I think I picked mine up for like 150. The deals exist! However, they are rare and $100 off doesn't happen often.

Also worth noting...does your local MW dealer ever have crazy black friday sales? I got super lucky and that's when I got my MW Vandal for 40% off...so it was like, $157 or something. But like the one dude said, it's a good enough bag to pay full price for if you need it right this second.

:lol:

Am I the only one who wishes that the Rambler had a better design for the rails? They bend all my papers, folders, notebooks, etc.

How often is the 40 % sale or the 100 off like once a year?

Kills me. Just says they could sell bags at cheaper prices and not have sales.

I think the sales are more a case of its taking up space and its more cost effective to have it gone

use a stiffer folder to put your papers in? i dunno, i haven't ever had this problem.

then again i usually put that stuff in the expanding middle section, so maybe the liner of the rolltop smooths the rails out...

I have an Ogio bag. Best part - lifetime warranty. I've blown up backpacks before, many times.

http://www.leadapparel.com/catalog/O...8091-Black.jpg

I think these msrp for ~$90

I use one for commuting (sz L) it is the best bag I've used. Made very well, lots of room, and very affordable compared to many offerings of comparative quality.

The Medium size retails for $60, but one can find it here for $47.97. I heard the sizing difference between the Medium and the Large is trivial (see here)?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

simple, huge, waterproof. As long as you are not looking for a bunch of small accessory pockets, this is your bag. I have one in black, have absolutely abused it for 2+ years and it is still as good as new.

This
http://latarki.pl/zdjecia/ort-pro-out.jpg

It's large without going overboard. I use it for my commute everyday. It gives me a piece of mind that my laptop, documents and clothing will not be drenched when i take it outta my bag.

i use a cheap northface backpack... i don't understand why this decision is so hard haha

I loved my "cheap" Northface too, but they have a shorter shelf life than some of the other models being mentioned. I could have bought another lower end bag, that I would have eventually have to replace also.

I guess the difficulty in the decision is pay more up-front for a longer lasting better product. Or get an okay/serviceable one for less money. I decided on paying up front for a Mission Workshop backpack.

You made the correct choice.

If you're using it for commuting rather than messengering, you might consider looking in an Army surplus store. My pack is waterproof, durable, and has a good number of pockets. It's not as big as the Ortlieb, but it's substantially bigger than the Banjo Bros. The real selling point is that it was $15.

That having been said, that Ortlieb bag looks awesome.

I kind of want a Vandal, does anyone have a picture of them wearing one? There's a few on MW I know. I'm concerned that it may just be too over the top for me?

its big when full expanded, and thats how i always wear mine. its comfy on me like this, but im a big guy with a big bag

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...us/photo-9.jpg
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...us/photo-8.jpg

How tall are you?

I'm a pretty large frame dude, around 5'11~6ft

6'3

i have yet to not be able to carry anything in this bag

Hmm, I'm leaning towards the Vandal, since I have a Chrome Mini Metro for light trips. Now to decide if I want to wait for a sale or not. lawlz

I guess the hip strap isn't needed, because most people I see don't even have it on their bags. Haha

I have and have had the following
chrome backbone: huge comfy and sturdy
ortleib velocity: just the right size for most commutes and most peoples needs
wig custom backpack: it was one of their second series packs very comfortable very sturdy

I highly recommend the ortleib as its water proof and breathes well on the back as does the chrome but they n longer make that one
I had the wig pack for 3-4 yrs before it finally gave up and it was a great bag but didn't breath too good so you get really sweaty

http://missionworkshop.com/images/pr...backpack-1.jpg

trololololol

They literally have like a million pictures and a ****ing vimeo video on their site, Jesse, haha.

Also:

If you feel the Vandal may be too big, the Rambler is identical in design - just a smaller size.

The Vandal is quite large, so if you need the capacity of a "regular" backpack, the Rambler is it.

http://i.imgur.com/HwHzr.png
Hey asshat, did you see the part in my post where I said I saw the ones on their site? I wanted to see how it looked depending on how tall the person is, which is why I asked on the boards. See how I asked how tall jdgesus was, so I can then use that information in my decision? I tried asking the picture you posted and it has not yet responded. Yes, I've also seen the review videos. I do know how to use the internet. How's Japan without a bike?
http://i.imgur.com/FIkEq.png


Yeah, I'm kinda just torn between the two. I may just go try one out when I can.