Need suggestions on student backpack...

I'm going back to school this fall, and I'm growing very tired of my messenger bag. I don't really travel light at all and all my gear weighing on one shoulder just plain hurts.

I'm currently using a 15" IBM ThinkPad T42, which is an older, non-widescreen notebook. This is my mobile rig of choice, so I need something large enough to carry it snugly. Along with that, I carry several spare batteries, a set of Bose on-the-ear headphones(in their own case), a travel mouse, power adapter, a CD wallet, and a Nintendo DS with a few games... so I need something with some room and a lot of organization. I'll also need to be able to carry school books so I might need a pretty big pack.

I'm not even really sure where to look. A friend of mine just bought a Kelty Current, which kind of fits the bill but is a bit on the small side. It fits all my junk but I would prefer a bit more organization and a safe area to put my Ultrabay battery/optical drive.

Budget isn't a huge consideration... I'd like to stay around $100 but I could go a little higher if need be. I do want something durable and will pay accordingly.

Any suggestions?

 

i'm a student, and found that mesenger bags just don't cut it...

i have a SwissGear 15.4" bag that i put my m1330 in, plus charger, mouse, 3-4 textbooks/notebooks... comfortable padding, good enough(don't feel the weight after walking around campus all day)

i would suggest looking for a 17" notebook backpack(seeing that most notebook bags are made for 16:10/9 laptops)... should be enough space all around to fit your stuff plus more... definitely find something with padding... swissgear is a popular choice

Swissgear Ibex seems nice... believe you can go to bestbuy/staples to 'test' it out...

 

Hmm. Swiss Gear makes some very high-quality bags... I have the specific one for the XPS M1730 and love it... but since that's where I store my M1730 when it's not in use that's not an option.

I just scoped out the North Face Recon and am pretty impressed... might swing by REI tomorrow and take a look at it.

 

I have the Swiss Gear Synergy for my 1530, it's very sweet works out just great.. It's durable, reliable, roomy, protective..and comfy





The Ibex was just on sale at buy.com, not sure if it still is or not!
$54.99 @overstock.com: http://www.overstock.com/Luggage-Ba...tebook-Computer-Backpack/2865998/product.html



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