Just discovered an excellent post (and good design) from Carryology.  They compare backpacks and messenger bags to determine who needs which.  It’s slightyly humorous while making good arguments for each.  I agree with much of what they say, and while I own both, for day to day activities, I prefer the messenger for the simply pure reason that it’s more stylish.  But for backpacking, I’ve never found a use for one.  Maybe I’ll try it on my next trip to appear more local and not so touristy.

My favorite messenger bag company, Crumpler, redesigned their website. It takes a while to load, even for a fast connection, but it’s unique and definitely is better than their old site. And I do appreciate originality. Crumpler is a bit of a travel trend setter when it comes to messenger bags.

New travel messenger bags from AirWearDesigns.com.  $39.99

BBP bags may look like an ordinary messenger bag you find anywhere, but they are a bit different. The bak2pak carrying system they’ve trademarked is designed so that you can carry it over one shoulder like standard messenger bags, or backpack style over two shoulders. From the pictures on their site, it looks like the backpack way is worn low to me. If you are interested in more, they h ave a video and animation showing exactly how to make the switch from one shoulder to two shoulder.