Timbuk2Blink Pack, Jet Black, One Size

This is a great back pack for a daily commute or short travel. I love how the main pocket opens like a suitcase for easy access and organization. I also love that there aren’t a million useless compartments. It is very well laid out and very well built. I expect this bag will last me a long long time

I got this thinking it would be good for short trips, and it's been absolutely fantastic. The bag is small enough that if you don't overpack it, it'll fit under airplane seats, on your lap on a taxi, and in small lockers, yet its clamshell opening allows you to use stuffpacks and use it like a suitcase. The straps and back padding don't have a full suspension, but are sufficient for point-to-point travel with a few hours of carry here and there.The smooth material makes it so it's decently rain/splashproof, and when you're maneuvering it around in tight spaces, it's very easy to squeeze and slide, but never slippery, and the material offers some rigidity so it's not flopping all over the place. The laptop pouch offers decent protection, and there assortments of pockets in the same area are easily accessible.Some minor things:I wish it had more pockets on the front and inside of the bag itself.I wish it had a pocket for water bottles on both sides; not just one.If you're considering a bag for max carry-on, you might want to consider how big such a bag can be. The Blink is much smaller, but it turns out to be the max size *I* am willing to carry, and yet, it has most of the travel-friendly features that the max carry-on bags have, while making minor concessions like not having a jumbo suspension system and not having max carry.I've used this on 1-4 day trips for short vacations, conferences, and business trips, and it's been the perfect bag for me. Hope it works for you!2024 update: I have yet to run into issues with major carriers, but with bag size restrictions, this bag is a touch too tall as an under-seat, personal item for some discount and regional carriers. This bag set me back a Grant in 2018, but in 2024, it's a Benjamin+, which seems a bit much. At that range, you should look at the tomtoc 28L for an underseat personal item, or the tomtoc 40L carry-on for max carry, both under a Benjamin. If you have a bigger budget, consider Osprey, Aer, or Tortuga, but the price goes up 2-3x and may not be worth it unless you're traveling very frequently. Safe travels!

Like and dislike certain aspects of this backpack. I ordered the Timbuk2 Blink Pack in Jet Black for a recent trip to Asia, I used it as my "personal item" on the plane.Like:> LOTS of space, the front pocket opens up like a suitcase and makes packing a breeze.> Very deep central compartment and specialized laptop area in the back, for TSA/security check ease too!> The water bottle pocket at the front easily fits a 40 oz hydroflask> Overall build is well made and sturdy, zippers are excellent and there are many thoughtful pockets, you'll never have to reach and hunt for your cell phone with this bag> Top haul loop is very sturdy and thick, you can hang this thing from anything pretty easilyMeh:> I'm a petite female (5'2") and it definitely is veering on the side of "too big" if I over-stuff it> It's also a very long bag, it reaches down toward my butt and covers my entire back.> When it gets over-stuffed, it gets super big and the compression straps don't actually "compress" - I think they should've added more straps on the bottom to compress the whole thing rather than just at the top> If I put the water bottle in (or even my Macbook) I feel like the weight isn't as well distributed as it could be, my back will start to hurt when I carry this bag> Chest strap is far too thin to actually use for me, I didn't enjoy this feature much> On the plane, pulling this thing out with my camera equipment, laptop, etc was a burden because it was just too big to be an "under airplane seat" backpack. (that's probably my mistake though)> The bag looks sleek and shiny like it won't attract dust or dirt, but somehow dust AND dirt stick SUPER easily too it? And it's hard to wipe clean - I don't understand how the backpack material can attract so much direct so easilyOverall for the price this is still a quality backpack and comes with the lifetime Timbuk 2 warranty so I'd say go for it if you're considering it. I could still return it but I think I've fallen in love with the fact that it opens like a suitcase. I normally really love front loading backpacks (like from the top vs zipping all the way around) but the ease of adding clothes into this bag still makes it a great weekender bag for me.As long as I'm not carrying it over long distances or traveling on an airplane with it, I'm still happy using it. But just bear those small design features in mind if you're considering this bag for travel or commuting - it takes up space and is a LOT bigger than it looks, in my opinion.

Although its fairly roomy for lots of stuff, I didnt like how its basically one big compartment (except for the laptop sleeve). Things get mixed up inside like a salad. Makes me feel like I have a big brown grocery bag full of things on my back. I prefer more sections to separate whatever you put in there. Have to fish around looking for smaller items that drop to the bottom. But the biggst ding on this and why the two stars is because the price is just outrageous to me once I felt the material and saw the quality. $119? Ive seen comparable backpacks of this feel and quality at Walmart for $24.99. And the straps are stiff and cheap feeling, no flexibility. The way the straps are sewn causes the pack to sit up high so the top of the pack was at the back of my head. Weird. Every other reviewer seemed to like it so maybe they just have money to burn and haven’t had much experience with cheaper packs to compare it to, I dont know. Its very light though and probably will keep rain out of your stuff, still cant believe they get $119 for this.