Saddleback as a day bag

Over the weekend, I took a short trip out to Michigan and had an opportunity to use the Saddleback as a day bag while walking around the entire day.  I was a bit concerned with the weight, but what's the worst that could happen?  I get fed up with the bag and walk back to the car and drop it off.  So off it went.  I didn't use it as a backpack, I used it as a messenger bag like I did with my Patagonia bags while living in NYC.  

To sum it up- yeah, it's heavy.  On short trips, on the way to work, on the way to Starbucks, it's fine.  On a flight with 13 layovers in the wrong way of your final destination?  It's good.  Even on a 30 minute walk, it's fine.  But try going out and about for the entire day- 10am to 10pm.  It gets heavy.  And on a hot day, it doesn't help either.  I found myself shifting the bag from one shoulder to another, holding it like a briefcase, putting it down at stores, etc.  The Patagonia?  I would have forgotten it on the day trip.  The Saddleback is also a little bulky- I was at a crowded farmer's market and it got pushed around a bit as I navigated through the crowds.  It was a relief to put the sucker down for lunch and dinner.

The skeptics among you may be thinking, "Ah!  I bet you were carrying around a liter of water, a laptop, the special edition of War & Peace with the solid lead book cover, a SLR, and your trusty traveler's 10lb dumbbell!"  Touché... Well I was carrying my car keys, my apt keys, my iPhone, my wallet, a USA today, some loose change, a few papers with my hotel reservations and an umbrella.  That's it.  

I guess the next step is to try it out like a backpack.  But then it looks a bit off, like I'm some grade school student on his way to classes in the 19th century.  And it's still gonna be heavy.  The bag also looks a little too formal, esp. when I'm wearing t-shirts, shorts, and gym shoes.  In terms of security, the buckle is probably harder to pick pocket compared to a bag with a open sleeve or a zipper.  So that's a plus.

Oh yeah, it rained a bit.  My bag got a bit wet and when it dried?  No spots.

Would I go out exploring next time with the Saddleback?  Yeah.   But I'd definitely bring the other shoulder strap and transform it into a bookbag to try it out.

Size does matter...

So I got asked a question about if this bag would be too big on a particular body type.  I'm skinny and 5'9.  The medium thin briefcase I think is the perfect size for me.  I actually got out a tape measure to measure it out (dorky, I know) to get an idea of the bag would look like.  I used my 13" Macbook Pro as a starting point to get an idea of the size of the bag.  When I got it, I asked my girlfriend what she thought of the bag and she gave it a thumbs up- and she's not afraid to tell me if something is too baggy, too tight, etc.

The medium thin briefcase's dimensions are: 15" x 11 ½” x 4 ¼”

In other words, it's about the size of 4 15" Macbook Pros (if they were slightly larger) stacked on top of each other.  If you're looking for a slim attache to hold a few files, this isn't the bag for you.  If you're looking for a bookbag like the ones I used in high school where I roll 4-5 textbooks deep between classes, this is not for you.  I think this is just right for my daily work- I carry some files, some trade journals, a few tiny reference books, an iPad on occasion, and lots of ID badges, keys, cell phone charger, and other tiny stuff for work.  I've fit one of those Sigg insulated coffee travel mugs in the compartment as well.

As a day bag, yeah... the Saddleback, it's a bit big.  But I've been lugging it around everywhere I go.  For a work bag, that will see a lot of office action, it works well.

I don't really know how I would stack up against the other briefcases.
Hey Dave, el presidente, wanna send me a me a couple other bags in different sizes?

And to show that I'm not totally biased, I'd also be willing to try out a carbon fiber Zero Halliburton, a Berluti, some Prada briefcases, you know whatever.  So if anybody out there can get me one, let's make it happen!

Pictures

So here are two pictures after a few weeks of daily use:

The leather is softening up a bit, still looks new.

The leather gets marked up easy- I swear I don't have acrylic nails!!!

August update

So I'm at work in a quiet period now. 

Some observations-
-those D-rings could be hazardous to your car- you know how sometimes you've got your bag slung across your shoulder as your reach into your car to get something and the bag slips off?  I've heard the D-rings clink against the car in some cases.  It also does that if I'm in a rush and pull the bag out of the car quickly- no damage to the car, but not a pleasant thing.
-The bag does get heavy with stuff in it.  Today I had some light stuff, the usual- the keys, IDs, 3 cookies, my one file, two magazines, and an ipad.  Definitely heavier than my old bag.  But not a dealbreaker. 
+I did get complemented on the bag, twice in one day.  I guess I have to retract the statement I made earlier about those testimonials on Saddleback's website now. 
+for a work bag, it's the perfect size for me
-for a  daily bag, it's a bit big, but I'm still gonna use it daily because it's cool.  And it can handle it.
+it still smells good, but it no longer envelops the room in a leatherly smell
+the leather buckle thing is getting easier to open/close.  I can do it with one hand now- why does that sound dirty?
-It's still a pain to unbuckle it- it's fine for going to work and back, but another drawback when using it as a daily bag, i.e. opening the bag to get the car keys, house keys, etc.
-The leather is breaking in a bit- the d-rings are sliding around more, the leather strap to open the case is easing up, as is the shoulder strap.  The pen sleeves I whined about are now loosening up.  If this is a problem for any current owners- just shove in two bic pens in both sleeves, give it a few weeks, problem solved.  The big mama pocket is still stiff and covers up the space below it. 

I'm still gonna use it as a daily bag- if this thing has a 100yr warranty, I'm gonna get my money's worth.  So far it's been on journeys to various branch offices, gone apt. hunting, and accompanied me on an apple picking adventure at the local grocery store!  Hardcore stuff, I know.  It grows on you, this bag.  When I get home, I'll take a picture of it- the leather is scratching up, but it's a known fact it does that.  The greatest thing about that is the bag is not a prissy, prima donna bag that you have to worry about.  Surprisingly, I haven't worn it when it's rained yet.  I suspect after this winter, the bag will look different after all the snow.  I am a bit jealous of the classic briefcase design- it's got more pockets on the inside, aside from that the thin briefcase is about 1000x better. 

Another competitor to Saddleback

Again, I was looking around on the intrawebs and came across an ad for the new line of Coach bags for men.  Nothing that really stands out and it's a bit more expensive than the Saddlebacks.  The more I think about it, the more I think that the Saddlebacks really aren't all that too expensive.  Yes they are expensive if you are just looking for any kind of bag or briefcase.  But if you want a nice leather briefcase, it's not all that expensive.

The bag is definitely interesting.  It's got character, I'll give it that.  I think that initially I was more curious to see what it was like rather than excited to have it.  Now I'm beginning to really like it.  I really like the keystrap.  You don't have to go fishing around to find the keys and it's long enough to use the key.  Due to the lack of pockets, I feel that the first compartment with the big 6" x 6" pocket is a no-man's land.  It's just a mish-mash of little trinkets needed for work- a small reference book, keys, my rubber stamp, etc.  And it's all a bit disorganized.  Would be nice to have more pockets.  I also really like how it's a nice bag but it's not flash.  No brand names, no logos visible on the outside.  It's not a flash briefcase from the "f-you school of design".  I read that somewhere and liked the sound of it.

The only thing is that I used to use my Patagonia mini mass as my daily bag- keys, wallet, cell phone.  I'd take it everywhere with me- the grocery story, etc.  It was small and lightweight so I wouldn't think twice about and I never forgot anything.  I guess I could do the same with my Saddleback, but it's fairly big for it to do double duty as a daily bag.  I might try it out.  Today I went to the store and forgot my wallet, so I had to drive back and return with the wallet.

You know what?  Let's do it.  I'm gonna use this bag for everything.  Use it as a daily bag- not just for work.  This is supposed to be one bad mother *shut your mouth* I'm talkin' bout Saddleback *then we can dig it!*

Workday impression, part deux

It's definitely growing on me, this bag.  It's a flawed bag in the sense that I still miss my Patagonia Mini Mass pockets and it is heavy, but not tear the arm off heavy.  It's got character and the bigger size definitely helps with carrying my files and stuff.  Initially, I worried if the bag might be too small.  But looking over at Saddleback's other products, anything else would be just too big.

Still use it on the weekends as a day bag.  Lots of nice pockets.

Here's a picture of the area where the buckle is- as you can see after two days of use, the scratches are showing up.  So if you like your things looking neat, this bag probably isn't for you.

No, I don't wear acrylics.  

Again, I'm just gonna have to comment on the smell of this thing.  Today at one office, the room I work in is pretty small- by the end of the morning it was reeking of leather.  Nice touch, I think.

A rival to the Saddleback...

So I was looking around the net for more Saddleback info and typed in "Saddleback Leather" into the Google News search box.  I came across a review for a Col. Littleton No. 42 courrier bag for the iPad and laptop.  Damn was my first thought.  I went to the Col. Littleton website to check out their goods.  Designs are ehhh...  And you better like Col. Littleton brown.  But they do have alligator skin stuff, and sell a more variety of stuff as well, even knives.  Oh, and you can get your stuff monogrammed.  They also seem to use some copper tubing in an interesting design touch.  The quality seems just as good as Saddleback.  The prices are higher than Saddleback as well.  The briefcase you see up there is $610 dollars.  Out of curiosity, yes, you can buy this on Amazon, so the AMEX trick can work here as well.  If I had to get one of these bags, I'd probably go for their No. 83 bookbag & laptop bag pictured below:

$625... that is making my bag looking like a good value.

I'm more of a bigger fan of the Saddleback design, especially my thin briefcase.  The big sticking point is the multiple leather straps and buckles needed to open the main compartment.  The products, the leather, the website was not as hardcore bull testicle shredding tough as the Saddlebacks.  Col. Littleton seems like a man you would find on a rocking chair out in front of his house with a pitcher of lemonade in the South, he wouldn't be bragging about alligators chewing on his bags or shark diving clutching to one of his bags full of chum and a harpoon in the other hand.

So I present to you another alternative to Saddleback.  But I'm happy with my bag.

Col. Littleton, wanna send me down a No. 83 bag to review?  I can't guarantee I'll like it, but I'll give an honest opinion of the bag and pit it against my Saddleback, sir.

And Dave, el Presidente, you are always welcome to offer me more bags to review.  So far, so good Dave.

Full disclosure- I am not paid by either company and the Saddleback was bought with my own hard-earned AMEX bonus points and cash.  But I will be more than happy to review additional bags if they send it down to me... are you guys getting the hint?  :)