Posts with tag messenger bag

With Labor Day approaching, many of us will be taking advantage of the three-day weekend by getting out of town. And one necessity of a weekend trip that ranks right up there with a toothbrush is a sturdy, stylish weekend bag. (That means you, gentlemen.)

After all, when the alternative is emptying out your stinky, sweaty gym duffel and stuffing it full of wrinkled clothes, investing in some new luggage doesn't sound half bad. Check out our roundup of some of the best men's travel bags out there and save yourself from disorganization--or from paying $50 to check your over-sized, half-empty suitcase.

With Fall just around the corner, it's time for the kids and the university students to get ready to go back to school. I remember when I was in middle school, buying a new backpack was always an ordeal because I desperately needed something cool and unique but didn't want to step so way out of bounds that I got teased excessively.

TokiDoki for LeSportsac: I had a TokiDoki bag for a while, until I realized that it was too cute for me. The loud, bright, cartoony patterns didn't fit in with the rest of my surly wardrobe, so I had to chuck it. However, I understand that the Kidrobot/designer toys look is still very popular these days and this TokiDoki stuff is still in high demand. The line offers some backpacks, which are naturally suitable for back-to-school time, but the messenger bags may also work. These bags are a little more expensive than the normal high-schoolers' gear, costing about six times that amount, but it's another symbol of status, isn't it? If you -- or your kid -- are into that sort of thing, go for TokiDoki.

I think I have about six messenger bags and only one "proper" purse. I have one bag in particular that I really love: my big, bright orange Lacoste messenger because it's just large enough to carry my travel sketchbook, my laptop, my iPod, and all other bits and bobs of my everyday life. Sometimes, however, even my largest messenger bag isn't enough to hold one of my bigger sketchbooks and I wish I had an easy (and cheap) way of making my own bag.

MAKE's video podcasts have always been a great source of easy, geeky "Weekend Projects," like making tiny solar-powered bots or your own one-speed bike. I know, I know; it's probably not very appealing to the fashion-savvy, but the most recent video podcast really interested me because of my aforementioned messenger bag problem. Using simple kitchen trash bags or plastic grocery bags, some wax paper, an iron, and a sewing machine, you can make a full-on messenger bag. It's a fashionable way to recycle and, since the materials are damn near free, experimenting with different methods or styles won't be a problem. I'm excited to get started on mine.

Continue after the jump to watch the video tutorial!

Timbuk2 is known for its well-crafted messenger bags and backpacks that can stand the test of time. The company, however, isn't exactly known for its fantastic aesthetic sensibility.

But Timbuk2's latest line of limited edition textile bags put a new twist on their somewhat bad taste. Dubbed "Good bag, bad couch", these bags take the tragic fabric of cast off furniture and turn it into the tragically hip carry-alls.

My favorite fabric is the Blumen upholstery, a spring floral that blends icky mustard with Barney the dinosaur purple. Sounds like a disaster, I know, but much like the way an acid neutralizes a base in chemistry, the mustard and purple end up looking fantastic together. If you're not a messenger bag person (I'm not), there's also a Blumen tote bag up for grabs.

Long ago, in the days before everybody and their brother rolled with a messenger bag, even before bike messenger extraordinaire Puck was on (and then voted off) MTV's The Real World, there was one messenger bag that everybody had to have: a black Timbuk2.

Sure, you may have gotten around town on a fixed-gear bike, and maybe you even wore an obscure Italian cycling cap with the brim flipped up, but without a Timbuk2 you were nothing. Straight out of the mean streets of San Francisco's financial district they came, and these bags took no prisoners.

Okay, so maybe these days you can order your own custom Timbuk2, and even Lands End makes a messenger bag. And, okay, perhaps the anti-establishment chic of the messenger bag is gone. But you can still go old school with a simple black Timbuk2.

Unlike the bra purse, which turns a decorated old bra into a handbag, I've found a way to make a surprisingly respectable homemade bag -- but in messenger bag form.

This version churns out quite the stylish messenger bag. Here's a few ways it "recycles" old products:

- The material of the bag is from an old advertising banner (which can be picked up from any sign-printing store I imagine).
- The small buckles are taken from the straps on shopping carts (apparently there are quite a few abandoned carts in L.A. -- I don't recommend stealing one from the local grocery store).
- The big buckle is from a suitcase (you know you have an old suitcase you need to get rid of, anyway!)
- The author of the guide got his Velcro and foam padding from a trashcan, which could certainly be avoided if you want to just buy the darn things, as they aren't expensive.

The process involves a lot of folding and cutting and being pretty crafty, but in the end, you'll have a very useful new bag (and it's completely customizable).

Seattle designer Eli Reich has managed to do it again. Reich founded Alchemy Goods with a single, brilliant motto ("turning useless into useful") single, brilliant product -- a messenger bag created entirely out of recycled bicycle tubes and seatbelt straps.

These days, Reich has one-upped himself with the Ad Bag, a carry-all constructed from advertising material that once graced the sides of buildings all over Seattle. Made from fabric built to withstand all the elements, this bag is tough ... in every sense of the word. $30 and it's yours.

Back in the day, messenger bags were predictable. They were monochromatic. They were worn slung over one shoulder. They were used by surly youth on fixed gear bikes.

I don't know if the surly youth have changed with the times, but messenger bags certainly have. The waterproof Ortlieb Messenger Classic takes the old-school messenger bag and adds a few new tricks. First of all, rather than the slung-across-one-shoulder look, Ortlieb goes seriously retro with two shoulder straps (as well as waist and sternum straps).

Even more unique is the closure. Whereas traditional messenger bags had a flap that velcroed to the side of the bag, the Ortlieb bag opens at the top. To seal it, you twist and roll it up, kind of like closing a bag of potato chips. Hot! $110.

What sets a messenger bag apart from the rest of the purses, handbags, and backpacks of the world? Is it the strap/flap combo? I've always thought of messenger bags as the unisex, friendlier, more casual version of a purse. But unfortunately that also means messenger bags are often designed plain and utilitarian, so I'm always glad to see one that has a little bit of personality.

These vinyl messenger bags are made from recycled New York City billboards. No two are the same, but you can specify your preference from the available colors and designs, or have a completely random bag sent if you're feeling lucky.

I almost forgot to mention, you also can feel good about using something that would otherwise be in a landfill. The recycled billboard messenger bag is available for $65 at BTC elements.