My collection of backpacks and messenger bags keeps growing. The latest addition is the slim fitting Booq Boa Squeeze. I’ve been using it much more than the Boa Courier because the Squeeze zips up tight, feels more secure, and is much more comfortable to wear when I need my hands free.
The Squeeze holds almost exactly as much as the Courier did, but offers more options for organization. Two size zipper pouches are great for a small thermos, water bottle, or in my case, camera, lens, and a couple batteries. My Olympus E-P3 fits neatly on one side with a short lens, and I can stack the 35mm and zoom lens in the other pouch.
The laptop pocket is large enough for some 15″ laptops with a second pocket suitable for a small tablet. There is ample room for pens, small papers, and business cards. A few smaller zippered pockets offer perfect places to store keys, thumb drives, and memory cards.
Right now this is my favorite commuter bag. It has plenty of room for my Lenovo X1 Carbon and power brick, iPad, Grid-It board with a backup USB battery, a couple Mifi devices and miscellaneous cables. I can also fit my Braven Bluetooth speaker and a small power strip for short trips, but it gets lumpy and difficult to zip when I add anything more.
For serious travelling I still swear by the Ogio Renegade, but it’s nearly a pound and a half heavier empty and a little bulky to store neatly on my desk at work. The Boa Squeeze hangs well on a coat hook with all compartments in an easy to access position.
At $129 on Amazon, the Boa Squeeze isn’t cheap, but it is well built and I expect it to last for many years. A coworker has a much older version of the Squeeze that still looks great despite many miles of air travel and daily commuting.
Arrrr! I must have one.