Defy Messenger Bags and Backpacks
One thing I’m always searching for is the greatest messenger bags and backpacks on the planet. I have far too many bags — last night I bought two new Tumi (Amazon.com search*) bags that will get tested on next week’s trip to Boston — but every single bag I own only makes me better understand what I’m looking for.
And that gets me to the Defy Bags website. A Chicago-based, company, Defy makes bags one at a time and their selection shows some really nice bags that have me itching to place an order. Hey, I travel enough that I should be able to secure review copies of messenger bags and backpacks, right? That would be pretty damned awesome.
Anyway, two bags at the site caught my eye:
- Dope Messenger Bag — Made from repurposed military canvas tarp, this messenger bag is designed to hold a computer and is small enough that it looks to be a good day-to-day piece. It’s not nearly as small as the Tumi Astor flight bag I bought last night — or the Tucano Slim Case* bags (yes, two) I already own — but it looks fantastic. I want one.
- Dope Backpack — Sure it’s basically the same thing as the Dope Messenger Bag, but until I find another bag that’s capable of switching between backpack and messenger bag — it’s tough to top my National Geographic NG A5250* — then I’m left searching for bags for a variety of uses. And if that means the same bag in two formats then so be it.
I don’t think anyone will be surprised if there comes a day that I design my own messenger bag and/or backpack. Or, what’s more likely to happen, a convertible bag that serves as either a messenger bag or a backpack. After all, I can’t think about bags this much without one day creating my own.
Glad to see another bag fetish person. I too seem to have quite a few messenger bags and a couple of backpacks. Though I tend to stay below the $100 mark since I change them up so often. Right now I have a pretty inexpensive bag that seems to be serving the purpose of my day to day that I still like. I’m sure that will change again soon though.
I like that National Geographic bag. It seems to solve the issues I have with messenger bags and backpacks. Messengers almost always bother my shoulders with very little weight, and most backpacks I’ve owned had crappy organization.
You might want to check out Tom Bihn bags as well. I haven’t owned any, but I hear good things about them. They seem rugged and well designed, and are built in Seattle. There are several within the same price range of the Dope bags you’re looking at.