I was looking for a new laptop bag as my old one had gotten a bit ratty... There are hundreds of choices out there, fitting every price range imaginable. However, as I was looking I got to thinking...

Maybe I don't need a dedicated laptop bag! Perhaps I should get a nice sized shoulder carry-on that expands, or has a modest profile while still providing ample room to pack items. But what about all the useful pockets and compartments usually afforded in a dedicated laptop bag? I realized I could do without that now.

I have a nice lightly padded laptop sleeve/case with handles that can slip inside a weekender bag. It even has a single zipped side pocket, that I can organize the contents with a small Grid-It. Works like a charm. And a nice ziplock bag to catch any of the "little things" like paper clips, mini SD card adapters, etc.

In doing this I was able to replace my aging laptop bag with a well made and stylish Victorinox Tourbach 2.0 shoulder bag. It has two nice rectangular compartments where I can pack clothes or opt to carry a laptop. And two dedicated external zipper pockets for various odds/ends, as well as a slim zippered compartment for magazines, papers, etc. Thus, it's a dual purpose bag. When not being used for air travel, it's suitable as a laptop briefcase, just about 1.5" wider and taller than my original laptop case. Not too much to become unwieldy. What's also great is that one compartment could be dedicated to my laptop, while the other could carry some clothing items as an "overflow" from my wheeled carry-on.

Just something to consider if you're in the market for a new laptop bag.