We are retired and travel a good bit. I like to have lots of handy items (junk as my wife would put it) @ my fingertips. Not only does it do the job in great fashion I know longer have to ask my wife to put things in her purse and hear how heavy her purse is. Bulging pockets are a thing of the past. There really is a place for everything. The monogram adds a little class to the bag.
Love the bag. The only thing I would like added is a small handle on the top to make it easier to pick up and move about. I really like the appearence. Also, it is stiffer (not as soft) as some other messenger bags I have. I like the way it holds its shape,
I was looking for a bag similar to a Field Bag for myself to be able to use while traveling. I needed a bag that could act as my carry on and for daily use as my camera etc. bag. I also wanted something that didn't peg me immediately as an American while I travel over seas! I received the bag the day before I left for Turkey and liked the feel and look of the bag. There is a zippered pocket on the bag under the flap that fits an iPad. Inside I was able to carry my SLR, an extra lens, my point and shoot, travel documents, an extra change of clothes, and much more. At that point the bag was full but handled itself nicely. When the bag is less full and is being used for daily use it conformed to my side and was very comfortable. My one complaint is that buckle mechanism for the flap. It looks as though it is a regular belt type buckle but underneath is an easy to use metal thumb type latch. That is handy but that portion fell off some where in the airport in Istanbul. My solution for the rest of the trip was to pull the remaining leather strap through the metal loop on the bag. This actually worked well and kept the flap closed. All in all a nice bag.
First of all, I love the bag. It was everything that I wanted and needed. The craftmanship and stitching are exceptional and I know I will get many many years of use from this bag. I also want to thank L.L.Bean for their exceptional customer service. The bag had been "signed for" by another party at my shipping address; however, a search revealed that the package could not be found. We rechecked with the shipper and it turns out the package was lost somewhere. I called L.L.Bean and they shipped another bag, at no additional charge to me. I will be a customer for life. Thank you L.L. Bean!
