Pickwick BagPickwick RucksackPickwick SmallNice BackpackSmall BackpackJansport BackpackRucksack BackpackBackpacks JansportRucksack FashionForwardSuch a back pack is what I was telling you about on Monday evening but now its blue in color @IAmBryanEmry Back(pack) to School: Etsy Backpack Finds August 15, 2012, 16:30 pm  Posted by Lark It’s that time of year: new notebooks, a fresh haircut, and a clean slate (ooh, literally and figuratively!). The Back to School season is upon us! Whether you’re sending your little ones off to their first day of kindergarten, or you’re a savvy collegiate dissecting Dante’s Comedia, you know the value of a good backpack. It’s what you use day after day, and it’s just your style. From basic black canvas to colorful critter bags to glossy leather satchels, the backpack is a student’s best friend (I know, I know, college kids: coffee is arguably a student’s best friend). The backpack finds featured below shine a spotlight on a fantastic range of styles, and we thank the talented Etsy artists who created them for making us all want to go back to school!

Leather Messenger Bag :: by LeatherJoy Su Lin Panda Backpack :: by bratpacks The Wayfarer Backpack :: by sketchbook Waxed Canvas Backpack *Vegan! Hippopotamus Canvas Backpack :: by catbirdcreatures Laptop Backpack in Grey :: by Marinsss People aren’t the only ones who need reliable backpacks! Personalized Leather Dog Backpack :: by harlex Canvas City Backpack :: by sineminugur Handmade Leather Briefcase :: by Casami2012 Personalized Patchwork Backpack :: by lakesideembroidery Elephant Backpack :: by HeavenlyCreaturesArtFjällräven Bags1 110110 00Bucketlist TravelFjallraven BagBackpack 110Backpack PerfectoBackpack GeniusShort HandlesForwardFjällräven - Totepack No. 1: carry it by the short handles, on one shoulder, or as a backpackWe got the tube to Heathrow for our first flight to Vancouver, it was then that I knew I’d made a huge mistake. The flight departed at 20:55, which meant a Friday rush hour trip on the Piccadilly line.

This is an unpleasant enough experience, without the addition of a 70L ‘gap year’ rucksack. ywam backpackIt wasn’t my fault, I’d been in the UK’s army reserve since I was 17, and a cadet before that. aggressor backpack vacuumIt had been drilled into me to be prepared and that bags are supposed to be heavy, it’s almost a rite of passage. sedna backpackBut on that underground train, I realised that this type of packing wasn’t go to fly in our new nomadic lifestyle.yingfa backpackFast forward to the tail end of 2014, I’m at Hong Kong’s ridiculously large airport heading over to Thailand for 3 months. utility backpack gw2

I’ve got a tiny 26 litre backpack casually thrown across a shoulder which tops out at 12kg. tosca laptop backpack on wheelsThe tiny bag, coupled with some impressive Hong Kong’ian logistical efficiency means I’m off the train and into the departure lounge in a speedy, fuss free 20 minutes.This is an unapologetically long post. It’s an in-depth look at what gear I use to travel around the world, constantly, with only a 26L backpack. It’s written for the gear freaks and professional travellers. Newbies and veterans alike. If you just want to see the list, then skip to the end. If however, you’ve got a cup of tea and 15 minutes for a story, then read on.*Why not read the June 2015 update of this packing list when you’re finishedThe story starts with the backpack. Luggage is one of the most contencious issues in the travel community. Everyone has their brand of choice, and mine is Tom Bihn.They’re not a well known company outside of the ‘professional traveller’ community.

You won’t see them on Amazon or in Walmart. They don’t have a referral program so don’t appear on many travel blogs. Instead, they concentrate on quality, well designed products. As often is the case, the people shouting the loudest aren’t necessarily the ones to listen to.We visited Tom Bihn’s Seattle factory on a rainy June morning and saw the team of seamstresses in the company factory. Unfortunately we didn’t get to meet the founder and lead designer the company is named after. But we left the factory shop with a confidence that we’d made the right decision, and 2 brand new backpacks.I chose the Smart Alec bag. Its a 26L all black bag and to the casual observer it doesn’t look special or unique. For the one bag traveller, standing out and looking like a traveller isn’t the aim. This is not the place for fashion statements.It’s constructed of ballistic nylon which is custom made in the US for Tom Bihn. The interior is lined with an equally specialist nylon ripstop fabric imported from Japan.

When you touch it, it’s like closing the door on a VW Golf. You immediately trust the engineer behind the design.As well as the material quality, there is evidence of a craftsmans presence in the tiny details. It’s easy to make a rucksack, it’s difficult to make a rucksack you can live out of and it’s almost impossible to make one which you enjoy living out of.The zips are big, chunky and have a water repellent seal. The top carry handle is soft, large and padded. You’ll find o-rings at strategic places around the bag to securely attach valuables. The side pockets each have a grommet in the bottom to drain the water from your water bottle which will leak at some point.Inside the main compartment you’ll find 2 connectors. Tom Bihn sell a TSA approved laptop sleeve which has 2 webbing rails on the back. Once assembled, the sleeve glides up and down which not only keeps your laptop secured to the back of the bag, but allows you to breeze through airport security.26 litres doesn’t sound much, but when it’s been designed with this sort of attention to detail, it’s cavernous.