High Sierra Access Backpack Review

Introduction
After starting classes this semester for college, I realized my laptop's messenger bag just wouldn't cut it for carrying laptop, cables, accessories, and all my college textbooks and notebooks, folders, etc. It was time to find a bargain backpack bag that had as many bells and whistles at a price that a college student could afford. In looking for backpack bags, I found a lot of bags that were priced well over $100, some bags even reaching $200+. For a backpack, that is just out of the question. I had found two bags, the Targas XL or the High Sierra Access bag. I had found a lot of recommendations for the Targas, but the High Sierra had a lot of positive comments on EBags, just no actual reviews. The Access bag also only retails on Ebags for $59.99, shipping and handling was free, and VERY fast (I ordered around noon on Friday, it was to my house on Tuesday [Monday was a National Holiday [Labor Day] so it was actually here the next week day!). I'd definitely recommend this bag to anyone that wants a less expensive backpack. And now, the meat of the review.

Initial Impressions
When first receiving the bag, immediately I tried it on to see how it felt on my back. I was impressed with the amount of padding that was up against my back. It felt very comfortable, and I could tell that when it was full, I wouldn't feel the laptop pressing into my back. I also noticed that the shoulder straps were wide and comfortable on my shoulders too. After the initial inspection, it was time to see what kind of "bells and whistles" this bag had.

Pockets, Features, Bells & Whistles...
I was really impressed with the amount of storage and pockets this backpack really had. I actually used the bag today and found another pocket that I didn't even realize was there previously. There's also some nice "bells and whistles" built into this bag. First off, the most noticable is that there is a zipper on the direct top of the bag that allows you to remove the laptop from the bag without opening the main compartment. This is extremely nice if you get to class and only want to take the laptop out to take notes, but don't need your textbook. There's also a nice MP3/CD player pocket that also has a grommet for a headphone cord to pass through. There's a lot of nice pockets for storage and organizing. There's actually so much that I don't know what to do with all the pockets! And now time for the tour.

First up is the bottom front zipper. There's enough froom in this pocket to hold sunglasses, pens, change, keys, CDs, or other small items. There's no real padding though, so whatever you put in there make sure it can handle being the front of the bag and being hit.

Next is the bottom back zipper. This opens up a very nice sized pocket with many organizing pockets. There's spots for pencils and pens, a little change pocket, and many good spots for USB thumb drives, USB bluetooth dongles, USB wireless adapters, etc. All the odds and ends devices that you might need every now and then. It's also a good spot for college supplies such as lead replacement containers, erasers, tape, post-it notes, and that type of stuff. There's actually three seperate pockets within this one, adding more organization. Last, but not least, is a nice keychain clip that you can attach to your keychain and then it clips into this pocket:

Next is a bottom side pocket, this is the pocket I didn't even notice until late today after using it through most of the day. This pocket actually goes all the way to the side of the bag, providing a good amount of storage for CDs or other various medium size items that you want to keep safe. I used a sharpie to try and hold it open, which is what you can see in the 2nd picture.

At the top of the bag is a CD/MP3 player pocket, with a rubber grommet that allows a headphone cable to pass through. The grommet doesn't look like much, but it's actually quite solid. In trying to demonstrate the grommet, I shoved a sharpie through the hole and quite honestly realized that it just "didn't look right" seeing the sharpie being passed through the grommet ( ) , so I was going to pull it back out the way I put it in, and it wouldn't come out that way, I had to finish passing the sharpie through the same way I put it in (mind you, though, the sharpie is much larger than a cord is). I thought this was impressive, and would be able to keep the elements out while there's a cord in there. The pocket isn't that large, and I can't really picture a CD player fitting in there all that well, but it definitely looks large enough for an iPod.

And now, time for the main compartments...

This front main compartment is a good size, and I was easilly able to fit three good size notebooks in there, as well as folders for each class, and a pack of notebook paper.

And finally, the rear main compartment where the laptop is stored. There's still quite an adequate amount of room for yet more folders, notebooks, or even the college textbooks. The padding for the laptop is a little short, my 15.4" laptop stuck out a few inches, but it seemed to me that the few inches exposed weren't that vulnerable of a spot as compared to the center of the screen. This laptop sleeve is also suspended to the back of the backpack, holding it a few inches up and away from the bottom of the bag. I noticed that the bottom of this compartment had so much padding that it actually buldged up into the compartment, but I greeted the bottom padding, noting that dropping the backpack from a few feet in the air doesn't look like it would have any ill effects on the laptop.

A really nice feature integrated into the bag is the top zipper, which allows you to unzip the bag and remove the laptop from the compartment without having to open the actual pocket up and deal with the items in the compartment just to get the laptop out. I used this a lot today, and found it to be very usefull with a full backpack, and very easy to remove the laptop and put it back in. Note: In pictures, my laptop is a 15.4" Inspiron E1505.

The back is nicely padded, and even with a lot of weight in the backpack (3 notebooks, three folders, laptop, laptop AC cord) it still was very comfortable throughout the day. I never felt the outline of the laptop, and felt that the padding would protect the laptop should it get hit from the back of the backpack.

Last, but not least, is a great bell & whistle that High Sierra added to their bag. In the product's description, they mention it's water resistant. Well, here's where that comes into play. At the bottom back of the bag, there's a zipper that goes horizontally across the bag. Upon unzipping it, I found a yellow poncho for your backpack. Once unfolded, it fits great over the backpack to protect your valuable equipment through a downpour.

Ending...
All in all, for the final price of $60 (rounded up one penny), it was an extremely great buy! Unfortunately, I didn't picture the side pocket which was designed for beverage bottles. It's a few inches too short to fully hold a 20oz bottle of Pepsi, but the zipper actually helps hold the bottle in place perfectly, and I was able to walk around campus, lay the backpack down, pick the backpack up, walk around campus, and the bottle STILL did not come lose and stayed firmly in place. There are more pockets than one should know what to do with, but the organization and the "bells and whistles" this bag has makes it a perfect choice. Coming in at a price of $59.99 straight to your doorstep, the price is great for those looking for an under-$100 backpack. For the price, it can't be beat!

meissen Notebook Enthusiast

Elminst Some Network Guy