Travel Technology - Good laptop bag and traveling with two laptops

I was wondering what everyone's suggestion for a good laptop bag is. Currently, I am using a Targus bag but the shoulder strap padding ripped (due to design) and it is uncomfortable to lug around. What is a good bag with decent storage for a book, notepad, laptop, laptop charger, and maybe a portable (caviar) harddrive.

Any suggestions?

I am used to using my Brenthaven Metro (http://www.brenthaven.com/catalog-metro-black.html) bag for my MacBook Pro but I need to be able to carry a Windows machine as well. Anyone have experience with the other Brenthaven bags? Anyone else travel with two laptops?

I use the Brenthaven Duo.

http://www.brenthaven.com/catalog-duo-oversize.html

Both my Thinkpad T42 and my Dell Latitude D820 fit into the center section, as long as you don't overload the rest of the bag.

A massive shoulder strap, although I tend not to use it much because the bag also includes a slipover strap for the handle of my rollaboard.

I've had mine for about a year with no wear problems.

A minor quibble: When carrying only one laptop, it can sometimes be a bit unbalanced when setting on a desktop - it will want to flop over on its side sometimes.

I travel with two computers and external drives (as well as Bose Headphones, books, change of clothes and such). My favorite was an actual hiking backpack but it broke too. I tried a Targus, Ogio, Gravis, and others. Those are now being used by my children :( because I didn't like them for whatever reason or they didn't work for me. I'm not lugging my Zero anymore, my Tumi isn't big enough, I'm tired of getting yelled at for my Jensen Rolling Hard Case being too large, and I'm gettng old and don't care much about brand name anymore so I feel like I'm downgrading but...

I've been using three lately depending on the trip, a Jansport Mullet (maybe no longer made), Jansport SuperBreak TCX9 (2280 cu inches), and a Ebags Macroloader (2300 cu inch). The Wife has used a JanSport Exchange (biggest one I've seen 2400 cu inch). They all fit my HP DV 8000 series plus my other smaller laptops with a lot of room to spare. My favorite, is probably the SuperBreak or the Exchange.

Take one of those backpacks plus a Rolling TravelPro Duffel and I'm good to go. Not the highest quality brands but they've worked for all my laptops and drives and junk. And I've actually gotten the JanSport replaced through their warranty :eek:

I love my Victorinox wheeled laptop bag. It holds both my laptops and has plenty of pockets and space for various other gadgets. Costco used to carry an excellent Victorinox model for about $100US.

An alternative solution, also with great bags, is Booq - http://booqbags.com/

I love my Victorinox wheeled laptop bag. It holds both my laptops and has plenty of pockets and space for various other gadgets. Costco used to carry an excellent Victorinox model for about $100US.

That's the bag I have as well... It's actually Wenger, not Victorinox. I believe it's similar to this model (http://www.wengerna.com/browse/product.jsp?prod_id=8239&cat_id=14&cat_name=Wenger%20Gear&sub_cat_id=63). It has a front section for odds and ends, a section for papers, a section that holds the removeable laptop "sleeve" (which is a decent laptop bag by itself), and a back section that's designed for a change of clothes or whatever, but could hold a second laptop easily.

The only problem I've found is that it doesn't fit under an airplane seat, so I usually have to remove the inner laptop sleeve, and put that under the seat, then just get up and get papers, cords, etc from the overhead if needed.

I hadn't seen it in a while at Costco, but I just saw it again in store last week for, I believe, $89.99.

I"m using a canvas bag from stmbags.com and easily fit my 15" MacBook Pro and Thinkpad in there, comfortably, along with the adapters and other objects de jure. I get LOTS of positive compliments.

However, it's not for everyone and it's unwheeled. I'm a bit of a pack mule.

Timothy

Thank you everyone for the great suggestions! I am probably going to stay away from rolling bags just because I tend to leave my laptop on while going through airports and I worry that the vibration could be bad on the harddrives.

I am going to look at these a little more and I'll let everyone know what I chose and what I think of it :)

I'm glad i'm not the only one crazy enough to carry two laptops around!!

I use a basic pacific design case purchased from Dell. Its not fancy, but it works well enough, even for two laptops.

I have a medium Cargo (http://www.sfbags.com/products/cargo/cargo.htm) from Waterfield, which I first read about on Flyertalk. I usually use it as a briefcase for papers and books and not my computer, but I've carried two laptops in it before.

It's a great bag, and they have a great money-back guarantee if you don't like it. They even customized mine with D-rings and a removeable shoulder strap for just $15, and were still willing to let me return it if I didn't like it. But I loved it, so I kept it.

Besides, no flyertalker should be without an airline seatbelt style clasp on their computer bag!

I usually carry two laptops when I travel as well and Security can be a bit of a pain, since each laptop needs to go in it's own tray, but I've been getting pretty good at it lately.

The best technique I've found is to take a stack of three empty security trays and put my laptop bag on the counter next to the stack of trays. Take one laptop out and put it in the top tray, then take that tray off the stack and set it on the counter. Take the other laptop out and put it in the next empty tray, then stack that on top of the tray with the first laptop. Finally, put the third empty tray on top of the new stack. I put my shoes, keys, cell phone, etc in the third tray. That way I only have my laptop bag and a stack of three trays to push down the counter and when I get to the X-Ray machine I seperate my trays and put them through one at a time. When they come out of the machine I re-stack them and repeat the process in reverse.

I strap this bag (http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=CUD1/OUD1)from Targus to my rollaboard. I don’t carry two laptops, but I can get my ScanJet 4600 in the second compartment.

For a $100 bag, it’s holding up pretty well.

I was wondering what everyone's suggestion for a good laptop bag is. Currently, I am using a Targus bag but the shoulder strap padding ripped (due to design) and it is uncomfortable to lug around. What is a good bag with decent storage for a book, notepad, laptop, laptop charger, and maybe a portable (caviar) harddrive. Targus will replace the shoulder strap for free. I sent a leather IBM PC bag back to them 6 or so months ago for the same reason and it was a discontinued model so I got to pick a similar leather bag of my choice - sure can't complain about their customer service.

OK, maybe not a direct answer, but now that there is good virtualization technology for Mac's (ie. Parallels), you can actually just carry the MAC and run your windows OS inside the MAC. Now, I just need to carry one laptop.

Some of my clients have a no-outside-laptop-allowed-on-our-network policy, which means two standard-sized laptops (theirs and mine) on those trips.

I quickly learned that no over-the-shoulder style bag would work. No matter how good the bag, traipsing thru the airport with 20 poinds hanging from one shoulder is painful.

I would not consider anything but a backpack for this situation.

Not a cheap solution but the largest Tom Bhin backpack will hold 2 laptops up to 17". You would have to buy 2 of his hanging sleeves though, but it would be a solution to last for years.

I've been surprisingly happy with the LL Bean Heatwave (http://www2.llbean.com/product/47991.htm) messenger bag I got last June, and I tend to get tired of/overly picky about laptop bags after about 6 months. I bought a neoprene sleeve for my 13" MacBook, stuck that in the smaller inside pocket and have taken it all over the place. Most comfortable shoulder strap I've ever had (thick and well-padded), and the bag doesn't scream "laptop" like so many others.

Capacity on the large size is good enough that I've used mine as my only bag for overnight trips -- including laptop, digital camera gear, and clothing for a 6'4" guy -- so a second laptop wouldn't be any problem.

And of course, LL Bean's warranty is top-notch, though I haven't had any problems so far (and I'm rough on traveling gear).