Outdoor-gear savvy in laptop bags

Outdoor recreationists don't spend all their time in the backcountry. We sometimes have to go to work. But there's no reason we can't use the best designs of the outdoor market during our day-to-day lives.

Folks who walk or ride their bikes to work are especially apt to need outdoor technology to keep their work gear safe — especially their business documents and laptop computers.

Commuters with laptops face two primary threats to their computers: exposure to the Northwest weather and theft. Fortunately, both threats have been wonderfully addressed by outdoor companies.

Seattle's own Cascade Designs offers a new courier-style bag in its SealLine product family. The Urban Shoulder Bag perfectly protects your laptop and other important business gear from the elements by utilizing the same polyurethane-coated polyester material used in the company's dry bags. This waterproof bag boasts welded seams, a full-cover over flap and a simple internal organizer pocket. A divider panel inside secures laptops up to 15-inches in size.

The wide, adjustable shoulder strap can be comfortably worn over one shoulder while walking to the bus stop, or across your chest for secure travel on a bike. I loaded the Shoulder Bag with a stack of papers, a new MacBook computer and a bit of lunch, then set off to pedal around Olympia while attending meetings on a rainy March day. Nary a paper got wet, and the pack stayed secure on my back — thanks largely to the small, integrated waist strap that can be used for just this purpose (it tucks snugly away when unneeded).

The only knock on this wonderful little courier bag: The computer sleeve is not padded. A thin layer of padding wouldn't add much to the price, yet would provide peace of mind for folks who worry about their sensitive computers.

The SealLine Urban Shoulder Bag is available in two sizes. The small size holds computers up to 15 inches while the large will swallow 17-inch laptops. The bags sell for $149.95/$169.95. For more information: www.seallinegear.com.

To beat back would-be thieves, you'll want to turn to the security-minded folks at PacSafe. The PacSafe Courier Safe 100 briefcase bag features a slash-proof shoulder strap — a steel cable runs through the wide nylon strap — and a locking zippered main compartment. The body of the bag boasts PacSafe's patented eXomesh material, a stout nylon fabric bonded around a slash-proof web of steel cable.

So the Courier Safe 100 is safe from snatchers who typically cut shoulder straps. It's safe from thieves who want to slash open the bag to get the goods inside. And it blocks opportunists who stealthily open unwatched bags. So if you really want to protect your business files, laptop and other important work gear, the Courier Safe 100 is the closest you'll come to a hand-held safe.

The downside of this security? The bag weighs in at a whopping 2 pounds, 9 ounces. Add a full-sized 15-inch laptop and your shoulders will quickly feel the strain.

Still, a sore shoulder beats a lost laptop. The Courier Safe 100 sells for $119.95. For more information: www.pacsafe.com.

— Dan A. Nelson, special to The Seattle Times

Freelancer Dan A. Nelson, of Puyallup, is a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, and an author of outdoor guides with The Mountaineers Books. For the purpose of review, gear manufacturers lend products, which are returned after a typical use of four to six weeks. There is no payment from manufacturers and they have no control over the content of reviews. Contact Dan with gear-related questions at gearguy@adventuresnw.net.