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The Piorama A10 is a bag that can transform from a small sling bag into a giant 62L duffel

The Adjustable Bag from Piorama will replace all of your sling bags, backpacks, and duffel bags because it can expand and contract from a small 31L day bag all the way up to a huge 62L travel sized duffel bag. It also converts from a backpack to a shoulder bag so you can carry it in a way that’s most comfortable for you.

The A10 is made of PU treated nylon with a 210D polyester lining and ABS hardware. It’s been designed with a drawstring on each end that is used to adjust the size from small, to medium, and up to the largest size. It comes with a shoulder strap and two backpack straps and is available in a variety of colors including camo.

You can buy the Piorama Adjustable Bag A10 for $149 from piorama.co

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The Piorama A10 is a bag that can transform from a small sling bag into a giant 62L duffel originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 18, 2018 at 4:15 pm.

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The Coach phone crossbody bag is a perfect go-to-lunch bag

Unless you’re one of those ladies who can stuff everything you need in your pockets, you probably carry some sort of bag whenever you leave the house.  When you leave for work, you probably have to carry a bigger bag to fit everything you need for your job plus the things you need for the day away.  And you probably don’t want to lug that bag around when you go out for lunch or stop off to run a couple of errands on the way home.  Having a small bag just big enough for cash, cards, and a phone tucked away in your large bag makes those quick runs easier.  Coach has a crossbody phone bag that’s perfect for those quick errands or a lunch outing.

The Coach Phone Crossbody is made of smooth leather.  Inside, it has all the functionality of a normal Coach wallet, plus it has room for a phone.  The wallet has a snap closure, as does the interior phone sleeve.  It has six card slots and a zippered pocket for cash, coins, or other small items.  The strap has a 22.5″ drop so you can wear it as a shoulder or crossbody bag.  You can remove the strap for use as a normal wallet.

Closed, the tri-fold wallet measures 7″ x 3.75″.  It can accommodate all phones up to the size of an iPhone X and Samsung S7 Edge.  It’s available in black or oxblood with light gold hardware, melon or heather gray with dark gunmetal hardware, or marine or peony with silver hardware.

The Coach Phone Crossbody is $135.00 at Coach.

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The Coach phone crossbody bag is a perfect go-to-lunch bag originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 18, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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United By Blue Lakeland Laptop Bag review

Looking for a simple, good looking bag for the office or school? United By Blue’s Lakeland Laptop Bag may be worth your consideration. It’s a charmer that’s got classic styling and great usability. It also comes from a company that’s dedicated to a noble environmental mission. Let’s learn more!

What is it?

It’s a 12 liter canvas laptop bag with leather accents & brass hardware that’s part messenger and part briefcase.

Hardware specs

  • 100% organic waxed 18 oz. cotton canvas
  • Vegetable tanned leather handles
  • Solid brass hardware
  • YKK zipper
  • 12 liter volume
  • Dimensions: 15” wide by 13.75” tall by 4.5” deep

Design and features

The United By Blue Lakeland is an elegant, classically-styled bag that combines the structured form of a briefcase with the convenience of a messenger bag. Not only is it good looking, but the thoughtful layout makes the Lakeland a very easy bag to live with.

Let’s start with the build. 100% organic waxed 18 oz. cotton canvas is the primary material, backed by a cotton fabric lining throughout the bag. The handles, straps, and trim are done in vegetable tanned leather accented with gorgeous brass hardware throughout. The style elements are understated, allowing the materials to speak for themselves. Stitching and assembly are rock solid throughout, with clean finishing on all the seams and stress points. Check out the close-up shots below:

The layout of the Lakeland is all about easy access to your gear. The front and rear face each have an 8” by 15” open pocket for stashing quick-grab items like keys, earbuds, your smartphone, a notebook, or a standard-sized tablet (my 9.7″ iPad fits perfectly in either pocket).

The main compartment is protected by a 3″ storm flap that buckles down to the front face of the bag for extra protection. A full-length brass YKK zipper opens to the main compartment; it’s the only zipper in the whole layout.

The interior padded laptop sleeve is expandable to accommodate different sized or multiple devices. That’s a Lenovo 15″ Thinkpad in my pictures for reference. I can also fit a 12.9″ iPad Pro in its smart case in that pocket behind the Thinkpad. The bellows-style design allows for books or notebooks to ride in there as well.

On the opposite interior face is a series of pockets: two 7” by 8 1/2” pockets, which will fit up to a 9.7″ iPad; two 4” by 7” pockets, which will fit up to an iPhone 7 plus; and a trio of pen loops. You’ll notice from the picture that you still have room for a couple of items riding in the main compartment, depending on how you load up the laptop sleeve.

The interior sports 1/4” foam padding on the front, back, and sides for additional electronics protection. While the base is not padded, the padded laptop sleeve does protect the bottom of your moneymaker against drops. There are also leather bumpers on the bottom corners to add some additional protection. 

You have multiple carry options with the Lakeland. There’s a leather handle on either side of the zip that snaps together with a 4” by 5” strip of leather for a wide, comfortable grip. The removable shoulder strap is made from cotton webbing and leather with brass hardware and can be adjusted from 34” to 44” for one-shoulder or cross-body messenger carry. A 2-1/4” by 6” leather shoulder pad is also included.

Performance

 

I love the soft, floppy feel of the materials in this bag. It’s got a great texture and hand feel inside and out. That floppiness also adds to the flexibility of this bag: since there is no hard structure, it will flex to adapt to odd shaped items or extra packing. It’s also a tall bag at 13.75″, which allows you to stack items (like a lunch) in the main compartment if necessary. Coupled with the two external pockets, this enables you to take full advantage of every square inch of the bag. It feels like it carries more than it’s 12 liter measured capacity

I also really like the simple, open pocket layout. When the storm/security flap is released, the zipper underneath opens nice and wide for easy access to the interior. The laptop pocket is a deceptively large and flexible space. The dual large/small pockets on the opposite face give me all kinds of options for organizing notebooks, chargers, business cards, and assorted office gear. And I still have the open exterior pockets for my quick-grab stuff. If you’re always running between meetings or classes, you’ll appreciate the ability to get to anything in your bag quickly and painlessly.

The classic style of the bag also transitions easily from business to casual environments. You won’t feel awkward wearing this bag with a suit or sports jacket, but you can easily dress it down for business casual meetings or the classroom and not feel like you’re overdressed.

It’s also super light, which makes for an easy day-to-day carry. I do wish it had a larger shoulder pad (8″ would be perfect!), but it’s so light to begin with that this isn’t a huge comfort issue unless you’re really loaded up. The cotton-webbed shoulder strap backing also helps with this.

I only have a couple of nitpicks with the Lakeland Laptop Bag. While I love the softness of the materials, the cotton lining looks like it will pick up stains or marks from pens, spills, and such. The waxed canvas side is treated for weather protection, but I will probably add some additional treatment to be safe. I did find that the snap handle and storm flap can lead to some fumbling if you’re in a pinch to get into the main compartment, but the extra security is nice if you’re on a crowded train. Also note that, while the storm flap protects the main compartment, the front, and rear exterior pockets could trap some water.  Be careful in the rain!

I’ll be interested to see how the durability holds up during long-term testing. I have no concerns based on my first few weeks. United By Blue also provides a lifetime warranty against failure through normal use, so you have some nice security standing behind your purchase.

About United By Blue

There’s more to United by Blue than just outdoor gear and apparel. The company is a certified B-corp that is committed to social and environmental responsibility. Clean waterways and oceans are at the heart of their mission. They organize regular waterway cleanups on the East Coast with special events across the country and are committed to removing one pound of trash from our oceans and waterways for every product they sell. You can learn more about their volunteer cleanup operations here. It’s a noble missio, and one that I can get behind.

What I like

  • Classic materials
  • Simple, functional, flexible layout
  • Looks great in formal business and casual business/school situations
  • Great company with an environmentally-focused mission
  • Has surprising capacity for a 12 liter bag

What needs to be improved

  • Would like a slightly longer shoulder pad
  • Interior cotton lining could pick up stains and marks

Final thoughts

The United By Blue Lakeland Laptop Bag combines some of the best elements of a briefcase and a messenger, and makes for a great crossover bag between business and casual situations. It’s a very easy bag to live with on a day-to-day basis if you’re constantly running between classes or meetings. You can also feel good knowing that your purchase goes towards supporting an environmentally-focused mission. What’s not to like?

Price: $148
Where to buy: Purchase the Lakeland at the United By Blue web site.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by United By Blue.

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United By Blue Lakeland Laptop Bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 10, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag review

Eleven years ago I reviewed the Saddleback Leather Company Briefcase. It was the first of many Saddleback Leather Co. bag reviews that we’ve posted here on The Gadgeteer and it was my introduction to their rugged full-grain leather bags. After reviewing that first bag, I believed their motto that “They’ll fight over it when you’re dead”.

Today I’m going to show you SB’s newest bag, the Flight Bag, which reminds me of that first SB bag that I reviewed over a decade ago. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag is a full-grain leather bag that is available in 4 colors that include standard Tobacco, Dark Coffee Brown, Chestnut, and Black. They sent me a Flight Bag in Chestnut, which is a deep warm reddish brown with a matte finish that is smooth but not oily or waxy feeling.

The bag that was sent to me looks 99% perfect as far as the leather goes, but remember that bags from Saddleback are made of full-grain leather and some bags may have some natural marks from previous injuries to the animal. Some people might not like these “defects”, so keep that in mind.

The Flight Bag was designed to be carried like a briefcase by the two rolled and stitched handles, or as a shoulder bag by attaching the included adjustable leather shoulder strap.

Design and features

When I unboxed the Flight Bag, the scent of leather smacked me right in the face… in a good way. Unlike some leather bags that smell like they were drenched in a vat of chemicals, this bag smells good enough to eat. I advise against that though.

At first glance, the Flight Bag truly did remind me of that first Saddleback Leather Co. bag that I reviewed long ago. Like that bag, this new bag has two buckled pockets on the front that can be used to hold your smaller EDC gear.

To give you an idea of the size of the front pockets, I’ve placed two 3-packs of Word 3.5 x 5inch pocket notebooks in one of the spacious pockets. There’s still plenty of room left in the pocket which is approximately 7 inches tall, 5.5 inches wide, and 1.5 inches deep. Since the leather isn’t completely rigid, the pockets can stretch to hold various types of gear like chargers, notebooks, pens, phones, wallets, etc.

The flaps of the pockets are not sewn into the bag itself, which means that you can store some items behind the pockets.

The Flight Bag doesn’t have a lot of branding on it. On the front above the main buckle is a stamp of Saddleback Leather Co. founder Dave Munson’s dog Blue wearing a sombrero. You can read all about Dave and Blue’s adventures south of the border here.

If you flip the bag around to look at the back, you’ll see the Saddleback Leather Co. logo and a large open-topped pocket that can hold flat items like magazines, folders, newspapers, books, etc.

The pocket on the back is about 7 inches tall by 13 inches wide. The image above shows how a magazine looks stored in this pocket. Yes, a standard magazine does stick out a bit.

The sides of the Flight Bag do not have any pockets, but there’s a heavy-duty D-ring on each side that is used as an attachment point for the included shoulder strap.

The leather seams on the bottom of the Flight Bag keep the bag’s base lifted up off the floor to help keep it clean. There are also 4 steel D-rings on the bottom of the Flight Bag. One on each corner. These rings can be used to attach something to the bottom of the bag. It would be nice if SaddleBack had included some sort of bungee cord or straps for the bottom so you could more easily use the D rings to hold items like an umbrella to the bottom of the bag.

The adjustable shoulder strap has strong spring-loaded swivel clips that clip to the side D-rings. The strap has a shoulder pad and can be adjusted to fit almost any size for height challenged to tall people.

Unlike other Saddleback bags that I’ve reviewed, the Flight Bag has a really cool way to secure the contents of the bag. Nope, it’s not a standard buckled flap, although the Flight Bag does have a buckle.

The top of the bag has two small tabs that you grip and pull open.

The rigid frame at the top hinges open to reveal the bag’s interior. The hinge mechanism keeps the bag open with no worries that it will close on its own while you’re inserting or removing items, which is really convenient if you like to have easy access to your gear at all times.

This closure style reminds me of an old-time doctor’s bag and is what I believe is considered a Gladstone style hinge. It’s unique, but it does have one problem… It takes two hands to open and close the bag, making it a little awkward if you need to open the bag while you’re carrying it.

The interior of the Flight Bag is lined on the front and back walls with a soft pigskin. The bag is basically a large open area except for a soft floppy open-topped pocket made of pigskin that you can use to organize items that you carry. The Flight Bag also has a false bottom that you can lift up to hide flat papers.

To give you a better idea of how large the bag is, I’ve placed my 12″ MacBook in the bag which you can see in the image above. The Flight Bag’s 15 x 5.5 x 9-inch interior can hold a lot of gear.

I do wish that the bag offered a way to organize smaller items like pen, pencils, and more inside the main compartment. I suppose that you could put smaller things in a dedicated pouch, but I’d rather have a few pen slots and smaller pockets inside the bag itself in addition to the two pockets on the outside.

Even though the Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag holds a lot of gear it’s not unwieldy as far as its size. To give you an idea of how large it is, I am 5’6″ tall and weigh 130 lbs.

Although the Flight Bag is a manageable size, it’s definitely not a lightweight bag. With nothing in it, it weighs in at 5 lb 10 oz. with the shoulder strap attached. Load it up and this bag will give you a nice workout carrying it around from place to place during your busy day.

What I like

  • 100-year warranty
  • Rugged good looks
  • Roomy
  • That yummy leather smell

What needs to be improved

  • Expensive
  • Lack of organization in the main compartment
  • Takes two hands to open and close the bag

Final thoughts

Even though I knew I wouldn’t find any problems, I checked this bag many times looking for defects, questionable workmanship, and less than stellar materials. I wasn’t wrong and didn’t find any. That’s because this bag is made by Saddleback Leather Company and I’ve yet to review one of their bags or products that disappointed me as far as the construction and craftsmanship. Everything about the Flight Bag from the tough full grain leather, to the marine-grade thread and reinforced copper rivets, make this bag the type of bag that you will use and carry for decades.  I have to say that this is the nicest Saddleback Leather Company bag that I’ve ever reviewed.

Now, there’s no denying that Saddleback Leather Company makes gorgeous leather bags. But they aren’t for everyone due to their weight and more importantly, their price tag. Most people don’t have a budget for a high-end bag like this one. But if you do, and this is the style of bag that you enjoy using and carrying, you will not be disappointed with the Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag.

This is the type of leather bag that only gets better the more miles it has on it. Saddleback Leather warranty it for 100 years, so they are confident that it can stand the test of time and I can’t disagree with that.

Price: $479. On April 10 it will be updated to its regular MSRP of $529
Where to buy: Saddleback Leather Company
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Saddleback Leather Company.

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Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 5, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The TYPE – II: Camera Bag and Travel Kit by VINTA just might be the answer for hiking with photography gear


I wonder how many of my fellow photographers and filmmakers would join me in confessing to being a gear “bag-a-holic”? Yes, I Know!! That is my made-up word, but it adequately describes my addiction to gear bags and my quest to find the perfect one, or at least the perfect one for each event. Just today, I was merrily surfing the internet and once again I became excited when I came across yet another bag that seems to be full of possibilities and a promising fit for some niche.

The TYPE – II: Camera Bag and Travel Kit by VINTA seems to be a well-made bag that is attractive and designed to accommodate several configurations of camera gear as well as daily non-camera stuff. The backpack has many pockets and compartments for all the accessories that you would carry, and there are two inserts that are available, which are a camera pack and a travel pack. Bottom straps for carrying additional blankets or similar items are also available.

Some of the other features of the bag include a dedicated laptop sleeve and zip, a D-Ring side attachment, multiuse and EDC pockets, and a side attachment for gear like a tripod. A field pack is also available. It boasts the ability to be able to carry a tripod, a 15” laptop, one large and three small lenses, and two camera bodies, all at once. It is also waterproof.

If you are as intrigued about the TYPE – II: Camera Bag & Travel Kit as I am, you can head over to the Vinta website and check it out. You can pick one up starting at $254 for the bag and the Travel Kit, or $264 for the bag and Camera Kit combination. Amazon has the main bag for less than $250.

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The TYPE – II: Camera Bag and Travel Kit by VINTA just might be the answer for hiking with photography gear originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 4, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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