Skooba Design Weekend Warrior Duffel

When considering the many ways to carry a laptop, it’s likely your mind turns to sleeves, briefcases, messenger bags, rolling bags, backpacks, and paper sacks. Thanks to Skooba Design’s Weekend Warrior line of laptop toters, you can add one more option—the duffel bag.

I looked at the $125 Weekend Warrior Duffel with Large Laptop Sleeve, and its name adequately describes its function. This is a mostly-nylon duffel capable of holding not only a 17-inch-or-smaller laptop, but a couple of days worth of clothing and small gadgets, as well. Available in black, blue, or red, the thing is festooned with nylon, mesh, and neoprene storage spaces, zippered and not—24 pockets, compartments, and organizers in all.

With that many places to put stuff, there’s the danger that you’ll forget exactly where you put what. Thankfully, the bag is well organized. The pockets at either end are large enough for a pair of shoes if your feet aren’t too big. (I managed to strip one of the zippers while attempting to pack a pair of size-11 men’s shoes, so you probably shouldn’t attempt to carry vintage platforms from the ’70s.) The outside of one of those compartments bears a water-bottle compartment, and a long, zippered outer pocket on the side of the bag sports multiple neoprene pockets for papers, pens, a mobile phone, a music player, USB key drives, and other items you might want close at hand at an airport or hotel counter. Speaking of airports, there’s also a trolley strap on the other side of the bag for firmly attaching the bag to the handle of your rolling suitcase.

The main compartment is about as roomy as you’d expect from a medium-sized duffel bag. It also includes four more mesh pockets (two zippered) and a large, removable, padded laptop sleeve that attaches to the interior of the bag using a couple of large Velcro patches. (There’s also a buckled strap to hold the sleeve in place, and keep your laptop inside, if you turn the bag upside down.) With your laptop stowed, you still have enough room for a weekend of casual living, tightly packed—a couple of pairs of pants, a few shirts, some socks and unmentionables, and an outer layer. Fully loaded, the Weekend Warrior can easily fit in an airplane’s overhead bin, but not under a seat.

Had I not stripped the outside zipper with my not-unreasonably-large pair of shoes, I’d be all over this Duffel. It’s a convenient and organized way to pack a bag of both tech and clothes for a weekend getaway. Given that zipper however, I wish the end pockets were a little larger or the material at least stretched a little more when stressed.