Being a provider of premium training means you have to travel and travel quit a bit. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, but it does have some perks. I have had the absolute pleasure of traveling all over our beautiful country and seeing places I more than likely wouldn’t have visited. As it stands right now, there are only two states we haven’t trained in and I’m sure that will remedied at some point.

What’s in a bag?

Part of traveling is packing and it is more an art than anything. With weight restrictions and equipment requirements I rely heavily on my travel bags to get me there and back. I have gone through so many bags, boxes and everything in between and every now and then you stumble across something noteworthy.

I put so much emphasis on my gear bags that I sort of overlooked my “carry-on” bags for the longest time. A friend turned me on the courier/messenger bags and honestly while I wasn’t about to sell the farm, they did the job pretty well. However, on a recent trip to New York (see article here) I realized the error in my ways and decided it was time to go back to a backpack type bag. I have always had an eye for quality, mission driven gear and the folks at Arc’Teryx are known for their outstanding outwear, but they have some pretty well thought out bags as well. The Blade 24 series represents outdoor intelligence for everyday use.

Mobile office in bag

IMG_6057I needed a bag that I could shove all my mobile office crap that I lug to classes. I know it seems pretty easy right, a laptop some cords and maybe a notebook. Well, it is a bit more complicated and while the courier bag allowed me to shove stuff in, it wasn’t as organized as I would have liked and I’m all about organization. I like knowing exactly where something is so in the dark I can retrieve it with little to know fan fair. Yes, I know I am not going to have to retrieve my iPad in pitch blackness in order to defuse a bomb, but some habits die hard and I find it makes for smooth sailing while on the road.

Form and function

What appeals to me right away is the sleek and modern look. There is no moral patches or molle on the outside so it’s discreet. The back stays and shoulder straps are well padded and the aluminum stays give it just the right amount of rigidity. Side and top carrying handles are great for shoving in and pull out of the overhead bins. Since this is mainly a computer bag I really like the side opening feature and my Macbook fits snug in the suspended sleeve.

There’s a pocket for that

IMG_6058I love all the pockets and organizers, they are very well thought out. You don’t realize how many little things you have until you need to organize and then find them. A unique feature I love is the lightly colored interior that makes for easy location of the small or hard to reach items. I was disappointed mine didn’t come with the red lining I had seen, but I got over it pretty quickly.

My trips are now way more comfortable going back to a backpack. Zipping through security is a lot easier now a days for me, so comfort and style are definitely more important.

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