I've decided to go back to messengering in the new year, but I'm through with shoulder-strap bags. I want a nice, big backpack that collapses enough to be an everyday bag when empty. Does this exist? Here are the bag companies I've found that make backpacks.

Chrome
Reload
Ortlieb
Seagull (anyone ever heard of these guys? thoughts?)
Freight

Any body I missed? Opinions?

Are any of these company's next-to-largest bags big enough to messenger with? Which of these bags compresses the most when empty?

Sorry for all the detailed questions. I'd do some legwork myself, but I'm in Africa at the moment. I'm grateful for any help.

I'd not necessarily concentrate on messenger bag companies. There are a million bags made for outdoor sports that could work fine. And I'd get a cheap small backpack for everyday use. The big one will never feel right when it's empty and it's heavy to begin with. Your apartment can't be that small...

I have both a Reload and an Ortlieb now.. haven't used the Ortlieb much, but my Reload is awesome.

check out freight.. tons of straps to tie down

timbuk2 makes a backpack too... if you're into that stuff.

i have the timbuk2 messenger backpack. it's ok. i got it on the cheap. wouldn't have paid full price. the cargo space is not bad, the rear reflector feels good at night. it just hhas kinda ****ty design and not enough little pockets or features.

Agreed, mess bags are a simple design that's easy to make, but backpacks take real R&D to work well. Go with a company that has been doing it for decades, not years. Deuter is great, the better jansports are actually pretty good as well. The ortlieb is nice but it's a specialty product, basically a dry bag with shoulder straps for people whose stuff needs to stay dryer than dry.

There was a backpack thread in the commuter forum recently. This is it.

Any backpack is a waterproof pack if you get a kayaker's dry bag for a liner. (Venture Sports makes cheap, indestructable clear vinyl ones and Sea-to-Summit makes lightweight sil-nylon ones that cost a little more but weigh a lot less.)
I use a GoLite Race pack with a Venture Sports vinyl dry bag liner for my daily commute, 15 miles r/t, often in the pouring PNW rain. I've never had a problem with anything getting wet.

My reload has 6 compression straps... 2 on each side, and 2 on the bottom. It's not bad..

What about outside pockets though? I'd rather have a waterproof backpack, than carry around a backpack with a liner that might not fit in the bag right or won't utilize all the space available.

The only outside pockets on the GoLite I've got are all mesh. It's an adventure racer's UL pack, so the pockets are for stashing wet gear or a helmet and such. The Sea-to-Summit bags come in a ton of sizes so you can find one that fits your backpack pretty well without wasting space. The Venture Sports ones are only 3 sizes and I lucked out that one fits my pack perfectly.
If you're needing waterproof outside pockets for things, then a pack liner isn't the way to go.

what exactly is a compression strap? it sounds high tech

Compression straps are used to collapse the bag when it's empty or only lightly loaded. It keeps everything nice and neat instead of floppy and sloppy.

The backpack issue has come up a few times. A lot of people seem to like their Freight Baggage packs. They seem to be very popular with the Boston messengers from what I can see outside my window.

Deuter makes some very nice cycle specific backpacks. I have the Trans Alpine 25l (there is also a 30l) and am amazed at the attention to detail. I'd purchase another in a heart beat.

https://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FQC

I always thought this would make a nice commuter bag. Not sure about messengering though.

backpacks are tight

the other thing about waterproof fabrics is that they don't get weighed down when it rains.

I either ride with a north face scarab 40 or a Gregory Wingate. I bum around alot and rarely go home so I always carry a lot of crap with me. Neither of these are "bike bags" and although the wingate is probably a much bigger bag than you are looking for, the scarab is perfect. It has in internal frame so you can never get it super small, But when you are riding you can carry up to 30 pounds and barely notice its there. I would highly recommend researching backpacking packs.

The problem with most waterproof fabrics is that they aren't. Especially with backpacks.
I'm going on 15 years experience of ultradistance backpacking in making this statement. Every pack that I've had which was advertised as, or lauded at some gear expo as "waterproof" was probably tested for a 10 second duration against some 6 year old with a squirt gun.
The only packs that currently cut it as truly "monsoon season waterproof" right now are the new packs from Arc'Teryx. The Naos and Acrux are both fully waterproof, but the 2800 cu.in. narrow top-loading Acrux (horrible for carrying large parcels) is $350.00, and the larger Naos is $499.00.

you could find a backpack you like and waterproof it yourself. I'm not personally familiar with anything, but I've read about some stuff you wash into the pack and lasts ~6 months or so.

boots, it's doug, you in ghana? and the largest chrome backpack is not a good everyday. it is in need of many compression straps .

waterproof liners are cheap and easy to find at your local grocery or hardware store. I use these hiking. they are totally waterproof. Though not as durable as a more high tech liner, they are also considerably lighter, and cost about 1/100th the price.

Wash-in waterproofing (like Nikwax, by far the best brand) will re-proof DWR material that's lost it's oomph and give some water resistance to tight weave fabrics like cordura and ballistic nylon packs. If you're talking about trusting it to fully waterproof a pack that you'll use for courier work or commuting, don't. It just won't hold up to the abuse, especially when you throw dirt and road grime into the equation.

My 3000 cu.in. Venture Sports liner was $15 and I've had it for a few years. I carry everything from my clothes and shoes, to pens and pocketknife. In the short term, trash bags make a cheap and effective solution. In the long run, you'll spend less on a drybag than you will replacing trash bags.