No, I did not spell that wrong.

Many women swap their gear between bags quite often, and one of the problems with doing so is that it can be hard to make sure that you have actually transferred everything you’ll need from the first bag to the second.

Tintemar has created a product that holds the basics in place, inside their special compartmentalized bag which can be slipped into other bags or even carried on its own. Say hello to the Very Intelligente Pocket, which Alison introduced me to this morning.

The VIP has slots for your wallet, digital music player, PDA, mobile phone, keys, lipstick, meds, lotions, all the “crap” that we like to load ourselves down with. Hey, we may not always need it, but it’s good to have it when we do!

There are different sizes and different configurations available  - both for men and women, and the prices appear to range from 30.00 to 40.00€.

Link: Tintemar Very Intelligente Pocket

During Jerry’s and my meeting with Kensington during CES, I had ample opportunity to admire their new Contour Balance line. As described on their site:

With lightweight microfiber materials, sleek organization, Contour features to minimize strain, concealed pockets and DropShield® notebook padding for protection, these cases doesn’t compromise form for function and style.

One of my wistful complaints at the time was that a bag was not available to fit my 17″ Toshiba. While there still isn’t a bag large enough for “value-sized” laptops, it no longer matters quite so much to me since I now own a 15″ MacBook Pro. When I was offered the chance to take a look at their Contour Balance Notebook Case, it took me all of 30 seconds to respond “brown, please.”

front side

One the bag arrived, it was just as I remembered: trim, feminine, and loaded with features. Make no mistake about it, this is no plane brown wrapper; white stitching is used to break up the monochrome brown, and a complimentary pattern of brown interlocking ovals and rounded rectangles cover the contrasting beige microfiber material.

Let’s take a look inside, shall we?

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I just stumbled across this cool x-ray bag on ThinkGeek. The concept of bags with x-ray prints on the outside is not new. Doug reviewed this Skooba Skreener Messenger Bag about a month ago. For times when you’re looking for a inexpensive quirky gift for someone, this $11.99 bag from Thinkgeek might do the trick, though I’m not sure how cool airport security will be with the images of brass knuckles, booze and a pistol.

Link: Thinkgeek X-Ray bag - $11.99

Q. Hi Judie

I hope you’re well. Knowing that you’re the expert for bags of all shapes and sizes, I thought I’d submit a Dear Gear Diary question to see if you can help me.

I’m going on vacation in a few weeks and security regulations in the UK only allow for one piece of hand luggage. The maximum dimensions allowed are 22” x 17.5” x 9.85”.

Within this one piece of hand luggage I need to accommodate passport and tickets, wallet, ipod and headphones, cellphone etc, plus my 13” Macbook and my Canon DSLR with battery grip and 2 lenses (one of which is quite large). I’d like a bag with compartments to protect all of my gadgets, but obviously I want to keep the size down as the measurements are pretty restricted. On top of all of this, I’d really like a bag that looks nice too, but that’s a secondary thought.

Does anyone have a good recommendation for me? My current laptop bag is very nice, but doesn’t fit my camera. All suggestions gratefully received!

Cheers!
Alison

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Part of the lure of a being on holiday is the ability to get away from all of your tech distractions. But if you’re reading this site, then you’re probably like me and derive an inordinate amount of enjoyment from having all of your toys and gadgets with you wherever you go. There’s a lot to be said for putting your smartphone, MP3 player, digital camera or laptop away in order to be able to fully soak in your surroundings, but when used in moderation, I think gadgets can actually enhance your travel experience.

There are all sorts of considerations to take into account when travelling with your tech toys. Will it have enough storage for all my photos and music? Is it durable enough to handle the rigours of the road? Will the battery last me until the next time I get to a power outlet? And what happens if my bag gets stolen?

Gadget insurance is something I’ll cover in another post, but the rest of the concerns are easily take care of with the right tech and accessories.

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Trust me, I’m really trying my best to quit hauling around so many gadgets in my backpack. A 13” MacBook, power cable, mouse, 2 pens, iPod, iMuffs wireless headphone, JawBone headset, a smartphone of the week, Tekkeon battery charger, various cables, business cards and a legal pad are my bare minimums. Oops! I forgot the digital camera! What was I thinking! I stuff all of these items in my Swiss Army backpack to and from work. Of course I throw in a couple of books, a brown bag lunch, gloves, stocking cap, and many more items. The other day, I saw my reflection in a glass window. I looked like a modern day pack mule. It’s time to slim things down!

Last month I was in California for a conference located in the same hotel. It was precisely then that I had the perfect use for the LAbesace CLASSIC. Let’s take a look at this laptop bag designed for the 13” MacBook.

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Well, even though my sample Skooba Skreener didn’t come before my business trip last November, it did come in time for the various holiday nonsense, so I was able to give it a good workout.

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Most of the photography bags I have reviewed in the past have been very functional, but they also…hmm, how can I say this? They looked like casual bags which were camouflaging the fact that they could safely hold many thousands of dollars in equipment — which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn’t feel that any of them exactly stated “I’m a professional photographer, so yeah…take me seriously”.

Of course, that might also be because I am not one, and I don’t play one on TV.

However, the bag I am going to look at today does look like something I would envision a professional carrying. Go ahead and laugh, we all have certain stereotypes that we get in our minds when we think of different professions; to me this bag looks like the real deal, and after going over it with a fine-toothed comb, I am even more convinced. I would fully expect to see a news reporter / photographer carrying a bag such as this when on assignment; once we have finished going over it together, you can tell me if you agree.

photo courtesy of Naneu Pro

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I was eager to review the Mobile Edge /Maddie Powers Cutebug Laptop Messenger Bag, because it is one of the most original I’ve ever seen. Combining the extremely well executed features we have come to expect from Mobile Edge with the sassy iconic images Maddie Powers’ designs borrow from 1940s and 50s pulp fiction magazines, the Cutebug Laptop Messenger Bag is one hot tamale.

Check it out…

photo courtesy of Mobile Edge

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It’s not often that I get to do decidedly “girly” laptop bag reviews, but this week I have two of them to write about…lucky me! And lucky for all of you women who come to Gear Diary, as well as your significant others. Need I mention that Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, and nothing says “I love you” more than a gift that will be used every day, one that celebrates and accentuates the feminine goddesses that we are. Well, jewelry works, too, but I digress.

Today we are going to take a close look at the Skooba Design Skooba Satchel 2.0 Luxe, a decidedly ladylike version of the popular Skooba Satchel 2.0. Composed of light gray Ultrasuede with pink nylon trim, the Luxe is much more than a pretty face. Let’s take a look…

photo courtesy of Skooba Design

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