Crumpler
Bags Part and Parcel Laptop
Case
July 29, 2005
Review by: Richard Adams,
Contributing Editor

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to: PAGE 1 | PAGE 2

INTRODUCTION

    Is
the Crumpler Laptop Bag an improvement over my old faithful? What about
all of my current and future accessories? Does the laptop padding have
any substance to it? What is a Quick Flick buckle? How easily does
the padded strap work? I am a person who loves the extra large bag
to hold all of my STUFF, and as you will see in this review, I mean
lots of Stuff. I take my laptop bag everywhere I might have an opportunity
to use it, kinda like a security blanket.

WHAT’S
HOT

According
to the Crumpler website, The Part and Parcel bag is, "…the
ultimate messenger style 15″ laptop satchel, with ‘kitchen
sink’ features yield. Sacrifices a little interior space for the extra protection
afforded by full padded protection for your expensive IT goodies whilst on the
go. Very ‘suit’-able but still street ably acceptable looks-wise." Let’s
take a detailed look, and evaluate the claim.

PRODUCT FEATURES

(all images link to higher
resolution)

This
Laptop bag is 17.7 x 13.8 x 5.9 inches and has a great look, with
a truly tough, water resistant 1000D Nylon shell

.

I
sprayed the outer shell with water and found out that water resistance
does not does not mean waterproof.

Note
the adjustable main strap w/ Quick Flick TM buckle above. The Quick
Flick is a buckle that allows you to adjust the length of the shoulder
strap within seconds.

My
15" HP 4325 laptop fits snugly into its own fully padded pocket
that is 13 x 10.6 x 1.6 inches. Crumpler has done a great job of
making sure that a laptop fits securely.

Note
the roomy 420D Rip stop Nylon lining. Inside is an immense amount
of room; I have a tendency to put too much stuff inside of them.

When you first open the Crumpler Bag, you begin to see all of the storage
possibilities.

The
external gusseted zipper pocket has six pockets to hold your pens,
mouse, mobile speakers, and so on.

Hey,
I told you I didn’t know when to stop putting stuff inside the bag!
Not pictured about is what I had in the meshed compartment,
and believe it or not, there was room for more! 

Continue
On: Bugs and Wishes / Pros and Cons / Conclusion . . .

Crumpler
Bags Part and Parcel Laptop
Case
July 29, 2005
Review by: Richard Adams,
Contributing Editor

Jump
to: PAGE 1 | PAGE 2

HELP SUPPORT

    Have
you been to the Crumpler
website? If not, it’s a must see!
Once you do figure out all the buttons, you can find products details,
locations of their stores, both email and land addresses, plus contact
phone numbers. In the future, I would hope to see at least SOME information
about warranties, rather than all those weird
animals. I’d like some
more documentation provided with the bag to explain more about the
features and what the various pockets are designed to hold.

BUGS AND WISHES

Although
there is a plethora of pockets, I can’t seem to reasonably limit
how much to fit inside my bag. I think that the meshed pocket on
the inside of the outer flap is a good size, but, it might be more
useful with dividers. It could also use instructions for both the padded
adjustable strap and all of the pockets inside of the bag. An idea
would be to include business-sized cards, with pictures on them, and
put them inside the different pockets suggesting what might best go
inside that pocket.

PURCHASING

Crumpler for
$145.00. There are four colors to choose from.

PROS

• Plenty
  of pockets
• Water
  resistant outer shell Rip Stop lining
• Great
  adjustable strap with Quick Flick Buckle
• Padded
  laptop compartment offers great protection

CONS

• 
  

  Perhaps
  too many pockets

• The meshed
  compartment needs dividers
• Needs better
  instructions on pocket layout

Value
Ease of Use
Features
Overall

OVERALL IMPRESSION

    Crumpler referred to the bag as a "kitchen
sink" – and I now know why. Next time I go camping, forget the sleeping
bag, I’m bringing my Part and Parcel laptop case. Just kidding. Seriously
though, this case provides ample protection for laptops, all while
looking great. Some guidance would be appreciated as to what all the
pockets are for, but that minor gripe aside, I reccomend this product.