Question about messenger bag back position
 

I have a quick question for everyone here, so i understand wearing a messenger bag high on your back probably the most comfortable position to wear it. However, i read lots of people saying they like messenger bags because they can swing it around, and take stuff out of their bag without actually removing the bag from their shoulder.

The problem that i am running into, is when i have my messenger bag high on my back, while although very comfortable, i cannot for the life of me swing it around and simply take things out. The opening flap when open covers my face, and the angle when trying to reach in the bag is very awkward, and more of less collapse the bag which makes removing items very difficult.

Am i missing something here on how they should be worn, and used efficiently?

Depending on which messenger bag you have, in order to swing the bag around so you can easily open the flap and access the contents of your bag, you are supposed to, first, take off some slack off your main strap by using the cambuckle feature. This cambuckle is different on each bag and it enables you to, both, quickly cinch up the bag for comfortable and secured wear, and release the main strap so you can easily swing the bag around to your front.

Watch this. Your answer is at around the 2:01 mark. This guy is a real pro, so he's rather quick.

Which bag do you have?

i recently got a medium sized timbuk2 bag as a gift.

huh, I didn't have any problems when I had one of those. I did find it to be too small and uncomfortable though

edit: +1 for having the bag high on the back

Commuting to work on my old school mountain bike I wear my Timbuk 2 medium pretty low, the main weight rests just above my belt. I adjust the chest strap so the bag hangs at an angle and centered on my spine.

That's the most comfortable for me.
My bag weight is around 15 lbs.
I am a cold weather commuter, 2 jackets, studded tires 2 hats, neck warmer. 5 degrees F. tonight on my ride in.
bill

hrm, for you guys with the timbuk2 bag, how do you adjust the cambuckle with one hand? it seems like there is never enough slack to bring it back up after i lower it.

Open the cambuckle, take up the slack on the main strap until it sits comfortably right under your arm. Most of these bags are supposed to be worn high. Some users lean a bit while doing this and it's more of a challenge if you have a lot of weight in your bag because you have to fight the weight a bit, but this is true with any bag. A properly cinched bag isn't suppose to bind or squeeze you out of air. It is supposed to "hug you" around your back comfortably.

FYI... Attached are a couple of links that, among other things, briefly talk about how to properly cinch and uncinch Timbuk2 Classic Messenger bags.

http://vimeo.com/6109538

http://vimeo.com/5703539

I have an Osprey Float and wear it really low at the back of my hips, which keeps it in the most aero position possible when I'm in the drops. By cinching the waist strap tightly around hip bones, it is really solid and does not move around at all. Plus this keeps the center of gravity lower than wearing it high.

I don't bother trying to pull stuff out of it while riding -- never occurred to me why you would need stuff while moving.

Wolf,
Those vids aren't real clear plus I have the old style Timbuk2 buckle.
At least they got me started. Way better than nothing.

After 20 minutes in front of the mirror I have my own style and was able to let the bag down to take it off and raise it in the cam before cinching it and flipping it behind me. It helps to adjust the amount of hang correctly for using the bag like a purse. To remove just flip the cam open and it drops into place on your hip. Made it much easier to pull some strap through the cam for retightening the shoulder strap and to open the bag while wearing it.

For me it pays to take it slow, get it right and then apply the chest strap just tight enough to keep things from flopping.
Glad I'm a man.

Thanks for the links.
bill

I've been using my Large Tibuk2 on a daily basis for the past 5 years. I also find it most comfortable to wear it high on the back and that does result in difficulty when trying to bring it around to the front to pull something out of it. So it's a trade-off and it took me a long time to find a happy balance.

Also, I find with wearing it high up on my back I have this huge hanging loop (as seen on the video above) that will grab anything I pass. So I use an ankle relector and tied it up so I don't get it caught on something and take a spill ; )

this makes me real glad i grabbed my chrome metropolis. dead simple to loosen and cinch in a flash. sure I feel like a poseur... but i feel like a well-equipped poseur :)

fyi, it fits perfectly as carry-on for flights. as such, it has come in *real* handy in a variety of situations for me

Entertaining link, quote of the day "twinkied up" that was funny. For an over the shoulder bag I use a North Face Day Hiker pack seems to work well for me.

Yeah, I heard that about the Metropolis. That has made my short list of replacement bags for my Timbuk2. While I truly have enjoyed the Tibuk2 and how friggin' rugged, large, and waterproof it is, there are a few things I'd like to see changed - this being one of them.

Curious question. Have you seen your Metropolis alongside a Citizen to subjectively say how much difference there is in size? I have the Citizen, and you couldn't pry it from me... unless for something just as nice but functionally bigger. I'm only 5'9" so I was concerned when I ordered mine that the Metropolis would be too big, but the only thing I wish about my Citizen is that I could cram more in it :P

Interesting that there are two schools-- high on the back, and low on the back! I wear mine quite low, so the top of the bag is in the small of my back. When the bag is empty, it does swing around a bit, working its way up to my left side occasionally; I just move it back.

My only concern with the Chrome is the belt buckle latch. Seems awfully easy for someone to just walk up, poke a finger into the latch release, and drop the whole thing. Is there a mechanism to secure this release buckle latch?

Not easy at all. It's effectively no different than a seat belt buckle, harder to release under load and anytime have to give it a decent push to release. Heck, I've had crappier buckles in some cars than on my Chrome bag!

The buckle is the best part; you don't have to lift the bag over your head to put it on/take it off. It's also easy for someone to undo your seatbelt in the car, and the cause is the same: you have jackass friends.

That and shady people in the crowds doing this sort of thing....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z74HCEDh6q0

if you have the stabilizer strap connected then the bag won't fall off if someone presses on the belt buckle. The buckle is nice though, it makes the bag easy to use when you have a lot of stuff in there and it's tight against you, but it's mostly for looks.

Here's my set up:

I have a small timbuk2 bag (i'm a pretty small guy as well) and I wear it quite low. This has always been the most comfortable position for me when riding or walking. With it low on my back, it is quite easy to swing it around and open it up very quickly. For support on the ride, I keep a carabiner (sp?) attached to one of the plastic loops on the bag, and then clip it onto my left-side belt buckle. It is easy to clip on and off, I don't notice it when I'm not using it, and it works perfectly to keep my bag situated exactly where I want it on my back. Just a bit of a different way of doing things than from what I've seen, you might want to give it a try.
PICS:

as it sits on my back normally:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/...4cd460bc_b.jpg

flip it around to the front:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2771/...1b51b4d9_b.jpg

open 'er up and get whatever you need out, then flip back around
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/...c434e50d_b.jpg

my securing system:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2717/...c975edbf_b.jpg



I can't think of a single thing I would change about this set-up, it works perfectly and is comfortable forever.

Now having learned more about adjusting the bag I agree it feels better to get it up in the small of my back.
It's easy to drop the bag by releasing the cam buckle to get something out or remove the bag by slipping the strap over my head.
bil;l