Decisions, decisions...

When it comes to bags, I'm not the first to get a tote. They look cool and all but I like to ride my bike, a lot. This pretty much rules out getting a tote, so I do enjoy looking out for backpacks. I, after a year of using a crappy backpack I found in the attic, am finally getting a new bag. Now, surprisingly, there are a lot of (hip?) bags out there. Backpacks are apparently making a comeback (see Selectism) after getting the school boy label for a year or two. I'm game for a nice canvas bag, and here are some options. From an affordability stand-point, only two of these bags make the cut. But one can dream, right?

Dropped by Nonnative, this Mountaineer Daypack might be my favorite pack. It looks like an Orvis or Filson backpack, but lacks the structure, which I think sends a nice disheveled message. The quality should be good, you're paying a nice hefty sum of £315. That's $522. I think I'd rather not take out a loan for my college books, thanks.

Gotta' love red. This pack by Master-Piece would really make my jean jacket pop but I can't say that a rucksack has ever been good as a bookpack. It's cool, but once again the price tag, at $307, sends me packing.

Oh, now this is cool. Utilitarian, rugged, and just plain old simple: this bag kills. You have to love what Kanken has done here. I only have a 15" laptop but you can fit up to a 17" laptop in it. Given my tendency to carry around everything that I might need (Chapstick? Yeah, that's a little girly), I'll need the extra 2". At $99, it's the right price.

This Penfield backpack, while really cool, is a bit bold in my tastes. Penfield blanket print seems like it might be a bit of a fad. The indian print looks great on blankets, but I feel that 2 or 3 years down the road the backpack might feel fadish and contrived. But than again, at $99 it's certainly not breaking the bank. I could go for this pack, but my first pick would definitely be the Kanken.