Messenger Bags / Courier Bags

I have a Baily Works Super Pro. It's a great bag. Very comfortable and well built. Bailey Works is a really small operation located in N.H., and the two emails I sent were answered promptly and courteously. It took a little over two weeks to get the bag. Awesome.

You can also check out Seagull, R.E.Load, and PAC Designs.

I have a ridiculously huge Chrome bag that I got on ebay for cheap. It basically serves as my gym bag and works pretty well for such a purpose. Totally waterproof, the strap system is pretty great for easy tightening and loosening and when I've actually biked with it it's been pretty nice. But it's kind of a hassle to get in and out of on a frequent basis due to velcro closure + buckles.

man bags

The What's In Your Bag flickr group is good for ideas: http://www.flickr.com/groups/whats_in_your_bag/pool/

My contribution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/quartzcity/411771479/

Bailey Works all the way. I have a large SuperPro, three years old, used every single day, including a winter of Chicago bike messengering. I still use it every day as a "working cyclist" and am only considering a replacement because I think I want to use a backpack. Ergonomics.

Search: Seagull, Zugster, Freight, Chrome (ubiquitous, and I personally would never get one, but they're quality and relatively inexpensive), SAG (good luck finding one), PAC ($$$$$$$$$, too much bag for the casual user)

Destroy: Timbuk2, RELoad (most people love them, but I find the strap design infuriating)

So yeah, Bailey Works.

I find it pretty amusing and endering that everyone on ILX hates Timbk2.

One thing to keep in mind is that a true messenger bag probably won't be very comfortable to wear walking around. The bag is designed to be worn with the weight on the upper half of the back. That makes sense when you're spending most of your time on a bike, and they are really designed to be worn while cycling. If I were looking for a bag to carry a laptop and other stuff on the subway everyday, I would probably look for a different design. Some of the messenger bag makers have more typical bag designs that have a similar look and ruggedness as a mess bag. They're often cheaper too.

Bailey Works all the way. I have a large SuperPro

^^ me too, silver with a yellow interior. actually i forget if mine is a L or an XL.

One thing to keep in mind is that a true messenger bag probably won't be very comfortable to wear walking around.

^^ this is very, very true.

the one thing that i can add is that the bailey works doesn't have a zippered or segmented compartment. so if you put a laptop and some books and a notebook in there, they're going to slide around all over the place. so you have to figure out some way of keeping your stuff together. i usually load my stuff into a backpack and then throw the backpack into the messenger bag.

i use to shlep these things around ALL the time.

right now i have a ben sherman one, and a really nice tweed one from scotland.

i dont use these for laptops anymore though, fucks with my back.

My Bailey Works is a size medium - orange on the outside with yellow lining. The medium is actually pretty damn big. I LOVE my bag.

I'm definitely looking for a proper messenger bag for cycling, rather than a shoulder bag or man bag. I cycle 100-200 miles a week and don't really walk much, spending near enough 100% of my travelling time on the bike, so comfort while walking isn't a big deal, while stability on the bike is, hence my wanting a proper courier-type bag.

get a bailey works then

and resist the urge to get a bigger one. they're really ridiculously big. i bought mine probably a size too big, and as i said, w/o any internal structure it's a bit of a hassle w/r/t balance.

i've been considering putting in some sort of netting system to hold the stuff in place but i can't figure out how to do it w/o punching holes in the bag.

recs for a good Rudyard Kipling/Indiana Jones/etc. leather bag?

I was in a class with a guy who had a nice one a couple of years ago but I kept forgetting to ask him where it was from.

I'm not sure that they're obtainable here in the UK (at least not without significant trouble and expense).

Bailey Works I mean.

oh, ok.

here's a nice leather bag: http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod95683181&catId=cat301110

any tips from gbx or super cub on organizing stuff in the bailey works? i don't feel like i've really figured it out yet ... sorta keeps me from using the bag as often as i could / should ...

Yeah, it's a bitch that a lot of these potentially great messenger bags are for all intents and purposes not available outside the states (unless you really know very specifically that you want such-and-such a bag and so are willing to fork out to get one shipped specially).

Timbuk2's are about the most easily available here in the UK and Chrome's are available at a couple of UK online places, while Bagaboo now has one UK online distributor. I believe PAC are available at Brick Lane Bikes in London, but they cost ~£300 or some such crazy money so they're pretty much out of the picture. Moan, moan, moan... ;-)

I really like the look of both the Chrome and the Bagaboo, and am very taken by how customisable the Bagaboo's are, but am not sure it's wise to go all out on something custom first time round. It's especially difficult to judge what size of bag would be best, without being able to see any of them in the flesh.

I'll check out some of the other bags mentioned thus far.

I mostly do walking and use my bag for books, so YMMV, but I got my bag here http://www.manhattanportage.com/ and it was affordable and comfortable and I've used the same one for the last 3-4 years.

moonship, this may not be much help now, but there is something called "rear interior divider" that is an add-on when you order the bag. Seeing as it's a small operation, I bet if you sent them your bag, they'd sew it in for the standard price (assuming they can put it into an already constructed bag). If sharp corners are bothersome, you can also stick some padding into the back of the bag, . DIY mess bag padding

krakow, you probably can't go wrong with either chrome or bagaboo. chrome has become associated with hipsterdom to a large extent, so if you don't want to have a readily recognized bag with hipster connotations, bagaboo might be a better choice. Chrome has a definite look to it and is instantly recognizable. Chrome seems like it might be a little cheaper.

I'd get the bagaboo, but I have no firsthand experience with either of these bags. Basically all of these companies that make real messenger bags have a good product. You probably can't go wrong as long as you get a bag from one of the ten or so companies that make the real deal.

I'm sure Manhattan Portage makes a nice bag, but they don't have "real" mess bags. A real mess bag needs to have a cross-stabilizing strap that keeps the bag centered on the back when riding a bike. The main strap has ample padding and a mechanism for quick adjustment. It needs to be designed to be worn high on the back, not on the lower back like most shoulder bags. They also tend to be ultra waterproof and very well constructed.

hmmm that's interesting. sharp corners aren't so much the problem as everything in the bag sliding down to rest at my right hip. i probably need to look at that rear interior divider. it would be cool if they had some latches or rings on the *inside*, so that you could secure or clip stuff to the upper left.

w/r/t organization

-- when i was messing, the main compartment was left empty (+ pump) to accommodate the demands of various cargo (legal boxes to architectural drawings and so on). now work demands that i bring pretty much the same stuff around with me all the time, so the packing is specific to those needs. but basically, i haven't ever used any internal organizational scheme. flat things in the back, so the lay flat when i'm riding, lumpy things in the front.
-- front left pocket has pens, sundry personal effects (snack, pocket-mask/latex gloves, etc). front right pocket carries all my tools: multi tool, pedal wrench, 15mm wrench for removing wheels, tire levers, tubes

I guess the biggest organizational tip is making sure the bag presents a uniform surface to your back. if you're riding any considerable distance, any little lump is gonna be a pea in the mattress, you know?

The way I pack mine (which is usually 2/3 empty - mess bags are really freaking big) is to put heavier stuff in the bottom right and stack up toward the top left. Maybe that doesn't make sense in terms of weight distribution, but it's comfortable for me. I keep the whole bag up pretty high though. Maybe you're not packing right. Try packing bottom right upward, but keep the bag high up your back. Also, you can through in a sweatshirt or something to fill out the compartment and keep loose stuff from floating around too much.

Also, make sure you've got the straps properly adjusted. I like to have the main strap tight, but not so tight that it pulls the bag to one side. Same with the cross-strap. Both straps need to be at the right tightness so the bag sits high and centered and feels snug.

I guess I'm saying that you should spend 30 minutes trying different packing approaches and strap configurations. You may find the right set-up.

Also, you can through in a sweatshirt or something to fill out the compartment and keep loose stuff from floating around too much

i've heard this tip a lot! i dunno, maybe i just have unrealistic expectations for how the things is supposed to work. seems like some discomfort comes w/ the territory.

I cycle 100-200 miles a week and don't really walk much, spending near enough 100% of my travelling time on the bike,

voice in wilderness says that if you dont need to access gear on route try a pannier. excruciatingly uncool, looks weird on shoulder, plus requires rack.

On the pannier side, I have Ortlieb Classics. They absolutely rule and can carry vast acres of stuff in iron-clad roll-top waterproof security. However, they're no good whatsoever off the bike, so I sometimes need a bag that I can take with me more easily after parking the bike up (mainly when going to a gig, or non-supermarket shopping etc.). I'm also going to acquiring a bike shortly that I won't fit a rack to, for lighter summer use, but I'll still need to carry stuff about with me. Overall, it would be good to have something that was a bit more versatile while still being good for cycling. The Ortliebs and racked-up bike will be my supermarket shopping and bad weather beast of burden.

In terms of style, I couldn't be cool however hard I tried, so looks only matter in terms of whether I like the bag or not. I'm not really bothered by what other people think I look like (cycling nerd with panniers, wanna-be messenger hipster with chrome bag etc.), which is handy.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a Chrome at first, because they're cheaper and easier. Then later if I like it, I can get a fully-customised Bagaboo most likely, once I know a bit more about the specifics of what I want from such a bag.

For the big grocery runs I use a giant Lands' End backpack from college, because it's easier to load it with REALLY heavy stuff like glass bottles and cans of tomatoes, etc, plus you don't have to lift it over your head afterward. But my messenger bag is a fakey one without the underarm cross-strap so that's probably the real problem.

I think the adjustable tension buckle thingy would be the best part of a real mess bag, so you could put it on loose and then snug it up.

ha krakow i have ortlieb classics too. concur, they suck off the bike. i keep thinking that, yknow, they shouldn't have to. while i think it is a great pannier for its absolute waterproofing, i wonder what the best pannier is for shouldering?

fwiw for msgr bags i have a timbuk2 that i won, a mtnsmith that i got on clearance, and a chrome. chrome is best of 3. gotta say i just dont like msgr bags much.

Ortlieb do what they call a messenger bag, but is actually a back pack. It looks very much like the classic panniers - i.e. big, kind of boxy and with a roll top closure. It's probably just as awesome as the panniers, but I sadly think it's ugly as sin for wearing on the back, so I'm not sure I could bring myself to get one, despite how much I love my panniers.

http://www.ortlieb.co.uk/images/images_big/messenger.jpg

My mum and dad came to campus last Thursday to give me my birthday presents. I think it was the first time they'd been here during termtime (I've worked here nearly six years). My mum's main observation was that "all the boys are carrying handbags".

friend of mine uses an ortlieb backpack and loves it, fwiw

I think the real question is: can you fit a case of beer in any/all of these?

two cases in my BW

I can just get a case of 18 bottles into my grocery pack but not with extra room for chips and avocados. ;_;

This thread needs more pictures. Lots of the websites don't have particularly good pictures of their bags. It's good to see what colour choices look like and how big the bags are in real life and it helps understanding the pockets and strap systems.

OK, colour choice:

Olive/Black: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Images/Models/Original/3247-3.jpg

Black/Black: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Images/Models/Original/3247-5.jpg

Khaki/Black: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Images/Models/Original/3247-7.jpg

Black/Red:

are what's available in the Citizen.

If I went with a Metropolis (£20 more), then some of the above aren't available but it opens up the possibility of

Grey/Black:

Navy/Black:

and Royal/Black, which there isn't a picture of.

Black/Red: http://84.19.224.75/products/full/00001421/00009380.jpg

Grey/Black: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Images/Models/Original/3247-6.jpg

Navy/Black: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Images/Models/Original/3247-4.jpg

recs for a good Rudyard Kipling/Indiana Jones/etc. leather bag?

Trainspotter-level detail on the Indy bag: http://www.indygear.com/igbag.html

chrome has become associated with hipsterdom to a large extent, so if you don't want to have a readily recognized bag with hipster connotations, bagaboo might be a better choice.

well, i dunno about these bags having "hipster connotations" whatever that means. i think they're about as far from "hip" as one can get and are actually kinda hideous.. i mean, useful though if you're biking around with a lot of shit, but i have no health insurance so im taking the bus...

but then again, im the one carrying around a bag with pink octopuses all over it, so.... its best not to take any style opinions from me at all seriously

I have an older/smaller version of the Jansport "Elefunk" which has lasted really well and was like $24 from ebags.com if not cheaper than that

ebags.com is the shit, tbh

especially if you want good pictures of what you're buying, open, closed, on a mannequin, back, front, etc

dude, chrome bags are so hip it is making my pants hurt just thinking about it. Not that there's anything wrong with that, really -- they're still nice bags and all.

dude, chrome bags are so hip it is making my pants hurt just thinking about it.
are you joking?

http://www.ebags.com/messenger_bags/sale/category_search/index.cfm?Ne=100&N=4001+20041944

I have to agree that the chrome bag looks like it's trying way too hard.
Plus for real why so wide vs. tall? anything without a side banana/umbrella pocket = impractical

a veritable deluge of carryables

i haven't ordered a bag in years i think

help please
looking for a man bag
preferably messenger style with cross body strap
for public transit commute not biking
must be durable, preferably not with a huge logo on it
chrome bags are ok but i am wondering what the main competitors are
??

mission workshop!

bless you
will report back

depending on size requirements i like a couple of the frank & oak bags (idk if they're in the USA too? or jsut canada?) check em out!

ok -- will check it out!

when i watched the video for the mission workshop bag, the music made me lol a little and it was weird that there were almost no shots of the inside of the bag, just the guy scooting around town wearing it
and there was only one reasonably priced one on there -- are there any companies that make a variety of bags in that 150-160 price range (or less, but not more)?

frank & oak bags
that site required me to register in order to browse
not gonna happen :(

ugh i hate shopping

Does anyone want to team up to Kickstarter a bag that's 100% to our specifications? I'm "ha, ha only serious" about this.

After a month of train/bus commuting with the same messenger bag I've had for years, my shoulder was getting that familiar ache. I switched to my backpack (North Face Recon) which is easier on me, but the insides are overly fussy and over-compartmentalized. Anyway, for some reason I'm highly OCD-level critical of laptop bag design and I'm right at the "fuck, do I have to make one myself?" breaking point. I don't need a MILSPEC artisan bag statement, just something innocuously well thought-out.

i'm afraid that even non-milspec MIC is a significant undertaking and will come in at a higher cost to customer than we'd like, but i'd be in

this bag isn't even for me and i'm frustrated by my inability to find something suitable
so far the best thing is the one mh posted but the website made me feel kinda bad about myself after visiting it
and there was only bag there that was remotely suitable

fwiw other than the insanely stupid "ingenious" magnetic strap this should fit your criteria nicely - minimal branding, good balance of style and function, and $155 on the nose

http://www.booqbags.com/us/shoulder-bags/boa-nerve/BNL-GFT

chrome/mission workshop are still tops for riding, but if you're not on a bike and mostly carrying work/school stuff i endorse the shit out of this. other than the stupid strap.

l.l., i have had two jack spade bags, one of which i tended to over-load and which developed a strap-stitching malfunction, but the second one has been going strong for several years now thru daily use, bike or bus commute, lugging along on shoulder for walking, rain and mud and road grime, etc. - definitely the best snazzy man-styled stuff-holder i have ever owned

bought both on sale tho

thanks guys
i don't necessarily WANT to pay $150 for a bag, but it seems like that's what they cost +/-?
i do appreciate the help
will run these past the inspector to see if they are suitable

the last time i paid less than ZOMG the piece of shit fell apart (like seriously fell apart) within the year, learned my lesson

https://www.baileyworks.com/professional/super-pro/options/

I have this one, or one roughly the same. Between myself and the friend I bought it from, it's been in use for probably 8 years, still no signs of fall-apart.

i will always rep for BW bags they stand up to real messenger work v v well

also a friend of mine just got into the custom bag business and i could possibly hit him up if anyone is seriously considering a custom job

also a friend of mine just got into the custom bag business and i could possibly hit him up if anyone is seriously considering a custom job

I'm actually pretty serious. At the very least I believe I'm obsessive enough about the aesthetics and details to design the perfect bag that would make it all worthwhile.

https://punditfromanotherplanet.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/mad-science.jpg?w=590&h=449

e. telecom, materials testing sesh

Chrome competitors incl:

Reload
BaileyWorks
Crumpler
Vaya
Fabric Horse

BUT tbqf: I got my Chrome bag in 2008 and it's still working great. I just took it to the store in NYC to get re-velcroed the other day and now it is p much good as new except for some obvious wear (but it doesn't look nearly as beat to hell as it should after 6 years of p much daily use.

Also, Chrome iirc is the only bag w/ nice cushy padded shoulder straps and the buckle really is wonderful. I've tried others and I'm so stuck on Chrome

ALSO because the liner is separate from the shell, you can hide things btwn the layers.

what do you hide in yours?!?

$150 is kinda what yr gonna pay I think, but seriously these things last so fucking long. I've never had anything come close to withstanding as much use as my Chrome bag has. You could even get one used for cheaper and prob not have to worry about it being shitty!

xp w33d at shows, duh

most good bags have padded straps and spots for [redacted] what with messengers being hedonistic scumbags and all

Yeah I have a Chrome Kremlin bag that has like an iPhone / oz-in-a-Baggie size Velcro pocket hidden along a seam.

Speaking of which anyone want to buy it? It's ridiculously huge, discontinued, and I never use it as I'm definitely a backpack person.

put backpack in Kremlin problem solved

I'm a backpack guy too but I always wanna get a messenger bag and pretend I'm YT from snow crash

BP4LYFE

Wait, wasn't the Kremlin the one that was 1 size bigger than the Metropolis (also discontinued)? That thing was INSANELY huge

i'm a backpack person too (i actually really like the idea of carrying all my stuff on my back, makes me feel like a hardy lil mule)
but the person i am buying this bag for is not, so i have to keep trying
thanks for your help everyone

i'm sure eventually i/he will find something

xp indeed, it's like the size of a tent

it makes more sense if you think of it as a poncho with a pocket

i have never been able to carry a messenger bag without fucking up my shoulder/neck/upper back, is this an indictment of the poor condition in which i keep my shitty body, or am i cursed with cheap bags?

You're a backpack guy

So last year I bought that Chrome Citizen BLCKCHRM thing I talked about on ILX, and it came with this (forgive the shit picture):

http://i.imgur.com/D33UDq9.jpg

I don’t remember whether my messenger bag came in this stupid bag or what, but I just wanted to ask if any of you who are more into this stuff than I am know what the hell it’s for. Can I toss it? Do I need it? Thank you.

your bag came in it, it's supposed to be a cool reusable bag, if you have no further use, feel free to give it away or junk it

btw I bought a new bag for laptop and stuff and it might turn out to be the favorite I've had, even though it has bunch of aesthetic boondoggles that are not quite my thing. but the functional bits are exactly what I need!

OK, thanks. I will probably get rid of it.

What did you get?

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/52f30b8ce4b0adcf03f82584/540cf575e4b01f1007d2c606/540cfbcfe4b0b42412d6b93b/1410137045707/BP_ash_scale.jpg?format=750w

u pigs

Last year I got a new Mission Workshop messenger bag and then two weeks later ran over it with a car.

i got this on sale in black https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/121285?page=l-l-bean-x-flowfold-crossbody-tote&bc=50-516672&feat=516672-GN1&csp=a

My Chrome messenger bags from the beginnings of this thread ten plus years ago are still going strong and have daily hard use.

same.they're basically indestructible. still kicking myself i didn't get in on their waxed canvas run from like 2009.

I still have a Reload custom bag because of this thread. The velcro placement is super annoying though and always gets caught in my scarves and sweaters.

Yeah I'm still using the MW bag, little hole but it's fine

replaced a decade old timbuk2 bag w/ a new one, and the new one has nicer colors than my old one, but it's not the same bag they used to make, esp. the shoulder strap is now filmsy and tangles easily, the cam clip thing is a total joke, but they are still about half the price of most other messenger bags of similar durability

I've had one of these Overboard messenger bags for 5 years now:
https://www.over-board.co.uk/collections/waterproof-messenger-bags/products/waterproof-messenger-bag-black
It's extremely waterproof. Many times I've walked from work to the bus station (over a mile) in torrential rain, got completely soaked through, but whatever's been in the bag stayed absolutely dry. The padding may be a bit thin to use as a laptop bag though.

i do recommend vaude bags. i have had a series of very nice durable vaude pannier/msgr bag fusions things. very durable, look good shouldered. one style has a pretty rad quick-release pannier bar for more orderly shoulder periods.

Red Oxx finally came out with a messenger bag that might just cross off all my demands. (just wish it was less expensive)
https://www.redoxx.com/cc-rider/70004/product

the quest for the last bag is never complete