Upgrade Your Gear: Ditch the Outdated Duffel, Meet the Appropriate Messenger

I am not sure how much walking you do throughout the day but if your living situation is like mine, then you probably walk all around town. Living in a city means lots of convenience and most of what you need is accessible in just a few blocks walk. What I am getting at is that doing so much walking calls for a great bag to carry all of your things. I used to have a laptop type carrying case that I would jam other books and materials into along with my laptop. The space was OK, but the quality was terrible and the zipper would always give me troubles. The worst part was the short, uncomfortable strap that would constantly slip off my shoulder and pull my suit-coats and blazers down off my shoulder and twist up my collars. Needless to say, after experiencing this unpleasantness everyday it wore on me. Not only is the functionality important, but whatever your lugging around with you should reflect...well, you. Even though some of the menswear sites and magazines are praising the come-back of the leather pack back, I hate having a back pack on when I am wearing a suit. For that matter, I hate the look of a back pack when I am wearing anything, its just a little to childish for me. So, what are some great bags? I really feel that you cant go wrong with the messenger bag. Not the ones that the street bicycle riders sport with the seat belt buckle for the clasp that holds the bag up on your back while you ride through the city. I am talking about one like this Levis Canvas Messenger Bag. (Buy It Here).


With a bag like this one your going to be able to fit all of your materials, the product is going to hold up , and its going to be comfortable on your shoulder. If you like a more professional look then I would suggested a bag like this one


This is actually the bag that I use currently. Its very durable and has tons of space in it. There are at least three different compartments to separate your laptop from your books from your papers. The strap is a great length and the solid brown leather lends its self to a more professional look. I can go from using this bag to take my laptop down to the coffee shop, to loading up for a meeting and toting it with me while I am dressed in a suit. Also, the leather gets a vintage look to it after a couple of months which I really like.

To switch gears a little bit, I move to the weekend bag. If you make a lot of two day trips, tend to leave the city for weekends, or have a significant other with whom you stay with often then you need to invest in a great weekend bag. Especially with the Summer right around the corner, trips to the lake, beach or pool might require you to have one of these great bags on hand. Awhile ago I used to use this late 90's sport tech looking duffel bag that was way to big for what I needed it for. I would literally put one pair of shoes, pants a shirt and my shaving kit in a bag that could hold a weeks worth of gear. Needless to say much like my busted up laptop case, carrying this behemoth around got old real quick. A simple canvas weekend bag will do you a world of good if your out of the house like I am. Here are a couple of options that are really affordable and will get the job done.

Bag By Ralph Lauren


Bag By Banana Republic



Simple Canvas Weekender

Do your self a favor and stop dealing with the busted up, old bag your using now and upgrade your gear. You will feel relieved to throw a comfortable messenger bag over your shoulder whether your headed into work or to the coffee shop to relax. Don't forget about weekends either, ditch the outdated duffel and pack accordingly.