Field engineer - bag recommendations - Chrome, Crumpler?
 

Hello,

I'm a young civil engineer in NYC looking for a bag I can bike with to work. I've done some serious reading on these forums in search of the answer but, maybe like a lot of people, I think my commuting/carrying needs are a bit unique. Looking for suggestions on a new bag to check out. I hope I am not duplicating any similar threads here.

I ride a Xootr Swift (based on the Swift Folder) folding bike. For portability, I'm not too interested in a rack or panniers.

I spend most days doing inspections in the field, and I go to job sites anywhere from 1 to 10 miles from my apartment. My office is a 5 mile ride from home and I frequently hit the office after a day in the field before riding home. I have not yet made the leap to all-weather riding, and occasionally I have time constraints or multiple job sites to visit in one day. So subway rides and some walking are a regular part of my week too, depending on circumstances.

The equipment I bring every day includes all of the following: hard hat, one or two items of clothing, tape measure, fiberglass roll tape, field book, metal clipboard, lunch, water bottle, digital camera, safety glasses, sunglasses, mp3 player, a book, umbrella, often an extra pair of shoes or even boots, and a big floppy duffel bag for putting my folding bike in and carrying it into the office.

In other words my gear is bulky but not particularly heavy. No textbooks anymore...

I am currently using my old school backpack and clipping large items (hard hat and shoes/boots) to the outside where they swing around and hit things. I decided I could use something with a big central compartment to keep everything inside. I've looked hard at messenger bags including Chrome, Timbuk2, Pac Designs, Crumpler. I also want some more people's opinions on larger top-loading backpacks that are suited for bicycling (hug my body without riding high or way out as my current backpack does). A big question on my mind is people's opinions about back issues after using a messenger bag extensively. Although I don't need to constantly access my bag during a ride, it would make life easier, and there seem to be a lot of people out there who think that a well-designed messenger bag is just as ergonomic as a backpack. Perhaps this is the case for me since my loads are not too heavy?

I've gone out to stores and tried out:
* Chrome Metropolis (really like, really comfortable, good size, could use a couple larger non-flat pockets, and I'm curious about the whole balanced-load issue)

* Crumpler Famous Wine Bar (seems comfortable, holds a LOT for a backpack, pockets a lot closer to my needs, velcro closures are kind of loud/big/annoying, is it waterproof? Although I don't do wet-weather riding by choice now, I probably will in the future and I don't want to get caught in the rain...)

Pac Designs and Reload are too expensive for me. I can't find a lot of reviews on the web for Chrome's backpacks which I'm curious about (Ranchero or Backbone?). Seem like a good brand and possible alternative to the Crumpler bag I liked. The downsides I've read about in people's Crumpler bag reviews seem to mainly include the odd shapes of the velcro closures, the fact that they're not American-made, and the annoying logo. Also I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for backpacks of a similar type, and the answer to the all-important backpack vs. messenger bag question?

Thanks for reading. Hope this post was not mis-placed or too long.

tad gear backpack - inside the delicate stuff - outside boots, waterproofs and hard hat?

http://www.tadgear.com/x-treme%20gea...pack_alpha.htm

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search

http://www.tadgear.com/x-treme%20gea...blk_340_72.jpg
http://www.tadgear.com/x-treme%20gea..._1b_500_72.jpg

That looks exactly like a lowe alpine backpack.

I can't say much about crumpler, but the chrome messenger bags are great. I use the same one you are looking at (the metropolis), and i absolutely love it. it is a little on the expensive side (like pac, etc.), but it is waterproof (rest assured on that), and durable as hell. I figure mine will last a good 6-7 years (hopefully) and i use it everyday. So i do recommend the bag ... but take that for what it's worth, since i haven't tried the others.

as for the back issues, i'm one who will say their aren't any, but everyone is different. The first few weeks were a little bit rough, but my back strengthened where it needed to strengthen, and since then i haven't had any problems, unlike with my backpack which caused all sorts of problems. Just be sure to keep it tight and where it's supposed to be on your back instead of hanging down real low (the buckle keeps you from doing this anyway).

good luck with the choice.

yeah - I have the old contour mountain (40 litres, does what it says on the tin, bombproof, useable shovel flap, etc) before they stopped making them :mad: and forked up the rest of the models :mad::mad:.

Forunately, I also have a tad gear pack for when the lowe bag dies.

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/...resized200.gif

edit - black bag isn't the old, good, model

did you look at the chrome sultan? 2400cuin rolltop backpack. if you don't need the quick in/out of a messenger pack why kill your shoulder. i have the Ivan backpack but i don't use mine very much since i don't carry around a laptop anymore, but when i did i had: a laptop, full change of clothes, shoes, pump, lock, 15mm wrench, multi-allen, extra tubes, patch kit, and a lunch.
all of the bike tools and wheelgoods fit in one outer pocket and anything else, wallet keys, phone, etc fit in the other outer pocket. smart packing kept my clothes folded nicely, my shoes from getting anything dirty, and my lunch from getting squished. and i had room to spare. i really like it, but i just don't need that much bag anymore.

I've had issues with the Chrome belt buckles. I like my sternum.

Have you checked out Reload's stuff? I had them custom a bag for me with lots of straps and doo-dads so I can put a couple carabiners on for external carry of helmets and the like.

I had the old contour 30 pack, it was the best backpack I ever had. I wish I had stocked up on em.

me too :( - but so far the tad gear pack seems better than the lowe it will replace - it's also got the molle attachment points for extra pockets and blinkie attachment

Bailey Works. Best strap out there. Size large will easily carry that load.

Hmm, thanks for the advice everyone. I didn't see Baileyworks' website until after I posted. And I'm from NH so that just might make me a little biased...
Spent today out on a job site soaked to the skin which reminded me why I started looking at expensive messenger bags in the first place. Crumpler bags seem nice but aren't waterproof so I think they're out.
Feel like I could go for a Baileyworks Superpro L or XL, or a Chrome Ivan or Sultan. But if I'm going to buy either one of these I think I'm gonna have to pound 4 or 5 beers before I get the courage to pull out the credit card...

If you're looking at the Chrome roll tops any reason you haven't considered either the sealline commuter dry bag or the ortlieb messenger dry bag? Also, why not just use a regular back pack and either a heavy duty polythene bag as a liner or buy a roll top dry bag to drop in your existing backpack/bag?

http://www.seallinegear.com/urban.as...Category=Urban
http://www.ortlieb.de/_prod.php?lang...ukt=messbagpro
http://www.ortlieb.de/_prod.php?lang...t=kuriertasche

http://www.seallinegear.com/images/i...pack_large.jpg

http://fixie-king.dk/oscommerce2/cat...ngerBagPro.gif

Crumpler bags are first rate. Their website is a hoot, too.

I just wouldn't attempt to lug all of the stuff you're suggesting with any back mounted bag. I'm not some rack and panniers evangelist either, I love my Chrome Metropolis, but what you're suggesting carrying every day would be too bulky and heavy for me to carry. When I take a full change of clothes and shoes in my Chrome, I can feel it at the end of my 7 mile ride.

Same here. I hesitate to put so much stuff into my Metropolis but weirdly enough putting the same load (and more sometimes) into my Kremlin is actually quite comfortable though the bag is so big that I tend to bump into things a lot more things. Also neither bag is really built for wearing off the shoulder. You have to wear it bandolier style. The only thing with backpacks is that you have to pack things vertically (stacking one thing on top of another) and I hate having to pull the top items out to get to the bottom stuff. I guess a side-access zipper or bottom-access zipper would be good but it'd probably compromise waterproofness.

Still, the Crumpler looks promising.

Yeah hairlessbill, I would imagine the Kremlin would let you spread the same load further across your back. Similarly, I went out and found stores carrying Chrome packs today to try some on. Holy cow, i put my entire backpack inside a Chrome Backbone (largest backpack not rolltop). My bag was stuffed and it fit inside the backbone no problem, AND rode extremely comfortably.

I know what you mean about stacking stuff in backpacks. The Chrome and Crumpler backpacks I've looked at still are much taller than they are wide, but then the bags are just plain massive anyways.

I'm not too worried about my back--I mean my gear really does tend to be much more bulky than heavy. I can see myself getting a Chrome Backbone. Sultans and Ivans (Rolltops) are nice and give that extra-waterproof feeling, but the pockets in the non-rolltops are nicer (a few more of them, more suited to what I need). I can see any of these bags being great for grocery shopping and weekends out of town too.

Crumpler's largest bag is, I think, smaller than Chrome's largest, a good deal cheaper, but not waterproof. The difference in cost though definitely might justify picking up a Crumpler and keeping trash bags in the pockets.

I checked out Ortlieb and Sealline bags as markhr suggested but they have few or no pockets... I can see them being nice for actual messengers but alas I am just a poser, and still need the organizational use.

I use the Patagonia "Critical Mass" bag..plenty of space and rather comfortable for me .