, can handle rough use, and has as many pockets as can be physically contained inside one bag. Recommendations?

I'm a speech-language pathologist who travels between multiple locations. I usually carry heavy tests and a million miscellaneous small objects that get lost in the bottom of the bag. I would like a bag that 1) doesn't tear apart after a month, 2) can be cleaned easily if it ends up covered in phlegm, 3) with enough pockets that I can organize and easily find meds, makeup, pencils, tongue depressors, business cards, chargers, keys, toys, water bottle, etc., etc. Something that looks moderately cute would be a plus, but mainly I'm just tired of bags with 3 floppy pockets that spill everywhere or with a strap that tears apart after a month.

Thank you in advance!
posted by a hat out of hell to Shopping (22 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
In my head, I think of "messenger bag" as "big cavernous single pocket with minimal additional pockets" as a category. If that's what you want, but you still want organization, internal containers are a lifesaver.

For the bag itself, I'd look first at Timbuk2, and secondarily at Rickshaw. The former are probably more robust and durable, but also heavier. The latter are lighter, still durable, but perhaps more limited in shape and options.

For internal organization bits, consider Eagle Creek's smaller cubes.

If you want something that has lots of pockets for organization, though, you may want to look for things that aren't usually marketed as "messenger bags," since the "one big pocket" is sort of the definition of one for most folks. For great bags not really in the "one big pocket" camp, I'd look at Tom Bihn. They're pricey, but really, really great, and come in several sizes and shapes.
posted by uberchet at 11:25 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Seconding Timbuk2. I love my bag, FEMME Messenger in Stargaze.
posted by lunastellasol at 11:36 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


The daughter has The Bag Of Holding from Think Geek. Loves it.
posted by PJMoore at 11:38 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


Maxpedition has messenger bag that ticks some of your boxes. It's damn-near indestructible, pretty watertight, made form ballistic nylon that cleans up pretty easily and has a lot of features for internal organization.

However, it's quite pricey and I'm not sure anyone but Clint Eastwood would describe it as "cute".

FWIW, I love my Maxpedition gear and use it every day, and after years of moderately hard use it still looks like it's brand new.
posted by Harald74 at 11:50 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


If you don't have any luck finding lots of pockets, think about getting a few small zippered bags to use inside the larger bag to keep things separated. I have two inside my purse: one for lip balm, hair ties and rolaids and another for a jump drive, headphones and other electronic accessories. Get them in different patterns so you know at a glance what each one holds. The school supplies aisles should have pencil cases that would fit the bill or the makeup section would have some as well.
posted by soelo at 11:51 AM on October 22, 2015


While it's not a messenger bag, I have a waterproof backpack from Chrome that I love. A quick perusal of their website doesn't show my exact bag, but I think that this one is the spiritual successor to the one I have. I bought it in 2008 and it still basically looks brand new, even though it has been used extensively since then. In addition to the main pouch, mine has a zippered pouch, three pouches of assorted sizes and spaces to put pens and such. It seems like the new one has even more options. And if you're dead set on a messenger style and not a backpack, their messenger bags are equally as good. Give Chrome a look see, you might find what you need there.
posted by friendlyjuan at 11:58 AM on October 22, 2015


While they're not quite "throw in a lake" truely-waterproof, they are "bike commute in the rainy PNW" water-resistant, and I swear by the sturdyness of my Bailey Works bag. They have a number of pocket options, that help with general organization Mine has the large internal pocket, laptop sleeve, one zippered pouch, one open pouch, two internal bottle-sized pockets, two external bottle sized pockets, and two external pockets (one of which has an internal organizer for some pens and a wallet sized pocket and junk in it). They're made in America by stay-at-home single-moms, and mine has lasted 7 years of bike commutes, dog walks, toddler fluids, coffee deliveries…total chaos.

In addition to pockets, I really would suggest using some sort of canvas tool or pencil bag for sorting things out in. These Klein tool bags have been a lifesaver for me while toting around shit when furnace.kid was a toddler. Different colors for different tasks/gear, they're better than pockets. There are tons of cheap options for stuff like this, mostly pencil-style cases and the like.

Timbuk2 bags are okay, but since they've moved production overseas, their quality has dropped precipitously. If you're at all hard wearing on your bags, I would gently guide you away from this choice.
posted by furnace.heart at 11:59 AM on October 22, 2015


Long time bike commuter, I've used Timbuk2 and other brands for years. I don't have a bag rec for you, I think you're better served by trying on any sturdy brand and finding the bag that fits and looks best for you.

I'm just jumping into the thread to say that I think looking for a bag with pockets that fit your needs is a bit of a boondoggle. I had a similar problem with small things floating around my bag and the ensuing mess/disorganization. I've never found a bag that was a good solution to this problem. Instead, I now have several small zippered canvas pouches (1 for laptop charger/mouse; 1 for chapstick, small comb, food utensils, &c.), this pencil case (WHICH IS AMAZING), and a soft-sided case for my laptop (that can also hold papers). IMO, this is a much better solution to the disorganization problem.
posted by DGStieber at 12:03 PM on October 22, 2015


I'll second the little eagle creek pouches for organization (or any other brand really). I haven't used them for daily commuter stuff but when I travel I take a small bag and have everything divided up into 5 or 6 cubes - clothes, toiletries, electronic bits, and one for everything else.
posted by MillMan at 12:14 PM on October 22, 2015


I'm fairly certain my Baileyworks bag is literally indestructible. After years of regular use, it sure is beat-up and dirty looking, but also essentially uncompromised in any functional sense.
posted by yobgorgle at 12:28 PM on October 22, 2015


If your definition of "moderately cute" can accommodate sort of techninj cool, Mission Workshop's Monty might do the trick! I don't own this bag but rather one of their backpacks and love it.
posted by hollyholly at 12:37 PM on October 22, 2015


Diaper Bags have a lot of small compartments inside for this kind of organization. The Ju-Ju-Be bags come in lots of cute prints and the one I had was easy to wipe down.
posted by rozee at 12:47 PM on October 22, 2015


It sounds like you might do well to find a bag you like and add a purse organizer sized to fit the bag. It essentially turns any bag into a bag with a million pockets, without having to open up a bunch of separate compartments to get to what you need.

Otherwise, I second Tom Bihn, especially the Pilot. It's already divided into four compartments and there are o-rings in each compartment to which you can clip various pouches and leashes and stuff for further organization.
posted by mama casserole at 1:06 PM on October 22, 2015


I have an embarrassingly large collection of briefcases, messengers, flights and other bags, and while most are leather because of work, my most rugged and weatherproof ones are usually either military-tarp or waxed canvas, though Filson does some nifty poly-waterproofing, too, enough to keep anything dry in either Seattle weather or the back woods. I'd vouch specifically for Defy's tarp or waxed messengers, or almost any Filson model for either.

And as for organizers (my how I do love organizing), I'd also stick to waxed canvas for weatherproofness, toughness and general stretch/handiness. These are two near-indentical options from nice-guy companies: Defy, again in either tarp or waxed, or the near-identical Wovenn version in waxed. I carry everything from art supplies to hand-tools to shoe polish to shaving kits in them. Love them.

I've used all of the above, specifically, but if you click around those sites, you'll find other sizes, colors and materials. Many other crafty-outdoorsy places make organizer pouches, too, and that's your best bet for waterproof/ruggedness. All are made-in-USA type good-people companies, if that's important to you, and as a bonus to vain people like me, they all break-in and age very well, looking especially nice with dark leather accessories.
posted by rokusan at 1:36 PM on October 22, 2015


I have a Nomadic bag that I got here that is some straight up Mary Poppins business. I have the tote and it has 17 compartments. 17! Water resistant, and surprisingly light.
However, it isn't cute, and the strap cushion can't be moved, but I'm willing to sacrifice that because 17!
posted by Lemmy Caution at 2:35 PM on October 22, 2015


The best bag I have ever owned for indestructableness and waterproofness is a German bag from the brand Feuerwear. They are made of recycled fire hoses and seatbelts and I've had mine for three years and it looks like new. I doubt I could even cut through it with scissors. I had a bunch of paperwork in it in a thunderstorm once and it was perfectly dry afterwards. And you could literally hose it off if it gets dirty. I think it looks cute, though definitely not especially feminine. And I love that it probably saved lives before it became a bag.
posted by lollusc at 2:48 PM on October 22, 2015


I have a Timbuktu messenger bag and love it. They come in a ton of colors including custom; I bought a one-off design last year that's light gray herringbone with pink trim, more feminine than average, which you ought to be able to replicate using the custom design feature if you want. Definitely fulfills the first two criteria, but you might want to buy a purse organizer (not a recommendation, I just linked to a random one on Amazon) for more pockets.
posted by serelliya at 3:55 PM on October 22, 2015


How about Grid-It Organizers to hold all the small fiddly stuff?
posted by bentley at 9:37 PM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Just got my partner a TNF Base Camp Messenger bag to solve this exact problem. It's not submersible but the material is waterproof and has pockets out the wazoo. She loves it.
posted by fatfrank at 4:38 AM on October 23, 2015


I'll be the voice of dissent on Timbuk2: I originally got a hand-me-down laptop messenger bag from a friend who was getting rid of stuff because she was moving out of the country. It was several years old when I got it and it lasted several more with me before it really started to show signs of wear.

I replaced it with a newer version of the the same bag and was just completely disappointed in the quality. The material it was made from was noticeably thinner. The flap was built in such a way that there was little to no overlap so that if I went out in the rain there was a good chance it would let water in. The handle was this tiny little strap with some foam padding in it. Lastly the laptop sleeve was just this thin, flimsy padding that was sewn in only at the sides and would flap around.

Since it was a custom made I didn't even bother trying to return it and just donated it to Goodwill.

I bought a Rickshaw Commuter 2.0 and love it. The only thing I don't like about it is that there's two side pockets for holding things like a water bottle that are made out of that flimsy fishnet material that pretty much disintegrated after a few months of heavy use.

Unfortunately the Commuter 3.0 doesn't seem to be nearly as good. Notably missing from the 3.0 are the TPU liner, a nice handle, side pockets (whether flimsy or not), a well-designed flap to keep rain out, and thick rubber "boot" on the bottom so dubious liquids don't seep in when you set your bag on the floor on the subway.
posted by Gev at 5:46 AM on October 23, 2015


Seconding the Grid-It organizers! These will be a game-changer for tiny things!
posted by mccxxiii at 8:01 AM on October 23, 2015


I was given a large courier bag from CourierWare in 1994 and it still looks very, very good. The fabric is waterproof, I think, though if you don't strap the flap down tight, I suppose water could still get in. Anyway, when I was a courier dispatcher in Boston, many of the riders used these bags and we were very satisfied with the papers they were carrying for us.

Mine has six pockets in addition to the main storage compartment (which is big enough to have once held a 12-pack, among other things).

You would then buy a bunch of small, zippered pouches in different colors. Some pouches can go loose in the bag, while others that have clips on their end can be hung together from a loop of cord tied around the base of the shoulder strap.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:29 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


« Older What are the risks for the elderly of sitting in a...   |   Can I eat this funny tasting soup? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.