Thinkpads Forum

Does anybody have experience with the North Face Heckler?

http://www.ebags.com/the_north_face/hec ... elid=75829

Also who makes the best fitting sleeve for the T60p 15" with a 9-cell battery?

Does anybody have any experience with North Face backpacks? I ordered a 15" T60p with the 9-cell battery and I'm looking for a good backpack.

I use the Northface Recon with a 14" T60 and 6 cell battery and it fits snugly. I don't think a 15" with 9 cell is going to fit in a backpack with that same size compartment.

EDIT: and the Recon is small, so if you're looking around the bigger the better. I regret not getting a bigger pack, like the Osprey Focus.

I carry alot of stuff, along with my T60p, cameras, external HD's cables, adapters, dongles galore.

I need something that is large, comfortable, but still stylish enough to take into a business meeting with a client.

I use the Brazillion Dollar Home from Crumpler, the customizable space is just a complete winner.

See a video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COsC4TxNUb0

Anybody tried the lenovo back pack part number 73P3599 ?

After reading these messages, I bought the Attache leather carrying case from lenovo. That bag is absolutely amazing, and I would definately recommend it to anyone that needs a stylish bag, with great protection for the laptop.

I needed something professional yet creative, and after reading a lot about it, I finally purchased the Adobe messenger bag. i tried to find as much as I could online about it, but couldn't find much. So if you're interested in this as I was, maybe this mini-review will help.

Pros:
- Very professional looking.
- Fits the 15.4" T60 with 9-cell battery exactly. The inner laptop compartment has two snap points for the strap that secures it. The lowest one can fit a MacBook 13" just right, the higher one fits the 15.4" w/9cell.
- Lots of organizer pockets inside for cables, mouse, etc.
- Rain cover (very useful) that hides into the back pocket that keeps the leather safe from rain.
- Headphone routes onto shoulder strap.
- Fits everything I need to take around with me, including extra battery, iPod, wireless mouse, cables, headphones... and still have room for extra books.

Cons:
- Pricey $250
- Not easy to access laptop quickly. The top rolls down and is strapped down via compression straps which makes it very secure and water/dirt proof, but because it has to be rolled and strapped closed, it takes time to get in and out.
- The handle on top is attached closer to the back of the bag instead of being directly in the middle of the top. So if you carry the bag from just the top-carry handle, the bag tilts slightly downward.
- Not casual enough for me to feel comfortable with it - it's very business-like, which means that it attracts attention on the street to the contents inside.... vs. a plain messenger bag out of canvas, for instance. In other words, great for work, not for play.

That is a great looking bag ... can you take some pics and post it for us?

I just got this small bag, it can't be beat for price ($20.48 with shipping), its really well built with easy-to-use zippers, a cushy shoulder strap, strap for holding it on a roller suitcase handle, 2 file folders, good complement of organizer pockets, and its very easy to slip my T60p 15" in and out of it:



http://www.amazon.com/Transit-Top-Ergo- ... B000066BTC

I got it at my local Micro Center. Here it is with my T60p in it:



You can't see it in the picture, but there is another compartment in the middle section in front of the sleeve that holds the laptop, and a large pocket behind the blue compartments in the front of the case.

I just ordered this Crumpler bag on clearance at EMS for $48, down from $85: The Considerable Embarrassment

In terms of style, it's definitely more towards the creative and less towards the professional than nandaiyo's Adobe bag ... especially since EMS only has the orange model in stock. But for me and my work, I like it. The laptop dimensions look like they should fit a t60 pretty well. Width and narrowness are about perfect, but the t60 might stick out the top a little.

EDIT: looong url

gator wrote:That is a great looking bag ... can you take some pics and post it for us?

There are some nice detail pics here.

If I get a chance to take pics of the T60 inside the adobe bag I'll update this post with the pics.

The Adobe bag looks great, but I'm concerned about the ease of removing the laptop from it. I travel a lot, and when I'm traveling my laptop is in and out of its bag quite a bit (transiting airport security notwithstanding). Just how much of a chore is it to insert and remove the ThinkPad with this bag?

Thanks . . .

Man, I loathe the day I become too old to wear a backpack to work and have to switch over to brief-case styled bags

But for now, I offer my highest recommendation for the North Face Recon backpack. It has a laptop sleeve in the main compartment, and rests against your back so it has a firm backbone. The padded sleeve is equally padded as any portable notebook sleeve, but its secured in the backpack so it doesn't float around.

As a North Face product, it runs at about 80 dollars but has a lifetime warranty. I've had mine for three years now and its still new.

Did you guys who ordered the Waterfield sleeve go with a vertical or horizontal sleeve and did you get the flap?

I am looking to order one with the D-rings, suspension strap and piggyback for my T60p 15". Just need to a little help deciding on orientation and whether to go with a flap or not. Any suggestions and/or opinions you could pass along would be much appreciated.

shalliday wrote:Did you guys who ordered the Waterfield sleeve go with a vertical or horizontal sleeve and did you get the flap?

I am looking to order one with the D-rings, suspension strap and piggyback for my T60p 15". Just need to a little help deciding on orientation and whether to go with a flap or not. Any suggestions and/or opinions you could pass along would be much appreciated.

I got the horizontal w/ flap, d-rings, suspension strap and piggy. I don't currently use a backpack and wanted to use the sleeve to carry things around without my regular heavy bag. So far it's working very well. I used it at a conference this week and couldn't be happier.

(it's certainly easier to maneuver in the restrooms )

How weather resistent is the Waterfield sleeve? After digging around I cannot find any information about this.

Taken from the product description: "Cushioned with high-grade neoprene and wrapped in a ballistic nylon shell, our SleeveCases function as a stylish stand-alone laptop case or can be inserted into another bag."

Will the sleeve with the flap protect the laptop if it rains heavily? The sleeve is made out of very water resistent material, but the pictures show gaps when the flap is closed. Gaps, especially on top, will let in rain/snow into the sleeve.

A quality sleeve with a few pockets, such the Waterfield sleeve with flap and piggyback, sounds ideal. Yet there is the worry in terms of protection against rain and snow. After all, what is the point of having amazing shock/drop/water protection when slight rainfall will destroy the laptop.

idxman01 wrote:I got the horizontal w/ flap, d-rings, suspension strap and piggy. I don't currently use a backpack and wanted to use the sleeve to carry things around without my regular heavy bag. So far it's working very well. I used it at a conference this week and couldn't be happier.

I do not use a backpack either so the horizontal seems like the right choice for me as well. Thanks.

Regarding water resistance, Notebook.com has a WaterField Designs Laptop Sleeve Case Review where the sleeve was placed in a sink under running water for approximately half a minute and the interior remained dry.

idxman01 wrote:Regarding water resistance, Notebook.com has a WaterField Designs Laptop Sleeve Case Review where the sleeve was placed in a sink under running water for approximately half a minute and the interior remained dry.

I read that review and unless I am mistaken, it does not say that the sleeve was totally submered in water. Only the material where there is no opening was given the test. There is absolutely no way that submerging the whole sleeve in water would result in anything but a swimming laptop because the sleeve has a flat, not a water-tight and resistent zipping or locking mechanism. This is why I mentioned that a water-proof material is of no use if there are large gaps where rain and snow can get through. But it also could be that the sleeve does indeed protect against rain and snow if made properly and that is my question. Because there is no way to tell from the pictures.

I'll have to look at my sleeve with the laptop is inside, but I don't believe there were any huge gaps. The flap seemed to cover the top well, although there may have been small gaps if you didn't close it properly or were putting pressure on the sleeve.

(edit: I'll try to take some pics soon if that would help.)

-r

idxman01 wrote:I'll have to look at my sleeve with the laptop is inside, but I don't believe there were any huge gaps. The flap seemed to cover the top well, although there may have been small gaps if you didn't close it properly or were putting pressure on the sleeve.

(edit: I'll try to take some pics soon if that would help.)

Thank you very much. And pictures would definitely help.

A really nice, genuine-leather, business class, yet affordable option is sold at Costco online, here.

Of course you can always find the famed IBM black sleeve in eBay, like here.

I've only had my Gary Waterfield sleeve for my T60 for a few weeks, but I have to say that it has the best combination of aesthetics and function of any laptop bag I've ever owned. Having said that, while I would not take this out in a heavy downpour, it is certainly enough to protect the laptop during a mild drizzle.

I have the horizontal sleeve with the velcro flap. It does pull down tightly over the top, but I can imagine water running down the D-rings and eventually seeping through the top corners. That's fine for me, though... I know the bag isn't designed to be weatherproof. If you anticipate carrying your Thinkpad around a lot on rainy days, you'd probably be better off with one of the Cargo bags instead.

nombrecinq wrote:Does anybody have any experience with North Face backpacks? I ordered a 15" T60p with the 9-cell battery and I'm looking for a good backpack.

I have a NorthFace Surge.

BEST backpack and or case I have ever owned.. Here in NYC, nobody knows I'm a mobile computer workstation...

I mean BEST backpack. I have a lot...

AgenT wrote:

idxman01 wrote:Regarding water resistance, Notebook.com has a WaterField Designs Laptop Sleeve Case Review where the sleeve was placed in a sink under running water for approximately half a minute and the interior remained dry.

I read that review and unless I am mistaken, it does not say that the sleeve was totally submerged in water. Only the material where there is no opening was given the test. There is absolutely no way that submerging the whole sleeve in water would result in anything but a swimming laptop because the sleeve has a flat, not a water-tight and resistent zipping or locking mechanism. This is why I mentioned that a water-proof material is of no use if there are large gaps where rain and snow can get through. But it also could be that the sleeve does indeed protect against rain and snow if made properly and that is my question. Because there is no way to tell from the pictures.

I just received the WaterField Sleeves for my T60p and X31 Thinkpads. Both have the flap, d-rings, suspension strap and piggyback. After carefully looking over how the flap fits over the sleeve, the only place where I could see any potential gap for moisture to get in would be at the two outer edges where the flap folds over the sleeve. When I attached the suspension strap to the d-rings and then placed the strap over my shoulder, I noticed the material holding the d-rings in place, pulled tight against the sides and covered up the two top edges where any small gap might exist. Very clever design since in affect, the d-rings seals off both top corners of the sleeve to prevent moisture from getting in. Not to the point where you could submerge the sleeve under water but definitely seals well enough that I would not hesitate to use it in bad weather, including rain or snow.

Very pleased with the overall quality, construction and design of both Waterfield sleeves and the attachable piggyback makes it all that more versatile. Fits like a glove and very comfortable to carry. Definately "Two Thumbs Up"!

Im gonna try getting one of the Dicota or Samsonite cases... Much lighter that the default Thinkpad casing that comes with IBMs in Inida

www.dicota.com
www.samsonite.com

CRSO wrote:

nombrecinq wrote:Does anybody have any experience with North Face backpacks? I ordered a 15" T60p with the 9-cell battery and I'm looking for a good backpack.

I have a NorthFace Surge.

BEST backpack and or case I have ever owned.. Here in NYC, nobody knows I'm a mobile computer workstation...

I mean BEST backpack. I have a lot...

I checked out the Surge earlier this week, and while it's a great backpack, it's simply not suitable for the WS T60's. Too much effort getting the notebook into and out of the pocket.

Although I've been using a backpack for my previous laptop, I wound up leaving the store with a North Face Offsite briefcase. It had a reasonable number of pockets and dividers, and it's a breeze to get the T60 into and out of it.

As promised, here are some shots of the Adobe Messenger Bag, along with comments:


Here it is with the rain cover deployed. It covers the top, front, bottom and sides but not the back, which is fine since that's the side against your body when you're running in the rain.


With the T60, extra Ultrabay drive, mouse, a book and some cables, it still closes fine.


You can see how the top flap is rolled down.


When rolled open, it's a bit bulky, and hard to see inside since the bag becomes much 'taller'.


These are the straps that keep the top rolled down. Loosening them is quick, just hold one end down and pull up the tab. But closing it takes time, which is where the hassle comes in.


Inside, the T60p 15.4" fits snugly, with about .75" of room around it. The strap that holds it in has two snap-points. With the 9-cell battery it snaps fine on the biggest snap point. With the 6-cell, you could probably snap it down to the other closing point.


Here you can see the extra space.

Hope this helps.

That bag looks REAL nice, thanks for the pics. It is way, way out of my student budget, but looks like it is a very good bag. You should write a review on www.notebookreview.com