P170HM Backpack

I'm looking for a nice backpack to carry the P170HM.
I'm hoping to be able to put the mouse/charger/batt/laptop all into their own spaces or somehow have them neatly fit inside.

Currently I have a bp for my 15" and put my mouse/charger on the side pouches. But the 17" won't fit and the charger might be too big for the pouches.

Anyone have any suggestions? Or can point me in the right direction?
I recall seeing a thread about backpacks but I can't seem to find it.

Thanks in advance.

 

Many here on the forum have liked the ones in the link below. They do cost upwards of $100.00 and even more

Laptop Backpacks & Laptop Cases for men by SLAPPA

_

 

Nice! But .... too pricey haha I don't want to spend upwards of 100 on a backpack ....

I just want something good enough to put laptop in with enough space for charger/mouse and maybe a few books. But those bps are kinda of tempting heh

 

Go Slappa! Got the high five MASK backpack. Its higher in price but its pure awesomeness!

 

Man since joining this forum I've used so much money, past few weeks burnt thru like 2.5k XD my poor bank account

Now ... I might spend a lil more and get another backpack from slappa ...

 

Well look at the bright side. They are excellent in quality and will last you a long time...
_

 

Swissgear and Targus bags are also quite popular- and they might save you some money too if that's what you're looking for.

 

For my first laptop I went to walmart and got a camping backpack. It had tons of pockets and fit my 17in laptop perfectly. I also really liked that it had the rigid backing as it protected the laptop when i set it down.

all in all it cost me about $40 and had plenty of room for my laptop/charger, mouse, headset, cd/dvd's and a bunch of cool slots for all my usb drives. i'll see if they still have it and post a link.

edit:well walmart didn't have it listed but will get the model for you tomorrow (it's downstairs and i'm lazy).

 

Thanks jml00a, I've been lazy to walk to walmart ... 10 min walk, 2 minute drive .... lazy in both department hah

I'm thinking about the Slappa Spyder because it has 3 pockets essentially, 1 for laptop, 1 for books, 1 for other things. But 100 for it isn't that nice, I found 1 on amazon but it's out of stock ....

Anyone come across a bp that has 3 pockets and side pockets on each side? That'd be my ideal backpack.

Thanks in advance!

 

May I suggest the Targus XL Backpack (TXL617)

:

It has been the overwhelming choice in my circle of associates has been the by far. The reasons for it would be as follows:

• Costs 55$.
• Large enough to fit three laptops in the rear area (one 18.4" laptop in the rear laptop pocket [just barely fit my boss's M18x], a 17" in front of it, and my 15.4" backup laptop).
• The second to rear pocket is large enough to fit pretty two chargers, a spare universal charger, a backup mouse, a small keyboard, and a horde of other assorted things while still having room to spare.
• The hip strap is nice when you need to walk around town with it, as, like in a good camping pack, it moves a lot of the burden of weight lower, reducing shoulder strain.

The reasons against it, from my usage and what I've heard, would be:

• The production quality is only about average. I worked through one after three years of heavy use and ample abuse (seams started to go, zippers froze, the front most pocket zipper even fully jammed up on me).
• It's likely feels too large for normal use for most people, although this is mostly a mental thing and something to be concerned regarding if you're worried about style.
• It does not have a cross shoulder strap (Deuter USA: Women's SL Shoulder Strap - Black Image as an example of what I mean) which I consider vital as it allows me to keep the straps properly connected and centered on me when I'm on my motorcycle (my solution was to attach some shoulder straps myself, which has worked out rather well).
• It only comes in blue/black, which one person I suggested it to said was unacceptable. I offered to assist them in dying the blue parts black, but they decided to pay over one hundred dollars for a less-awesome backpack (in my opinion, of course). They still whine about that backpack every now and again, too, heheh.

Hopefully this assists you, mate. I'd say go read some of the reviews on this puppy, and be prepared to love your backpack for, perhaps, the first time in your life, heheheh.

~~~

The

Targus XL has a rear pocket (for the laptop), a middle pocket (which is massive), a front-middle pocket (which is less massive, but as large as the main pocket in most other backpacks I've used). It then has a middle-front (as seen here: Exploded Targus XL. It is the area connected by the plastic clasps) which has two mesh pockets. On the front flap, it has a small horizontally-opened pouch, and then a front pocket, and, finally, another horizontally-opened front pouch in front of the front pocket. On the right side (facing the backpack's front) it has a small zippered pouch (not large enough for anything more than a mouse), and on the left side it has a mesh pocket.

Take a look at some of the reviews on this thing ( http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Targus+XL&aq=f) as they'd be getting you 24,000 words a second which really is better for reviewing this type of purchase. Good luck!

 

Nice, thanks for the suggestion.

I just have a couple of questions:

Will it get soaked through if it rains?
How heavy is it?

Thanks

 

Unless you specifically buy an outdoor/camping bag, I don't know of any waterproof backpacks. Most do a good job repelling water, but heavy rain will eventually soak through. If it's a big deal, a camping backpack cover or an outdoor waterproof bag is best.

Can't help you with the weight though- most retailers typically list product weights anyway.

 

I've only used it a few times in the rain, and have seen nothing more than a few drops on the plastic bag my paranoid brain required I wrap around my laptop, and no drops in the main (second to rear) pocket. I have yet to drive through a hurricane, or the like, but it's kept goodies safe throughout some decent Californian rain storms. I'd say, after an hour or two in the elements, you'd likely get more than a few drops inside.

That said, the pocket between the front and back parts, which is an open mesh, could easily end up getting overly saturated as it's open to the elements on the sides, and partially on the top. If you need to use these pockets (I can't find enough stuff to bring with me that I need to use them), you'll either want to place element-immune things, or wrap whatever you're placing in a plastic bag to waterproof it if you're expecting a rain storm. You may even want to keep a few bags on you, as you'll easily have the space to do just that, just in case (I have dedicated the side water bottle pocket to holding grocery bags for just this reason).

Amazon says two pounds. That sounds about correct. Fully loaded, it's pretty heavy. Enough so that my fiancé cannot carry it when we're on the bike.

 

Slappa uses 1680D ballistic nylon and is water resistant

 

All I really care about is the laptop. As long as that doesn't get wet in anyway then I'm good.

I've had a few rains where just running from car to door almost soaked through. But I'm mostly worried about when I'm waiting for the bus and it's raining.

Thanks for the update

I was looking at the Slappa, how are those vs the rain? Maybe that could justify the 100 price tag XD

 

I've noticed nothing more than a few drops near the zipper (which is something I'm not entirely sure anyone can waterproof [a covering flat of material would likely be enough to divert most rain away from the zipper] them anyways as per how a zipper is designed), and that was at highway speed (65mph) in a decent down pour, as well some stop and go.

I've used so-called waterproof bags, but have found that being "waterproof" doesn't mean "immune to water in all regards of the word". Either way, I'd say keep a plastic bag on top of the laptop to divert water away from your system if it were to get in.

I've never had a backpack that'd soak through in such a short time frame. I park about twenty feet away from my door, which is the nearest overhang, and my backpack is perfectly fine in those type of situations.

If you're expecting to be waiting around for a decent chunk of time in a down pour, I suggest you invest in a large umbrella instead of a specifically-designed waterproof backpack, but that's my personal opinion that paying twice the price for a feature you'd be using very infrequently (and losing out on the increased carrying capacity,

Well, they're rated as "water resistant", which is likely going to have the same issues the Targus XL will have (zippers leak, material will get saturated after an hour or so, etc).

The biggest issue I'm seeing is that the Slappa, shipped to my door, costs 126.24$ (unit price of 119.99$, original price of 139.99$, shipping cost of 6.25$), whereas the Targus XL, shipped to my door, costs 54.99$ (unit price of 54.99$, shipping cost of 0$ [free shipping is awesome]) . That means you're paying roughly 230% for the addition of slightly stronger nylon material (which would be nice, although has never been an issue with the Targus XL in my usage [the seams are what go first, after around two to two and a half years] and there is no guarantee that the Slappa's seams are not going to have the same issue), the ability to customize the colors (I'd love an outer black and inner red, although I wish they had an option for making the insert full flush red, as well), and, of course, the extra cost to all things that are "custom" made.

Oh, and if you have a local Best Buy, they normally have the Targus XL (at least, that's where I bought mine originally) for around 60$ with tax (although that may have been a special sale, but I was shocked seeing them sell something at nearly the same cost as Amazon.com), so you can get a feel for the Targus XL in person and see if you like the weight/design/etc, or if you want to pony up 2.3 times the greenbacks for the Slappa. Good luck, mate!

 

you can also look at the everki beacon its around $100, but its got a waterproof cover, plenty of space etc. Everki.com mine has worked great so far for my m17x, and i hope it works as well with my new sager im purchasing soon

 

I understand there's nothing really waterproof per say, but it sounds decent since you were on a bike and probably in the rain for awhile. I got worried because you said there were a few drops.

Probably exaggerated a little, it was just moist inside, and it was during a heavy rainfall.

If only I could buy the the US it'd be cheaper haha, going to amazon.ca has it listed as CDN$ 104.07 compared to the slappa CDN$ 84.09 But from the slappa.ca site it's about the same price as the amazon.ca listing.

Where do you usually put the power brick? Does it bluge out?
BTW that cover is hilarious at least to me when I was looking at it. Caught me off guard, thought it'd be a flap over top or something but it came out of the bottom and wrapped around hah

Thanks for your replies!

 

The drops were near the zipper, which really is the point of failure in containers, from what I've seen. The material of the backpack was starting to get saturated, as well, and likely wouldn't have been anywhere near as resistant to water in an hour or so.

Ah yeah, then that has happened to me before. I now carry one of those golf umbrellas, which is large enough to shield me, my backpack, any nearby passing people, a flock of geese (untested, but verified theoretically [using 100% science!]), and my fiancé if she actually cared to avoid the rain, heh heh.

Man, that's just cruel. Hmmm, well, it likely wouldn't be worth the additional cost to go and try and buy it and ship it over, unless you knew someone closer to the border and you, yourself, were close to the border (I've heard of it being done, before).

The Slappa, assuming the cost is nearly the same, or cheaper, would be my choice as while the Targus XL has a lot more room, the Slappa has enough room to get by, and, well, it's cheaper. I normally consider a backpack a "wear" item, as I never really found a brand that'd last more than a year of usage in school. Now that I've found one that lasts three or more years, well, old habits die hard.

So what inserts and colors would you be choosing for the Slappa, if that is your choice? Personally, I would suggest getting the bright red as it makes it easier to root around inside the backpack to find things (another issue with the Targus XL: It can hold TOO MUCH STUFF, so I often times have to spend time sorting through the mass'o'junk I keep inside it. Thankfully, if I ever need a can opener, or three ethernet cords of different lengths, I'm prepared!).

 

I keep finding the seams for the straps start ripping after a few months then I re-sow them hah Hoping to find one that is better and save myself the hassel.

I was looking at the SPYDER 17" Laptop Backpack - Graphite actually, but the MASK ones look good too. The red lining and silvercrest insert with KOA or transit mask is what I'd pick.

Damn all these choices now .... I remember back then going to walmart and what you see if what you get ... sigh hah

 

Do remember that I'm carrying around well over thirty pounds of weight, using it twice daily, on a motorcycle, which is likely outside of the general wear/tear pattern they expected.

Besides that, though, I don't think there will be a backpack for anywhere near the same price that will be able to undergo such stress without starting to have loose seams on the stressed joints.

Excellent choice, I'd say!

Hahahahah... I'd much rather have too many choices than not enough choices. Sadly, there aren't enough choices (solid color inserts), but as a custom backpack, I bet you could call them up and ask for that, etc.

Good luck on this choice, mate, and stay dry!

 

just a quick question: Does the bag that malibal provide for their machines suffice for air travel?

 

Hi Larry, the standard case should be fine. Here is a pic: http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/7689/img0020sg.jpg