So, I covered the CEDIA show last week. I tried out this BumBakPak, or BBP, while roaming the show floor and I am surprisingly impressed with the bag overall.
The BBP is a "Urbanomic" (urban and ergonomic) backpack that can wear like a traditional messenger bag over a shoulder or it can easily convert to a more backpack-style bag. Hit the jump to get some more impressions.
So I had to carry around my laptop, batteries, chargers, gear, digital camera and pounds upon pounds of press releases while roaming these shows. They can put some mighty strain on my shoulders and back, depending on what bag I'm using, but the BBP reduced the pain quite a bit, but not completely. Then again I was carrying around 20 pounds of gear for eight hours per day.
I'm not going to lie, when carrying this around in the "backpack mode" it felt really nice—not very much strain on my back—but I knew it looked kind of odd. I could tell I was getting some looks, but after the first day I got accustomed to the unique look.
It is called BBP because when in backpack mode the bag is designed to hang low on your back, therefore reducing strain. The carrying-strap is padded nicely, but there is a large plastic connector on the strap that clips to the bag, converting it to backpack style. So, when using the BBP as a traditional shoulder messenger bag the big clips just sat there near my face being awkward.
For storage there are a kajillion and a half compartments including a laptop storage pocket that is extra padded. Depending on which model of BBP you purchase will determine how many pockets are available. The BBP is available in four different sizes to accompany all sizes of laptops. The BBP ranges from $85 to $95 depending on the model.
Overall, it is a good bag, as long as you don't mind the unique look. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with back problems that want a stylish and ergonomic bag.