eBags Macroloader?

I believe I need quite a huge backpack at school, so I've been looking at the eBags Macroloader. I have some questions about it:

- Will the included sleeve fit a 13.3" notebook (like the XPS M1330) snugly, or does it only work well with larger (15.4"+) notebooks?
- How does it compare to the Tom Bihn Brain Bag? They seem roughly the same size (volume-wise), but how's the build quality and the fit?

Any general comments/feedback regarding the Macroloader in general (or even better, your experiences with in) would be much appreciated.

 

No one owns this bag around here?

 

Apparently not. A link might have helped ... Here is one. I went and looked because I am kind of a bag fanatic, always seeking the perfect camera bag or backpack. Anyway, it is big, fairly generic except for the side access laptop space, and on sale for the next 48 hours. I have bought several items from ebags and found them satisfactory. Never had to return anything, so I do not know about that aspect, though. Does it work for you? That is the real question.

 

The bag looks good to me, except I am not sure if the compartment for books is actually big enough for all the books I need to carry to school. The dimensions for that compartment are not listed, and the pictures don't exactly show it bursting with books. I was hoping someone who uses the bag in a similar manner could enlighten me on that front.

eBags also added a free gift item that makes it impossible to go through the Canadian checkout process ("Unfortunately, the work to prepare this product for export has not been completed. Please remove them from your shopping cart and try again. ") -- and the gift cannot be removed from my shopping cart. I'll be emailing them about that (if I can ever figure out how much I can cram into it, that is).

 

If I can make an suggestion, I would suggest the High Sierra Swerve bag on eBags http://www.ebags.com/high_sierra/swerve/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=20007

I love it. There are so many pockets and it has an area for you laptop as well as having 2 other areas for books. I noticed that it has more space than the bag you are looking at. Right now, I use it for my 15.4 in Toshiba, but since I bought the m1330 I will be using it for that. And since the laptop area is adjustable I don't think I will have a problem with it fitting. Plus it is cheaper than the current one you are looking at. Just another option to consider.

 

I dont know why you think you need a huge backpack for college lol. You dont bring many textbooks to class so a medium or small one works fine. I have the Ebags Downloader which I think is the smaller version of this. Very nice bag and quite durable. Also fits my X60t perfectly. Should be the same with your XPS.

 

Well, it's more of a case that I know I'll need a huge backpack for university. I'm going into my fourth year, and I tend to lug 3-4 binders, a lunch, a 1L Nalgene bottle, and occasionally a textbook around daily. I want to still be able to carry all this stuff, with the addition of a laptop.

 

lol I hope life doesnt become as miserable for me

Anyway like I said the Downloader is smaller than the Macroloader but other than that should be similar. I think you will be happy with the Macroloader.

p.s. Do you live off campus?

 

Don't worry -- you'll get used to it once you develop that mighty hump from wearing such a huge pack...

Yes, I do live off campus. I bus to school every day.

How much stuff (binders/texbooks?) can you cram into the downloader's main compartment?

 

If you really stretch it I think I can do 2 think binders and a book in addition to my tablet. Will be very stretched though. I live on campus and like 10 min walk from my dorm to where my classes are (we call it the Engneering Quad becaues everything is there).

 

I needed a big pack when I went to college for my undergraduate degree. I was living in another town and commuting with a group of other people, about 80 miles (RT) daily, so I needed to carry everything for the day since I did not even always have my car there.