Review: Patagonia Half Mass Laptop Messenger bag

First, this is my first review. I hope that people can find this useful when they look for a bag for their laptop. Second, apologies for the camera phone photos, but that's the best I have for now.

Since my laptop purchase in January, I've been spending hours and hours for the last 3 months looking for the perfect laptop bag. Going over reviews from this website, and other suggestions over the internet I have browsed, bought, and returned a number of bags.

First, let me describe what sort of bag I was looking for. I have a Dell XPS M1330 (13.3" laptop). I am partial to messenger style bags, and thought to replace an old Timberland bag that I was using. I was hoping for a bag that could be used everyday to carry my laptop, study books, and gadgets, but could also be used as an overnight bag or carry-on bag when I travel (infrequently).


Bags that I have looked at:
Tom Bihn Super Ego $140 - The quality of materials was excellent, as I had read about online. The bag was unfortunately too cumbersome and large to use as an everyday bag. I think the shape of the bag is taller than most messenger bags which was the biggest drawback for me. The design puts the laptop compartment outside the flap, which in combination with the handle, makes it difficult to flip open the flap completely.


Timbuk2 Commute Med 2007 $40 - This sale at REI was an amazing deal. I had purchased a 2008 Large model and thought the craftsmanship was excellent. High quality ballistics nylon, padded/grooved back padding, and a quick-adjust strap (padding wasn't great) were some of the pluses. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how unusual the Moss color would turn out to be in person. This model was also very small (c/w the Large size I looked at) and in the end I gave this to a family member.

I looked at the Pakuma Choroka K2 (ended up canceling an order from Luggage.com when they notified me they were backordered), the Brenthaven Fusion MB (it was on sale, but after checking out the bag in person, the bag was mostly padding and not enough room for other items), the Tumi Alpha Med Flap Brief ($$$ and not quite thick enough).


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Review:
Although I am not completely satisfied with this bag, I've decided to keep it for now and thought I would add my $0.02 about it. After doing some research I ran across a few reviews just before purchasing the bag.
- Altrec.com
- http://www.buzzillions.com/
- http://www.moosejaw.com/

I purchased the bag from http://www.e-omc.com on sale for $52.50 (free shipping, no tax to CA, -5% coupon online). Unfortunately, this must have been an old 2007 model, as they are no longer carrying this model and there are some differences to the model I browsed at the stores.

Patagonia is an outdoor equipment store that has been around for awhile. They tend to be more expensive compared with NorthFace and other brands. The bag is made from high quality 1650D ballistics nylon similar to what other high-end companies are using. This material is resistant to tear/shred/dirt. The interior uses a 150D polyester and treated for water resistance.

http://sizeasy.com/page/size_compar...-2M-vs-Victorinox-Trek-vs-Patagonia-Half-Mass
Size: 11x16x5in ext (there are some erroneous measurements online)
Laptop: 10x14in (x1.5in according to some sites)
Vol: 24L (1464 cu in)
Weight: 2lbs 5oz


The exterior has a reflective strip and 2 side pouches.




One is made of a stretchable material and can accommodate a slim 0.5L water bottle.


The shoulder strap is a nylon material with a long padded breathable material along the middle. A looped buckle is also present for wearing the bag across your back.


This can connect to the waist strap to go across your body


A single unpadded handle is attached to the top, and the flap has a single zippered pouch or quick access items.


Two plastic adjustable buckles and two patches of velcro are used to secure the flap.


Within the bag, there is a lack of organizational pouches and slots. The laptop sleeve is poorly padded with a <1/4" thick padded foam along the bottom. The sleeve is raised slightly from the bottom of the bag. The laptop can be secured in place with a plastic clasp similar to the ones on the outside of the bag. There is a small zippered compartment within the laptop sleeve.




In the main compartment, a single zippered pouch can be used to store smaller items, pens, flash drives, and keys. There are no pen holders or additional dividers for organization.




The main pouch, with the laptop in the sleeve is large enough to hold a Robert Jordan hardback and the Stedman's Concise Medical dictionary.


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Overall the bag is simple and uses quality material. Unfortunately the protection for the laptop leaves something to be desired, so I use the sleeve which comes with the laptop for additional protection. For my needs, it's too small to use for travel, but decent for everyday use.

Quality: 8/10
Design: 4/10
Overall Grade: 6/10

I went ahead and ordered a Booq Folee 2M bag and hopefully for that price, I'm satisfied for a long time!