Crumpler 'Very Busy Man' Notebook bag Review (Pics)

edit(I knew I forgot something): Reviewed by A.W. in Toronto, Canada

First of all, before any explaining or talking...

One must go to the Crumpler site.

It'll be a good 5-10 minutes before you're back here to read the rest of this review though.

Here's the site: Crumpler!


You back?

Allright, after all that random fun from their site, which barely had any information about themselves, so I had to google around. Not much, but I found some infomation from eBags hah.

By the way, My Photo taking skills aren't the best(I've got butterfingers!)

Company Information

What does a Crumpler bag have that makes itself unique?

Well, it has DuPont Cordura Plus fabric, as well as "Chicken Tex" protection, size 10 zippers, rip stop lining, and heavy duty industrial webbing. Those make the bag virtually waterproof in all ways.

But wait, What's Chicken Tex?

From Crumpler's site, it states the following:

Err......

So, what's the bag you have all about?


The name of this model of bag, but this line has been 'refreshed', and It's now called 'Horseman'

It's named 'Very Busy Man', and from the site here are the specs:

And it's indeed very big.


Bag sitting on chair and looking pretty (Larger Image)

Design

It's a great looking bag, from afar it doesn't look very big, but inside, this bag is HUGE! It has many pockets, and you can easily put many items inside the main pocket. It's kinda heavy though, but for this size, amount of padding and all, it's obvious why, and it looks heavier then it actually is.


A SumDex 15.4" Sleeve in the bag (Larger Image)


A SumDex sleeve, and a few binders.( Larger Image)

You have 8 Different colours to pick from for this model, and for all the Crumpler models, there are at least 6 different colour schemes for the bags. Outside it has a Forest Green shade with a grey sidings, trimmed by a bright orange trim. Inside, it is a somewhat baby-blue colour, which can not been seen when the bag is closed(Good for some people heh).


The Logo of Crumpler on the bag and shoulder pad



To be continued..

 

Usability

This bag is great for carrying around, it has a very comfortable shoulder strap, which is 14" in length and 3.5" wide, as well as a 'on-the-go' quick release/tighten hatch for adjusting the strap length. And for the main design of a Crumpler bag, it is to 'wear' it, kinda of like a backpack, and not like a messenger bag. It's hard to describe, it's worn like one of the 1 shoulder sling backpacks, the Crumpler is angled on your back. I'll try to get a picture for this.

Not only can it be used for notebooks, you can use it for anything.

Looking inside the bag, it is VERY padded, as every side is around 1" to 1.5", and the laptop pocket actually 'hovers' 3" over the bottom of the bag, so if it's dropped, there won't be much, if any impact. I've read stories where people drop it off a small building and there was no damage. I won't be trying that for sure

However, this bag was 'made' for a 17" notebook, and right now, it fits the SumDex 15.4" like a spandex glove, which makes me wary if it does fit a 17".

This bag has 5 large pockets, and an large empty space for random stuff. Right when you lift up the front flap after unlocking it from the plastic 'clips', there is a zippered section, and once opening it, that is the main storage area of randomness.


Here, pens, watches, cell phones, keys, etc. all can go here. (Larger Image)

The zippers are very large, sized 10, but work well, as you don't need to feel around for the zipper 'dongle'. As well, inside the front pocket, there's another zippered pocket where you can store more things.

On the Bag flap itself, behind it there is another pocket, but it's weirdly placed in my opinion. If you unzip it while wearing, I'm sure all the stuff inside will fall out. I don't kow why this was put there, and I don't think I'll ever use it..


Another angle of the bag. From the top, you can see(Well, it's there ^_^ ) two more pockets which close by velcro. Under that is the main storage area for books, textbooks, binders, tshirts, Guinea Pigs...and stuff! Under that you can see a protective laptop 'holder' which adjusts on velcro so you can snugly put the laptop in. Near the bottom before the velcro that is the weirdly placed pocket.(Larger Image)


Conclusion

I love this bag. It's a great bag for all kinds of usage, not just for a laptop. It's also pretty discrete, as it's not as "ITS A LAPTOP BAG!!!!!!!!" as Targus bags(those are good too). There are many choices of other bags by Crumpler, for different sizes of laptops, as this one perfectly fits a 15.4" in a sleeve. It's cool looking, it's comfortable and it's one hell of a protective bag.

The bag is quite expensive, at stores, it's $160 USD and more for this model. The price is much lower for the smaller ones. Also, this model will be cheaper, as it is out of production, and 'refreshed' with a new updated model. But you can still find these bags around. I bought this bag off eBay, since there aren't Crumpler Bags in Canada, I bought it for $64.95 USD, and just under $85 Canadian with shipping and Insurance.

Where to Buy

Direct from www.crumplerbags.com

You can also look at their store directory to see resellers from your region.

You can also get it from eBay for a smaller costs, or if it is not availiable in your area.

 

wow, their site is insane, i have to say although it's fun it fails miserably on the usability and access to information test. which is a shame since it looks like their product is a good one. nice review coriolis, i've heard you raving about this bag for a long time and it's great to see the pictures and get your thoughts. on it!

 

that's a great review coriolis

 

Quick question Coriolis, would you feel comfortable using the bag without the extra protection of the Sumdex Impact guard?

 

Here's the ironic part.

I have not received my laptop yet, All I have now is an old 14" IBM T2x series

And that does not fit the bag at all!

The Sumdex will add about an inch to the dimensions of the laptop, so It'll fit, I'm not sure if it's just right, but should be. I don't think I'll mind if its a bit loose, becase the velcro 'flap' of the laptop insert pocket will snugly hold it in place.

I'll add more pictures once I receive my laptop

 

This is the weirdest retail site I have ever seen in my whole life....I don't know what to think...I really dont. The school hymn's look like nice laptop sleeves..."school hymn"?? I don't even know where to start on that name.

But I don't know...I guess I'll consider these guys when I make my next laptop purchase. They might be on to something with this concept...or they might not. I can imagine some people might not pull out there wallets to buy something from a site with chickens and banjoo music playing in the background.

And when And Item is not in stock they show a middle finger??? yo...they didn't teach this kind of marketing when i was in college

Feels like half the features they are pushing are made up..I don't know what to think about them. CHickenTEX...comes from feathers donated by middle-class chickens who recieve a tax deduction for it???

what the hell am i buying here? lol

 

But it WORKS


You should see their 'model' for the bag sizes....

 

Thanks for the review; I loved how you put multiple binders in there. Little things like that are such a big help (I'm a college student looking for a bag for laptop & 1 or 2 textbooks), yet even the “professional” reviewers neglect to do that half the time. There is one thing that’s still missing though, and that’s a model wearing the bag in a realistic environment (e.g. walking on the sidewalk or talking to a friend).

If you could get pictures of yourself or a friend wearing the bag that would be awesome. That way we can see how the bag fits and hangs when being worn.

 

Here's an image that I saw from the Crumpler site but that one had nudity, but this one is from an eBay auction, and it's ben 'censored'



I'll try to get someone to wear it..

 

I love crumpler I got Weenie W-033 Brown camera case, but I use it for anything except laptop.. too short and pricey.. but it's sweet :base:

 

nvm.. it works with my w3v, just tried it.. (I never get my baby out since I bought it) but you need extra sleeve.. I reccomend neoprene ones. It works for 14" below notebook

 

would one of the compartments be suitable to hold and protect a medium sized wacom graphire3 tablet?

 

Mind if you list the dimensions?

 

it is: 10.85 in. x 10.12 in. x 0.71 in.
Thank you so much for checking this for me!

 

I'll get back to you, ASAP.

Currently constructing a model of it

edit: Well, after attempts at making a model, not to mention failed attempts, I'll just compare the size of the Sumdex sleeve I have, since it fits perfectly in the enclosure, with about, almost an 1.8 inchs showing form the top as seen here:



The dimensions are approximately 14.25" x 11.75" x 2.25" according to Sumdex's site.

 

those crumpler bags are pretty cool. that chicken tex crap is just marketing for cordura nylon. not all that impressed.

i just stumbled on this new laptop bag company, bumbakpaks. saw an ad in wired last week and now i see it in macworld. they look pretty legit. pretty cool carrying system. the straps remind me of a golf bag, but thank goodness they've got attached to a hip urban messenger bag. i bet it's super comfortable for carrying my heavy as all heck laptop. i bet it would be good for my books too.

downside is only 1 size for now so i don't think some of the older bigger laptops will fit, but the site says they'll be coming out with more.

http://www.bumbakpaks.com/

 

those new bumbakpaks look interesting. does anyone know how effective their laptop protection is?

with the currently available size, it looks like a z70 would barely slip in. probably can't use a sleeve, huh?

 

Is there any difference between the Horseman and Very Busy Man?

 

I'm not sure, but I've seen some places say the Horseman is the 'replacement' of the Very Busy man. Best if you ask them if that is so.

 

Ok, well I just bought the Very Busy Man anyway. It's kind of confusing how to put it on, with the third clip and all. Could you please walk me through it? I did it how I thought was right, but the bag sits awkwardly on my back.

 

There are two ways, one is a regular messenger bag, the other is almost like a sling backpack, that's there the 3rd clip comes in. You open the plastic 'flap lock', and make the length of the shoulder strap shorter, and put that around you like before, and put the 3rd clip from underneath your left arm(I think).

It's hard to describe really

 

Ok thanks. That's what I thought...but it looks a bit strange. =p

 

It does, but it's quite useful in some cases, such as riding a bike, etc.

Or showing off your rear end

hahaha

 

Is there any way you can remove the 'third leg' without breaking it?

 

I'm not sure what the 'third leg' stands for...

 

Glad to see crumpler making it in the US - I've been buying their bags for years (not just laptop bags - camera bags and backpacks as well) and they've all been great. Of course it's easier when you live in Melbourne, and can just wander down to a store...
And their printed catalogs are about as useless and amusing as their web site - you really need to browse a store, if you can, to see the range.

 

Korny, do you live in melbourne? Because I heard there was a big shop on Bridge Rd. or somthing, but I'm not totally sure where abouts.

 

Would you think that a skiny/scrawny 90lb 5'4" 14 year old will be able to carry this for 15+ minutes with a z70va and a binder (or two) and a notebook (or two)? Single strap... ergh... XD

 

Well it's pretty big and chunky even w/o anything inside...but I think you should be alright. If you are going to a store though, bring your laptop and put it in when you try it. That way you can be sure if you like it or not.

The third leg I am refering to is the extra clip that goes under your left arm. I don't use it much and it seems to get in the way sometimes.

 

Actually, it might be kinda hard, the bag is pretty huge.

Depends how long your journey is too, if its under 20~ minutes, you should be fine, because it gets tiring with so much stuff afterwards!

 

Crumpler? That off-shore ****? Their proprietory fabric, Chickentex, is a cheaper than cheap knock-off of Cordura and frays so easily it's sad.

I had one of their "best" messenger bags and it lasted 6 months before the main strap fell off. I wouldn't trust hardware in Crumpler products.

Try REload bags, get a custom notebook bag made for your machine by the company that claims it (Crumpler is in vietnam, in factories that have been cited for human rights violations) at the same cost, out of Cordura & closed cell foam with waterproofing.

Or anyone else really, Crumpler got popular too fast, allowed their product to go to hell.

 

My favorite bags are www.booqbags.com I have both the folee XM (for 14-15.4" laptops and their backpack Python XM. The bags are extremely well made, well padded and comfortable to carry. I got a free Powersleeve XM when I ordered a while back and I use it all the time by itself. It fits my laptop and a few file folders for a quick client meeting.

 

I've just recieved my Sticky Date bag over the weekend. One downside is that the inside lining seems very synthetic and nylony, but maybe this will soften up with use. On the plus side it was meant to fit my widescreen 17in laptop and hopefully by uni books/notes. and i can say without a shadow of a doubt that this will fit in no problem. I feel like Mary Poppins its so big. I've fit my digital camera charger, 20 DVDs etc etc and its still got loads more room.
I'm 6ft and not scrawny and i think I could fit in with a bit of encouragement!