Water-resistant backpack for 17" laptop?

I'm thinking of getting a new backpack for school. I need a durable, water-resistant backpack that can hold a binder, up to 2-3 textbooks, and a 15.6" laptop (I don't have one at the moment, but I will be getting one in the "near future"... just to play it safe, the requirements should be that it holds a 17" laptop or larger, since I will need to carry a lot of other stuff anyways), with a little room to spare. Must be available at a retail store in the Vancouver, BC area. I'm willing to spend up to $90CAD for it, though a little over is fine; of course, the lower the price, the better.

A few other points on what I need:

• Being water-resistant, especially at the bottom, is very important -- I have had too many textbooks and notes ruined because water was seeping in through the bottom of cheaper backpacks. It would be an even larger issue now because of the laptop being carried around.
• At least one water bottle holder on the side.
• A few front pockets.

Additionally, I have recently bought a Kensington Contour 17" backpack, and I found that, while looks durable and nicely resistant to water, its capacity is too low for my needs; in addition, the handle to carry the backpack by hand is inconveniently located on the side, and despite its claims that its lumbar support is good for the back, I actually find it slighly less comfortable to carry than a normal backpack because of its rigidness. I'm thinking of either returning it to the store, or keeping it as a backup.

So, anyone have any ideas?

 

I dont know of a bag off hand that would work but I can think of a lot of ways to modify a bag to work.

Things like ziplock bags make anything virtually water proof, I know you dont want to put your stuff in/out of one each time but use that concept you can line the bag inside with material like that. Also putting a quarter inch pool of silicon at the bottom of the bag and let it set will give this nice water proof seal at the bottom and also act as a shock absorbing material.

If you have a beater bag, maybe experiment on it some and see how good you can do, if you find yourself happy with the results then you can just focus on a bag you like for its other qualities without limiting your selection based on the very specific needs you have, probably will save a good amount of $$$ too.

 

theres this stuff called nikwax. Ive never used it but its pretty much a spray on waterproofer for bags and jackets and stuff. Its only like 10-20 bucks so its worth a try.

http://www.nikwax.com/en-us/products/productdetail.php?productid=502&activityid=6

 

Actually Scotchguard can waterproof fabrics pretty well but it does have a few drawbacks:

First, it's not foolproof and water may still get in through the zippers. So if you're caught in a heavy shower for long enough, your contents will still get wet. Second, it has to be applied regularly, as the coating does breakdown with time. Third, it takes several hours (over hight) to dry completely, so don't expect it to work the same day you know it will rain. Last, but not least, it's expensive. Expect to spend around $10 a can, and despite offering the "heavy duty" type, you may still have to apply two coats to get the best weatherproofing.

As to the waterproof backpack, there isn't one--that I could find. At least not specifically for a laptop There is however, at least one that offers a rain cover for your laptop. I'm sorry I didn't record the specific web address, but I believe it was sold on Amazon? So you might try them.

I'll try and look it up later, and if I find it I will post the link.

 

Thanks for all your replies.

@ViciousXUSMC: I'm already using grocery bags inside of each of my main compartments so that my book don't get wet - yes, I've had to resort to that. The silicon idea seems pretty creative, though seems like it'd be a lot work getting it set up properly.

@ilikepie & Krane: indeed, too many drawbacks for sprays - major one iwould be that they wear off.

I've looked online again, and two bags that seemed pretty good were the Targus XL and Heys ePac. However, the Targus apparently has poor build quality, and the ePac has no water bottle holder. I could find neither in retail stores around here.

Perhaps I should stop looking too deeply into water resistance and more into overall build quality?

 

most fabrics used for any sort of bags offer some sort of water repellency by way of coating or laminating the back side of the fabric (inner side) with a coating of polyurethane or equivalent.

unfortunately, seam sealing for bags is not an option because of the construction or the cost.

the bags are sewn and the needle holes is the main source for water migration.

better garments are done with inner and outer placket to protect the zipper areas for water repellency.

basically, if you set your bag on wet surface, you should be ok, but the main reason the bottom of the backpacks are wetter is because moisture affected by gravity, pools at the bottom of the bag.

surface treatment that offers durable water repellency will offer more protection by reducing the time water beads spends on surface by making it roll down and off the fabric faster.

get a nylon cover to cover your backpack and it should be the cheapest and best way to protect it.
get a sleeve for your laptop to offer additional protection...

i'm not sure how wet your environment is, but you will not get a 100% waterproof solution.

if you want to get creative, you can stuff your bag so it is fully expanded, then dip it into a silicone type solution ( you find some rubber grips that you can dip your screwdrivers and pliers) in home depot... but i suggest you test it... without proper preparation and curing, it can and will peel off easily...

by dipping the bottom end of the bag, or even hand brushing the bottom end, you can give it some more protection...

look at some outdoor companies... they focus more on weatherproofing their bags... arcteryx, columbia, patagonia, the north face, etc...

fibers, by nature, will wick moisture... you cannot prevent this... i think with the existing bag, a combination of good sleeve + water repellent surface treatment + overall bag cover will offer best protection.

and by the way, those surface treatments such as scotchguard, nikwax, and goretex spray's are not permanent... they are called durable water repellency for a reason... they do not offer waterproofness... they wear out eventually and need to be reapplied seasonally.

but still, good product and offers some amount of protection.

 

I use the BrainBag by tombihn. It's great. You can fit a 1L nalgene bottle in either of the two large pockets on the back.
The vertical BrainCell is a great sleave with lots of protection too.
Tombihn.com makes all their bags in their in house factory in Seattle.

http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/100/TB0104

If you want something cheaper Northface makes some great backpacks with notebook compartments.

 

all i was able to find are these. probably doesnt have the sapce you want but i didnt read the dimensions so check it out
http://www.waterproofcases.net/laptops.html

 

Crumpler Base Toucher

I have this one and never had any problems, even under heavy rain...

 

Well do they receive any customer feedback? Cause these are hideous. With the demand for cases as large as it appears here, whey is it so difficult for manufacturers to respond to consumer requests? Can making a waterproof backpack be that difficult?

I remember a couple of summers ago walking home a distance not much further than four blocks when I saw a storm approaching. It started raining less than two blocks from my house and by the time I got to the door I was soaking wet to the core. There was nothing I could do for me or the contents of my backpack.

Now I have to carry a large Hefty bag in the bottom of my backpack to prevent that from ever happening again. Way to go 21st century!

 

lol, hideous? well to each his own. Yeah they take suggestions.

http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/CTGY/_FAQ#faq21

As for waterproofness.
http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/CTGY/_FAQ#faq23

 

If you want something truly waterproof there are other options.
http://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1CHMC_enCA303CA303&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=waterproof+back+pack

http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/backpacks.html


http://www.waterproof-bag.com/index.htm#

 

Thanks for the good explanation on waterproofing, kinghong1970... though I think I'll skip on the repellant sprays and custom solutions, and just go for a bag with basic-ish water repellance instead.

The Tom Bihn Brain Bag seems pretty good... suits my needs, though expensive, especially considering the prices on the website are in US dollars. I'll check out their bags the next time I'm in Seattle.

Also, I've looked at some of the North Face bags' reviews, and none of them state that any of their bags are waterproof.

 

MEC Daypack Rain Cover, better than a hefty bag.
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_...older_id=2534374302885490&bmUID=1264913966776

 

Have you ever thought of an umbrella?

 

Ha ha, it's not that simple. I use a large umbrella and it still doesn't provide full coverage for my backpack. Besides, umbrellas only work when the rain comes straight down. South Florida thunderstorms tend to be a little more robust than that.

 

^ Agreed. Also, it's Vancouver, so when it rains, it's sometimes also windy - raincoats with hoodies are better in such a situation, IMO. Plus, finding a place to store a wet, dripping umbrella is not always possible, since the bag is for school; for example, I usually go directly from the campus bus stop to my lecture hall, where the route isn't sheltered from the rain. Even if I have a bag to put the umbrella in, where am I going to put that?

Not a bad idea, actually... though at a cost of less convenience.

 

LOL, Tom Bihn thought of that already. See the black straps in the middle of the back, between the two pockets, they hold your unbrella! There's a strap at the bottom that stops the umbrella from falling through to the ground. I thought that was the stupidest thing at first but it's actually actually quite helpful.

 

The Ultimate backpack at an Ultimate price! Watch the video at the bottom.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...=5384425&sku=E43-0005&srkey=18" laptop sleeve

 

no this would be the ultimate price to pay for a laptop case (although not a backpack still kills the above in protection)
http://www.casesbypelican.com/app-1495.htm

although that is a very nice backpack but it is a little too pricey.

 

This may be a little expensive, like some of the most recent options posted, but Incase makes some really nice bags. I absolutely love the Skate Pack LX I just got from them last week. The bags look deceptively simple, and hold way more than they look like they should.

http://www.goincase.com/products/detail/CL55200

 

That incase bag you linked to is for sale at the apple canada store for $89.95 CAD.
http://store.apple.com/ca/product/TW220ZM/A

Those incase bags look pretty good, very understated.

 

....Spire Torq

....Booq Boa Flow XL