im not a big fan of timbuk2, i had a large classic bag from them and i hated the strap system, the extra pad on the strap itself wasnt very comfortable. although, they are cheap and are good quality, just not a fan of them myself.

i've had my chrome for three years. it's been to europe twice (as my main backpack/travel pack), it's been to festivals in the worst conditions, i've had my laptop in it in a torrential downpour on my bike and it can even carry a 12 pack of .5 liter glass beer bottles without worrying about them breaking, because the inside is essentially waterproof too.
imho, chrome is the standard for what everyone should carry on their back. whether you're a messenger or not. not that expensive, lifetime warrantee and no matter how much weight you put in it, your back never gets mad at you.

**edit: also forgot to mention that the best part about chrome messengers is that they don't move at all when they're on your back and loaded properly. you can crank as hard as you want and it's not going anywhere. i see people with timbuk2 bags that are sitting like, in a really weird position on their body (like under their armpit) and wonder why didn't they spend the extra $15 and get a chrome bag?

my Chrome is one of the best things I have ever bought.... ever. Its perfect. extremely comfortable and durable. Doesn't shift on my back. Can hold a TON of stuff. And it looks good. Its perfect really.

What ever happened to Freight Baggage? They no longer have a site. Even before, it was just a placeholder.
I wanted to go with those guys but since disappearing, i went with a Seagull Black Bag. Lovin' it. Wish I had the cash to get a Seagull custom, but being low on cash, the Black Bag was the best option(with most features). Don't regret my decision, however if I had to nitpick about something, I wished that Seagull had used a stiffer material for bottom half of the strap. It's currently a very soft/limp seatbelt type material. I would have preferred something stiffer like the strap found on the Reload or Timbuk.

Did you get the medium or the large? If medium do you think you could post pictures of you wearing it or what you can cram inside it? I just bought one and they really didn' t have good pictures of the medium I kinda ballparked it off the chrome pictures and the large pictures.

I got the large. It's big and feels almost capelike when empty, but strap it in tight and you're good to go. The large can fit alot of stuff, which is what i wanted.
I was also wondering about the sizes of bags(when i was looking for one) from company to company, in another thread someone posted this really neat online app that when you entered the measurements of the bags in question it would make these colored boxes as comparisons of space from one bag to the other, i found it really helpful and solidified my choice. Anyone got that link?

Just bought a Banjo Bros. backpack - completely waterproof - I like it a lot. It appears to be well made and good deal at $80.00

I got the large chrome as well.

I've been rocking a Timbuk2 i got for $25 for a few years now, but I've convinced myself that my next bag upgrade will be a Bagaboo Workhorse...

bump...

What do you need to bump it for? You already got recommendations for all the best bags.

what can you fit in the 80$ bag? i would like to use one for commuting

The large chrome bag is huge, as it should be. I've got a medium that's sizable enough for most things. To answer an earlier question, it does have a waist strap, or rather, it has an anti-sway strap that can either connect near the buckle around and under the left arm or connect around the waist. It's a 1" wide strap, so not so comfortable around the waist. The chrome mess bag is awesome for short jaunts and quick to access. For a long commute with any kind of real load, I'd prefer a backpack or panniers. Another friend of mine recently switched to a backpack from chrome bag for his 5-6 mile commute as it was causing him back issues.

i've had a baileyworks for almost 4 years now. i've often ridden it a fair distance with 25+ cans of paint + clothes + lock + other misc. items and it's been about as easy on my back as it can be under that sort of weight. it's been pretty abused and the only "problems" i've had with it are that it's now fairly covered in paint, and the buckle for the anti-sway strap broke on me. i can't really complain. it's well worth the hundred or so dollars i spent on it.

chrome citizen or metro is good for school and carrying stuff.

my one, is red.

oh and i'm sure this is a "duh" but get one with a cross strap so it doesn't slip around

hell, timbuk2's are real nice for the price, not too fancy, not as heavy as a chrome (less material, no "bag inside a bag") but still great and you can get them at REI or alot of bike shops. i wouldn't mind a timbuk2 either.