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Thursday August 20, 2009
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 Looking for a messenger-style bag, but hate the single shoulder strap? Timbuk2 has a new Swig Backpack in two sizes that'd be happy to help you out. It's basically got the messenger styling and utility that Timbuk2 is known for (as seen on the streets of San Francisco, New York, and Austin), plus it has backpack straps.
The durable Swig is available in two sizes, Small (holds up to 13-inch notebooks) for $80, and the Medium seen here (up to 17-inch notebooks) for $90. It's got a main compartment, like most messenger bags, that will swallow all your books and folders whole. The main compartment also has a built-in pouch for your notebook, with padding and a Velcro equipped strap to keep it in. It held the 15-inch MacBook Pro I used quite securely and safely. If you're the type that just dumps everything in one big pocket, then the Swig is your bag.
It might have a cathedral-like capacity, but that also means that the bag itself is huge. It's over 20 inches tall and 13 inches wide (7 inches deep), so it may look big on your back. The Small version is more proportioned for shorter folks. Though large, the Swig pack is comfortable to wear with both straps. The Swig's name does give it a hint to its ultimate purpose: the inside pocket can fit many bottles or cans of your favorite beverage and there's a "carbonated beverage opener" on one of the straps.
The bag also has a second internal pocket with a small zippered compartment for small items (keys, IDs, etc.), though I wish there were at least one more zippered compartment for stuff like power adapters and cables. A single large flap keeps the two pockets and all your stuff covered up. The downside to the large compartments and single flap is that small stuff like pens and USB keys may fall out if you turn the bag over: two Velcro strips supplement the two snap closures, but I'd like a little more to keep the bag fully closed. There are loops on the straps so you can attach external pouches to the pack. There is some back padding, but not nearly as much as in other bags like the Timbuk2 Commute Pack.
The Swig comes in four pre-made color combinations, including the gun metal/blue/gun metal combo seen here. You can also customize the bag on Timbuk2's website for a plethora of colors including reflective and "lightweight" materials. All in all, the bag is a comfortable, copious cache for all you stuff, but make sure you need the space, because it is a big bag.
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August 20, 2009 2:16 PM
When these came out I was pretty interested in them - I'm not normally a backpack person, but the under the shoulder access to your laptop through the side zipper is pretty compelling, especially for people who wear their backpacks and need quick access to their laptops.
Glad to hear it's nice and big, too! I carry my Macbook pro around in my Commute, and sometimes I think it's a little small.