I’m looking for recommendations for a backpack that will be used for commuting to work. What I’m looking for would have one large compartment that I could put a shirt and a pair of pants in, a Bluetooth speaker, a large Contigo water bottle and maybe some miscellaneous stuff. I don’t want a hundred pockets and compartments (internal or external). All I seem to be able to find are laptop backpacks or hiking backpacks that are just too “busy” with features that would just get in the way or waste storage space. I really don’t want to have to resort to buying a laptop backpack and then cutting out all the internal compartments with a razor blade. That’s just dumb, and I worry that what’s left after cutting would start to fray and fall apart. Durability and and convenience are top priority but price isn’t a huge issue (within reason).
TIA.
Update 1: Since there have been several positive comments re. JanSport bags… That’s what I’ve decided to try. I pulled the trigger on this bag. It’s a bit fancier (suede parts) than what I was originally planning but it ticks all the boxes. The fact that they have a Canadian store and free shipping is icing on the cake.
Update 2: Bag just arrived today. It’s nice, really nice. I almost feel bad about the abuse it’s going to take. The canvas is quite thick and has a very high quality feel to it. Same for the suede. Doesn’t feel cheap at all. It’s just the right size for my needs. At first glance the external water bottle pocket looked too small to fit any kind of reusable bottles but I tried forcing it a bit and found it has a very strong elastic band that holds the pocket folded against the main body of the bag. We’ll see how long that elastic band holds up. The zippers feel nice but I don’t know what brand they are as they have a stylized “JS” on the zipper pulls. It does have a laptop sleeve that I was kinda hoping to avoid but the way they’ve done it is very nice. It’s a zippered full length pocket not accessible from within the main compartment. It’s kinda hidden between the top mounting points of the shoulder straps and the upper flap that covers the main compartment zipper. Overall I’m very happy with this bag and I think the price is about right for the quality of the materials and construction of the bag.
Thanks everyone for your input.
@TheFriar @DeepChill As a generally low-income person who recently spent hundreds on a backpack I will defend expensive products lol. To me, if it uses recycled materials, fair trade labour, and the design is something innovative and thoughtful, it's worth it.
You do pay more for features. I got the WANDRD PRVKE which has a divided main compartment with 3 access points, a handful of hidden pockets, weatherproofing, a very structured and padded harness system and more, because that's what I like
Fair enough. OP seems like they really don’t need much more than something simple, though. That looks like a great utility backpack for specialized needs and a technical job with many little pieces for specific gear. It looks great, and it’s one of those backpacks that I always imagine I’d really enjoy, but I’m disorganized and like quick access to a big pouch and nothing else. I have a few Klein pouches I keep more specialized categories of smaller stuff in, and I think that’s as good as my organization gets. That bag looks great for professional camera stuff or something.