Timbuk2 Track Day Laptop Pack Review
The Timbuk2 Track Day Pack works awesome for carrying your laptop without advertising you’ve got one. I routinely use it for my carry-on while traveling and to haul it around town on my bike or motorcycle. I picked the Orange and silver color combination so it also helps to keep me noticed by cars – even though it’s not reflective it does stand out more.
The quick & dirty:
Where you can get one:
Timbuk2 at Gear.BootsnAll.com $89.95
Timbuk2.com $90.00
Backcountry $89.95Why it rocks:
High visibility colors available Completely protected laptop pocket Padded back Air-channel helps keep your back cool Slim profile Safety flasher loop (for bikers) Why it bites:
Minor annoyance with straps (read below) Dimensions: 15.5″ x 10.25″ x 1.75
Seat-of-the-pants rating: 9 out of 10 (I never give out 10’s)
Long Winded Version:
I’ve owned many different types of laptop bags from the James Bond style Zero Halliburton (yeah, I’m kind of a dork) to leather briefcases and plain-jane traditional laptop bags. I guess I have kind of a luggage fetish. I know every different laptop (some of you call it a notebook) bag has a different purpose or style in mind, but for all but formal business meetings, I find the Timbuk2 Track Day Pack works really well.
The high visibility orange and silver color scheme of my bag was a big selling point for riding my bike (or motorcycle) to help keep me in the other drivers’ attention. It’s not reflective, but if you want a bit more visibility, especially at night, there is a safety flasher loop at the bottom where you can attach your bike flasher lamp. It’s no wonder it has this feature, since Timbuk2 bags are designed for “real-life, hard-working bicycle messengers and cycling enthusiasts.”
The bag will fit laptops with dimensions up 15.5″ x 10.25″ x 1.75″ which Timbuk2 considers “medium” size, such as Apple’s 17″ Aluminum PowerBook or the 15.4″ MacBook Pro. I use it to hold my sub 3lb, micro-size Sony Vaio T350p. What real traveler wants to lug a 17″ around anyway?
Other bonus features include a headphone port for your MP3 player, a rubber base that is waterproof, an air-channel on the back that help keep you from sweating and convenient storage pockets, both inside and out. The laptop area is corduroy lined all the way around to keep it protected and scratch free. You can see most of these features in the pictures at the top of this page.
The only annoyance I have, and a minor one at that, is the extra strapping after adjusting the shoulder straps. I constantly have to re-tie them back to the straps because they come loose at motorcycle speeds.
Some people might consider $90 a bit steep for a laptop backpack, but I’m completely sold. The quality and durability are superior to any comparable ones I’ve seen, and function is hand-in-hand with form. I would highly recommend one.
Wanna buy one? You can get it from here:
Gear.BootnsAll.com $89.95