Tough, rugged, good-lookin' messenger-style laptop bag
Recently, one of my Sunday morning guilty pleasures has been watching reruns of Eco-Challenge. You know that crazy, "like Survivor only it's real" expedition race that Mark Burnett hosted for a few years. These Eco-Challengers raced across British Columbia, Borneo, New Zealand and Fiji. And every time I see an episode, all I can think is, "Man, are they wet!". These crazy racers are in and out of the water, whether paddling a kayak, a white-water raft or a homemade bamboo Fijian bili-bili. I squirm and protectively reach over to my precious laptop and other electronic accoutrements, "Don't worry little MacBook, I won't take you into the Fijian jungle."
My MacBook remained unconvinced: our Sunday morning quality time had been usurped by Eco-Challenge and I had that crazy adventure racing look in my eye.
Fortunately, the folks over at Spire must have heard my MBP's uneasy rumblings. They sent over an Endo courier bag to review. Once I opened the box, I knew my MBP's sanity would be restored. Why? Three things immediately made me feel that the Endo is Eco-Challenge worthy:
1. The big-ass buckle closure on the front of the bag.
On any Eco-challenge, you need confidence. This buckle closure (and its sister closure on the shoulder straps) exudes confidence. "I am a big buckle, a strong buckle, a serious buckle. Not a shrinking violet buckle. I will keep your laptop secure." Word.
2. The well zippered pockets on the outside and inside.
Zippered pockets on laptop bags are your best friends. When your bag is rolling around inside a canoe, the back seat of your car or in an airplane overhead compartment, you don't want your stuff falling out and rolling around with it. These zippered pockets (complete with glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls!!) ensure that your stuff does not escape.
3. A drawstring cinch around the interior sleeve.
One of my beefs with laptop bags is that they might be constructed from water-resistent fabric, but their design still lets water leak in through the corners of the flap. Spire has created a design triumph! They have placed a drawstring cinch above the sleeve and interior pocket (you can see it in the photo below). So when your laptop is inside the sleeve, you cinch the extra material at the top of the sleeve (this extra material even has its own clever gussetting). And then you can fold the flap of the bag down. But this extra cinch protects your laptop against rain or snow that can sneak in at the corners of the flap in most messenger bags. BRILLIANT!! Whether you are an expedition racer or a bike courier, you will love this feature!
The shoulder strap for the Endo is super comfortable. It also has a removable waist strap with four attachment points, depending on your preference. On the back of the bag, there is an additional pocket which doubles as a pass-through for a rolling luggage handle.
I really like the Endo and am very comfortable keeping my laptop in it - whether in the wilds of Borneo or the rain-drenched streets of Vancouver - I'm confident it will stay dry and secure. Spire has done an amazing job thinking through the design of this bag, and their roots in Boulder, Colorado and the great outdoors really shows.
The Endo retails for $90 USD and comes in three colours. For smaller or larger laptops, they have the Viro and the Mojo, respectively. For those of you who are look for a great bag for your 17" laptops, the Mojo is definitely one to check out!
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