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Affordable Men's Style

Is there such a thing as a grown up backpack?

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L.L. Bean Signature Saltwash Canvas Backpack – $145.00

Comes in Khaki or Black.

First question.  Can a backpack look good?  And a follow up:  Do you have to be college aged or younger to carry it?

Here’s what I do know.  I wish I had one of these L.L. Bean Signature Saltwash Canvas Backpacks last Friday, when on my day off I decided to take an early fall spin around the city with my black Sun Bicycles cruiser.  I ended up at our local high-end organic food co-op.  Their beer selection is incredible, and after purchasing a six pack or Rogue Red, a 22 oz big bottle of Full Sail Sanctuary Belgian Style Dubbel, plus a sixer of Dry Soda for those alcohol free nights, I had quite the load to get back to the home offices.

Which by the way are up on a hill.  And my only option for lugging this liquid cargo happened to be my favorite duffel bag.

By the time I got up that hill and home I thought my weight bearing shoulder was going to fall off.  The bottles all made it back in one piece, but I’m still not so sure about my rotator cuff.  I needed not one, but two shoulder straps.

The detailed customer reviews online are mixed, with one saying the bag is a dream come true, and the other being disappointed.  But those first two questions still stand.  Is there such a thing as a stylish, grown up backpack?  And if so… is this it?  I’ll leave it up to you guys, so leave your answers in the comments section.  If you’ll excuse me, I need to wash down a few more ibuprofen with another bottle of Rogue.
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The Hilfiger Fieldhouose 18" Duffel - $71.99

Comments

  1. I saw the LL Bean rucksack in person the other day. It looked well-made, but the extra little embellishments turned me off. Something about the dangling D-loops and rivets made it seem a bit too poseur.

    I bought one of these a few years ago from an military surplus store for twenty bucks:

    http://theglengarrysportingclub.blogspot.com/2009/10/inspired-goods-swiss-army-rucksack-ca.html

    It took me less than an hour to surgically remove the internal frame, and it is awesome – stylish, rugged, functional and very comfortable. However, I think these are catching on again – a quick scan on ebay shows that they are now going for the $100 mark.

  2. Holy crap, Vaughn! That’s a beautiful bag. I’ll have to look for one. My mom’s family is all swiss so perhaps they can find one for cheap.